Almost 30 years ago, I sat at the breakfast bench of my childhood home, feeling lost and without direction heading into final year exams until my mother inspired my heart asking if had I contemplated a career in nursing. It was a rare lightbulb moment and I haven’t looked back!
Since then, I’ve gained a remarkable breadth of nursing experience. I initially consolidated all my novice knowledge at Heidelberg Repat then jumped to the Pilbara in our country’s north-west to embrace outback nursing. I returned to the city life for cardio-thoracics then headed northeast for the tropics of Townsville and paediatrics, before returning to Melbourne once more for a longer stint, this time in various emergency departments. Only then did I realise the need in the community and that’s where my true value came to life.
I’ve managed aged care home care packages, overseen ambulance Victoria pilot programmes, corporate and prison immunisation work, home ventilation care, palliative care, teaching, disability care, private in-home nursing, end of life care, hospital in the home, and seen to the general well being and care of vulnerable populations in our community. It’s all these years of experience, knowledge gathering, critical thinking, people skills and compassion for the human journey which inspires me to make a difference.
I believe the interaction between nurses and their patients/clients is truly where the magic happens. This is the very essence of why nurses do what they do, especially in the community. The pressures of call buzzers going, cubicle curtains being flung open, nurses getting through tasks and computer obligations frustrated at the lack of quality interaction time with patients, and cold rubbery toast are replaced with presence of time, much fewer distractions, often with a cuppa in hand, all in the comfort and familiarity of one’s home. Our home is our haven, so why wouldn’t we choose our haven for comfort when we need it most? It’s a place far more conducive to healing, holistic care, stress minimisation and privacy.
The creation of Wattletree Health Group was inspired by the drive to deliver exceptional client-focused care, with the experience and skill, warmth, compassion, and personal touch we would expect our own family to receive. I am passionate about ensuring the very essence of nursing and the human touch component is not lost in the busy-ness of healthcare as we know it today.
Our mission is to provide nursing care that excels beyond expectations by a team of well-seasoned nurses who possess a culmination of diverse expertise, knowledge, and the skill to hold the space for their clients in their own home with confidence and assurance throughout every interaction.
We look forward to you experiencing the difference from our Wattletree Health Group, too.
Callie
