A SENIOR nurse who was inspired to leave his job as a car salesman ten years ago has shared a week of diary entries about what it's like working for a children's hospice.

Neil Evans was selling a car to Julia's House Children Hospice's Martin Edwards when the charity's chief executive told him all about the work they do.

Neil was motivated to join the charity as a volunteer and from there his passion grew.

He pursued nursing and left his former career behind; he now works as a senior team nurse at Julia's House.

Julia's House Children's Hospice cares for children who have life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and works with their families across the county, supporting them at home, in the community or at the hospice in Devizes.

Neil is grateful for the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of the seriously ill children he cares for.

He wrote down what a week in the life looks like for a senior nurse:

Monday: A busy start to the week! We have our regular four-hour clinic, where we create medication administration charts, containing all the medications, for the children we’re caring for in Wiltshire.

I’m a named nurse for seven families and make around four community visits each week.

This afternoon, I’m visiting one of my children – Isabella. She always gives us the biggest smile when we arrive and loves to play.

She’s on continuous oxygen to help her breathing and maintain her oxygen levels. Her medical condition causes her to have excess mucus in her lungs, which is why she requires support with her breathing.

We check her oxygen levels when we arrive and observe her closely her throughout the session.

Tuesday: When the unthinkable happens and a child dies, we continue to support the family however they might need it. This morning I’m going for a walk with a local bereaved family.

I was their child’s named nurse and it’s nice to share memories together.

Wednesday: This afternoon, I’ll be fit-testing some of our nurses for their new PPE.

We have around eight different types of masks, depending on the clinical level of the child.

Thursday: This afternoon, I’m meeting a new family who have been referred to us by Salisbury District Hospital.

Every family is different, so we always take time to get to know them and their individual needs.

Friday: Today I’ll visit Johnathon, who is 12 and a ball of energy. He has CHARGE syndrome, which affects his heart and growth among other things. We might play with action figures or bake something for his family.

Building relationships with families and helping them to make memories is one of the things I love most about my job. Julia’s House is a special place to work and no week is really the same.

Julia's House Children's Hospice is supported by the Swindon Advertiser. The charity needs to raise £1.5million every year to fund its hospice and community-based service across Wiltshire, and without continued support, the charity’s vital care would not be possible.