Hema Chandra
Hema Chandra, newly qualified nurse working in Aged Residential Care at Clare House Retirement Village in Invercargill.
What made you decide to become a nurse?
I started my career as a health care worker in 2009 and loved the job so much that I decided to do nursing. I had a lot of support from my colleagues who encouraged me and believed that I would be a great nurse. It was their trust and belief which led to where I am today.
How did you find the job in Aged Residential Care?
I completed my nursing degree in December 2019 and applied through the Advanced Choice of Employment (ACE) process for a Nurse Entry to Practice (NETP) position. ACE is the national electronic matching process for recruiting graduate doctors and nurses entering into positions within the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) in New Zealand. I was selected for a position in Aged Residential Care (ARC) at Clare House Retirement Village in Invercargill.
How are you supported?
I am currently supported by my Preceptor, Managers and NETP coordinator. They are always available to approach if not sure about certain things.
How have you found working in Aged Residential Care?
At the start I was a bit unsure regarding ARC, as I always thought I wanted to do surgical nursing which I enjoyed during my placement. However, I took this opportunity and started my job and have found it’s a very diverse area to work in. As with any new role it was difficult at first having to adjust to different situations but I’ve learnt and gained experience in last six months.
What experience have you gained?
I’ve gained a lot of experience in the short time I’ve been at Clare House Retirement Village. I’ve provided palliative care; declared death; dealt with chronic and cancerous wound; managed pressure areas, skin tears; assessed falls; dealt with vasovagal episodes; respiratory infections; transferred residents to hospital; admitting new residents; dealt with staff issues; developed care plans and developed rapport and communicated with residents and their families. It has been really busy and challenging especially with the COVID-19 situation changes as well.
What Clare House says about the NETP programme and Hema
Clare House is excited to be a part of the NETP programme. It is a privilege to share with a new graduate nurse the range of skills and responsibilities required by Registered Nurses in our world, and the rewarding nature of our work. In return it has been wonderful to have Hema in our facility with her high level of skills and fresh perspective. We hope to continue to work with NETP students in the future in order to introduce new nurses to the career opportunities in aged care.