Did you know that a Sugar Glider can jump the length of a football field?

While our Sugar Glider nurses might not be able to, they are pretty amazing!

The dedicated team of nurses on Sugar Glider ward care for kids with a variety of clinical conditions such as bronchiolitis, croup and asthma through to chronic conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis. They also care for children who have had a tracheostomy.

To find out more, we asked Cory and Sarah to tell us what life is like as a Sugar Glider nurse.

How is Sugar Glider different from the other wards?

Cory: On Sugar Glider we look after everyone from neonates to teenagers. Our main bed cards are general medical, respiratory and developmental medicine, but we also see some oncology, cardiac and neurological patients.

Sarah: Sugar Glider is different to other wards in that we look after patients who may need some extra help with their breathing. We can offer both short term respiratory support and sometimes, if a patients needs it, we can help train families and patients to go home with machines to help their breathing.

Can you tell us about the type of patients you care for:

Sarah: We care for a broad range of patients, however Sugar Glider mostly sees general medical, developmental medicine and respiratory patients.

What attracted you to working at the RCH and on Sugar Glider specifically?

Cory: I had a placement on Sugar Glider as a nursing student and found  the staff and our patients/families to be great. With such a wide range of medical specialties on our ward you learn something new every shift.

Sarah: I love nursing and I love children. I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to pursue a career at RCH. I love the broad range of patients we see on Sugar Glider and I enjoy the complexity of respiratory patients.

Why did you decide to get into nursing?

Cory: I came late to the nursing world. I wanted a change of career where I could use my interpersonal skills to help people, and with nursing you’re doing that to a demographic that well and truly require that extra bit of TLC – both the patients and their families.

Sarah: I love working with people, I wanted a job that would allow me to be hands on. I enjoy working in an environment where I constantly have the opportunity to see and do something new, and I love learning about the human body.

What is the most rewarding thing about your role?

Cory: For me, it’s educating families and helping them understand their child’s disease. It can be a daunting experience for them to see their child with various lines, tubes and probes attached, and through education and support it becomes much less scary for all involved.

Sarah: Establishing a relationship with my patients and their families and successfully being their advocate.

What do you do to relax after a long shift?

Cory: I unwind with food, video games, documentaries, and relaxing with friends. Whenever I’m not at work you can bet I’ll be out brunching with my buddies.

Sarah:I enjoy catching up with friends and family. I also love cooking, trying new cafe’s and swimming.

If you weren’t a nurse what would you be doing?

Cory: I think I’d be working with kids in another role – teacher, perhaps? Or maybe a youth worker.

Sarah: I can’t see myself doing anything else, but if I had to choose I would love to open a cafe or even work in law or education.

If you would like to explore Sugar Glider Ward further, you can download the My RCH app here.