Facebook
When Sam was considering career choices, nursing was not the obvious one.
Almost a quarter of a century later, Sam couldn’t be happier that he challenged himself and chose a career that – at the time – was seen as a ‘female only’ profession.
“When I was in the Philippines, where I grew up, there was this idea that men shouldn’t be working in nursing,” he said.
“I saw that as a challenge and thought, “Why not give it a go? After a while of nursing, I thought, this is my pathway, as I am very good at interacting with people. That is the big difference between aged care and a hospital, there is a lot more interacting and that’s the part I am good at.”
Sam, a clinical nurse based at Ozcare Clontarf, is one of the many in his profession who will be celebrated as part of International Nurses Day on May 12.
For Sam, it will be a celebration of 22 years in the industry, with the last 15 working as a nurse in Australia.
When reflecting on some of the more rewarding moments in his career, Sam couldn’t narrow it down to any single event.
“Even just those moments when an elderly and frail resident is thanking you for just the little things, like putting a band-aid on. They thank you so much – it’s just the little things that make a difference for them, which makes it so rewarding for me,” he said.
When asked what he enjoys most about nursing, Sam’s passion for his job was very evident.
“The great thing about nursing is that I get to work with different cultures and diversity, especially working with the elderly, with my last 15 years in aged care,” he said.
“It can be considered challenging, looking after the elderly in what is referred to as approaching to their end of life’s journey. But that makes it all the more special, because you can really help them to feel like they are special, let them know that someone still cares for them, is still interested in them, they are part of a community, and they have purpose.”
Sam said when mentoring new nurses, he is always quick to point out the importance of aged care.
“I always remind them that it is not acute care, it is long-term care. This is going to be their home for a long time, and we get to know them more and they get to know you more.”
It would seem that Sam’s passion for the job is infectious, with his daughter (currently in Grade 12) planning to commence a nursing degree after graduating from high school and, more recently, his son registering his interest in this profession.
Sam’s son, who is in Grade 10, had commenced discussions with educators about career choices and, to his father’s surprise, nursing was the top option.
Sam, who lives in Caboolture with his wife and two children, was quick to point out that he had not put any pressure on his children to follow in his footsteps but is very proud of their choice, particularly for his son, given that it is still perceived as a female-dominated profession.
“I think they see me go to work every day and think, he seems to like nursing – he is comfortable and likes going to work,” Sam said.
“They’ve seen that, and they thought – that is what they want to do.”