Gail Toperosa - profile

 I am a Division 2 Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at The Northern Hospital, located in Epping. Our department manages over 65,000 patients per year and children comprise around a quarter of our patients.

I started emergency nursing in May 2007 when I was accepted into the Emergency Department orientation program for Division 2 Registered Nurses. Prior to this I was working in a pre-admission clinic at a private hospital that focused on preparation for orthopaedic surgery. I have also worked with children and intellectually disabled adults in the past. Prior to nursing I completed a number of courses including Pre-school Mother craft Aid, Home and Community Care, Integration Aide and Family Support Worker. I completed my Certificate IV in Health (Nursing) in 1997 and have since completed a Certificate IV in Pathology Collection and a Certificate IV Workplace Assessment and Training. I have completed the Medicines Administration Course for Division 2 Registered Nurses including subcutaneous and intramuscular medicines. I also hold a certificate for ‘No Lift’ and ‘Materials Handling’.

My current role in Emergency Department is part of the nursing team in general adult and paediatric cubicles. Typical responsibilities are to admit and assess new patients using the primary survey (airway, breathing, circulation) approach, initiate investigations such as ECG, pulse oximetry, urinalysis, implement basic nursing interventions such as oxygen therapy, oral rehydration and facilitate interventions such as analgesia and x-rays in collaboration with medical staff.

The most rewarding part of my job is working with highly skilled and dedicated staff that are willing sharing their knowledge; each shift I go home inspired, knowing that the next sift brings new adventures, new skills and greater knowledge.

The most challenging part of my job is dealing with patients with mental health or substance abuse issues and managing these patients’ needs while managing large numbers of other patients. My aspirations for the future include studies in Management & Marketing. I would also like to be involved in improving care of the elderly both in aged and acute care sectors to ensure greater accountability and safer care for aged patients.