International Nurses Day: Unveiling the Inspiring Stories of integratedliving Nurses and their Holistic Care Approach
Our nurses work in lots of different areas across our organisation and provide a vital bridging role in our communities. They ensure that our clients in their care receive treatment that is compassionate, and as comfortable as possible. This International Nurses Day, 12 May 2023, we recognise the dedication and commitment of our nurses, and we would like to thank each and every one of them for the work they do.
Our nurses wear multiple hats – they provide support and care to our clients for a wide variety of health issues, building trust and a closer relationship with each client. They also provide a teaching and supportive role, working with patients to promote independence and enabling them to care for themselves. They educate loved ones to assist with the care program or encourage a healthier lifestyle to accelerate the healing process.
The work of our nurses at integratedliving is critical in taking pressure off hospital admissions and helping to manage and treat health issues at home. It is a big job – but also a highly valued and rewarding one. We thank and celebrate each and every one of you.
Find out more about some of our nursing team members here
Deborah Ditz
Senior Manager - Health Services
How long have you been nursing?
I have been nursing for 16 years as I entered university as a mature aged student.
What do you enjoy the most about the job? Working with our team and many other health professionals to support people in need and to see them reach their goals - it is a real blessing.
What qualities have you gained from nursing? I have gained in many areas, some being, trusting our health system, responsibility, autonomy, accountability, teamwork, delegation, patience, respect and a greater love for supporting my teammates and our clients.
Why did you go into nursing? I have a desire to help people and to support them when they are at their most vulnerable.
What have been your favourite moments as a nurse? Feeling at the end of the day that I made a difference in someone's life that day, be it small like making them a cup of tea or more seriously sending them off to hospital if needed or providing them with education on their chronic health conditions and seeing them manage their condition better with my support.
Do you have any advice for those wanting to become nurses? If you have a caring nature and want to give to your community, jump right in because there are so many blessings that come with a nursing role and so many specialties you can gain experience in. Nursing is rewarding and changes the lives of so many people in a positive way
Samantha Barford
Registered Nurse Lead & Registered Nurse Lead DVA
How long have you been nursing? I have been a Registered Nurse for 12 years. Prior to becoming a Registered Nurse, I was a support worker in disability services.
Why did you go into nursing? I have always wanted to help people. Both of my grandmothers were nurses and I have other family members in the medical industry. I love learning about the human body, and linking that to the human experience.
What do you enjoy the most about the job? I love learning about our clients as individuals and making a difference in their lives. It has allowed me to have the ability to think outside the box.
What qualities have you gained from nursing? Patience and compassion. While we all need these elements to be a good nurse, as a practicing nurse, you really sharpen these qualities. For example, the patience required to help care for chronic wounds, and the compassion of linking to the client experience.
Do you have any advice for those wanting to become nurses? Do it! It is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Don’t think that you have to be a “hospital” nurse either, nursing can take you anywhere.
What have been your favourite moments as a nurse? Watching the clients see the results of their hard work. There are many examples in our Telehealth and Wellness programs where clients have been proud of meeting their goals, for example to get their blood pressure under control with lifestyle adaptions. One other example that stands out to me is when I was able to assist a client in treating her wound that she was getting dressed at her General Practitioner for months. Within a few weeks of careful and consistent nursing attention the wound healed, and she was so relieved she could resume her regular mobility activities.
Denis Egidis
Registered Nurse
How long have you been nursing?
I became a Registered Nurse in 2016.
Why did you go into nursing? I like communication, I enjoy hearing a story, and if I can combine this with helping others it is a winning combo and in addition it has so many avenues of a career path.
What do you enjoy the most about the job? Interaction with people and produce solutions or treatment that makes a difference in their life, develops their independence, and provides them with the ability to maintain activity of daily living.
What qualities have you gained from nursing? Patience, empathy, realism of a situation and hierarchy of importance in our life.
What have been your favourite moments as a nurse? Listening immersively to someone’s story about their childhood and how things were back in the day.
Do you have any advice for those wanting to become nurses? There is so much beyond hospital nursing, I see hospital nursing as a training ground and skill development; don't let it be the final stop.
Fatimah Lesiguez
Registered Nurse & Wellness for Independence Lead
Why did you go into nursing? Ever since I was young, it has always been my dream to work in the medical field. I’ve always been passionate about making a difference in people’s lives and impacting my community even in simple ways. I decided to become a nurse because I believe it is a way for me to be of service to others while fulfilling my childhood dream of becoming a doctor.
What qualities have you gained from nursing? Nursing has changed my life in many ways especially in cultivating the values of caring, compassion, understanding and patience. It’s taught me that we should see the goodness in people and be open in listening not just with your ears but also with your heart.
How long have you been nursing? I have been a Registered Nurse since 2008.
What do you enjoy the most about the job? I love interacting with my clients because not only am I able to address their medical needs, but I am also able to know their stories. Seeing them smile and hearing them laugh are what makes my job the best in the world. I genuinely enjoy every single day that I get to spend with all of my clients, who I treat as I would my grandparents.
What have been your favourite moments as a nurse? Being a Registered Nurse made me see the different phases of life. I have assisted in the delivery of newborn babies and witnessed the moment of them taking their first breath. Working in the Medical Unit at the hospital, I was also given the opportunity to care for someone at their end of life. In my small hands, I was able to hold a beginning of a new life, and with the same hands, I held someone taking their last breath. With nursing, every moment is special, every moment is one of a kind, and not a single day is ever the same. My experiences in nursing made me realise that life is a gift and as a Registered Nurse, I am truly grateful to be given the chance to make my clients’ lives a wonderful present to the people around them.
Do you have any advice for those wanting to become nurses? There is no perfect formula to becoming a Registered Nurse, but it is no secret that to be a great one entails compassion, kindness, and persistence. My advice for someone who wants to become a nurse is do everything by heart because when we genuinely love what we’re doing, nursing doesn’t just become a job, rather it becomes a calling. There will be challenges, but if you stay true to your core of serving others, then all your efforts will be worth it.
This #NursesDay help us to show the vital difference that nursing makes. Share your story about a time when a nurse, nursing support worker or student nurse made a difference to you on our Facebook Page or by sending your story to our team.
You can also discover more about the day on the International Nurses Day website.