National Garden Scheme helps Marie Curie provide further learning to its nurses and excellence in care to terminally ill patients

Marie Curie has announced that from today, its long-standing partner the National Garden Scheme will be sponsoring a Bursary Fund for its clinical staff. 

The fund, which will now be known as the ‘National Garden Scheme Bursary Fund’, helps pay for Marie Curie Nurses and other clinical staff at the charity to undertake post-registered qualifications or specialist university modules in palliative and end of life care. 

The scheme aims to raise levels of knowledge and expertise among clinical staff and ultimately provide those living with terminal illnesses and their families, with the highest possible standards of care and support. 

Marie Curie Nurse, Ian Chisholm has worked at the Marie Curie hospice in Edinburgh for ten years and is currently completing a master’s degree in palliative care thanks to the Bursary Fund. He explains: 

“I used to be a hotel manager for many years so I’m used to worrying about delivering the best customer service. Now, in my role as a Marie Curie Nurse, my main focus is on how I can deliver the best quality care. I feel that my master’s degree has been instrumental in making me a better, more confident nurse and ultimately helps me provide the best possible care to patients and their families.  

“It’s given me a different way of looking at what I do and what others do. I sometimes think, is there a better way we can go about this? What is the evidence behind what we’re doing? I’m also able to pass on my knowledge to newer members of staff, which I’ve been doing quite actively in my role as Practice Educator at the hospice. 

“We’re here to help people get the most out of life and one of things that I think makes a massive difference is if they have faith in the people that they’re dealing with. If you’re knowledgeable then you come across as being confident and that confidence can be a massive comfort to patients and their families at a difficult time. It helps people psychologically adjust to their situation – they know that when we’re called upon, we are qualified to do the job to the best of our ability.” 

Dee Sissons, Director of Nursing for Marie Curie, said: 

“As a charity we’re committed to raising the standards of care for people living with a terminal illness. The education and training we give our nurses are absolutely central to this. We are very thankful for the generosity of the National Garden Scheme and those people who open their gardens to support it for the funding they provide to us and the difference that this makes to our nursing staff. 

“This bursary fund supported by National Garden Scheme will help us to offer more opportunities to our nurses to further their qualifications in palliative and end of life care. It will go a long way to helping more of our nurses feel more confident in making those important decisions when they’re supporting people with a terminal illness and their loved ones.” 

Marie Curie’s partnership with the National Garden Scheme has raised over £7 million since 1996, helping the charity to provide care and support to thousands of people living with terminal illnesses, and their families. Thousands of people open their gardens to visitors each year to raise money for the National Garden Scheme, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. Find a garden that’s open near you at www.ngs.org.uk.    

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