The place for Grace

25 Aug 2022

When she was offered the opportunity in May 2022 by St John of God Geelong Hospital, Grace couldn’t say no.

“St John of God gave me the opportunity, with limited experience, to work in the area that I have strived to get into since the beginning of my nursing career,” Grace said.

“They developed a plan to allow me to have the full exposure of what the field entails giving me more than experience, but the knowledge and confidence to be an excellent nurse.

“I started off in day stay admissions and second stage recovery for three months, before moving to the hospital’s Surgery Centre across the road from the main hospital, where I’ve gained experience in first stage recovery and anaesthetic nursing.

“I’ll be here for three months, before I move back to the main hospital to work in the theatres as an anaesthetic nurse and have the chance to gain experience as a scrub/scout nurse, depending on where my career takes me and what I’d like to do.”

Grace said she feels challenged, in the right way, every day.

“When I began working here, I was very aware that St John of God ‘had my back’,” she said.

“The management team were welcoming and made it very clear that I would be supported in every step.

“That feeling of being supported, encouraged and challenged to learn is incredible and while it’s only been a short time, I feel that my skills have grown and I’ve progressed quickly.”

Grace said another highlight of perioperative nursing was helping patients through their surgery journey and seeing them recover to better health.

“I love that I can make a difference in not only the physical health of people, but also in their emotional wellbeing,” she said.

“Something that makes St John of God unique is the atmosphere of solidarity in ensuring exceptional patient care and the support of staff to allow this to happen.”