Emma Sidey is the Critical Care Matron at Dorset County Hospital and has been working on the unit since 2008. One area which is close to Emma’s heart is the new patient garden: The Winter Garden.
In my early days as a nurse working in our current Critical Care Unit, there was a gentleman I was caring for who sadly was at a point of no recovery. His dying wish was to be outside, with his family, as he passed. We wanted to be able to facilitate this, so we cleared a space in our conservatory and wheeled him in there, with the doors open to the small garden outside. It was far from ideal but the best we could do. His family were so grateful we were able to do something to accommodate his wishes, but now we look forward, we know we can and will be able to do better. The new Winter Garden will also play a crucial role in the rehabilitation of those patients whose length of stay lasts weeks or even months. We will be able to make this standard of treatment the rule, not the exception.”
Watch our short film Emma’s Story below:
