Whether they are under fire in a war zone, providing life-saving support in the ER or ensuring our elderly receive vital clinical care in their homes, there can be no doubt that nurses are essential to the functioning of a caring society.
Each year on 12 May, we acknowledge the compassion, professionalism and commitment of nurses everywhere by celebrating International Nurses Day.
To mark the occasion, we sat down for a conversation with Jo Westcott, LiveBetter’s Clinical Nurse Specialist. We wanted to learn a little more about Jo – what drew her to nursing, the changes she has seen in her profession over the years, and what motivates her to keep showing up – and showing care – in what can often be a complex and demanding environment.
Early days
Growing up, Jo never gave a second thought to what she might do when she finished school.
‘To be honest, I never thought about it. We had so much fun just living. We spent our days riding motorbikes, picking cherries and living the best life. I just assumed I’d probably do that my whole life!’
It was after she had completed her HSC that a family friend sent her an ad for an enrolled nursing course at Orange Base Hospital. Jo knew nothing about nursing but took a leap of faith.
“I just went ahead and applied. I had no idea what nurses did and was absolutely horrified on that first day!
“I went home after the first week and said to mum, ’Do you realise that we have to work all night? We have to stay at the hospital while everyone else is asleep?’ Mum just gave me a look and said, “Well… who else do you think is going to do it?’’
After completing her training as an enrolled nurse, Jo decided she wanted to pursue further education and enrolled at university. She spent several years juggling her work as an enrolled nurse with her studies at university before finally qualifying as a registered nurse.
Jo went on to complete postgraduate studies in Stomal Therapy, a specialised area of nursing focused on the care and management of people with a stoma.
A stoma is a surgically created opening on the body surface that allows the drainage of waste – for example, a person with a colostomy bag would have a stoma. Stomal Therapy Nurses (STNs) provide expert care, as well as education and advice on stoma care, wound management, and continence issues. It is an area that Jo is passionate about.
“I love Stomal Therapy – supporting people who are going through such a significant change in their lives, educating them about how it all works, and teaching them how to manage it.”
Jo continued to work in the hospital system up until the birth of her youngest child. By this time, she needed something that offered more flexibility and would allow her to balance work with raising her family. She joined forces with a fellow registered nurse to buy Orange Regional Nursing Services, and for 19 years, they successfully ran the business together, providing vital nursing care in the local community and employing 19 staff.
LiveBetter
After 19 years, Jo was ready for a new challenge. She sold her share in the business and began to seek out other opportunities, and one of those opportunities was at LiveBetter.
“ I interviewed for a registered nursing position that they’d been trying to fill for some time – and the rest is history. Honestly, I think I needed LiveBetter as much as LiveBetter needed me.”
To begin with, Jo was mostly involved in completing care assessments and reviews for home care customers – a role that involved travel throughout regional NSW.
“ I travelled everywhere – the Central West, Dubbo, The Riverina and Broken Hill, just getting out to see our customers, see how they were going, how we could help them.”
But as much as she loved the role, Jo didn’t love the paperwork.
“It just seemed to increase over time, and paperwork is probably not my strong suit!”
Then a position came up in Learning and Development, and ready for a change, Jo applied for it – and was successful.
“I enjoyed my time in Learning and Development, but after three years, I realised I was missing being out there, caring for our customers. When I discovered that LiveBetter was hoping to recruit another registered nurse, I put my hand up – I was ready to get back on the front line.”
International Nurses Day
Jo believes the nursing profession has changed enormously since that day when she first stepped foot in a hospital.
“There are now massive opportunities for specialising in any field you want, and there are lifelong learning opportunities. These days, nurses have so many skills when they complete their studies. I think nurses are appreciated more today, too.
For Jo, there is something special about being part of the nursing fraternity.
“The camaraderie between nurses is fantastic – there is a bit of an unspoken nurse code…you do see some pretty horrendous things at times, and I think that creates a bond.”
The Never Late Fe-mail Postie Bike Ride
For the past three years, Jo has donned her leathers and joined with an amazing group of women to ride in the Never Late Fe-mail Postie Bike Ride. The ride raises money for Wings4Kidz, a charity that flies sick children in regional NSW to specialist medical appointments in the city.
The annual charity ride is one of Jo’s passions and reflects not only her hunger for adventure but also her deep commitment to doing what she can to make a difference in people’s lives.
This year, the Never Late Fe-mail Postie Bike Ride saw 90 women ride 915 kilometres, together raising $429,260.48.
With each return flight calculated to cost about $1,000, that’s four hundred children who can now access the specialist care they need.
Quick questions:
- What is the best thing about your work?
“The people. The people we work with and the people we support.”
- What is the most challenging thing about your work?
“There’s not enough time…and there are way too many kilometres…”
- Top tip to manage work-life balance?
“Ride a motorbike. And ask for help if you need it.”
- What keeps you going, getting up and doing it all again, each day?
“The smiles on people’s faces – and if they don’t have a smile, then that’s even better because then that’s my challenge – to get them to smile.”
- Hopes for the future.
“To continue to make a difference in people’s lives, in whatever role that is, …and hopefully grandchildren one day and then retirement.
“ I’m also really passionate about end-of-life care. We recently completed some end-of-life doula training, and we’ll be doing more soon. I could see myself working as an end-of-life doula at some point in the future.”
- If there was one piece of advice you could give to others who are starting in the community nursing sector, what would it be?
“These are my top tips: Listen to the customers because we are their eyes and ears; Support your colleagues- your colleagues are such a good support network; Enable people to live their best lives, be compassionate and understanding, and treat people how you want to be treated, because, you know, this could be your mother, and one day this could be you; Be flexible because this job is not 9:00 to 5:00; And finally, buy good supportive shoes.” .
