Department of Health

Nursing - Make a difference

  • 07 December 2016
  • Duration: 2.35

  • Unidentified speakers

    I always wanted to be a nurse.  I looked after my grandma.  She lived with us and she was quite sick. and that set me on the path of thinking that I wanted to look after people.

    It's a challenging job and I think ever since I was little I always wanted to be a nurse.

    I had a lot of relatives that actually were nurses.  This sort of opened perspective of nursing in the family.

    I haven’t been to school for 30 years, so it was a little bit daunting.

    What I love most about being a nurse is just making a difference to somebody's day.

    From being very sick to next thing, you know, to walking out, you know, with no problems at all, no issues, that's the main thing for me.

    I still miss clinical nursing.  I do like to do an occasional clinical shift because I find that's the part of the role that still gives me the most reward.

    I like to look after my patients how I would like to be looked after, or how I want my family to be looked after.

    I love the people contact.  I think it’s fantastic.

    I can only compliment the nursing stuff.  Unfortunately I’m recovering from a stroke and a few TIAs, and I couldn't have got through without them.

    Some patients don’t have any visitors at all, so just to be able to sit down with the patients, it’s lovely, just to put a smile on their face.

    I love coming to work because I love working with the team that we have here.

    We interact with OTs, physios, social work, doctors, and you can always rely on someone, give them a call, they’ll come running when you need them.

    Pretty much every day you come on, you know that you’re going to be busy from the time you start till going home.

    It is tricky at some stages.  I think can go from laughing to crying in one moment, but, yeah, I love it.  Wouldn’t change it for the world.

    Doctors are there during the day and at night when required, but nurses are there 24/7.

    For a patient to thank you at the end of the day and know that you've walked away and they’ve had really good care, is probably the most satisfying part of nursing.

    I know that I go home at the end of the day and I've done something  good for someone.

    There’s nothing nicer than being told by a patient or their family, thank you, you’ve done  great today.

    Even if it's just if you give somebody a backrub, brush their hair, and it can make them feel wonderful. It’s always a positive experience.

A career in nursing is a fulfilling one - filled with opportunities, variety and exciting challenges.

Reviewed 07 December 2016

Health.vic

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