Nikki, Registered Nurse: Stay nice and still for me.
Are you just going to wear it out like this?
My name’s Nikki and I am a Registered Nurse at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
You just going to drink it with your milo?
Patient: I think that would be gross but okay.
Nikki, Registered Nurse: Do your Obs quickly.
So, this morning I was looking after 11-year-old Bella, she’s been in traction for about eight months now, I think it is.
Do you want to get all your pencils and stuff ready?
She had a little bit to eat and then we had some medications and did her observations and popped her into her wheelchair, and then we were able to take her over to school.
Patient’s Mother: Bella absolutely loves her.
She was sick as a young child, and she gives children in this whole ward, she gives them courage, especially to Isabella.
Nikki, Registered Nurse: When I was 13 I got leukaemia, and for a 13 year old I didn’t really understand what that meant but I was too scared to ask my doctor if I was going to die, so I waited until he walked out of the room and said to my mum am I going to die and she said something that I believe saved my life.
She said that no, but it’ll be the toughest game of softball that you will ever play.
So I had treatment for two years and three days, was basically saved by the incredible doctors here.
When I was in treatment, obviously I idolised my nurses and I just told them I was going to steal their job one day and yeah, now I’m here.
Recently my amazing mum started to work here with me as well, she is an Aboriginal Health Worker.
Nikki’s Mother: It’s just ironic isn’t it really, to think that we’re back here after 14 years ago saying that it’d be the hardest game of softball you’ve ever played.
Nikki, Registered Nurse: And now I’m here.
Nikki’s Mother: And now you’re here. I’m so… I’m in the middle of the cafeteria telling you how proud I am.
Nikki, Registered Nurse: Thank you.
Nikki’s Mother: You’ve done really, really well.
Nikki, Registered Nurse: I’m proud of both of us. We’ve come a long way.
Did you sleep? Little bit?
Lucy went for a scan today.
Colleague: How much longer is she staying?
Nikki, Registered Nurse: Depends on the scan. I think they’re going to check how her bones are going.
Patient: All the nurses actually are really great, they always find a way to make a bad situation better, especially Nikki.
Nikki, Registered Nurse: With kids, because you have to earn that little bit of extra trust, it’s really important that you take that time to have a little joke with them and find out what they like, what they don’t like, and a lot of the time they do have fear of anyone that comes in, so make sure that they earn your trust because without that they won’t let you near them.
Yeah!
A part of building that rapport with my patients for me as well, I am a very proud Gamilaroi woman, and I am fortunate enough to also have Maori blood on my other side of my family, and I think that a lot of families, you need to be culturally looking after them as well and I have that advantage because I understand that side of things.
I am proud to be a nurse because I get to give back to the hospital that saved my life. I get to work with the doctors and the nurses that I’ve dreamed about working with for a very long time. I meet incredible patients and families that come through the hospital that will forever hold a very special place in my heart.