Antrim nurses create a weekend to remember for young patients

Two nurses from Antrim Area Hospital’s renal unit have gone above and beyond for their patients by volunteering at Kidney Care UK’s Young Adult Weekend.

Hazelle Ongcoy and Caillee McHugh attended the event last month in Mount Cook in Derbyshire, on the edge of the Peak District.

The experience is organised every year for young people aged 18-30 who are living with a long-term kidney condition. With support from a team of volunteers, it offers a fun and safe environment filled with activities, workshops and social events.

Hazelle and Caillee’s involvement is a first for the Northern Trust, and they were the only renal nurses from Northern Ireland in attendance this year.

Together they played a key role in the overall success of the residential, sharing responsibility for patient safety and assisting with dialysis, all while ensuring it was a weekend to remember for everyone.

Damien McLaughlin, renal unit charge nurse, said he was very proud of them both:

“Hazelle and Caillee are great ambassadors for the standard of care we provide for our patients and their willingness to give up their own time to support this initiative shows how this doesn’t stop at the door when an appointment is over.

“Dialysis patients have a life outside the hospital and by helping to promote independence and make shared connections, trips like this really make a difference to patients’ overall wellbeing.

“It was a very worthwhile experience for both Hazelle and Caillee, and we’re looking forward to building on our commitment to the project while continuing the good work which they have started.”