Day in the life of an aged care registered nurse

Aged care nursing is a dynamic, fast paced industry that puts patient care and advocacy as it’s primary focus. Aged care workers play a pivotal role in ensuring each patients needs are met, their voices are heard, and their desires are fulfilled.

What does a typical day looks like as an aged care registered nurse?

Aged care registered nurses use a holistic approach when it comes to providing care. Typical duties include administering medications, assisting with activities of daily living and documenting patient conditions and keeping care plans updated. Aged care runs 24/7, so depending on what your shift pattern is, will determine what your day looks like.

6:30am – 7:00am: handover

The day shift aged care registered nurses will take over from those working on the night shift. A handover will happen in the morning, detailing the current conditions of the residents and any notable developments that happened during the night. Any incidents that happened overnight are assessed and appropriate actions are taken.

A review of the team and staff allocations is made, delegating tasks and residents to team members.

7:00am – 7:30am: getting ready for the day

Once the residents are awake, the assistant in nursing team and registered nurses will work together to offer personal care assistance, which includes:

• Bathing/showering – including dental care, hair brushing, grooming and skin care
• Toileting – using the toilet and managing continence
• Choosing an outfit for the day and helping the residents get dressed
• Mobility – transferring from one room to another and supporting walking around the home

Residents need a varying degree of care. Some may need full assistance, whilst others may only need support in one or two areas.

 7:30am – 10:00am: breakfast and morning medication rounds

One of the registered nurses will conduct a medication round. They administer on average 6 – 11 different medicines per resident, so it’s important that the nurse isn’t disturbed during this time. The medication that each resident will receive is stated in their care plans and is adjusted through regular assessments of their conditions and needs.

The team will then escort the residents to the dining room. Breakfast is staggered to ensure that residents eat when they are hungry, as opposed to at a strict time. This also reduces the pressure of a single deadline. Registered nurses and personal care workers will be on hand to assist those residents that need a helping hand with mealtimes. This is a great opportunity for the staff to chat to the residents and understand their thoughts, feelings and get to know them on a personal level whilst monitoring how much they are eating. Doing our due diligence and ensuring that each resident is getting all the nutrition that they need is part of our job at mealtimes.

What foods are offered for breakfast in aged care?

There is a mix of continental and hot breakfast options that are carefully curated to suit all dietary requirements, any allergies and likes/dislikes. Examples include cereals and milks, porridge, fruit and pastries for the cold options, and for the cooked breakfast there will be eggs, grilled bacon and hash browns. Aged care menus rotate to provide variety and to ensure that residents receive balanced nutrition.

10:00am – 11:00am: Time at leisure and morning tea

After breakfast, the team will help to clear up and then get the residents comfortable for the day ahead.

Depending on the time breakfast finishes, morning tea may also be served during this time. Usually consisting of coffee/tea and cake, it’s a great opportunity for the aged care workers and registered nurses to take a quick 10-minute break!

11:00am – 1:00pm: lunchtime and mid-morning medications

There are multiple medication rounds in aged care, and the second one usually happens around lunchtime. The registered nurse on duty will conduct the medication round, like the one in the morning, giving residents medications in line with their care plans.

Mealtimes in aged care are often longer to give residents the time to enjoy their meals and make sure they are comfortable. If the meal needs to be modified to help with digesting and swallowing such as being pureed or mashed, they will explain to the resident what it is and why it may look different to the others being served.

As we approach care holistically, sitting down to have a cup of coffee with the residents whilst they are eating is just as important as the medication rounds. Interacting with everyone, making them feel heard and fulfilling their social needs is a key part of an aged care registered nurse’s role.

1:00pm – 2:00pm – leisure and lifestyle activities

The lifestyle coordinators are responsible for devising activities that fulfill resident needs and adhere to their interests. Examples of afternoon activities include:

• Dancing
• Puzzles and trivia
• Arts and crafts
• Themed parties (great if there is a cultural holiday happening)
• Gardening and time outside
• Cooking
• Pet visits
• Cultural and history talks
• Day visits may also be organised as a group trip, and this could be to museums, art galleries, the beach, local markets and sporting events for example.

Not only does this allow the residents to enjoy their free time how they want, but they have many benefits such as indulging in hobbies and interests, being able to express emotion and recount stories from their past, spur conversation, improve short and long term memory, appreciate one another’s cultural backgrounds and many more.

2:00pm – 3:00pm: afternoon tea and administrative duties

Similarly to morning tea, afternoon tea is served which includes light refreshments.

Registered nurses will also need to document resident conditions and update care plans & reports, attending to any residents that require personal care and speaking to any family coming to visit. It’s imperative that paperwork is always kept up to date, so this often happens in the afternoon when the main mealtimes have finished.

And that’s your day! Before you leave, you must hand over to the registered nurses on the afternoon shift. Each shift will look a little different – afternoon staff will be present for dinnertime and will conduct further medication rounds. Those working on the night shift will often be working with a reduced team as there is significantly reduced activity during the night. Nighttime registered nurses will often have more experience as there is a high chance they will be working solo.

Feeling inspired to become a registered nurse?

Working in aged care is a role that keeps you on your feet, whilst being an incredibly satisfying job. Developing deep connections with residents and getting to know them on a personal level makes your work even more rewarding.

For more information on working as a registered nurse with Sanctuary and to join our team of exceptional staff, reach out to us today to get started.