Patient visitors, please be aware there may be some minimal disruption in the coming weeks due to building works for our new Family Suite on our In Patient Centre. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
For the safety of our patients, please refrain from visiting if you are experiencing cold and flu-like or vomiting symptoms.
Patient visiting is by appointment only, please call 0114 236 9911 after 8am. Visiting hours are 10am - 8pm.
A portrait photo of Robyn Smith, Junior Sister. She is wearing her uniform and smiling to the camera. She stands in front of some greenery in the St Luke's gardens.

Robyn Smith, Junior Sister

"There are some sad days but I feel it is a privilege to look after these people"

When I first qualified as a nurse I worked at the Hallamshire Hospital Respiratory Unit and on the Cystic Fibrosis ward and then at Weston Park.

All the time I was doing that, though, I knew that I was interested in palliative care so when the opportunity came up, I moved to St Luke’s.

To me, this is the sort of nursing I always wanted to do - getting to spend much more time with the patients, getting to know them and getting to know their families too.

A photograph of Robyn Smith speaking with a patient in the St Luke's gardens. She is wearing a face mask and listening intently.

"To be honest, I couldn’t see myself working in any other area now because this is the work that I enjoy."

I have had people say working in this area must take it out of you but I’ve never really thought about it that way.

Obviously we are not just about end of life care - we also look at symptom management and help with pain control and because you’re working with patients that much more closely, you get to know them, you get to know their personalities.

Don’t get me wrong - of course there are some sad days but I feel it is a privilege to look after these people.

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