“There are plenty of training and learning opportunities here” – Dr Amrita Gurung

What do you love most about working at Causeway Hospital?

What I love most about working here is the environment and the friendliness of the staff. Everyone is so welcoming. It feels like one big family. It’s a home away from home for me.

How would you describe the culture here at Causeway Hospital?

At Causeway Hospital, everyone is so welcoming and always ready to help.

What are the benefits of the Causeway location?

The best aspect of the Causeway location is being close to the North Coast. Our job is quite demanding and stressful, so finding ways to de-stress is vital.  A walk along the beautiful seaside or the coastline is always mentally and physically refreshing. I couldn’t be any happier living only 10 minutes’ drive from a coast that is breathtakingly stunning.
Additionally, the landscapes and the natural beauty Northern Ireland has, provides perfect opportunities for photography. Photography being one of my hobbies, and having travelled to many places in the world, I would say Northern Ireland has one of the best features for landscape photography. To be able to connect with nature and enjoy it is one of many blessings I got to witness coming here.

What is the single best thing about working in Causeway?

There are many things I like about Causeway but if I must pick one, I’d say “my team”. They have always been so caring and supportive. Being away from family is hard sometimes, but my team has never failed to make me feel at ease. I wouldn’t have been able to survive the pandemic without their love and support. I am so pleased to say that they are my second family.

In your daily work, how are you able to make a difference to patients?

What I do daily has a significant impact on patients and their lives. My profession, for me, is beyond just treating disease and saving lives. From providing optimal care to the patients, to building a good rapport with them along with their family and most importantly being a part of their journey are crucial parts of my day-to-day job. It is so humbling to care for the patients on some of their hardest days and yet at the same time be able to give them hope and put a smile on their faces. Additionally, I have and will be working on projects to continuously improve the service we as a team provide to the patients to ensure best and timely delivery of care.

How have you been able to shape services at Causeway Hospital?

A part of our responsibility as a healthcare professional is to ensure we continuously work towards improving the service we provide as a team. I have led various quality improvement projects such as launching an electronic handover system in Causeway to ensure safe handover, implementation of Cirrhosis bundle, Upper GI bleed bundle, SBP bundle as well as HAS administration chart. This has proven to improve better patient centered care, effectiveness, and most importantly patient safety thereby reducing mortality. I am also responsible for conducting GI induction for the juniors during each changeover.

What facilities and training opportunities are there at Causeway Hospital?

There are plenty of training and learning opportunities here in Causeway Hospital. We have departmental teaching at least 3 times a week as well as radiology teaching session every Monday. We regularly perform bedside teaching, focusing on clinical and procedural skills. Juniors are actively encouraged to participate in ward rounds and are provided with opportunities to ask questions. We facilitate clinic attendance and various multidisciplinary meetings. In addition, medical handover and weekend handover meetings are equally good learning opportunities for the juniors.

11th April 2022