Nursing in aged care requires a special type of person. 

It is not for the faint hearted. It is a physical and emotional role. Patients can range from those who have simply grown too old to safely look after themselves to those requiring special medical care for diseases like strokes, heart failure or Alzheimer’s. Medicating, feeding and personal hygiene care are all part of the daily duties. So who are the hospital heroes who have chosen this career?  

Three of the Patrick Ferry House staff have given me more insight into the role they play in the professional, smooth and caring running of this hospital. Chris Saunders is the Clinical Coordinator (matron/ charge nurse equivalent) who runs the management of her team while still maintaining a very close contact with the patients. Sue Pole, Senior Healthcare Assistant and Sarah Ruka, Healthcare Assistant are two of the staff on the ward who work hands-on daily with their patients. 

Chris and Sue knew almost straightaway which nursing field they wanted to work in: Chris is fascinated by geriatrics and mental health while Sue has a passion for geriatrics and community nursing. Sarah started in childcare and then moved onto to aged care helping the elderly in a rest home.  Her next step was into the hospital where she could be more hands-on which she absolutely loves. The patients in this age group have come from a generation that has seen so much change in their lives. Part of the joy in caring for the elderly is sharing their life’s journey. This team feels like they are part of a family when they are at work. Their colleagues are also their friends. While their priority is their patients, they also keep an eye out for each other. Patrick Ferry House is an organized, tidy, clean and modern facility so coming to work each day is a pleasure. The team has access to good learning opportunities with external and internal training on offer. 

People who enjoy success in the field of aged care are strong communicators with the ability to show tolerance. An important part of the role is to communicate with the residents families. The staff need to be able to explain how the hospital works, what has to be done for the residents and what specific family requests are required to be met. Chris says most of the time they can accommodate and find a happy medium that works for all involved. Important to the team is that the families are happy knowing that their relatives are in safe, caring and capable hands.  Chris and her team show all the attributes that make them a success in this role. They are naturally caring, empathetic and flexible. Residents have rights that need to be met. The residents happiness is also foremost in this teams mind. Every day they go above and beyond their job descriptions as a matter of course. It is important for the nursing team to understand that the residents came from a place in a community before entering Patrick Ferry House Hospital. They work to reintegrate residents into their new community with as smooth a transition as possible. As to be expected some residents resist the change in circumstance and their requests are respected. Most residents are happy to come into an environment that is safe as well as being stimulating and fun. 

Daily medical routines are set and adhered to. Policies and procedures are monitored and audited on a regular basis. What sets Patrick Ferry House apart is that the team is not rushed. They manage their time so that they can stop and spend face-to-face talk time with residents, which is so important especially for those who are bed-bound. They say the residents love news of what they have been up to on their days off. Often they will be reminded by the residents that for example it is rose pruning time, that spring fertilizing needs to be done now or that the fruit needs covering from the birds. Chris enjoys many activities on the weekends and one lady always tells her to “take it easy, not to work so hard and to get more rest”.  Comments to the team like “don’t you ever leave us”; or “don’t go on holiday again we miss you too much” are what they love to hear because it means they are touching their residents’ lives in a wonderful way.

Resident mobility is a huge factor with rehabilitation for Chris and her team. They are always looking for solutions to help residents get moving again. They assist hands-on with the physiotherapy rehabilitation exercises for their residents. As Sue says even small achievements like getting someone to be able to sit up on their own is a huge win. Sarah enjoys working with the stroke patients who need plenty of hands-on therapy. Elderly people like to be independent and being mobile allows them this. One of the patients has her own bike that she likes to spin on to keep agile. The reality of working in aged care is one also has to deal with the passing on of residents. Chris and her team deal with this with dignity and care. They also assist the families of residents hugely with amazing emotional support and guidance. The kind words of thanks written by many a grateful family dealing with grief and loss shows you just how important this team is.

Chris, Sue and Sarah love their roles at Patrick Ferry House and laugh off being called the working heroes on the wards. They have variety, they are busy, they are adding value to peoples’ lives and they genuinely enjoy their days. When I asked them to each to describe what made working at Patrick Ferry House their place of choice to work, the common thread, without a doubt, was teamwork.