Today, on International Nurses Day, The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) is celebrating the wonderful achievements, skills and contributions of our nurses. The role of a nurse varies from department to department. We caught up with three RCH nurses, who have very different roles, to find out more about what they do and why they love their job.
Mark Justice – Enrolled Nurse, Operating Suite.
Mark works mainly with orthopaedic patients in the operating suite. His role is to assist with surgeries in theatre.
“In orthopaedics, we often care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions, who require surgery on their spine or hips, as well trauma patients,” Mark said.
Mark’s role in theatre is to be a ‘scrub’ and ‘scout’ nurse. A scrub nurse is required to ‘scrub in’ to enter the theatre completely sterile, and provide the right instruments to the surgeon when required. It’s also the scrub nurse’s job to ensure all instruments remain sterile throughout the surgery. In his role as a scout nurse, Mark assists in running the theatre, helping the surgeons and theatre technicians with making sure the surgery runs smoothly.
Mark enjoys the diversity in the patients he meets, and the long-term benefits he sees for those who undergo surgery.
“It’s great to know that the work we do has really positive effects on our patients in the long run,” Mark said.
Mark began his nursing career caring for patients on a ward. After pursuing a career change, he has been working in the Operating Suite for eight years.
Angela Dewitte – Registered Nurse, Kookaburra
Angela is a part of the nursing team on Kookaburra, the RCH’s cancer care ward. Some of the patients Angela cares for might be in for a short visit having chemotherapy, or could be having a procedure, such as a bone marrow transplant.
Sally says there’s really no such thing as an ‘average day’ in her job.
“Every day is very different. Depending on patient needs, I might be looking after just one patient, or I might be looking after four or five,” Angela said.
Angela explained that, generally, caring for patients usually includes things like giving medication, feeding, administering chemotherapy, changing dressings and taking observations frequently. However, depending on their condition and needs, this is different for each patient.
“The reasons why our patients have come to stay in hospital vary; some patients are at risk of infection because their white blood cell count is low and we need to monitor them carefully. Other children are having chemotherapy and need to stay in hospital while receiving treatment,” Angela said.
What Angela loves most, and finds most interesting, about her job are the patients she cares for each day.
“I get to work with fantastic kids and families. Ultimately, the best part is helping to make them feel better and put smiles on faces,” Angela said.
Sally Lima – Research Nurse Consultant
Sally works with nurses across the RCH, supporting their professional development, focusing on how they continue to learn and grow in their roles. Essentially, her role helps nurses become the best that they can be, and provides opportunities for them to develop their knowledge and skills.
“I help nurses ask why? Why do we do things the way that we do? I then support them to find those answers. It’s really important that we keep thinking about how we work. Caring for patients and their families requires a team effort, so I often help groups of nurses assess the way they work collectively,” Sally said.
Each day is different for Sally; she might be meeting with nursing teams, or evaluating projects and programs that are in place for nursing development. What she enjoys most about her role is the nurses she works with.
“It’s fantastic to work with nurses across the hospital who are committed to providing the best care possible for their patients,” Sally said.
Sally is in the late stage of completing a PhD and is currently working on several projects at the RCH, including setting up a clinical supervision program for advanced practice nurses and preparing for a clinical innovations symposium for nurses to address areas for innovation and improvement. Sally also works with staff to continuously improve patient and family experiences at the RCH.
“All of the nurses I work with are doing amazing work – and this is just a snapshot!”
We wish all the nurses around the world a very happy International Nurses Day 2014!