International Nurses Day 2023

On International Nurses Day we recognise the wonderful work of our caring, professional, and compassionate nurses and thank them for their endless dedication to the care of our residents.

Kerrie Gelder is the Clinical Care Coordinator at Woodford Manor Aged Care and she shares what inspired her to enter nursing and what drives her in her career.

 Why did you choose to do nursing as your chosen career and what does it mean to you?

I always wanted to be a nurse – I didn’t make the cut into the hospital system after high school and went on to different jobs, but is was still always in the back of my mind. I then went to uni as a mature student when my daughter was little. I worked in aged care during uni as a carer and this gave me an insight as to where I wanted to go with my career in nursing.

‍What do you enjoy most about working as a Clinical Care Coordinator at the home?

I enjoy looking after residents and making sure that they receive the care they require. I enjoy the oversight with staff to ensure that the clinical aspect is looked after.

‍What his the most challenging about being a nurse?

I find the most challenging aspects of nursing to be the retention of staff – staffing in aged care is very difficult to keep and manage. Without getting political, the wages, hours, and clinical responsibilities make the retention of nurses challenging.

‍What is a special memory you have so far from your nursing career?

A special memory is from when I worked in a war vets aged care home. We had a number of veterans who wished to participate in the dawn service that was held on site. We had care staff who came in on their own time to ensure that these residents were dressed in their best with their medals and taken out to the service. It was very moving to see staff and residents participate together at this special time.

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