Nurses and care teams across Lincolnshire’s four hospitals walk an average of four miles a day caring for patients and their families. That’s a lot of footsteps!
Now the hospital’s charity is inviting the local community to ‘walk in their shoes’ for a month and take on the same daily step count as a member of staff while raising vital funds with every step.
Ben Petts, Manager of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity, said: “The Step-tember Challenge is such an exciting challenge as it can be undertaken by anyone.
“A number of staff in different roles have monitored how far they walk on a typical shift and as a result there is an array of distances for people to choose from. This is a great way to support the hospitals in Lincolnshire and make a difference to the lives of patients, their families and the staff who care for them.”
Staff Nurse Fulmaya and her colleagues, Heather and Beth, work on the Stroke Unit at Lincoln County Hospital looking after between 28-30 patients.
Fulmaya looks after patient admissions, administers medications, and undertakes special patient care procedures, which can include insertion of feeding tubes to patients who cannot eat ensuring they receive essential nutrients and hydration. All that walking means she clocks up around four miles a day whilst on her shift.
Heather’s role as an Occupational Therapist is to help patients become independent, regaining the necessary skills to be able to undertake daily activities once again so they can go home. Heather walks around 2.5 miles a day.
And Clinical Health Care Support Worker, Beth walks around five miles a day caring for her patients, escorting them to their MRI or CT scans, or assisting with their various therapies and personal needs.
It is free to enter the challenge and everyone who completes will receive a medal and certificate to celebrate their achievement. Those raising £100 for the charity will receive a charity branded T-shirt as an extra reward for their fundraising efforts.
“We’re incredibly grateful to every single person who takes on our challenges or supports us in any way,” added Ben. “It’s thanks to fundraising challenges like this – and the amazing people who take them on – that we can continue to be there for local families when they need us most.”
To sign up for the Step-tember Challenge visit ulhcharity.org.uk/steptember
Image shows (from left to right): Beth Faulkner, Fulmaya Limbu and Heather Priest, who all work on the Stroke Unit at Lincoln County Hospital
