“At Rainbows, you are part of a big cog that is doing such an amazing thing,” said Katherine Raven, Rainbows Band 6 Nurse.

Katherine has been a nurse for 25 years and has been with our Rainbows team since November 2019. 

“In between college and nursing, I have had varied jobs including being Peter the Panda in the North East,” said Katherine. “But being at Rainbows is just the best.

“My favourite part of the job is that you get to do the fun things too. We do the necessities such as medication and symptom management; but then you get to take the children and young people swimming, or plait their hair, or make a picture in the garden, or send mum for a massage. It is about making the whole family feel better.

“End of life care is very special to me. You are taking care of a family at the worst time for them and trying to make it the best that is can be. It is about helping families manage and giving them wonderful memories to look back on as well as taking away some of their anxiety and their feelings of being scared.”

Prior to being part of our hospice staff, Katherine worked with children with special and complex needs and children in Derby. “Some of those children accessed Rainbows and whenever I visited, I always though this is where I want to be a nurse,” she added. “This is what it is all about for me. 

“Sometimes people say to me, ‘It must be so sad to work at Rainbows?’ or ‘I don’t know how you do it?’ But it isn’t about feelings of sadness, it is about being proud that you are representing an amazing place that literally brings joy to people. Yes, it can be tough but the support from colleagues is amazing. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.”