Heartbeat: Heather Hart retires after 24 years
January 11, 2022
After 24 years, Heather Hart, Inflammatory Bowel Disease CNS will be retiring from the Trust.
Heather started her journey with SWB back in 1997 where she was appointed as the first gastroenterology clinical nurse specialist in our Trust having previously worked at Heartlands Hospital. At the time, her role included looking after all patients with gastroenterology problems such as inflammatory bowel disease, liver problems, upper GI cancers, coeliac disease and gastrostomy tube feeding in both community and inpatients settings.
However, as the years passed her role developed and changed with advancements of new treatments and national care pathways along with expansion of the services provided by SWB.
Heather has faced numerous challenges throughout her career however she believes the COVID-19 pandemic surpasses them all.
She said: “The last 18-24 months have been challenging with being redeployed to both the critical care unit in the first wave of COVID-19 and then to the respiratory hub in October of 2020.”
Despite challenges throughout her nursing career, Heather has always wanted to be nurse from since she can remember and said: “My great grandmother was a nurse and so were many of my cousins. My passion has always been caring for people which is what led me down this the path of caring form people with inflammatory bowel disease as these are a group of conditions that are long term, relapsing and remitting in nature but can be disabling to those who have them.”
She added: “I feel privileged and honoured to have cared for my patients through many years and milestones in their lives.”
Clare Smith, Jo Harvey, Kath Johnson, Grace Preece and Kerrie Burns all work within gastroenterology and feel Heather will be missed.
They said: “We have all worked together as specialist nurses for many years and have learnt from Heather’s wealth of knowledge and experience in gastroenterology especially in inflammatory bowel disease.”
As part of her retirement Heather plans to spend more time with her grandson and is planning on travelling around the UK and Europe in her campervan. Heather has also been involved with the air cadets for numerous years so is hopeful to invest more of free time into this venture.
Good luck with your retirement Heather!