Nurses play a vital role in providing health services to the residents who live at our aged care homes across Perth.
They are devoted to caring for residents and meeting their everyday essential health needs.
This International Nurses Day (May 12) we wanted to share a bit about some of the wonderful staff members who make up the MercyCare nursing team.
Once a nurse, always a nurse…
She may now be a Clinical Enrolled Nurse but it’s an attitude Angie Hempsall holds close throughout her work at MercyCare Rockingham Aged Care home.
“Nursing staff know they can call on me to help out with assisting our residents to shower or providing pressure area care and even assisting with dining when they need an extra pair of hands.”
That team attitude is crucial in ensuring the best care for residents.
Having trained at Mount Henry Hospital, Angie has always been drawn towards helping the elderly. This is how she found her way into the aged care setting and has spent the past four years with MercyCare.
She loves the variety of work her role offers, which includes conducting clinical education and toolbox training, clinical assessments, doing Doctors’ rounds, making appointments and ensuring compliance with the aged care standards.
Angie is also passionate about keeping the care staff up-to-date with latest practices that benefit our residents.
She also loves the fact her role allows her to empower the elderly – something that’s important to her.
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As a nurse working in aged care, Anja Cornish has to be adaptable.
No two days are ever the same in her role as Clinical Supervisor at our Joondalup Residential Aged Care home, so flexibility is important.
“We have an open-door policy, so each day depends on who comes to see me,” she said.
Anja enjoys working in aged care having moved to the sector after working as a social worker. She started as a carer before completing nursing qualifications and joining MercyCare’s nursing team.
Working in residential care means she works within the home of her patients, enabling her the time to build special relationships with many of them.
“The best part of the job is sitting down and talking and having a laugh with the residents,” Anja said.
“They all have stories to tell and have interesting perspectives on everything.”
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MercyCare Clinical Nursing Manager Fabienne Wagner knew early on in her career that she wanted to work with seniors after falling in love with aged care nursing during her training in South Australia.
For the past five and a half years, she’s been overseeing the medical care of residents at MercyCare’s Rockingham Residential Aged Care home, where she’s committed to ensuring residents feel both comfortable and safe.
Fabienne loves networking and regularly engages with residents and specialists to ensure her team are always delivering the highest standard of person-centred care.
“Best-practice guidelines are changing all the time, so it’s important we keep up with the latest developments to ensure we’re implementing them within the home,” Fabienne said.
Being able to show her team the difference they are making to residents’ wellbeing is one of the most rewarding parts of her busy role.
“I’m the one who can show staff just how wonderful and important the care is to our residents – to give them the affirmation that the work they’re doing is making such a positive difference.”
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Nursing is in Kelmscott Residential Aged Care Clinical Nurse Manager Jacquie Abbott's blood.
She’s a fifth-generation nurse, who’s been looking after people’s health and wellbeing for 35 years.
“I wanted to be a nurse from age 11, following in my family footsteps and I enjoyed helping people,” Jacquie said.
Much of her nursing career has been spent working in aged care, although she’s also worked in hospitals as well as at TAFE, where she passed on her skills and knowledge to others.
“I love the people we work with in a home-like environment, I enjoy the work,” Jacquie said.
“A good nurse has excellent communication skills, passion, time management skills and can be adaptable; you need to be motivated and keep yourself educated, sharing education and skills with your colleagues and you need to be a team player.”
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“Teamwork is really important in aged care,” says Sam Jose, Clinical Nurse Manager at MercyCare Wembley Aged Care home.
“The aged care sector is always changing so you need to be receptive to change and act quickly and professionally. Having a good team really is the cornerstone to achieve the best for residents.”
Sam, pictured alongside Wembley registered nurses Priscila Daka, Abina Thapa and Htoo Panpone, are part of the bigger MercyCare nursing team we celebrate today on International Nurses Day.
The nursing team across our Residential Aged Care, Community and Home Support, and Disability services provide an essential and compassionate service – which is proving imperative during the pandemic.
While their nursing skills are essential, each of our nurses see the bigger picture of person-centred care.
“You have to be empathetic and compassionate, and I think all our staff, nurse or not, understand that,” Sam says.
“For residents, it is their home. We have to make sure there is a homely atmosphere – not a clinical one, and I think we do really achieve this.
“Families play a huge part in the aged care setting. It’s important we chat with families and the residents to ensure they have dignity of choice and care plans are created on their wishes and needs.”
