| Marian O'Connor |
 Marian O’Connor trained as a nurse. In 1985 Marian applied for a job as a Staff Nurse at the Northern Ireland Hospice, Belfast.
She had taken a break from nursing to have a family but when her youngest child was two she decided to return to work. She
had heard that the Hospice was about to open and living locally she decided to apply. Marian worked for five years as a Staff
Nurse and was then asked by the Nursing Director if she would do relief as a Home Care Sister in Ballymena for six months.
Upon completion of this she did the Care of the Dying Course at the Royal College of Nursing and was offered a post as a Home
Care Sister in Belfast. Marian talks initially about her role as a Staff Nurse and the organisation of nursing care during
this time. She then discusses her work as a Home Care Nurse and how it has changed over time. Marian also talks about her
relationship with other professionals in the community; the types of patients she has cared for; the work of the multidisciplinary
team and the organisation of home care before moving on to talk about the main problems and challenges she has faced; the
principle changes that have occurred; the impact of the religious and political situation in Northern Ireland; the geographical
separation of Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK; and their relationship with the other Hospices in the Province. Marian
ends by talking about what she feels the future holds for the Northern Ireland Hospice.
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| Interview conducted by Clare Humphreys, 1 August 2000 |
| Interview Duration: 27 minutes |
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