SustainHealth Candidate Experience Series: Beverley on Perioperative Nursing across Australia
SustainHealth recently asked our talented candidate Beverley, to be a part of the SustainHealth Candidate Experience Series. She was kind enough to write about her experiences as a perioperative nurse working throughout Australia.
Beverley has been a nurse over 30 years, and and is always eager to learn more, and also enjoys working rural Australia.
We asked Beverley to answer a few questions in regards to her journey as a nurse, and here is what she had to say.
What is your current role?
Perioperative Scrub, Scout and Recovery Registered Nurse.
How many years’ experience do you have?
Nursing 37years – last 23 years in Perioperative (General, Gynae, Obstetric, Urology, Plastics, Cardiac, Thoracic, Maxillo Facial, Dental and still learning…)
Where are you currently located?
I’m in the ACT, working in a private hospital.
Why did you choose to set up a business online?
Family issues required me to be in Brisbane, Stanthorpe and Newcastle preventing me from working a permanent full-time role. My work with SustainHealth gave me the flexibility and variety, that I crave. Best thing about locum roles, is you are greeted by people, who really appreciate your contribution to the team.
Why do you do what you do?
I really wanted to be a Forensic Scientist but realised by grade 10, my parents were too poor to send me to university and there was insufficient public transport too .Nursing became my 5th choice of profession but proved to be the best choice, due to the variety of specialties and knowing you have made a difference in someone’s life.
What has been your favourite location for a role and why?
Actually every workplace has had something to hook me. Rural remote and regional facilities offer more experiences, that you would rarely see in the city i.e. Hanson’s Disease, Gas gangrene, Q Fever, and more indigenous health issues. Tertiary facilities have offered more major and intricate surgical services i.e. Open heart surgery. One thing I will always advise new graduate nurses is to try to do a rural remote posting!
Do you have any interesting/funny stories from your experience at work?
I will never forget having to scrub and direct my team to prepare for an emergency caesarean section (without a doctor request) in preparation for the unfolding cardiac arrest happening in labour ward. There was much gnashing of teeth as the staff were concerned about managerial backlash for opening equipment if there was no procedure. There was a procedure, a cold knife caesarean section in labour ward! Out of the cluster of amnionic fluid embolisms happening in south east QLD at that period in time, ours was the only one where someone survived – the baby, a true miracle. I still have memories of the baby being passed “mosh pit” style over our heads to the waiting neonatal team in the hallway. The baby is now a healthy 21year old young lady. Oh and I will never forget my first day of training and the matron saying to me I would, “never make it to the end of training and become a registered nurse.” Yes there was workplace bullying in 1982! It may have taken me 10 years as my training was interrupted with miracle pregnancies, wedding, divorce and then university training but I did become a registered nurse, all be it a “hybrid” nurse with my training. Words of wisdom: “if you really want something badly, you will keep trying no matter how many obstacles or how long it takes.”
What does the future hold for you, what are your plans?
I am about to finish my second Master’s degree, this one is Healthcare Leadership and just started a new role as a quality management consultant for a health IT company specialising in quality healthcare/best practice monitoring and outcomes. It allows me to mesh my MBA knowledge base with my nursing, is currently part-time, which allows me to continue my learning through nursing. Never stop learning!
If you would like to learn more about how the SustainHealth team can help find that “perfect” locum opportunity, please reach out on the below contacts.
Thank you to Beverly, we look forward to working with you for many years to come! What and inspiring journey!
Joanne Chai
Para Consultant: NSW & ACT
0282744677
Joanne@sustainhr.com.au