First off, I’d like to thank you for agreeing to have your real-life story featured on Nursingpreneur. I’m building a high-quality resource platform for all budding nursing and midwifery students. Therefore, your experiences, thoughts, preferences, and suggestions are immensely valuable for Nursingpreneur’s growth.
To that end, I must say that it’s great to have you here.
Now, I’d like you to answer the following questions so that we can shed light on your story and experiences in an engaging way.
Let’s start! Shall we? (Write as much as you want, there’s absolutely no limit)
Could you please tell us a bit about yourself? How has life been treating you?
Hi, I’m Kate. 36 years old, wife, and mum of two rather awesome little girls. We live in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges of Victoria. I’ve worked very hard to create the life I feel very blessed to be living. I’ve spent the last 15 years working as an emergency nurse and learning how to be the best I can be. I’ve spent several years as a clinical nurse educator in ED and have recently, after many years pursuing professional development and achievement, taken a step back to the bedside. I’m working in a public Emergency Department with the most incredible team of professionals I have ever had the privilege to call my colleagues. I’m working casually while I grow my business, Patient Advocacy Plus which will hopefully allow me to create meaningful change in the way people experience our healthcare system.
How did you get into your current field? And do you enjoy doing it? (E.g. of Fields such as nursing, and midwifery)
I finished up my graduate year in the ED. I loved it and the people. So I stayed. I spent the next few years studying and learning how to be the best ED nurse I could be. I loved learning and teaching so I pursued clinical education in ED as my specialty. Once I was there, I began to learn a whole lot more about hospital leadership and what governs the private healthcare system. I wasn’t a fan of what I was learning so I set about to change it. Feel free to laugh at me here;). I was noticing a lot of inferior care being delivered and no one really giving two hoots about it. Medical professionals influence their patient’s decisions by limiting the advice to what options were available. An unwillingness to acknowledge where things had been missed or done wrong and a real culture of don’t challenge the doctor. So I left. It was becoming unbearable for me to work in an environment where the patients weren’t the priority. I moved back to bedside nursing where I didn’t have to be involved in bureaucracy and politics and I could effectively advocate for my patients. I love where I am working now because the team I work with has a patient-focused approach to care. There is no hierarchy among all specialties of staff. We all work harmoniously for the people we care for. My experiences have given me the inspiration and motivation to find another way to help patients. I’ve learned I can’t change the hospital system, but I can teach people about it and how to navigate it. So I’m grateful for my career so far because it has led me to where I am and who I am today. What’s not to love about that?
Could you please tell us about your favorite nursing or midwifery moment? (keeping things confidential for clients involved)
I was working as a clinical nurse educator in ED and was asked to assist in resus. A 50-year-old man was experiencing ventricular standstill for brief periods every 5 minutes or so. Basically, his heart would stop for 15 seconds, he’d feel awful and almost pass out, then it would kick off again. We were not a cardiac hospital so preparations were being made to urgently transfer him to an appropriate hospital while treatment was being provided to keep his heart beating and plans were being made about what to do should it stop altogether. I remember noticing the fear in his eyes. He was scared. We were all running about, not noticing him. The person. Just the problem we had to fix. But suddenly, I noticed him. I stopped and placed my hand on his arm. Looked in his eyes and provided whatever reassurance I could. I explained what we were doing and why, breathed with him when his heart would pause, and told him I believed in him and his heart would keep beating. I never let go of my grip on his arm. He watched the chaos around him and every now and then, came back to me and looked into my eyes and saw my confidence and reassurance their. At one point he asked me to just keep doing what I was doing, Not to let go. It was helping. I realised after he was transferred how important the patient experience is. I was in the early stages of my business and very much finding it difficult not to get angry at the system. He was a beautiful reminder that the patient experience is equally, if not more important than their outcomes. He was a beautiful reminder that I am here for the patients! not to take down the system, so to speak. I’ll never forget him. He gave me perspective and the drive to keep chasing my passion to empower patients and educate healthcare workers about the importance of seeing the person in the bed before us and understanding what they need, not just the problems to fix.
What is the most striking moment of personal “failure” you’ve experienced in nursing or midwifery?
The moment that comes to mind happened when I was 15 weeks pregnant with my second baby. A lady who was also 15 weeks pregnant, after many failed IVF attempts, presented overnight with abdominal cramping. She was poorly assessed and incorrectly diagnosed and reassured her pregnancy was safe. When I arrived on shift, we discovered that this was not the case. She was having a miscarriage. She’d sent her husband on his planned fishing trip after being given false reassurance and he was now uncontactable. Our maternity ward had no room so with a quick bit of advice from one of our midwives, I supported this lady to deliver her 15-week-old, live foetus. Everything about it was shocking. I wasn’t expecting the baby to be alive. I wasn’t expecting the baby to be so perfectly formed. The mother couldn’t deal with seeing her baby so I took her away and held her until died. I deeply wish I was more prepared. I wish I was then, who I am now. I would have done so many things differently. I wish I knew how to support her better. I wish it had all gone so very differently.
