Thinking about a career in Nursing?
Aged care nurses are at the forefront of delivering personalised care and assistance, ensuring our resident’s physical, emotional, and social needs are met with dignity and respect. So, we wanted to share how you can start your career in nursing and what it takes to care for our residents. Who better to ask, than our Enrolled Nurse Ava-Rose. As a Mercy Community dedicated healthcare nurse, she plays a vital part in providing compassionate care to our residents. Ava was kind enough to share her story, the benefits of working in aged care, help debunk myths and offer insider tips for people looking to get started in the aged care industry.
So how did you start working in aged care?
I am still currently studying at Mater as an Enrolled Nurse, so I did my first semester with Mercy Community last year and absolutely loved it – this is the best placement ever. It was an easy choice to stay here.
What are the advantages of a placement?
I’m a very practical learner, so it’s good having ongoing clinical experience rather than pouring over textbooks and only doing a placement once a semester. Everyone’s really friendly here. I have so many good mentors, so if I have any questions, they’re always happy to help out. I was placed with Mercy Community for 3 weeks. It was only a short time but I got to know the facilitators and all the residents.
When did you first think nursing was for you?
In high school, absolutely. I injured my anterior cruciate ligament and spent a lot of time in hospital with several surgeries to my knee over a few months. I spent so much time in hospital that I developed a rapport and a bond with the nursing staff. I saw their compassion, how much they enjoyed their job and the way they all worked together. That was it, I wanted to be a nurse. Then in school I decided to do a certificate 2 and 3 in ‘Healthcare Support Services.
So why aged Care?
Of course I love the people, both the staff and the residents. Aside from that, it’s the consistency. Caring for the same people every day and building those relationships is priceless. Having that relationship with your team and the residents is so important and I just love it. Whereas in hospitals, patients are often in and out within a day, sometimes a week, if you’re lucky. You don’t have as much of a chance to get to know them and form a bond like you do here. Working in aged care you have a schedule and consistency, but every day is still different and you never know what’s going to happen – and that’s what keeps the job fun. You put on your uniform each day and just expect the unexpected. You’re never bored.
“The dream is to move into a role here at Mercy Community.
I’ve made so many great friendships with the staff and residents, so I hope I can continue building my skills, working with a great team and helping to brighten the days of the people we care for.”
What do you find most rewarding about the job?
Just being able to liven someone’s day. It could be in the smallest or the biggest of ways. Whether you’re cleaning up their room or just sitting with them, it can really brighten their mood. Even something as simple as picking up an item they’ve dropped on the floor can make all the difference. It may be a little thing for me, but a big thing for them.
Any favourite moments?
One of my residents loves reading the Sunday paper and listening to music. Every Sunday she’ll rip out a little music quiz column and save it for my shift. We then sit down and play it together, I’m pretty good if I do say so myself.
What does an average shift look like?
It depends on which ward you’re working on. I’ll usually start in the afternoon:
- Arrive 2:30pm
- Showers 3-4pm
- Ready for dinner at 4-5pm
- Eating dinner 5-6pm
- Preparing residents for bed 6-7pm
- I’ll then spend the rest of the night, answering buzzers or assisting when needed until 10:30pm
It took a little bit to get my head around the schedule at first, now it’s like second nature to me. Mercy Community is really supportive of my education, making it easy to juggle my timetable with studies and work.
What is your team like?
I’ve made so many good mates with the people I work with. I love seeing residents form friendships too. Two of my residents always check on each other, making sure they come out for dinner, it’s really sweet. Especially as they would have only met each other in here, so their friendship is relatively new.
Any advice for new nurses?
I worked with a really great nurse who mentored me. She could see that I was nervous during my first week and said, “If you’re not going to insert yourself into a situation you’ll be left behind”. She encouraged me to push through and say, ‘I want to be here’ and ‘I want to do this job’. That’s the best advice I could give – be involved and look for opportunities to help.
The best way to learn is on the job and work through any fears you may have. You’ll be fine, look at me, I’m still here and more confident than ever.
What is your team like?
I’ve made so many good mates with the people I work with. I love seeing residents form friendships too. Two of my residents always check on each other, making sure they come out for dinner, it’s really sweet. Especially as they would have only met each other in here, so their friendship is relatively new.
Any advice for new nurses?
I worked with a really great nurse who mentored me. She could see that I was nervous during my first week and said, “If you’re not going to insert yourself into a situation you’ll be left behind”. She encouraged me to push through and say, ‘I want to be here’ and ‘I want to do this job’. That’s the best advice I could give – be involved and look for opportunities to help.
The best way to learn is on the job and work through any fears you may have. You’ll be fine, look at me, I’m still here and more confident than ever.
Is caring for a Nun different to caring for other residents?
We obviously treat everyone equally; we understand that every individual has different perspectives and preferences on how they would like to be treated. You learn most of their needs by working with them. In that case I would have to say yes, as we treat everyone differently because they’re all individuals.
How do you ensure the physical and mental health of the people in your care?
We always work with the Allied Health Care team, so we’re never pushing the physical limit of any resident and always adhere to their mobility plan, which has been catered specially to their needs. As far as their emotional wellbeing goes, just talk to them. If they’re having a bad day, talk them through it. We might be their first contact of the day and they may just need someone to talk to.
How do you approach a new resident?
We usually have a hand over from the nurse, outlining their needs, what food they like etc.
Then I’ll always go in and introduce myself and ask them if they have anything else they need. Again, it all comes back to treating them as individuals.
Was there anything that had prepared you for your role as a nurse?
You have to experience it firsthand. Of course, I was studying the skills, but the actual job is more than just learning techniques and guidelines. You really have to jump in and experience it for yourself.
What are your plans after you graduate?
The dream is to move into a role here at Mercy Community. I’ve made so many great friendships with the staff and residents, so I hope I can continue building my skills, working with a great team and helping to brighten the days of the people we care for.
What’s your most memorable moment so far?
Being there for people in their final moments of life is very special to me, as it’s not something everyone experiences. Even now it’s always a big shock, because I’m lucky enough to still have all four of my grandparents, so I haven’t experienced that kind of loss.
So when a resident recently passed away, it really hit me hard. She was a Sister, so all of the sisters gathered around and were there for her. It’s incredible to have the people she’s worked with and grown up with her entire life there. You know, if you’ve got to go, that’s a pretty good way to go, I reckon. She was so loved.
Through her dedication to excellence in care, Ava-Rose exemplifies the values and principles that guide Mercy Community, by providing the highest standard of support and assistance to our residents.
If you’d like to start your journey in aged care, then visit our website for a wide range of roles or apply for a student placement with Mercy Community today.
If you would like to start your rewarding career in aged care, or you’re looking for a change of scenery, we have several rewarding nursing roles available right now in Rockhampton.
Check out our careers page and we can help you to relocate and start a new chapter in your story:
