11 May 2022
Acknowledging the dedication of our nurses on International Nurses Day – 12 May 2022
International Nurses Day is celebrated annually on 12 May, on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
It’s a chance for us to acknowledge the dedication, compassion and professionalism of our nurses, a profession dedicated to caring for others. As well as the current Care Directors, Registered Nurses and Enrolled Nurses leading the delivery of care to our residents every day, many of our other team members come from a nursing background. We spoke to Veronica, a Clinical Development Partner at Estia Health who shared her experience of being part of a caring profession.
Can you tell us about your career – your journey to where you are now?
After spending the initial part of my working life in retail and banking, I realised I needed more from my career. It was my mum who suggested I apply to work in aged care – a couple of years before, she’d completed a traineeship in aged care and suggested I do the same, which I did. While completing my 12-month traineeship, I knew that I wanted to do more, so I applied to complete my Bachelor of Nursing to become a Registered Nurse.
I started my nursing career in an inpatient Renal Dialysis unit and after having my daughter I worked causally as a dialysis nurse, but once I was ready to recommence permanent work, it was my mum again who suggested maybe I should return to aged care…I have a lot to thank mum for! I applied to work at Estia Health Grovedale as a Registered Nurse and while working as a Registered Nurse I covered leave in the Care Director role.
When the Care Director role became available permanently, I applied and was successful in being appointed into the role, I worked in this role for a number of years, before again taking time to reflect on where my career was headed and it was at this point I decided to follow my interest in Quality and I applied for and was successfully appointed into the Quality Business Partner (QBP) role for the Victoria West/Regional Region.
I continued in the QBP role for 2 years and was then given the opportunity to be involved in education and clinical development, another area that I was passionate about. When the Clinical Development Partner role was established, I quickly applied and was appointed as Estia Health’s first Clinical Development Partner.
What was it that made you decide to become a nurse?
Once I made the move into aged care as a trainee PCA I knew that health care and in particular nursing is where I wanted to be. I went home each day feeling like I made a difference and definitely felt the job satisfaction I was missing all those years in retail.
Can you tell us about a nurse that has inspired you in your career?
While studying for my Bachelor of Nursing and also working as a Personal Care Assistant at the home that’s now Estia Health Grovedale, I worked with a Registered Nurse named Cynthia. Cynthia had a wealth of skill and knowledge in all aspects of nursing, but it was her ability to provide exceptional palliative care to the residents, that made me develop my passion for palliative care, particularly palliative care done well.
Can you tell us a little bit about what your role involves? What does a typical day look like for you?
As a Clinical Development Partner, I work in a national capacity as a central support that is committed to developing and growing our professional nursing community. My role involves developing educational content, identifying upskilling needs within the teams and designing and delivering education sessions. I lead our new Care Director and Clinical Care Coordinator Development and Support Program to provide our newly appointed clinical leads with an extra layer of support and mentoring to assist them in succeeding in their roles. This program requires me to work collaboratively with the greater Estia Health family drawing on the vast expertise we have within the organisation.
Why do you think it’s important to celebrate International Nurses Day on 12 May every year?
It’s important that we acknowledge the compassion, professionalism, and commitment of nurses for the care they provide either directly or indirectly to their residents/patients each and every day. Nursing can be a hard career at times, but also one of the most rewarding that there is and that itself deserves to be celebrated.
