The Interview

theinterview

“The past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for our patients and their families”

CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST STUART CRAIG

in conversation with Mary Ferguson

Stuart Craig’s career has taken him from a business degree in Scotland to a key role in the Royal Brompton Hospital’s pulmonary hypertension service. He chats about his path to PH, the challenges of the pandemic, and those who inspire him every day.

Q. Did you always know you wanted to work in healthcare?

A: My career in healthcare fell into place through circumstance and opportunity rather than planning. In my final year at school, I had the chance to undertake voluntary work at a home in Glasgow for children with additional support needs. I had a great time there and thoroughly enjoyed the work. After school I started my business degree but realised I was off in the wrong direction - and so returned to healthcare working as a healthcare assistant (HCA) in a unit for adults living with dementia. That was almost 30 years ago now, so I feel I made the right choice!

Q. How did your career lead you to the field of pulmonary hypertension?

A: Having worked as an HCA I realised that I wanted to continue in nursing, so I started my nurse training. I came to London to train as my partner is a Londoner and we’d both had quite enough travelling backwards and forwards between Glasgow and London - so one of us had to move. Once I’d completed my training, I worked over the following years firstly at the Royal Free Hospital in a surgical ward, before moving to intensive care at Barts and then to the coronary care unit at St Thomas’. I finally came to the Royal Brompton as the Practice Educator for Cardiology about 12 years ago, covering the PH and congenital patient groups as well as other fields of cardiology.

Q. And how did you come to be a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) within the service?

A: In my role as Practice Educator, I spent a significant amount of time supporting the nursing staff managing the PH patient group at the Brompton, as well as working with the PH team. As time progressed, I sought out the opportunity to have a more direct role working in PH and the opportunity came up for the CNS post. >>>

“The time spent with patients is the best part of the role”

Q. Is there such thing as a ‘typical’ working day for you and the PH team?

A: Our working pattern has changed due to the pandemic as we needed to consider how we could remain engaged with patients and deliver the service that is needed, alongside ensuring we keep patients as safe as possible. Our structure has changed significantly with remote clinics, and a newly established day unit - as well as longer term in-patient services. My day will vary depending on the division of work within the team; covering either wards, the day unit or supporting patients remotely through phone and email. The past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for our patients and their families, and we need to support them while delivering the service needed.

Q. What do you enjoy most about your job?

A: My colleagues are an inspiring bunch and are great people to work with; in many ways they make coming to work a pleasure. And I like that I can still learn more and develop in my role within a field that is itself growing and developing. But the time spent with our patients is the best part of the role. As access into the hospital has increased again over the recent months, I’ve realised how much I missed seeing people face to face. The occasions that I remember most, or moments that I’m most proud of, are often quiet conversations or moments with patients, families or colleagues when you recognise that you’ve managed to make a difference to them. That makes it all seem rather worthwhile.

Q. What are the biggest changes you’ve seen during your time working in the field of PH?

A: During my time at the Brompton, I’ve seen huge changes in the field of PH. The therapies that we have available to us have increased significantly, as well as our understanding of how to use them most effectively. We’ve also recognised the value of exercise in PH and work is ongoing to integrate that into patient care. The therapies for PH will continue to grow and there are exciting developments in the research field of different treatment pathways which we will see in the coming years.

Q. Talking of the future, where would you like to see yourself in ten years’ time?

A: It’s hard to imagine doing anything else! Hopefully, I’ll still be working in my role and certainly working in PH. The ways in which we work have taken a significant shift as a consequence of the pandemic and we need to retain and develop the positive parts of that, alongside developing our service to meet the changing needs of the PH group. Organisational change will undoubtedly come in the next ten years, and so we need to make the most of the opportunities that will bring.

Q. Back to the present (and recent past), what has it been like working in healthcare through the COVID-19 pandemic?

A: Working in healthcare through the pandemic has been extremely challenging for a number of reasons. Early on, we were redeployed within the Trust and took on roles required to look after COVID patients coming in. There was marked uncertainty as to how the pandemic would develop and that created a very challenging environment. I think though that peoples’ experiences of the pandemic have varied hugely from those shielding and the large demands that brought, to those working at home, people managing home schooling and those continuing to work. The separation forced upon people has been particularly tough. Although it was challenging in healthcare, there was a strange normality for us in that we still came to work, travelled on the tube, and saw colleagues (albeit in different roles) which at least brought some structure to our time. I think this experience will bring us all to reassess our priorities - hopefully for the better.

Q. Finally, how do you relax / enjoy life away from work?

A: As the weather improves, I’m managing to get out and about exercising a little more. I’m very much a ‘fair weather’ runner so now is my time to start putting a bit more effort in. With the limitations of the last year, I’ve had more time to spend in the garden. Although my gardening skills remain pretty limited, I’ve found it a great way to relax and sort out my headspace as everything carries on around me. Although possibly this isn’t pandemic-related and I’m just settling into my middle age!

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