A Day in the Life of a Nurse

I found a video on the Day in the Life of a Nurse. I was looking for inspiration for this post as I have a few to catch up on.  Once upon a time, I was a nurse.  I did my training in Mt Gambier in South Australia, and when I graduated I worked in hospitals around Australia.

My life was not like the lady featured in this Youtube video.

Well, I know times have changed.  It is quite a few years since I have worked in a hospital or aged care facility.  The video above is not really much about her work – just a little info near the ends.

I have a little chuckle as we had no ability to do a YouTube video of our day at work, though clearly that is an issue.  There’s no way one would be able to video life on the word – well not personally.

Training Days – it was so many years ago, that I refuse to indulge the year!  As trainee nurses (no university study – just work and learn, with occasional lectures).  We had to live in the nurses home – a small room with a single bed, wardrobe, desk and drawers, with a mirror so we could see that we were properly ready for work.  Community bathroom on each floor – so before an early shift we’d often have to queue for one of the facilities.  Breakfast was provided at the hospital, but we’d often have a coffee at the kitchenette. Some of us would have a cigarette too.

Early shift started at 6 am, so at 5.45 am we’d be off across the short walk to the hospital.

Breakfast was in shifts, and some of us would have to go to lectures from  8.30 am to 10 am.

Our working day finished around 3.30 pm, and some of us were required to go to lectures then too.  We worked on the wards for 48 hours a week, and lectures were extra.

If we were on night duty, we started around 7.45 pm and worked until 7 am.  Then we would have to stay awake until lectures at 8.30 am, or sometimes wake up and go to lectures at 3.30 pm.  Hard work.  Long Days.

Photo of my sister, father and me, on the day I was to catch a train to start my nursing career in Mt Gambier.

(UBC 24)