From L-R: Betty Stafford, Ryan Sherman, Jade Drake, Vivian Skillbeck.
The panel touched on the many changes to the nursing profession over the decades as well as some of the universal experiences that remain – like managing work life balance, navigating your way through a patient death and working in a high-pressure environment.
Past staff were also invited to attend the event, which is in its second year.
“Last year we held a talk for staff and it was really well received, and also really well attended by former staff – our eldest attendee was in her 90s. It was a great chance for people to get together with old colleagues and reconnect,” says Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery, Sue Anderton.
“It was also great to draw on the collective wisdom in the room and to take a moment to look back at how much things have changed and how far we have come as a profession.”
Panellist Betty Stafford began training at South West Healthcare in 1969, eventually moving to the SWH Paediatric ward in 1990 as Nurse Unit Manager.
Vivian Skilbeck’s nursing career began just over 50 years ago, having spent time in Hamilton, Melbourne and London, before becoming a nurse and a Nurse Unit Manager at SWH’s paediatric department.
Current staff member and midwife Jade Drake spoke about her recent trip to remote communities in Papua New Guinea with the No Roads Foundation.
ICU Nurse Unit Manager Ryan Sherman spoke about his experience working in the NHS in London as well as his time at the ICU Unit and a stint as a transplant coordinator at the Alfred.
South West Healthcare employs almost 1,020 nurses including district nursing, midwifery teams, community health nurses and mental health nurses across its 6 campuses – accounting for 50% of the services’ overall staff.
International Nurses Day is celebrated each year on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birthday and seeks to recognise and celebrate the contributions and achievements of nurses around the world. International day of the midwife was also celebrated on Monday May 5.