{"id":6013,"date":"2017-05-26T20:14:08","date_gmt":"2017-05-26T10:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/?p=6013"},"modified":"2017-05-26T20:14:08","modified_gmt":"2017-05-26T10:14:08","slug":"meet-our-nurses-banksia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/meet-our-nurses-banksia\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet our Nurses: Banksia"},"content":{"rendered":"

On level one of the RCH, you\u2019ll find Banksia, the RCH\u2019s mental health ward that provides a safe environment for young people during a challenging time in their life. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Banksia has an interdisciplinary team that works to achieve positive treatment outcomes for young people, as well as having a lot of fun along the way.<\/p>\n

Nurses Chrystie and Camille told us what it\u2019s like to be there for young people who need extra support with their mental health.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Can you tell me about the patients you care for on Banksia?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chrystie: <\/strong>Here on Banksia we get to work with young people during some of their most difficult days. We work with young people from the ages of 12 through to\u00a018.<\/p>\n

What makes Banksia unique from other wards?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chrystie: <\/strong>Banksia\u2019s physical setup and functioning are very different from all the other wards. All young people attend a group program run by our Travancore School, and they eat meals together and engage in therapeutic activities as a group. Families of patients at Banksia aren\u2019t allowed to stay on the ward and the nursing team is responsible for their care.<\/p>\n

What attracted you to working at the RCH?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Camille: <\/strong>RCH has a great reputation for professionalism, evidence-based practice and opportunities for growth.<\/p>\n

Chrystie: <\/strong>I always wanted to work at RCH, ever since I got my tonsils out as a five-year-old. I thought a paediatric hospital with such a wonderful reputation was special. There are so many great opportunities and unique experiences. It hasn\u2019t disappointed!<\/p>\n

Why did you get into nursing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Camille:<\/strong> I love working with people and helping others.<\/p>\n

Chrystie: <\/strong>I always had an interest in hearing people\u2019s stories and how they came to where they are. It was a toss-up between teaching and nursing, but I thought I would have more opportunities in nursing to work in a range of different settings.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the most rewarding thing about your role?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chrystie: <\/strong>Watching young people experience moments of joy, happiness and laughter \u2013 even if it is for a brief time that they allow themselves to feel good. I am privileged to see these young people confront and recall negative experiences, and be able to support and reassure them that they can recover from this and that these events don\u2019t have to define them in a negative way.<\/p>\n

Camille: <\/strong>I love the fact that everyone is so different and it is an area that is ever-changing.<\/p>\n

Is there a particular patient you\u2019ve cared for who stands out for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chrystie: <\/strong>There have been so many! They all stand out in their own way. I enjoying creating a therapeutic relationship with each individual.<\/p>\n

Camille: <\/strong>I learn something new from each person I work with. I find people generally fascinating.<\/p>\n

How do you relax after a long shift?<\/strong>\u200b<\/p>\n

Chrystie: <\/strong>Shopping. It\u2019s cheaper than a psychiatrist! I enjoy social activities and spending time with friends and family. I also love regular massages.<\/p>\n

Camille: <\/strong>Long walks, meditation, yoga, laughing with friends and listening to music. Self-compassion is essential in this role.<\/p>\n

If you weren\u2019t a nurse, what would you be doing instead?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chrystie: <\/strong>Wow, that\u2019s a tough question. I honestly don\u2019t think I could see myself doing anything else. I never get a day the same and that\u2019s really exciting for me.<\/p>\n

Camille: <\/strong>Most likely another caregiving role, but I can also see myself doing something creative. It\u2019s good to have a balance!<\/p>\n

To find out more about Banksia ward, download My RCH App from the App Store or Google Play.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nurses Chrystie and Camille told us what it\u2019s like to be there for young people who need extra support with their mental health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":6014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8971,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-in-the-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6013"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6018,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6013\/revisions\/6018"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}