Ciara Donohoe
February 2024
Ciara
Donohoe
,
Registered General Nurse
Gynaecology
St James's Hospital
Dublin
Ireland
Working every day in an environment where she supports women through what is often the most difficult time in their lives, Ciara minds each patient as if they were her own mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, daughter, or best friend.
I have worked in SJH for many years and have had the pleasure of working alongside many wonderful nurses. On this occasion, however, I would like to highlight the exceptional work of Ciara Donohoe. I have been Ciara’s manager for over four years now, and throughout that time, I have been repeatedly struck by her overwhelming kindness and her unwavering dedication to her patients. She consistently goes above and beyond to ensure they are cared for to an exceptional standard.
Working every day in an environment where she supports women through what is often the most difficult time in their lives, Ciara minds each patient as if they were her own mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, daughter, or best friend. And she does this for every single one of them. I often think that if I, or any of my friends or family, ever needed care from the gynae oncology service, I would want Ciara looking after us.
One example that stands out was when Ciara arranged for the family of a young patient who had passed away to visit the quiet room their bike club had raised money to support. We spent a lovely Sunday morning with them, and the patient’s father spoke about how fantastic Ciara had been to his daughter. He shared that he appreciated her care so deeply that he wanted to give something back to help make life a little easier for others.
I especially want to recognise Ciara’s incredible work over the summer, when she went far above and beyond to keep the nursing service running as the only CNS for gynae, and part-time at that. For context, Ciara works part-time, and the nurse she shared the role with had been out sick for many months. The other full-time nurse in the service was also out ill and later left the hospital entirely. Despite this, Ciara worked significantly beyond her contracted hours, often exceeding full-time hours, bringing her work phone home so she could be available if a patient needed advice or support, and accessing emails remotely to ensure referrals and urgent matters were not delayed.
She even apologised if she needed to take time for a personal appointment or family commitment, worried that there would be no one available for the patients or that something important might be missed. This level of dedication is extraordinary.
Ciara is exceptional. She gives her all to her patients, her colleagues, and the service.
Working every day in an environment where she supports women through what is often the most difficult time in their lives, Ciara minds each patient as if they were her own mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, daughter, or best friend. And she does this for every single one of them. I often think that if I, or any of my friends or family, ever needed care from the gynae oncology service, I would want Ciara looking after us.
One example that stands out was when Ciara arranged for the family of a young patient who had passed away to visit the quiet room their bike club had raised money to support. We spent a lovely Sunday morning with them, and the patient’s father spoke about how fantastic Ciara had been to his daughter. He shared that he appreciated her care so deeply that he wanted to give something back to help make life a little easier for others.
I especially want to recognise Ciara’s incredible work over the summer, when she went far above and beyond to keep the nursing service running as the only CNS for gynae, and part-time at that. For context, Ciara works part-time, and the nurse she shared the role with had been out sick for many months. The other full-time nurse in the service was also out ill and later left the hospital entirely. Despite this, Ciara worked significantly beyond her contracted hours, often exceeding full-time hours, bringing her work phone home so she could be available if a patient needed advice or support, and accessing emails remotely to ensure referrals and urgent matters were not delayed.
She even apologised if she needed to take time for a personal appointment or family commitment, worried that there would be no one available for the patients or that something important might be missed. This level of dedication is extraordinary.
Ciara is exceptional. She gives her all to her patients, her colleagues, and the service.