On International Nurses Day, Saturday 12 May, Goodwin would like to thank their 40 registered and enrolled nurses that work across residential and community care.
“We are very lucky at Goodwin as we have a strong team of nurses with varying skills and expertise,” says Tamra MacLeod, Goodwin’s Nurse Practitioner.
For the last five years Goodwin has had the expertise of Nurse Practitioner, Tamra, who has been a nurse for 20 years. Tamra has higher qualifications than a registered nurse with three more years training she can assess at a higher clinical level and has greater prescribing rights than a registered nurse. Tamra has a Masters in Gerentology and as such she is able to teach Goodwin nurses how to: clinical assess residents and clients, use medical equipment and prescribe medication and treatment.
Tamra acts as a mentor and educator to Goodwin’s nursing staff as her expertise includes research, training and providing clinical expertise to other health professionals. Tamra also played a lead role in establishing the innovative Goodwin Health and Wellness Centre.
Tamra was selected as Residential Aged Care Facility representative for the ACT Clinical Council and is a representative on the ACT Nursing and Midwifery steering reference group, chaired by the chief nursing and midwifery officer from the ACT Department of Health.
“The highlights of working at Goodwin have been making positive contributions to individual residents and clients lives but also being able to make changes on a broader level at Goodwin and within the aged care sector as a whole,” says Tamra.
“The other more specific highlights I have enjoyed while working at Goodwin include the pharmacist trial, managing our 24-hour nursing, coordinating our resident restraint-free project, supervising clinical journaling, and being involved in the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia research project. I have also enjoyed coordinating our in-house immunisation programs.
“We are lucky to have a multi-disciplinary team at Goodwin as our nurses can discuss clinical issues with our allied health team and vice versa. Unlike lots of residential care facilities, we have an extensive allied health team which includes a physiotherapist, dietician, occupational therapist and podiatrist.
“We do so many wonderful innovations and research projects and make such a contribution to aged care generally it is challenging to let everyone know about all our projects,” says Tamra.
Aged care is in a state of transformation with new challenges being faced every day. These challenges will include implementing evidence to action, coordinating all aspects of interdisciplinary care and finding innovative enablers and motivators. There’s constant research being performed and will only continue to increase with improvements in technology which in turn will push our nurses to stay on the forefront and practice to the best of their ability. It will be difficult nursing and not easy doctoring but in the end the level of care will be at its highest which is what every patient and resident deserves.
For International Nurses Day Tamra has organised a special surprise for Goodwin’s nurses, as a way to show her gratitude for their work.
“What I really want to say to Goodwin nurses, says Tamra, is:
“Thank you to all the nurses who work professionally and compassionately at Goodwin, you make a difference and touch people’s lives on a daily basis. Time and again, I see you go ‘above and beyond’ for the people we care for – from providing clinical care, to offering encouragement and guidance, and a caring hand to hold. You are worth your weight in gold. Today I hope you will take time to reflect on your enormous contribution, and to feel some personal satisfaction in the difference you make.”
Image above, left to right: Tamra MacLeod, Aged Care Nurse Practitioner, Larissa Jachmann, Endorsed Enrolled Nurse, Lorraine Magadzire, Registered Nurse, Perlie Bernasor, Registered Nurse