There in the corner they are, the belongings. Once owned by her; she’s gone, you know. Away they are packed in a neat little stack, Nothing, no nothing, can bring her back. Accept the stark fact, nothing can last, Away time went, away to fast. Sad to gaze upon, the belongings. They’ve served their time […]

You remember the faces more than the names. The eyes, tears, wrinkles and smiles. Those moments when a sentence or two would be uttered that stays with you forever. Like the old war veteran who took one look at his dinner in disgust, gasping through the oxygen. “Rice” he said “Bloody rice. I was in […]

I’m learning so many things All that nursing can bring Making beds, giving showers Re-arranging so many flowers   Going to class and trying hard Making up those study cards Going out and having fun Always striving for number one   Prac is very different What we learn is significant How to give dignified care […]

“Sorry, Jane rang in sick, and we can’t find anyone to replace her.” The words of the night duty RN greeted me. I was not surprised. Too often lately we work short – there is just no-one to fill in. The AINs groaned. I looked around seeing who was on: Anne – good, she works […]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that jumping, jogging or galloping in a nurse’s uniform in a challenging, but necessary, maneuver to execute. Numerous situations during any shift may require the nurse to undertake such an activity. Night shift for instance comes hand in hand with the 3am goose bump chills, that are difficult to […]

The move to Australia had been the most challenging time of my life so far. Along with my Husband and three children we nervously boarded the plane. I had only held my qualification as a Registered Nurse for nine short months and I seriously wondered if the decision to take the position so far away […]

‘Wow, that was a long time ago’ she mused as she stumbled across a file in her drawer dating back 16 years ago to her days as a student nurse. She started leafing through the file when a piece of paper fell out of it. It was a poem entitled: “To one growing old alone”. […]

It was the day I was to meet the extraordinary Betty, a 42 year old woman with two primary school children and a grown up son. Betty had Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, the diagnosis coming many years earlier, and as I read over the past 2 years of entries in her file a very negative […]

Hold my hand O Lord As I walk through the pal care ward Guide my heart and words To comfort those in need You’ve put me in a special place To make an impact with each caseTo lovingly care for my patient And their loved ones as they grieve Palliative nursing is a special role […]

As a nurse you never know your impact, or the hope that you instill, on the lives of others who may have lost their will to keep hoping and believing when their journey seems so dark. You help them see life can improve with new hopes and dreams on which to embark. A small but […]