It takes many different people with diverse roles, skills and backgrounds to provide the very best care. This year through our Moments in Care series, we look forward to introducing you to some of the incredible people who come to work in our hospital each and every day.
In our first Moments in Care profile, meet clinical nurse, Man. Man is part of our cardiac and vascular surgical ward team and was recently appointed to the role of clinical nurse.
He has been a part of the UnitingCare family for more than 13 years, working as a nurse providing care in the community as part of the Blue Care team, before joining St Andrew’s where he has been a registered nurse for the past 10 years.
“Being a nurse allows me to spend most of my time at the bedside of my patients and I really love being a part of their journeys,” Man said.
“I never chose cardiac nursing specifically, I chose the team I wanted to be a part of. I’m very lucky to be here at St Andrew’s.”
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I always wanted to be a fisherman when I was younger. Unfortunately, my mum passed away from lung cancer when I was 16, and six months later my grandma died after a heart attack. What happened actually changed me completely. I no longer wanted to become a fisherman, I wanted to become a nurse so I could look after someone else's mum or grandma.
What do you enjoy most about nursing?
It is a great feeling seeing our patients getting better and eventually going home. There have also been times when my patients have come to the end of their journey. I want to give my patients the best care they deserve in their very last days or hours, make sure they are comfortable and pain-free, and their family has the support they need. Nursing is definitely a rewarding job.
Everyone knows nurses are everyday superheroes, what is your nurse superpower?
I strongly believe in kindness and teamwork. My superpower probably comes from these two principles. When I first joined St Andrew's, my manager always said, “Kindness cannot be trained, it has to come from the right heart. Skills are something we can always learn along the way.” Nursing also requires a high level of teamwork. I always believe that only hard-working teams get the results. I always work hard and try to set myself as an example so other members will follow.
How do you care for your own wellbeing?
It can be challenging to separate between work and life, but I try to go for a walk, get a coffee with my wife and enjoy my days off as much as possible. One of our chaplains once gave me some great advice for looking after myself and trying not to think about work and the patients I was caring for on my last shift when I’m on a day off. I’m so grateful for the support network we have at St Andrew’s.