For Bec Andrews, time spent as an Assistant in Nursing (AIN) not only reinforced her decision to pursue a career in nursing, but it continues to inform the very heart of the care she provides each day.
Working now as a registered nurse (RN) at the Hervey Bay Hospital emergency department (ED), Bec first joined the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service (WBHHS) team when she signed on as an AIN during her first year of university.
“It was something that I really wanted to do; being a mature age student, I found that I was better with hands on learning rather than just reading from a book. I saw the AIN role as an opportunity to learn on the floor by watching the RNs while still studying,” Bec said.
“I think working as an AIN really confirmed that nursing is what I wanted to do, even before I had finished my degree.”
Bec says her time as an AIN provided an opportunity to experience patient care firsthand, which has contributed to how she now cares for patients as an emergency nurse.
“Being an AIN taught me a lot about time management and bedside manner. I was able to provide a lot more personal care as I talked to patients and got to know them really well, allowing me to cement those basics of nursing,” she said.
“A massive part of caring for a patient is understanding that they're often here unexpectedly, and some of them don't have family with them. Often, they've got no one to bring them the things they need.
“Being able to offer them a toothbrush, toothpaste and a little bucket to clean their teeth can make a world of difference to their experience, and make them feel cared for.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, WBHHS began to offer students in the later stages of their nursing degrees an opportunity to apply for Undergraduate Student In Nursing (USIN) roles, which allows them to undertake basic patient tasks, more than they can as AINs, including taking observations. The opportunity to gain that experience was something Bec took up.
“COVID-19 increased the number of patients needing care, and I saw the benefit of being able to do a few things that AINs just couldn't do. I was very keen to start the USIN role to be able to help take some of the increased pressure off the other nurses in the team,” Bec said.
Her time as a USIN was spent in the surgical ward before she transitioned across into a role in the WBHHS COVID-19 vaccination clinic (located at Hervey Bay TAFE), which Bec said was a fantastic experience in serving her fellow community members.
Upon completing her degree, Bec obtained one of the graduate nurse positions at Hervey Bay Hospital and was fortunate to work in the critical decisions unit (CDU) for 12 months before transitioning to ED.
“I feel very privileged - generally ED is not a first rotation, but they have started that this year. I've always been passionate about emergency and surgical purely because I like that it's fast paced and a lot of the times people come in and they're ‘fixable’,” Bec said.
“I liked the idea that they come in, they're sick, I do what I can to make things better for them – whether that involves us admitting them for further care or, hopefully, discharging them back home. I absolutely love to help, and I feel that in emergency I’m doing that.
“Every shift and every patient are different in emergency - whether it is a medication to administer, a new diagnosis or a previous history. It’s diverse and I'm constantly learning.”
Bec’s pathway to becoming an emergency department nurse shows what’s possible thanks to WBHHS’s commitment to creating opportunities to pursue a health-related career.
“I never finished Year 12 - I went straight out into the workforce. I honestly didn't think that study would be my thing and I procrastinated for quite a few years thinking ‘I'm never going to be able to study’, but I did the bridging course to get into uni and found that I did enjoy it,” Bec said.
“Before that I was working in retail and I had this connection to wanting to help, but I had young kids at the time and I never really thought much of it.
“One day I was talking to a girlfriend at work and she said why not go into nursing? That was literally what we did - we signed up and then here we are.”
That decision led to Bec applying for the AIN role which began her journey at Hervey Bay Hospital. She says it shows that opportunities are there, even when they seem challenging.
“I say if you think nursing is for you to give it a go. The worst thing that can happen is you find out it's not for you.” Bec said.