Ruth Davis, Clinical Coordinator, Home Care shares her thoughts on becoming a nurse and the importance of International Nurses Day.
Why did you decide to become a nurse? It was something I was always going to do… all through my school years I wanted to be a nurse. I love working and caring for people and have a fascination with the human body – how it works, what makes us sick, what keeps us healthy. This fascination translates well into my everyday work as a nurse.
Why did you decide to work in aged care? I have always enjoyed the company of older people and learning from their wisdom. I love being part of the machinery that enables the older person to be healthy and happy despite significant illnesses, and to stay in their own homes.
What does this year’s theme for International Nurses Day mean to you? It means empowering people towards better health, empowering our clients to take up their own health care, to live in a way that keeps them healthy and happy. It also means being there for my team… mentoring and empowering other nurses and carers to do their work well.
What do you love about being a nurse? I really enjoy the variety of my work. I love working with the clients. Helping people to regain and maintain health and happiness is a wonderful thing.… and I enjoy working with my colleagues. I am inspired by their dedication and enjoy learning from them and offering support and education when needed.
What’s it like working in Home Care? When you are working with clients in the community you are in their home, their turf, on their terms. I am the navigator in their healthcare, but they are the pilot. I have more time to spend with the client, to get to know them, to become involved in their family. Community Nursing is more than treating a medical illness, it is working with the whole person, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
How has the current situation impacted your work as a nurse? Many people are needing support understanding how this current pandemic may affect them and their loved ones. People need someone who will listen and reassure them, and this takes time. There are alsomore policies and procedures to be followed. This adds to the workload. I have learnt to be more creative in the way I handle my workload and look for different ways to practice nursing in the community.
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