Nellie
As well as school nursing I'm still dabbling in practice nursing once or twice a week. A few months ago Nellie, a sweet and cheerful ninety year old lady, started coming for regular dressings after she fell on a step and completely ripped her leg open. She was finding the morning appointments with my colleague easy to attend but at this particular surgery I only work evenings. Nellie didn't like coming out in the dark so I decided to pop into her house on my way home. Nellie's dressings were straightforward and only took me about ten minutes but once I'd arrived and she started chatting I didn't have the heart just to rush in and out again. She didn't have children and her husband died quite a few years ago so she really didn't have many people to talk to. She did have a neighbour who Nellie described as 'an absolute scream' but she was in hospital due to have a hip replacement. At first Nellie nattered to me generally asking if I had children, h