Can you tell me a moment that truly affirmed your decision to become a nurse?
My mother was a nurse for many years at both Berwick Hospital and Kooweerup. I obviously inherited the nurse gene and able to pass on the nurse gene to my son. I was always going to do something medical and ended up in nursing.
What’s been the most rewarding thing for you? When you reflect on 40 years, what are you most proud of?
The ability to make a positive difference to somebody’s life in what can be both the best and worst times of their life.
Probably the difference I’ve been able to make to somebody’s life at the time. and also just constant, giving back to the community in a way that I can.
What are some lessons you’ve learnt about yourself, your career and hospital?
The hospital is constantly adapting to survive. Myself, pretty much the same. Constantly, despite being 40 years, that’s just a number. The thing is what you do with it and whether you can evolve to, to grow within that time. The nursing profession. Although we could always do with more nurses, that’s a given. I think the amount of training and the skills that are required by nurses is so much more than they used to be. The technical skills and the computer skills are way more than it ever used to be.
What are some ways you’ve mentored the younger nurses and what advice do you normally give to them?
Don’t be deterred if one day is a bad day. Tomorrow is a whole fresh day and just because one person upsets you, there’s a lot more people out there that you make a difference to.
Always looking positive towards what you can and can’t do. There’s lots of choices within this industry for nurses and students. Nursing has many diverse applications and not everybody works in hospitals. Some do the district nursing, some work in the aged care sector. You will find the nurses and the students will find what suits them best.
Is there a patient or story that has stayed with you over the years?
Too many to list. Delivering babies, that’s always a special moment. Caring for both people I’ve worked with and people I’ve known outside of the hospital is a special honour.
What are your hopes for the future of the hospital and your nursing profession?
I hope that there’s going to be enough skilled nurses to look after me and my daughter if I ever stop working. The hospital can keep on its strength and its evolution to provide the best care at all times.
