East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) Nurse Andrea Bartolo has described his role as a “breath of fresh air” – and says it lit a spark in him that provides endless fulfilment.
The Italian joined EACH last year after working on the general medicine and surgical children’s ward at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, in Cambridge.
He says he always loved his job there but admits his current role has brought ‘incomparable’ satisfaction.
“It’s difficult to describe, but I always felt something was missing,” said the 32-year-old, who is based at Milton.
“Then I had the pleasure of looking after a specific child on my ward for several weeks, developing a relationship with them and their family and supporting their difficult journey.
“It lit a spark in me, helping me find that missing part and driving me towards caring for children with complex care needs and disabilities and supporting their families.
“Working here has certainly proven both fulfilling and rewarding, and knowing everything we offer is effectively dependent on the generous support of the community is mind-blowing.
“Coming from a country where support of this nature barely exists, hampered by multiple challenges and struggles, makes me reflect on how lucky we are.”
Andrea’s healthcare journey began in 2019, after first moving to the UK.
Since then, he has had a variety of roles and witnessed the patients’ journey in full.
After working in the maternity theatre, he moved into a senior anaesthetics role before beginning a nursing apprenticeship and taking on another senior role in the paediatric outpatients’ department, eventually becoming specialist nursing assistant in paediatrics, nutrition and gastroenterology.
Finally, after four years of studies, he graduated in Child Nursing and worked as a Registered Paediatric Nurse on the general medicine and surgical children’s ward at Addenbrooke’s.
He then joined EACH’s Care team at Milton last April.
“My time here has honestly been a breath of fresh air,” he said.
“There are challenging days, but the support from the team and the joy these children bring is simply incomparable.
“I’ve learnt lots of new skills and been to many training days, also getting the opportunity to join the hydrotherapy team and adding an extra layer to my knowledge.”
Andrea’s shifts include him being assigned a specific child to care for.
As well as dealing with their clinical needs, including medication and feeds, he and his colleagues are encouraged to take a ‘holistic’ approach.
“It’s about making every day count, tailored to the child’s needs,” said Andrea, who loves travelling and immersing himself in different cultures.
“We plan fun activities, outings, pampering sessions and more, to create memories and contribute to the child’s development and wellbeing.
“Some days, I can oversee the care floor and my duties are slightly different.
“I take on extra responsibilities, such as participating in daily care planning meetings, looking after staff, planning for upcoming days and being the point of reference for that specific shift.
“I love working here, and I’ve already had so many development opportunities. Not only that, EACH puts a clear focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
“I’ve never felt obstructed in my career or experienced any form of discrimination, despite my cultural differences.
“Being part of a minority group, I’ve never felt judged or that it’s counted against me. If anything, my colleagues seem to love my Italian cuisine!
“All my family are back home in Italy, so that’s a big thing to deal with, especially when having challenging days.
“However, it’s a safe environment here with amazing, kind people to count on.
“In terms of my life at EACH, I want to say thank you to my colleagues for making me feel so at home.”
