You may have met friendly nurses Lauren and Ashleigh while waiting in Stage One Recovery following surgery.

They both provide care to patients immediately after they leave the operating theatre. We caught up with them to find out what life is like as a recovery nurse!

Can you tell us about your job in a sentence or two? 

Lauren: “Before a patient arrives in Recovery we ensure their assigned bay is clean with all equipment working, and log into their record to see if we can prepare any medications. When the patient arrives, we assess their airways, breathing and circulation, and monitor their pain and nausea.”

Ashleigh, we hear it’s your first year at the RCH as a graduate nurse. How are you finding it?

“Getting a graduate nurse position at the RCH was a dream come true. I had to pinch myself when I found out! The RCH is such a fun environment to work in.”

What has been the most rewarding thing about working in Recovery?

Ashleigh: “The look of relief on parents’ faces when they see their child is awake and doing okay after surgery. There’s no real words to describe the feeling! Seeing kids that I’ve recovered getting around on the wards or down on Main Street is also really rewarding, especially when they remember me and say hello!”

It must be a challenging job though?

Lauren: “It can be extremely sad at times, however I love being able to help patients and families through what might be a small part of their journey, making it as comfortable and as nice an experience as possible.”

Ashleigh: “Caring for any child who has had major surgery or who needs multiple surgeries can be pretty challenging. It’s hard not to imagine myself in parents’ shoes – I really empathise with them. Convincing the younger kids not to pull out their peripheral cannula once they’ve woken up from an anaesthetic can also be quite a challenge! I’ve found that icy-poles and bubbles work well as distractions.”

How many patients would you care for in one day?

Lauren: “Around 60-80 patients come through the department each day and the amount of patients one nurse would care for over their shift is very dependent on a patient’s condition. Sometimes we can look after six to eight patients in a shift or two to three if their conditions are complex or there are complications in recovery.”

Is there anything your colleagues might be surprised to learn about you?

Lauren: “Colleagues are usually surprised to learn I have three children and that I previously worked in the recruitment industry. It was only after having my children that I decided I wanted to be a nurse!”

What do you love most about your job?

Ashleigh: “The thing I love most about my job is being able to contribute to the care of sick kids.”

Lauren: “I love the endless learning opportunities, and meeting patients and their families, learning their story and being able to make their experience as smooth as possible.”