Celebrating our nurses this International Nurses Day

For Enrolled Nurse Sheridan Lockyer, the highlight of the week came on four legs.

“In community care, animals are a huge part of my customers’ lives,” says Sheridan, an Enrolled Nurse based in Northam. “We come to know and love our customers’ pets as much as we love our own.”

The photo is of Ruby, her customers’ dog, caught mid-cuddle on Sheridan’s way out one morning. “Ruby gets so excited when she knows I’ve arrived. I think she assumes I’m there just to visit her!”

To Sheridan, Ruby is much more than a friendly greeting at the door “Animals offer a sense of security, a calmness, an unwavering loyalty, and a love that requires no words.”

Ruby and her owners are, she says, the highlight of her week every week.

During a nursing assessment in Bentley, Registered Nurse Domini Tukapua met Angelka, a Home Care customer originally from Croatia, who speaks Croatian as her first language.

“She was an absolute delight to engage with,” says Domini.

At some point during the visit, Angelka brought out a small mouse crafted from tissue paper. She calls it “Misha.” Angelka has been making them since childhood, and they carry happy memories from her early years in Croatia. She was happy to share the story behind it and show Domini her handiwork.

“Her creativity and warmth were evident as she shared her story,” says Domini. “Her gesture truly brightened my day, knowing how significant these handmade treasures are to her.”

The nurses of Juniper Karinya’s highlight of the week is Patches, the residential home’s much-loved therapy cat. Patches is just as popular with the nursing team as he is with the residents, and their favourite moment of the week was spending a little time giving him the cuddles, attention, and treats he so rightfully deserves.