I have grown up in a rural community and I always wanted to give back to this community. I am married to a dairy farmer, and we have 2 children and live on the family farm.  I have always lived in the Gippsland region near Maffra and experienced a wonderful rural upbringing and I want the same for my children. I am currently working within my local rural community in an aged care facility as an enrolled nurse. While in this role I care for the elderly, building a rapport with them and their families, communicating effectively, and I have the confidence to speak up and advocate for them if something was not right.

From my experience as an enrolled nurse, I decided I wanted to give more back to my community holistically and clinically so I decided to complete my Bachelor of Nursing degree. When I enrolled to undertake my Bachelor of Nursing degree at Federation University it was a daunting time, I did not know what to expect or how challenging this course would be for me. Being a mum of 2 young children, I knew that it would be difficult, but I was willing to give it a go to be able to upskill my profession.

Throughout my degree there was a number of placements that I had to complete, this gave me a better understanding of the different areas of the hospital, protocols to follow, and how to manage my time efficiently in a fast past environment. Over this time, I have learnt a lot about myself as a person but also where I want to pursue my career in the future which is to work at my local hospital (Central Gippsland Health) which services my local community and give the best possible care I can give as a nurse.

I feel a sense of accomplishment and pride when I know I have helped someone achieve the best health outcome for their diagnosis or even just being there when they needed someone to listen to them.

I am now at the end of my degree, and I am proud to say that I have finished my Bachelor of nursing and have received a graduate year at Central Gippsland Health to be able to continue to learn and grow as a person and a nurse.

During the last year of my Bachelor of Nursing degree, I was lucky to be placed in different hospitals in my local area. My placement during the first semester was in the Emergency Department at Latrobe Regional Health Hospital, this allowed me to be able to continue to utilize my critical thinking skills, look at the patient with a holistic view, and ask more questions to get a better understanding of why the patient has come into the Emergency Department. I was also able to gain confidence in my clinical skills when caring for patients. I thoroughly enjoyed this placement as I found the turnover high, every case was different, and I was able to liaise with my preceptor and other disciplinary team members.

The second placement in the first semester was in the Critical Care Unit at Central Gippsland Health Hospital, I found this very interesting because I could focus my time and skills on the three patients both my preceptor and I were allocated. These patients were critically unwell and needed close monitoring, even on ventilators.

In the second semester, there was an opportunity to be able to apply for a placement overseas, to study abroad, this was something that I thought it could be a possibility for me to undertake.  Once I got approval from my supportive family to apply, I did so, after the application was taken there was an interview process to see if I was suited for the placement. I was lucky enough to get accepted with 15 other students. The placement occurred in Nepal at the Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital which was in a little town called Banepa.

The placement at Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital consisted of ten days where I was rotated through different wards of the hospital. I started off in obstetrics where I got to witness many births and a few caesareans, being in the room with these women giving birth really sparked my interest to my career path and potentially where I want it to head after my graduation year. I also did a rotation in theatre where all staff were welcoming and wanted to know about Australia and our studies, they gave us every opportunity to be in the theatre rooms where they were performing surgery and being a third-world country. I noticed that some procedures were completed differently but the outcome for the patient was the same. The surgeons explained every step that they were doing and were happy to answer any questions I had about the procedure. Another rotation that really sparked my interest was in the Emergency Department. It opened my eyes to see how different the equipment was compared to what we are so privileged to have in Australia. I also noticed while I was in the emergency department that for someone’s family member being so unwell it would take them a while before bringing them into the department, they would wait a longer amount of time before getting help whereas people in Australia would get help straight away and not leave it until the last minute to seek assistance. While in the ward I was able to assist the doctor and other nurses to give CPR to a patient and be able to bring him back to life, this was the first time completing this task on a human and felt like I was able to help get a better outcome for someone’s family member.

Overall, the placements that I undertook throughout my last year of the bachelor of nursing degree really cemented my path in wanting to help my community through the healthcare system and stay in my local community and they gave me good insights to be able to get through my graduation year in different areas of Central Gippsland Health Hospital.

My second rotation for my graduation year at Central Gippsland Health is in Heyfield Hospital/Laurina Lodge, which is sub-acute and aged care. I started this rotation in June, and in the first couple of weeks, my main focus was to get to know the residents and which room was theirs. Also, get to know what kind of sub-acute patients get admitted into the hospital.

In my 2 months in the Heyfield Hospital/Laurina Lodge, I have cared for many aged care residents and sub-acute patients. During this time, I have been able to look at different types of conditions, and what is required to be able to care for these patients and residents, by being able to do this it has built my critical thinking skills.

The patients/residents that I have cared for during this rotation have mostly been under the sub-acute or aged care banner. These people require wound treatment, medication administration, help with daily living activities, and help with managing different conditions that they may have. These patients/ residents also require good communication and understanding because at times they require reassurance and someone who will listen to their problems or concerns.

I have enjoyed my time so far at Heyfield Hospital/Laurina Lodge as I have been able to expand on my medication knowledge, I have also been able to access PICCs, complete wound charts and assessments, perform ECGs, care for palliative patients, and liaise with doctors. I have also gained knowledge in how to give reassurance to those residents with dementia whether it be mild or severe, and how to remain calm in these situations when they continue to ask the same questions repeatedly because they have forgotten that they have asked the question.

During my time at Heyfield Hospital/Laurina Lodge, I have been able to improve different skills, like leadership roles, communication skills, medication knowledge, and clinical procedures. I have also been able to build on my palliative care experiences and skills, learning how to use syringe drivers and care for those leading up to the end of life.

I have also thoroughly enjoyed working within the Heyfield Hospital/Laurina Lodge team because everyone is so welcoming and willing to share their skills and knowledge about different aspects of care that I may not understand. I have enjoyed working as a team leader and helping the care staff on the floor with residents’ daily living activities and also just being part of the team and building a fantastic rapport with both residents and staff. It is a privilege to be able to spend time with the different residents and be able to make time to have a conversation and chat with them about their lives and their families.

My next rotation is in the Women and Children’s ward at Central Gippsland Health and this rotation starts in October. I am excited to see what different opportunities come my way and the different challenges that may arise.