A young, recently graduated nurse who was undermined and gossiped about in her first job in a nursing home is encouraging anyone who is being bullied at work to resign. HelloCare recently published an article which claimed that bullying is rife in the aged care workforce. We received a number of responses to the article,... Read More

I have been confronted and have challenged staff about several encounters that have directly involved and affected my husband and, consequently, me also. These incidents have included patients’ need for comfort during episodes of delirium, intrusive and aggressive behaviours and patients’ need for companionship. I have sought advice through My Age Care and have researched... Read More

Australia’s population is ageing. With developments in hechnology, medicine and nutrition – people are living longer. And as this ageing population grows, it not only creates a greater need for more aged care services, but also a growth in employment opportunities. Due to the changes in service delivery models and individualised home care services, there... Read More

Residents of aged care facilities represent some of the frailest, physically weak and therefore the most vulnerable people in society. Many residents have conditions, and often comorbidities, that leave them in a great amount of pain. Dementia is particularly common in aged care residents, affecting approximately 30% of residents in low care and 60% of... Read More

Tracey Maxfield writes for HelloCare about her experience working as a nurse caring for people living with dementia. She also writes about her depression, and what led her to eventually write her book, ‘Escaping the Rabbit Hole’. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a nurse. When I was two yrs. old, I used to bandage my teddy, at... Read More

It should come as no shock that dark humour is also used as a coping mechanism for the selfless individuals who dedicate their lives to caring for the sick and vulnerable. Read More

Not anyone can become a nurse. It’s true that it takes years of schooling, endless hours of studying and some pretty tough exams to qualify to become a nurse, but there is also another element to consider – your personality. There isn’t one clear cut personality that perfectly fits into the role of nurse, rather,... Read More

Growing up, the way in which the vast majority of us experience death firsthand is through the loss of loved ones, so it makes sense that the shock and grief that can accompany these experiences would shape our attitudes towards the topic of death in general.  Sudden and unexpected deaths are obviously horrible, but there... Read More

Dr Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams had a dream – to build a unique type of hospital that offers not just top-quality medical care but the exact sort of compassionate and joyful care that Adams is known for around the world. Immortalised in film by Robin Williams in the 1998 film “Patch Adams”, Patch brought a... Read More

People who work in healthcare are the most susceptible to workplace burnout. Whether you’re a nurse, carer, doctor, specialist,  working in hospitals or aged care, you all face the same things. Long shifts, taking care of patient after patient, dealing with upper management – and often on very little sleep and food. No one could... Read More

Survey findings from an ongoing research project in New Zealand have revealed a number of startling statistics regarding the effects of sleep deprivation on nurses. Safer Nursing 24-7 is a 3-year project that combines new science along with nursing knowledge and experience to better understand and improve the fatigue management processes in New Zealand. An... Read More

If you have ever experienced continuous call bells coming from the room of a deceased resident, or the spirit of an old nurse floating down the hallway - you are NOT alone. Read More