The Duality of Caregiving: A Nurse’s Journey Through Personal Loss and Professional Duty: Dr Sarah Russell

This episode is an emotion and moving account of Sarah's experience of caring for her mother.Trigger Warning: This episode discusses terminal illness, caregiving, and the death of a loved one. Dr. Sarah Russell, Consultant Nurse and Trust Lead for Palliative and End of Life Care at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, explores the complex duality of caring.  Drawing on 16 years of direct caregiving experience for a loved one, Sarah provides a unique perspective on the challenges faced by healthcare professionals who also become family caregivers. She discusses the different hats family carers wear, such as supervisor, advocate, carer, and informed bystander, and how these roles require distinct supportive input. This episode offers valuable insights into navigating the personal and professional worlds of caregiving, highlighting the need for better support and recognition for these invisible second patients.Connect with Dr Sarah Russell on LinkedInThis podcast is free to listen - but the care behind it isn’t.Rowcroft Hospice is a registered charity, and much of our work is made possible thanks to the generosity of local supporters. We provide outstanding care to people with life-limiting illnesses and their families across South Devon—through our inpatient and outpatient services, as well as vital care at home.We’re also planning to expand our impact even further, with a pioneering 60-bed dementia and complex nursing care home at our site in Torquay, designed to support some of the most vulnerable people in our community.If you’ve found value in this podcast and would like to support our work, please visit rowcrofthospice.org.uk/donate thank you.This podcast series is recorded and produced by Steve Hindley at iNarrator