How did you cope with your failure?
I learned from it! I became passionate about understanding how to support women through miscarriage. I learned what options people have for how to manage and respond to symptoms of miscarriage depending on the stage of their pregnancy. I learned that in order to avoid catastrophic outcomes, I would sometimes have to contradict the medical advice they are given. This part still challenges me today. And,
I remember! I remember the mother, I remember her baby. I remember how we handled it and how we let her down. I won’t ever forget and in doing so, I honour them both, and their experience and I know that next time, I will do better.
Okay! Let’s have a little insight into your entrepreneurial life.
First things first, what comes to your mind when you think about entrepreneurship, in general? When I heard the word entrepreneurship, I used to think of fancy corporate people, big business, or fancy inventions. It was never something I would ever associate with nursing or myself. Since deciding to start my own business and hanging out with other mums trying to do the same, I now understand that entrepreneurship describes anyone brave enough to have a go at trying their own thing. Creating something for themselves and the people they serve. People who aren’t afraid to step outside of the boxes we’ve been placed in and say, why not? Why can’t I use my skills and experience to help people in a way that’s new?
And, what comes to your mind when you think about entrepreneurship in relation to nursing/midwifery?
I absolutely bloody love the idea of nurses and midwives being entrepreneurs! I think we are so cultured to believe that we as nurses must work in a certain way. For the health care system and follow the rules. We have job descriptions and professional development pathways to follow and burn ourselves out pursuing them. We are one group of professionals who are so tightly regulated and scrutinised, the idea of stepping outside the expectation mostly doesn’t occur to us! I love that their is a new wave of nurses and midwives starting to realise this and see their value. Seeing new ways to help people that works for them too. I think nurses and midwives have so many skills and so much wisdom to offer that when we step outside of the system that heavily restricts our ability to offer it, we can make profound changes and positive impacts wherever we choose to focus our energy.
How do you think entrepreneurship or business per se associates with a nurse’s/midwife’s life? (Influence on midset/expansion of opportunities, etc.)
For me, I wouldn’t have my business without the experience I’ve has as a nurse. It has given me the inspiration to do what I do but in many ways, due to the way I was raised as a nurse, it has also held me back a bit. I step lightly and overthink everything I do because I am so aware that nurses are supposed to be at the bedside, following the rules. I fear scrutiny and consequence as I’m sure most nurses and midwives do. So, I tread lightly and move slowly. Allowing myself to adjust to a new way of being a nurse. I strongly believe that nursepreneures will change the way the healthcare system operates. I believe that once we all realise how valuable we are and that we can think and fend for ourselves, work on our own terms, and still help people, we will be unstoppable. I think there are endless opportunities for collaboration and expansion with like-minded nurses. The sky is the limit if we let go of what we’ve been taught and believe in what we can achieve.
Now, let’s get into the most asked questions.
How did/do you maintain consistency in your doings?
It’s taken me a lot of trial and error. Trying new things, responding to new requests, and just having a go. Seeing what works and what doesn’t and making adjustments along the way. My offering fine-tuned with every client I connect with as I figured out what people need from me. My systems are streamlined as challenges are recognised. And, a digital calendar! Best thing ever. It allows me to schedule all the things and just take it day by day. Rather than wasting time figuring out what next.
How do you set priorities in your work?
I have set days and work hours around family life and working at the hospital. I maintain casual employment at the hospital so I can be flexible if my clients need me to be, but try to keep my consultations on set days. I tend to use my mornings to create content and my afternoons, when my brain is in full focus, to do the work my clients need me to do. I like to take a minute after a consultation to process all of my client’s needs before I come up with a plan so my advice isn’t rushed and I’ve had an opportunity to consider all perspectives involved. I also have my phone handy for people who are in a pickle and need urgent advice or support.
If you had one piece of advice to give an aspiring nursing and midwifery student, what would it be?
You will learn something from every patient and practitioner you encounter. Pay attention. Don’t judge yourself or others for their mistakes or missteps. Learn from them and get curious about why they/you responded that way. Understand yourself and your biases so that the care you provide isn’t impacted by them. You are the medicine your patients need so don’t be afraid to be you.
Nursing is a privilege, to be able to hold someone through their big life moments, good and bad is an unmeasurable gift. Honour that, know your worth, and always always, have your patient’s needs and experience at the forefront of what you do.
The most important question coming your way.
Caffeine or not caffeine for shift work?
All the caffeine!
Where can people reach out to you? (social media and email)
*Email: kate@patientadvocacyplus.com.au
Instagram: @patientadvocacyplus
Website: patientadvocacyplus.com.au
Thank you for answering all these questions. Wishing you all the very best for your future endeavours.
