We sat down with Antonia Crawford who works as a Clinical Lead in Erskine’s Haig House to find out what a day in her life looks like.

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How do you start your day?

The first thing to know about my role is that my shift pattern is quite flexible. That means that week by week my rota changes and this allows me to be able to enjoy a fantastic work/life balance. Let’s say I am working a day shift – my day will start at 6am. Without fail, my amazing fiancé will always make me a double or triple shot Nespresso. This helps me, as I have never really been a morning person. Afterwards, I will shower, get ready for the day and thank my past self for being organised the night before – organisation is key. I usually leave the house at 7am and make my way into work for handover.ou

What are you responsible for?

I currently have the role of Clinical Lead working within a dementia nursing house. You may not have heard of this role – it could be compared to the role of a Deputy House Manager however there is so much more that it entails. As a Clinical Lead, I support the House Manager to run the house efficiently. I am involved in auditing, development of staff and ensuring that we continue to meet the high standard of care that is expected when you work for such a celebrated and person- centred organisation as Erskine. My week is usually split between providing direct nursing care for our residents as well as having protected time to carry out my duties as clinical lead.

How did you get the job?

I am a registered Mental Health Nurse and I have been qualified for 6 years. I studied BSc Mental Health Nursing at the University of the West of Scotland which took three years to complete. One aspect of studying nursing is going out on placements. Fortunately, one of my placements was Erskine. It was during this experience that I started to have an interest in social care nursing and began considering it as a career as opposed to working for the NHS.

It is recognised that many people who live with dementia are more at risk of their mental health being negatively impacted as a result of the diagnosis. It is something I strive to support my residents with every day. One reason I came into the field is definitely due to my own personal experiences with dementia. I have had relatives who have lived with the condition and still do. I wanted to have the opportunity to be part of something that would promote best care practices with people living with dementia, whilst always striving to think of new and innovative ways to improve practice and care.

What does a typical day look like?

Every day is so different, which is one of the reasons I love my job. Our care team of 40 staff is made up of Registered Nurses, Senior Care Assistants and Care Assistants. We work together to look after 30 residents all with varying diagnoses but all with some form of cognitive impairment/dementia diagnosis. I also regularly support student nurses during their training, which I love to do. When I arrive to work, I head into the house and get changed into my uniform as we do not travel to or from work wearing it. My uniform is royal blue and helps staff and relatives to identify who I am. Every role within Erskine has a different coloured uniform and feedback suggests that people like to know who everyone is. My  typical day starts at the handover report at 07:30. I am updated on the residents and what has been happening since my last shift. Afterwards, my focus is to delegate to staff and organise myself to ensure I can run the shift safely and effectively that day. I attend to any immediate nursing/care needs and then support the residents with their medications. As RNs in Erskine, we practice many different kinds of clinical skills whilst on shift. A few examples of this could be attending to complex dressings, catheter care, PEG feed care, obtaining bloods, carrying out SBAR assessments, stoma care, and medication reviews – the list is endless. We also pride ourselves on the quality palliative care we provide to residents reaching end of life; with this comes a range of clinical skills that we practice often.

After I have carried out any nursing duties required,  I love to be able to spend time with the residents. Social interaction is so important for people living with dementia, and I love to have banter with them and put a smile on their face. The house is always bustling with relatives visiting, parties and activities, which makes a great environment to work in. I have the opportunity to work with a range of health professionals within and out with Erskine to collaborate on resident care. You are always busy and on the go - one great thing about nursing is you sure do get your steps in. There are many aspects of my typical day that I could list but the best part of my day is being able to work with amazing staff, within a great environment and be able to leave at the end of the day knowing that I have made a positive difference to someone’s life.

What’s the best thing about the job?

There is so much that I love about my job, it would be hard to pick one thing. In the 6 years I have been qualified, I have been supported within many roles. I love being a Registered Nurse but also had an interest quite early on that I would like to develop my role further. I was given the role as Clinical Lead but was also given the support and opportunity to run a house for 6 months as House Manager. This gave me an invaluable experience and helped to build me into the nurse I am today. I love that I have the opportunity to help train staff in Namaste care that I am very passionate about. I also love that I am supported to continue to develop my skills and knowledge through training and that I am encouraged to be innovative and think of new and exciting ways to provide care. In fact, I am currently working in collaboration with Erskine’s Speech and language therapist to bring a new and exciting therapy to Erskine which would support residents who are unable to swallow, to enjoy their favourite tastes, whilst being able to eliminate any risk of them choking – It is exciting and something that may benefit those resident’s quality of life immensely. The part I love most about my job is being able to meet and care for people who have lived amazing lives and have done amazing things. It is incredible to have the honour to look after these people at the most vulnerable point in their life and support them to live their lives to the fullest.

What do you do when you get home?

After work, I like to reflect on my day on the drive home. Once I am home, I love to cook and spend time with my fiancé and my cat. I love to unwind by doing self-care. This includes pampering sessions and watching my favourite TV shows. I also like to go to the gym, as this is good for my mental health.

What would you have done if you hadn’t gone into nursing?

I could definitely see myself wanting to get into the food industry. I couldn’t imagine working in a kitchen but I love the idea of becoming a food influencer who shares their recipes online and works with different brands. The free PR trips to restaurants would definitely be a plus too!

Discover nursing jobs at Erskine: https://bit.ly/3rX036m