Every year on 12 May, we take a moment to recognise and celebrate the wonderful work our caring and compassionate nurses on International Nurses Day.
Seabrae Manor Aged Care’s Registered Nurse, Melissa Sanderson, joined the Seabrae Manor team in August 2015 and shares with us what inspired her to enter nursing and what she loves most about working at the home.
Why did you choose to do nursing as your chosen career?
As a child, my life consisted of staying home attending to the household duties, looking after my mum who lived with MS for 40+ years and going to school. So, back then nursing was the last thing I wanted to do as I had had a lifetime of it as a child. I went on and was lucky enough to experience my other dreams like working in the travel and tourism industry and working beside police officers. But nothing ever felt right.
I gave birth to my 3 amazing children, but when my youngest arrived, my husband and I quickly realized we had a battle ahead of us with the diagnosis of a rare genetic disorder. This has required a lifetime of surgeries and interventions for our son to survive. It was only then, that I realized I wanted to become a nurse. I commenced my studies to complete my Certificate III in Aged Care, I started working and developing my skills to then progress and complete my Diploma of Nursing and Bachelors.
For me, life is about the journey, the people, and the experiences you have along the way. I believe my life experiences have given me the knowledge and understanding to lead me to where I am today. So even though I never thought Aged Care was my career. I do believe I am exactly where I’m supposed to be.
What do you enjoy most about working as a nurse at the home?
I love to be busy, I love to support the residents and my co-workers to achieve a common goal. I love the challenge when presented, with assessing and solving health problems of all types, because in Aged Care you can be presented with a large variety of health concerns at any time. But I cannot be the person I am today without the support, guidance, and collaboration with my co-workers, management, and the GPs. Having that support has allowed me to speak aloud my concerns and ideas which has allowed me to grow my knowledge to being able to support the residents better.
What would you say is most challenging about being a nurse?
The most challenging part of being a nurse in Aged Care is time management skills and managing challenging behaviours in large numbers, while still attending to your normal duties, keeping a smile on your face, and keeping your cool.
Do you have a special memory from your nursing career so far?
No particular memory comes to mind, but in saying this every resident, family member, and staff member have all left their mark on me (good and bad). Overall, when I look back I feel the most fulfilment when I’m able to support residents and their families when presented with their loved ones coming to their end life.
I have many memories of past and current residents, families, and staff members who have presented different challenges and situations, but each one has allowed me to learn and grow my knowledge and experience to continue to support all the residents better each day forward.
コメント