Leading Central Coast aged care provider, Peninsula Villages, celebrated International Nurses Day on Friday, 12 May by honouring the 30 registered nurses who work across its three Umina Beach aged care communities – Don Leggett House, Pam Palmer House and Pozieres House caring for more than 300 residents.
CEO of Peninsula Villages Colin Osborne said he was proud to recognise the hard work and dedication of nurses on this important day.
“Our nurses are the heart of our organisation, and we are grateful for their commitment to providing quality care to our residents,” said Mr Osborne.
The theme for International Nurses Day this year was A Voice to Lead: Our Nurses. Our Future. This theme was chosen by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) to highlight the importance of nurses’ voices in shaping the future of healthcare.
Peninsula Villages acknowledges the vital role nurses play in providing care to residents and supports their involvement in decision-making processes, so their voices are heard.
“On International Nurses Day, we celebrated the work of nurses, and we recommitted to ensuring that their voices are heard,” said Mr Osborne.
“We need to invest in nurses, we need to protect them, and we need to value them. Nurses are the future of healthcare, and we need to empower them to lead,” he added.
Peninsula Villages is committed to investing in the nursing profession and providing its registered nurses with well-defined career pathways. The organisation’s career progression pathways follow a creative model of care that allow individuals to develop careers in line with their individual goals.
“Our career pathways for registered nurses offer four opportunity streams – clinical, education, governance and management,” said Nicola Burton, Executive Manager – Quality & Organisational Development at Peninsula Villages.
“These opportunities can be pursued from several entry points, including a Bachelor of Nursing student, a graduate in our registered nurse program, and as a registered nurse.
“Ultimately, pursuing these careers at Peninsula Villages can lead to executive management opportunities,” she explained.
The clinical pathway is designed for nurses who want to focus on direct patient care. This pathway leads to specialist opportunities as a clinical nurse specialist within Dementia Care, Wound Care or Documentation as well as progress towards becoming a Nurse Practitioner.
The education pathway is designed for nurses who want to teach or train other nurses. This pathway offers opportunities to work in nursing education programs, as well as in clinical settings where nurses can train new staff.
The governance pathway is designed for nurses who want to be involved in overseeing processes and systems at organisational level. This pathway offers opportunities to work in roles such as Clinical Governance Manager and Admissions/AN-ACC Manager.
The management pathway is designed for nurses who want to lead teams and organisations. This pathway offers opportunities to work in roles such as Clinical Care Coordinator and Facility Manager.
Peninsula Villages’ commitment to providing its registered nurses with the opportunity to develop their careers and advance their skills is testament to their support of the 2023 theme for International Nurses Day.
“By investing in our nurses, Peninsula Villages is investing in the future of healthcare. Nurses are essential to the delivery of high-quality care, and we are proud to support them in their professional development and to inspire and attract the next generation of nurses to care for all of us as we age,” concluded Mr Osborne.