Rebecca King - Staff Development Nurse Operating
Theatres
I am one of the Staff Development Nurses in the Theatre
Department at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. I graduated
fromCurtinUniversityin June 2004 and accepted a Graduate Nurse
position at Epworth Freemasons inMelbourne. Whilst inMelbourneI
worked on the wards in a variety of surgical specialties
(orthopaedics, plastics, gynaecology, oncology, and urology) and
also worked in the Theatre Department. I decided that I wanted to
specialise in Perioperative Nursing and accepted a position
atRoyalPerthHospitalin January 2007. In my time at RPH I completed
my Graduate Diploma of Clinical Nursing (Perioperative) and my
Master of Nursing. My final health project for my course was
entitled "A qualitative study looking at the education and support
needs of graduate nurses in theatre". I successfully applied for
the Staff Development Nurse position in the Theatre Department at
SCGH in November 2010.
In my role as SDN, I am required to facilitate, educate and
support my nursing colleagues, rotating nursing students, medical
students and graduate nurses. I am also involved in facilitating
and assessing the Notre Dame University Graduate Diploma in
Perioperative Nursing course students who rotate through my
department.
I love the variety of my job. I am passionate about education
and believe that it is vital that I make the profession look as
fabulous as I think it is to the next generation of nurses. Nursing
equals opportunity. As a nurse you can work anywhere in the world,
in any type of specialty with so many different people. The scope
of nursing is never-ending. It is a profession that has enriched my
life. I look at what I have achieved, where I have been, and who I
have become and in part it is thanks to my nursing career.
Carl Harris - Registered Nurse G64
I am a Registered Nurse (RN) working on G64, a surgical ward
atSirCharlesGairdnerHospitalspecialising in Ear, Nose and Throat
(ENT), Plastics and Ophthalmology. As a RN I command a wide range
of responsibilities, focussing on providing an excellent level of
dynamic and holistic nursing care. My duties include post operative
care of ENT, plastics and ophthalmic patients, advanced level wound
care and dressings, tracheotomy and airway management and muscle
flap maintenance. I am also a preceptor for students and new
graduates, providing and supporting education and have won the
Lorraine Johnson Preceptor Award in 2010. I have worked in this
area for over three years and thoroughly enjoy working with a great
team, who strives to work towards a mutually beneficial outcome for
the patient. Prior to this I worked on a Sub-Acute Medical Unit
(SAMU) and Delirium and Surveillance Unit (SAMU).
I love my job because it's constantly changing, evolving and
it's continually interesting. I like working with a wide range of
different people to focus on one thing: to get a person better. I
have made a lot of new friends working in different areas who are
the same age I am. The people I work with are fun and around my own
age so I can relate to them on a personal and professional level. I
get a high level of job satisfaction out of watching an ill patient
get better with my intervention and care. I like the fact I can
practise advanced nursing skills in a safe environment with huge
support. My passion to continually develop my clinical skills and
learn new things gives me the drive to do so.
Helena Halton - Nurse Practitioner Emergency
Department
I am an emergency Nurse Practitioner. I function autonomously
and collaboratively in an advanced and clinical role with other
health care professionals to diagnose treat and manage patients
health problems within the ED. The role allows me to order tests
referrer patients and prescribe medications I am also responsible
for developing standards of practice, implementing changes to
clinical practice initiating research and quality improvement.
I have worked in the area of emergency nursing, inWestern
Australia,USAand theUKover the past 20 years.
I never would have thought I would say that I love my job, but I
do. I enjoy seeing and treating patients in the emergency
department. It is great when you can make a difference in what
normally would be a bad day for them. Lets face it nobody wants to
come into an emergency department and many are in pain or have
other worries going on at home or work. I love to make their
journey through the department as expedient, smooth and comfortable
as possible. Knowing the resources available, the processes and
having the advanced skills along with changes in legislation has
allowed me to do this.