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Rachel Smith-Rees

Rachel Smith-Rees, Registered Nurse currently on an Older People’s Health rotation programme

Rachel Smith

Rachel Smith-Rees, Registered Nurse

On a typical day
The Older People’s Health rotation programme enables me to rotate through different areas of nursing gaining experience in different settings catering to the health of older people. I am currently based at an aged Residential Care Facility.

My typical day starts at 3pm with handover in one of our two hospital level care units. Although there is a lot of routine when caring for residents in an aged care facility, I always find different challenges and issues come up every day. These can be from a resident who has fallen, or who has deteriorated in some way, or getting called to review a resident in a different unit when another nurse needs a second opinion. It’s great experience having to think on my feet and back my clinical knowledge.

I have found the health assessment and advanced nursing practice post graduate paper I have been doing this year very helpful with furthering this clinical knowledge and my assessment skills. There’s a lot of collaboration within the workplace, with other nurses, with the GP, our managers so that we know we are doing all we can for someone. I have found nursing in residential care challenging because as an RN you do have a lot of responsibility for a lot of people. You need to be constantly prioritising as there is often multiple issues that need to be addressed, but through this experience, I feel more confident in backing myself and the other nurses I work with are always happy to help or talk things over which is great.

One way I’ve made a difference as a nurse
I can’t really think of any specific ways, but I like to think that I have made a difference. Just coming to work and trying your best to help someone have the best quality of life they can have and know that you have implemented the right interventions when there is a deterioration is what I aim to do. Sometimes just having a chat and a laugh with the residents when you have some time makes a difference, especially at the moment seeing as they haven’t been seeing their family and friends

What would you say to a person considering a career in nursing?
It is a great but challenging career. I think just go for it because there are so many different and exciting opportunities for you to choose from. It can be a very tough job physically and mentally but I love getting to know the people that I get to care for and feel like I’m making a difference so it is worth it in the end.