Louise Fasting - Advanced Neurology Nurse

How long have you worked at The Walton Centre?
Since 2005 with a year-long gap between 2018-2019, I branched out into a pharmaceutical company, but missed the NHS and Walton too much!

What's your background?
It's all in Neuroscience. I started on Cairns Ward as a newly qualified staff nurse then moved to Sherrington. I had a short spell on Caton Ward before moving to a Sister's post on Chavasse Ward. I then joined the Neuroscience Research Team and finally the Integrated Neurology Nurse team in 2017. I also worked for a year with a drug company establishing Parkinson’s disease patients on Apomorphine.

Tell us about your role.
I am the service lead for the Integrated Neurology Nurses. The service provides specialist nursing input for patients with long-term neurological conditions closer to home, via community clinics and home visits. We have strong community links and attempt to bridge the gap between specialist and community services. I have managerial responsibility for the team and for service development. I also have my own clinical caseload covering Halton, St Helens and Knowsley.

What would you be if you were not in your current role?
I would still be a nurse in the NHS somewhere.

Favourite part of your job?
It has to be home visits. The dynamics completely change from patients entering your environment to you entering theirs. You can learn so much about people at home. The social circumstances can have a huge impact upon the management of their conditions. It's great to have all of this information to hand to provide holistic assessments and treatment. For our patients to be reassured that even though they can’t manage to come to clinic, they haven’t been forgotten about and they can still access support is very rewarding.

First thing you do when you get home from work?
I struggle to get through the front door without cuddling the dog, then it’s usually cuddles for the kids. Unless I am coming in from home visits/ clinics and then it's straight upstairs to shower and change.

Your perfect day outside of work?
A lazy morning, followed by a walk in the woods with Lily my dog, catch up with friends and then a film night with the family.

Favourite song, book and film?
Song – I have so many it's difficult to choose. New Radicals: You Get What You Give, reminds me of nights out with my friends, so that always makes me smile.
Book – Little Women. I love Jo, she is probably one of the first strong female role models I came across in a book.
Film – I don’t really have one, I don’t tend to watch anything more than once, unless it’s a Christmas film.

If you could have a pint or pizza with anyone in history, who would it be?
My husband! We don’t get out together much since having children, so those days feel pretty historical.