30 August 2022
Nurse cycles 54 miles for her hospital
Katrina Phillips is cycling from London to Brighton this September to raise money for Southampton Hospital. A nurse at the hospital, she is passionate about where she works, and has seen how Charity support has improved services for her patients. She explains:
“I started at Southampton General Hospital in 2012 when I was just 18 years old and worked as a healthcare assistant in the cardiac high dependency unit (HDU).
It was scary, but I loved everything about it.
I left to go to university to study to become a qualified nurse, then returned to cardiac HDU where I’ve been ever since. I’ve also done some teaching at the university and worked within Training and Development in the hospital.
As a centre of excellence in Cardiac care, there is always so much to learn, but also so much to share with others!
Our patients come from all over the south of England and the Channel Islands, sometimes it really surprises me how far they have come for our care. I can’t imagine working anywhere else in the hospital.
On cardiac HDU we have 20 beds. We are a step down from the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and look after patients after having open heart surgery, providing additional care and monitoring.
Our patients often make a quick recovery, which is one of the reasons I love working here, it is so rewarding to see them recover and go home.
Making a difference
At the hospital, I regularly see the difference that Southampton Hospitals Charity makes for the patients, their relatives, and staff. This is why I chose to cycle the London to Brighton bike ride for their priority appeal.
I’ve been cycling for around four years and live close to the New Forest where I love to go out and explore.
It is such a picturesque area around there, that the miles fly by! I usually only do between 20-30 miles, so am slowly increasing my miles ready for the challenge!
I’m currently in training so I can reach the 54 miles needed to get me from the capital to the coast, but I know that it will all be worth it.