The Whole Story

I was reading through my work entries, the other day, when it dawned on me I haven’t been painting the most flattering picture of my employer or my job.  One could, justifiably, question if I even like working out here.  I guess this is because it rarely occurs to me to write about the positive things.  Let’s face it, good days are boring; they don’t translate into an interesting story.  I suspect if I only wrote about how wonderful things are, this blog would become VERY boring VERY quickly.  Somewhat unfortunately, it’s the annoying, frustrating, and shocking things that get me going and inspire me to write.  So, I complain about infection control, silly uniforms, and pay debacles.  But, by focusing on the bad, I’ve failed to provide the whole story.  The fact is, despite my occasional frustrations, I really like nursing in Australia.

First of all, we are incredibly well-staffed.  Because we run with eight and twelve hour shifts, we often have nursing overlap, which allows time for lunch breaks, in-services, education, and unit meetings.  (That’s right – we don’t have to come in on our days off for mandatory education!)  If someone calls in sick, we either have pool nurses or agency nurses to fill in.  And, if all else fails, one of the clinical nurses will step in and take a patient load.

Second, we have a great support system.  We have team leaders, a charge nurse, a nursing case manager, a nursing educator, and a clinical nurse coordinator on duty most days.  Often, we even have a float nurse roaming the unit.  We have nurses’ aids to help with the showers and the bed-making.  We have wardies to help move, turn, and hoist our patients.  No matter how busy we are, someone is always available to help.

Third, the focus on education is impressive.  It can border on overkill, especially for the experienced nurses, but they have the right idea.  Having to complete theoretical work on basics like nasogastric tubes can seem insulting, but I respect the systematic approach.  Everyone working on the floor must go through the same education.  I just wish I had been so thoroughly trained and educated as a new grad.

And then there are the little things.  The incredibly laid-back environment, which I attribute to Aussie culture, makes work pleasant.  We’re on a first-name basis with most of the doctors, and they’re typically pretty pleasant with us.  (Even in the middle of the night.)  Our paperwork is minimal.  (Even new admissions aren’t too much of a headache.)  The hospital is on actual lock-down after 8:30pm, making us feel safe.  The public system is well-funded, so it’s not all about the money.  We have the supplies we need.  No one fears being laid off.  We get paid well.  Our nurses union is awesome.  I'm never truly stressed out. 

So, despite the minor annoyances and my massive learning curve, it’s going really well out here.  I just need to remember that the next time I feel like complaining…