Sister Julia Stuurman: A tribute to 25 years of palliative care excellence

Robert de Wet, chief executive at Helderberg Hospice

Sister Julia Stuurman is a tall woman, not just in stature, but in grace and heart. Twenty-five years of service as a hospice and palliative care nurse is an exceptional milestone, marked by professionalism and a deep love of humanity.

She says she often gets asked how she copes in this difficult environment, and she answers that it is certainly not all tears and heartache. “Patients make it fun - they grab life and live each moment. They are my inspiration.”

Her background in psychiatric nursing developed her tools for self-care and personal boundaries, vital for working in an emotionally charged environment.

Sister Stuurman’s unique, gentle voice explains that once people are comfortable and no longer in pain, they are free to be themselves rather than their illness.

Chatting to people, really listening to them, meeting them where they are, allows people to feel safe. Trust and honesty are paramount in this service.

“A serious illness can be isolating”, she went on to say, “and normal interactions with friends, family, and nurses matter so much.

Over her long career, Sister Stuurman has met fascinating people, including a gentleman who discovered diamonds in Botswana, one of the last “Code Girls” of World War II, and a gentleman who was enlisted into the army during the Second World War at nine years old.

People keep her on her toes, she said, as she needs to be able to talk about an enormous variety of things, from history to current affairs to entertainment.

Her wish for the future? She looks forward to the day when palliative care is integrated into all levels of health care.

Thank you for your service to our community, Sister Stuurman.