27/01/2026
How beautiful is this….. a fabulous testament to the ethos and care provided by Strathcarron Hospice.
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🩵 Veena - a nurse who was moved to join the profession after the death of her infant son - has told how her student placement at Strathcarron turned out to been a “healing” experience for her.
Veena decided to go into nursing following the tragic death of son Derick Munachiso when he was aged almost four months old.
When the former University of Stirling nursing student was told her next placement was at Strathcarron with the Hospice at Home team, she initially refused to go as she thought it would be full of sadness.
GRIEF
She explains: “When I was told my placement was a hospice I cried. I thought it was just a place of sadness and grief, with people who were broken. I didn’t want to do it.
“I wanted to become a nurse to help others, as the care my son had received in intensive care had been amazing. It was a lot to cope with at the time and I decided I wanted to do something to help other people. My brother Chijoke Junior also died in 2024, so I didn’t know how I would cope with all the sadness around death.
"Strathcarron was my first experience of hospice care. I had a fear about having to deliver bad news to families, that I wouldn’t know what to say. Also in my culture in Nigeria we don’t discuss about preparations or planning before the death of someone, so it felt very different from what I was used to experiencing.”
WELCOMING
Veena approached her lecturer to let her know she didn’t want to take the placement. Her lecturer shared her own positive experience and knowledge of Strathcarron and suggested Veena give it a go.
If she was not comfortable after a trial she could return to the university to look at other options.
🩵Veena said: “I reluctantly came to Strathcarron and from the moment I arrived all the staff I met were smiling and happy. It was so different from what I thought it would be. I was welcomed into the Hospice at Home team with open arms.
“They are such a lovely team and made me feel part of it. It’s was a great experience. I was really well supported and it was very informative. Staff really took the time to help me understand the needs of patients and their families and what we can do to support them. We would make life as comfortable as possible for people who know they are going to die.
“I learned about end of life care, making sure the people we support are comfortable for remainder of the life they have left. I loved learning about effective communication skills and it was helpful to learn how to speak to patients and their families about what is ahead.
“Being part of the Hospice team really has helped me with my own loss. It has been healing for me.”
💬 Read Venna's story in full ➡️ https://buff.ly/bBGNn4q
