Alice Staunton

I worked as a ward aide across mental health facilities around Hobart, including the Roy Fagan Centre, Mistral place and Tolosa street open mental health units and 2K west, 3K west and 3J closed mental health units. Whilst at Roy Fagan my duties included;

• Lifting and positioning of patients by manual or mechanical means, including lifting patients in and out of bed and lifting, positioning and turning patients in bed to provide comfort and prevent pressure injuries.
• Provided direct patient care, such as monitoring vital signs, administering medications.
• Assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting, eating and drinking.
• Maintained accurate documentation of patient care services provided.
• Adhering to patient care plans and providing patient centred care at all times.
• Monitoring and prevention of pressure injuries.
• Monitoring behavioural changes and reporting any concerns to the nurse in charge.

My role as a support worker with Bath supported living service was to support adults with a learning disability, mental health diagnosis and/or Autism to live independently within their own homes or supported accomodation. My duties included;

• Assistance with medications, personal care and ADL'S.
• Making and maintaining doctors and other various health and social care appointments.
• Support around budgeting money, paying bills, grocery shopping, cooking and meal assistance, maintaining thier home and cleaning.
• Helped clients develop independent living skills, such as budgeting, cooking and cleaning, paying bills, grocery shopping, and maintaining their home.
• Supported clients to access education, training or employment opportunities.
• Monitored client wellbeing and reported any changes or concerns to relevant staff members.
• Developed positive relationships with service users and maintained professional boundaries at all times.
• Promoting independence and life skills at all times.

My duties as an assistant in nursing across various wards at the Royal Hobart hospital were to monitor and observe patients in the hospital who had delirium, dementia or who were a falls risk, to ensure their safety at all times

• Assist nursing staff in the lifting and positioning of patients by manual or mechanical means including lifting patients in and out of bed, and lifting, positioning and turning patients in bed.
• Assist nursing staff making and changing beds for non-ambulatory, heavy or seriously ill patients, showering or bathing non-ambulatory, heavy or seriously ill patient.
• Assisting patients to eat, drink and use the toilet and assistance with ADL'S
• Adhering to food and fluid charts.
• Alerting nursing staff to any changes in the patients condition.
• Providing a detailed and thorough handover to the next member of staff to ensure continuity of care and safety of the patient.

Bluebird care was my very first job working in aged care and led me to my path of nursing as I absolutely loved working with the elderly. I started off visiting my client's in thier own homes in the morning, afternoon and evening, developing close professional relationships with my client's. I then progressed to doing live in care from overnight stays up to 2 weeks. My clients were diverse and had a range of conditions including multiple sclerosis, parkinsons disease, dementia, alzheimers, acquired brain injuries and varying levels of paralysis. my duties included;

• Maintained accurate documentation of patient progress notes, treatments and medication administration records.
• Administering medications.
• Provided assistance to patients with activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing, eating and drinking and toileting.
• Meal preparation and ensuring my clients were eating and drinking.
• Providing emotional support and comfort.
• Providing person centred care and following care plans.