Louise Care, Villa Maria Bundoora Aged Care centre manager and nurse of 23 years.
I WANTED to be a nurse from the age of 10. It might sound corny, but I always wanted to care for and look after people.
Initially I wanted to work in intensive care, but somehow I found myself nursing people with drug and alcohol issues.
I worked in nursing positions at major hospitals and came to Villa O’Neill to work as a unit manager in 2004. I’m now Bundoora centre manager.
I don’t think nurses get paid enough for what they do.
My favourite part of the job is when I see patients enjoying something we’ve done for them. My least favourite part is the paperwork.
There’s a lot of responsibility. The aged care sector is very highly regulated, as it should and needs to be, but this makes the job especially challenging at times.
The best way of dealing with the challenges of the job is to surround yourself with staff who can work together as a team while still being able to have some fun in the workplace.
I tell my staff: We’re not here for ourselves, we’re here for residents – that’s my philosophy.
National Nurses Week runs from May 6 to12.
