Background
Eleven years ago I started work as a graduate nurse on an oncology/medical ward in regional Victoria. I was excited at the prospect of helping people undergo treatment and improving their health so they could return home. On my orientation to the ward I was informed the unit often had patients who received end of life care. “No thanks,” I thought to myself, “that’s not for me”, I want to be where the action and lifesaving is. I quickly learned that palliative care can be a privilege working closely with both patients and their families at a time in their lives that is both very emotional and stressful. I am often surprised by how much a family or patient will share with someone they have just met, the stories, their fears and regrets.
During my time in that unit I had a young women who died that experience has stayed with me and I knew one day I would make that transition to palliative care.
In 2019 I joined the Grampians Regional Palliative Care Team as a Clinical Nurse Consultant.
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Implications for practice/discussion
Conclusion
I love my new role and I am learning so much from the team, overcoming new challenges often around community nursing on a daily basis. I look forward to further studies in palliative care and who knows maybe even a nurse practitioner in the future.