Community nurses in the making Northern Sydney Home Nursing Service (NSHNS) piloted a Year 10/11 work experience placement with Arlo, a local high school student, providing a valuable opportunity to showcase the diverse and rewarding nature of community based nursing. Under the close supervision of the NSHNS Mona Vale team, Arlo spent a week accompanying staff and gaining insight into everyday community nursing practice. He described the placement as “really enjoyable” and “eye opening”, and noted that each nurse showed him different approaches
others. Following the placement, he is now considering nursing as a future career, following in the footsteps of his mother, Caroline Johnston, who is a community nurse.
to treating a variety of wounds. While some aspects were initially
confronting, Arlo said he quickly became more comfortable and engaged as the week progressed. The experience also highlighted for him the importance of care and prevention, particularly as people age. Arlo said he would highly recommend community nursing to anyone who enjoys connecting with people and helping
The display at RNSH
Caroline Johnston, NSHNS Mona Vale team, Mona Vale and Arlo
David’s second chance after cardiac arrest It was a regular day of squats and deadlifts at the gym for David Manatua when he felt a tightness in his chest.
He later learned from Dr Mark Gillett, ED staff specialist at RNSH, that he had received almost 20 minutes of CPR, multiple cardiac drugs, and six electrical defibrillations. After a week in intensive care, David began six weeks of cardiac rehab at RNSH, where guided exercise and education helped him regain strength. He is now back at work and exercising at the gym. “I can’t thank everyone enough – the staff in emergency and also the rehabilitation service, which put me on my feet again, gave me the confidence to push myself a little bit every time.”
“Because I have a high pain tolerance, I just thought it was annoying,” he recalled. “I continued working out but then I felt discomfort in the left side of my neck and left side of my jaw.” The 43 year old building manager decided it was time to go to hospital, so he drove to Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH), just down the road from the gym. He called his wife to let her know, reassuring her it wouldn’t take long. After all, he was eager to be back home in time to watch an All Blacks game, which was starting in an hour, and to be with his toddler son Hunter. But when David walked into the emergency department (ED) and began speaking to a nurse, he suddenly felt sick. “It was a cold sweat,” he said. “The nurse told me I looked really unwell.” His appearance — sweating and pale — prompted immediate action from nursing staff, who rushed him into a resuscitation bay. David was attached to an ECG machine. “That’s when they saw there something wrong with my heart rhythm,” he said. The nurses began prepping him, and he remembers apologising before passing out. “I think I died then.”
Heart attack survivor David Manatua
WWW.NSLHD.HEALTH.NSW.GOV.AU
11
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online