Annie Crosswell
July 2024
Annie
Crosswell
,
RN
Specialist Palliative Care Services
Royal Hobart Hospital
Hobart
,
Tasmania
Australia
Annie worked with this gentleman for a year before he died, and at every encounter with him she was compassionate, understanding, respectful of his wishes, calm and reasonable.
I’d like to formally recognize the outstandingly compassionate and respectful care I have recently observed being provided by one of the Clinical Nurse Consultants in the Specialist Palliative Care Service community team to a gentleman on her caseload.
Annie Crosswell provides outstanding care to all of the patients she works with, and in the situation in question she went above and beyond for this gent.
He was referred to SPCS with a new diagnosis of an inoperable cancer of the oesophagus. He also had a lifelong intellectual disability and was supported by the NDIS in his own home but was socially isolated and estranged from his family. The intellectual disability impacted his ability to comprehend much of what was happening to him medically, and he did not engage with health professionals easily (or indeed any support services). He was easily frustrated and quick to anger.
Annie worked hard to establish a rapport, and over time, he came to trust Annie and would intermittently phone her for reassurance when he was distressed. Annie was able to create healthcare interventions that enabled this gent to be accepting of a degree of support because they respected his wish to remain as independent as possible in the community. She advocated passionately with the NDIS on his behalf to achieve the best possible care outcomes, and at times, this was extremely challenging. She created and led a small team of people who worked to provide an exemplary level of care to this man.
Annie worked with this gentleman for a year before he died, and at every encounter with him she was compassionate, understanding, respectful of his wishes, calm and reasonable – even when he was in the worst of moods. Her approach to her work embodies the values of the DAISY Award every day.
I believe that it was Annie’s efforts and care that enabled this gentleman to remain at home with a semblance of dignity for as long as he did – without it, I have no doubt he would have been institutionalized for a significant part of the last year of his life.
Annie Crosswell provides outstanding care to all of the patients she works with, and in the situation in question she went above and beyond for this gent.
He was referred to SPCS with a new diagnosis of an inoperable cancer of the oesophagus. He also had a lifelong intellectual disability and was supported by the NDIS in his own home but was socially isolated and estranged from his family. The intellectual disability impacted his ability to comprehend much of what was happening to him medically, and he did not engage with health professionals easily (or indeed any support services). He was easily frustrated and quick to anger.
Annie worked hard to establish a rapport, and over time, he came to trust Annie and would intermittently phone her for reassurance when he was distressed. Annie was able to create healthcare interventions that enabled this gent to be accepting of a degree of support because they respected his wish to remain as independent as possible in the community. She advocated passionately with the NDIS on his behalf to achieve the best possible care outcomes, and at times, this was extremely challenging. She created and led a small team of people who worked to provide an exemplary level of care to this man.
Annie worked with this gentleman for a year before he died, and at every encounter with him she was compassionate, understanding, respectful of his wishes, calm and reasonable – even when he was in the worst of moods. Her approach to her work embodies the values of the DAISY Award every day.
I believe that it was Annie’s efforts and care that enabled this gentleman to remain at home with a semblance of dignity for as long as he did – without it, I have no doubt he would have been institutionalized for a significant part of the last year of his life.