Nurses bore the brunt of the pandemic on many fronts. Meet some of our newest graduates
These are the Melbourne nurses who were on the front lines as Covid ravaged our city. Read their stories as they relive the pandemic.
South East
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Facing some of the toughest conditions at the forefront of the pandemic, our nurses have been everywhere: from manning testing sites to helping to treat the critically ill in ICU wards.
These seven trainee nurses had to put away their fears to help those most in need.
Emma Reulein – Bachelor of Nursing & Midwifery
Emma Reulein turned to nursing and midwifery in order to broaden her career options in healthcare.
“I really wanted to do midwifery, and added in nursing as a way to be able to move around and try different things, and also to lengthen my career prospects,” she said.
Ms Reulein said the pandemic had put a strain on herself and those around her, as burnout became rife among her colleagues.
“We were really pushing it, doing long shifts and working hard, with little to no support, both in the workload and in pay,” she said.
“It has taken a huge impact, especially seeing so many people leave the profession, it’s definitely challenging.”
Ms Reulein said her motivation to continue nursing was two-fold.
“I really want to do something that matters,” she said.
“I also really love my team and the group environment that we are in.
“It definitely makes a huge difference.”
Amy Ryan – Bachelor of Nursing
Amy Ryan was able to see the stark impact Covid was having on healthcare between her first and second placement periods.
“My first placement was before the pandemic, so it was a lot more organised, focused and more relaxed,” she said.
“The placement during Covid was much more stressful, everyone was understaffed and exhausted.”
Ms Ryan said she had pushed through her own experiences of burnout and frustration to remain in the profession.
“I am quite a resilient person,” she said.
“I really try to focus on the positives, and keep those at the forefront of my mind.”
Rashida Ekunola – Bachelor of Nursing
Rashida Ekunola, an international student from Nigeria, changed career paths from marketing to nursing after working in aged care.
“I really was motivated by the nurses that I met on that job,” she said.
“I really loved the way that people would look up to them and be glad that they were there and attending, it was wonderful.”
Ms Ekunola said the pandemic had only increased her motivation to work in healthcare.
“I am so excited to be on the floor full time,” she said.
“The pandemic really secured that this was the right path for me, everyone is short-staffed and I am ready to step up and fill that gap.”
Francisca Antolis – Bachelor of Nursing
Francisca Antolis said the pandemic and online learning limited her practical learning experiences in university before being sent out to placement shifts.
“It was overwhelming sometimes, I wasn’t as confident as I could have been in my first placement shifts,” she said.
“You could feel the stress among the other staff throughout lockdowns, and I think it affected all of us.”
Ms Antolis said despite a bumpy start, she was excited to finish her degree and get into the hospitals.
“It has been scary to work during the pandemic, but it has been very rewarding,” she said.
“The good patients and their feedback have helped reinforce that this is the right thing for me.
“I’ve noticed people are much more appreciative of nurses, especially since Covid.”
Jaspreet Kaur – Bachelor of Nursing
Jaspreet Kaur was first called to healthcare during her high school education.
“We were able to do work experience through a Monash Health program,” she said.
“While I was there, I spoke to the nurses and midwives, and I knew immediately it was something that I wanted to do.”
Ms Kaur said helping others was at the centre of her motivation.
“I just really love helping others and working together as a team with the other nurses, it is so fulfilling for me,” she said.
Ms Kaur worked in an ICU ward throughout the pandemic, an experience which was calmer than what she originally expected.
“It was so quiet, and a lot of people were intubated or in comas,” she said.
Despite how overwhelming the pandemic had been, it had not changed Ms Kaur’s career goals.
“I’m still here truly because of the impact I am having on my patients,’’ she said.
“Something that might seem so little to me is helping a patient in a big way. The appreciation we get from vulnerable people is really my biggest motivator.”
Caroline Yapp – Nurse & Midwife
Monash University graduate Caroline Yapp said she was originally drawn to nursing because she believed it was her calling.
“I really just wanted to help people,” she said.
Ms Yapp said the pandemic had been very challenging, because as a nurse and a midwife, she was working between general wards and labour wards.
“It was very difficult, there was a week where I attended a birth in one shift, and the following shift a patient died,” she said
Despite the intensity of the pandemic, Ms Yapp said she still loved her job.
“But I really have been inspired to continue in healthcare, because we might see the worst in people, but we also get to see and experience the best and kindest people as well. The good outweighs the bad.”
Renee Bailey – Bachelor of Nursing
Renee Bailey was inspired to have a complete career shift from the media into healthcare after her daughter was born.
“I had the opportunity, and thought if I don’t move now, when will I ever?’’ she said.
Ms Bailey said the pandemic bonded her and her colleagues for life through their experiences.
“We were down to a skeleton of staff, and we didn’t really know what was going on at any given moment,” she said.
“We really did see the best and the worst of everything.”
Ms Bailey remained steadfast in her passion for nursing despite the challenges that Covid threw at healthcare.
“The main thing for me is that we see real life changes for people everyday, big and small,” she said.
“It just highlights for me the enormous benefit that good healthcare has on people.”
gemma.scerri@news.com.au
