An interview with our nursing team

First written: August 2024

The second in our ‘Meet the team’ series, we spoke to Rhys, one of our wonderful Sydney based AINs. He has been part of the Sanctuary team for the past three years, working on a casual basis in homes across Western and Northern Sydney, NSW. He has worked in a variety of homes with some of our longstanding clients, assisting with gaps in their roster, ensuring that each residents needs in a physical, emotional and holistic capacity are met.

He shared with us his journey with Sanctuary, his motivations for going in to the nursing profession and shared his interests outside of work.

Rhys, as you’ve been with Sanctuary for the past three years, you must be pretty happy working with us! What was the process like when you first joined?

“I applied through an advert through Seek, which was for a nursing assistant to fill shifts in on an ad-hoc basis, especially during Covid-19 outbreaks as it was during the pandemic. I called as I wanted to check that I had the right amount of experience, and as I did I was then asked to send across my compliance documents and referees. As I live in Western Sydney, I am mainly in contact with Dan Tapping, who covers that area. Sometimes the facilities are a bit further away from where I live, so I speak to Katie Dawson and Cole Egan when I go to the Northern Beaches/North Shore and Eastern Suburbs areas.”

How do you find scheduling your work day/week with Sanctuary?

“What I do like about working through an agency, in particular with Sanctuary Recruitment, is that if I go to a shift and I particularly like the home and the residents, I can request to go there again. The consultants make a note of my location and home preferences, so I can put in a request to go there as my first choice. This helps me to structure my work day properly. I have been working with you for a while now, so the consultants know my shift preferences and routine, so they can plan this around me accordingly.”

What spurred the decision to go into nursing?

“I had experience with looking after family members that had dementia, so I understand the importance of keeping your loved ones comfortable and happy when their medical and physical needs increase. I wanted to give other people’s family members the same respect during this time in their lives.”

So, why aged care?

“What I like about aged care is I can get to know the residents really well. I have that passion to ensure residents are looked after and well presented. This time in their lives can be delicate and you should treat them with dignity and respect at all times. I am I enjoy meeting up with my friends and family and sharing stories about my work day, as who doesn’t love to hear about the words of wisdom shared by the older generation. My mum works in aged care and had always spoken to me about her work day and experience, which inspired me to go into the same field.”

What do you need to succeed in the aged care industry?

“Lots of patience. Residents can have a varying degrees of needs, and understanding each of these needs in depth can really help you in this role. It’s not always going to be easy, but I do my best to make sure they are happy and they are satisfied with the care that I am giving to them. If you decide to go into nursing, part of your study will be knowing how to deal with difficult situations.”

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

“I’d like to train to be a lifestyle coordinator. I really love seeing the residents happy and entertained, so venturing into this side of holistic care and tending to this site of the residents needs is an option I’d love to explore. Part of the leisure activities in an aged care home is taking bus trips to various places, and you never know, I may learn how to drive the bus someday!”

To see the interview in full, visit our Youtube Channel.

Thinking of making the move into aged care? We are always on the lookout for passionate and dedicated individuals to join our team. Express your interest in working with Sanctuary today.