A DAY IN THE LIFE
A Day in the Life of
Kylie Page Registered Nurse, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
06:15 I leave for work and conveniently live about a 10–15 min walk from the hospital. Being a new RN and part of the NRTP rotation, I prefer to arrive a little earlier so I can ensure my ward allocation is confirmed and orientate myself in plenty of time for patient handover.
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HOSPITAL + HEALTHCARE
07:30 Once care is taken over I commence the safety checks for each patient’s equipment and ensure the emergency equipment is present and in optimal working order. I then revise each patients file, perform a set of observations to gain current information and commence their morning medications.
SUMMER 2024
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09:00
07:00
06:15
05:15
05:15 For an AM shift I tend to wake up around 5:15 am having prepared my bag and uniform the night before, shower, have coffee, maybe a small breakfast and make myself look presentable for work.
09:00 Rounds usually take place at this time and the patients are reviewed by the medical team, allied health, and may require preparation for medical imaging or theatre. Depending on the patient I will ensure they are comfortable and dressed appropriately for surgery or imaging, and complete observations, documentation and consult any new medical information for the patient. If they are coming back from theatre I will monitor them closely, perform necessary assessments and ensure pain remains minimal.
07:30
07:00 I then attend a huddle for a ward update to discuss vital information or patients who may have additional safety monitoring as well as our allocated patients. We then proceed to receive bedside handover from the previous bedside nurse to ensure a holistic, safe and informed approach to caring for up to four new patients and individually prepare their care appropriately. During this time I sight and introduce myself to each patient, which allows a brief assessment of their current wellbeing, request to inspect any drains, wounds, PCAs, IV lines and ask them if they have any immediate concerns such as new symptoms or pain.