Do you enjoy working in women’s health, love helping families, and adore babies? Midwifery may be calling you! Midwives are incredibly important in healthcare. They support new families from pregnancy to birth, and beyond. You’ll be working closely with your patients and other medical professionals, performing different tasks to ensure the best outcomes for mother and child. It’s a truly diverse and interesting career path where no two days are the same. If you feel that midwifery may be calling you, we’ve put together a list to help you out. Check out our 9 reasons why midwifery is calling you. 1. You find assisting with childbirth fulfilling Many people who pursue a career as a midwife do so because they love assisting with childbirth. Midwives are an important part of the pregnancy, birthing, and post-natal experience. They assist families the whole way and experience the joy and excitement as the baby approaches. In the post-natal period, midwives provide close support for families. They also get the opportunity to work with infants, which is a huge plus for many midwives. 2. You enjoy developing strong relationships with patients As a midwife, you’ll be working with your patients for several months. You’ll support them through many major milestones and all the emotions they bring. As the main port of call, it’s essential that you develop a strong relationship with the family. They’ll go to you for advice and listen to your instructions on caring for their newborn child. Your relationship forms the backbone of the support you provide. So, if you’re great at building these types of relationships then you’ll love being a midwife. 3. Working across many different locations is your preference While many doctors and nurses will typically work in hospitals, private practices, and specialty clinics, midwives work in an even wider range of work locations. As a midwife, you’ll be called to different locations like your patients’ homes, GP clinics, birthing clinics and more. It’s a truly varied career where you may be helping with home births in rural and urban areas, and then supporting a pregnant patient at a GP visit. If you’re looking for a mobile career, then midwifery may be your perfect match. 4. Your passions lie in healthcare for women As a midwife you’ll have the opportunity to educate women on gynaecological and obstetric health issues. You’ll also be on the frontline advocating for women’s health to ensure better outcomes for your patients. Midwives will help their patients create healthy dietary plans to ensure proper nutrition during pregnancy. They also advise on types of exercise during pregnancy, like meditation or birthing classes, that can make pregnancy and childbirth easier. Often midwives are also community advocates for sexual health to ensure healthy pregnancies. 5. You crave variety It’s common for midwives to shift between different areas of the hospital as they work. You may be in the birthing ward delivering babies and then in the theatre doing some planned c-sections. As well as this, Midwives often work outside of the hospital, meeting patients, and supporting their pregnancy or post-natal experience. If you’re looking for a career path that has you moving around healthcare facilities, doing different things, but remaining under the umbrella of women’s health, then you’ll love midwifery. 6. Providing individualised care is your jam A key part of midwifery is providing individualised care for every family. As every pregnancy, and baby, is different, you’ll be working with your patients on customised pre-natal and birth plans to meet their needs. You’ll be accommodating patients who prefer hospital births or home births, utilising your experience to get the best outcomes for families. Depending on the length of your contract with families you may also have to access post-natal support systems. You’ll learn about different treatments that you can utilise to help patients facing challenges. Having the ability to create a truly tailored plan for your patients is often one of the most rewarding aspects of midwifery. 7. You’re happy to work non-traditional hours Many nursing roles require you to work non-traditional hours, and this extends to midwifery. Typically, midwives will only assist a few patients at a time. So, it’s important to have a flexible schedule. You might be on call regularly to help your patients when they need you. Births can happen during lunch or at midnight, so you’ll need to get ready to go when your patient needs you. This aspect can make it an appealing choice for many working parents. The flexibility allows you to work around caring for your own children. Midwives will work more hours in the lead-up to their patient’s due date, but can then book time off or take it easier after birth. 8. You want to work with a wide variety of medical professionals If you’re looking to build a network of medical professionals to advance your career in healthcare, then midwifery is a great place to be. You’ll be working alongside a wide variety of people who are as passionate about women’s health as you are. This allows midwives to build good relationships with their colleagues, bonding over shared passions and experiences. If you want to take your medical career beyond midwifery in the future, then these connections could prove useful while looking for support during education, or future job opportunities. 9. Earning potential is important Midwives can earn a great salary, with more experienced midwives making over $130k a year. The salary you make as a midwife can vary depending on your experience and qualifications. You have a lot of room to move if earning potential is extremely important. Midwives can complete certifications, take on leadership positions, or complete degrees to up the amount they’re being paid. You’ll be able to move up and earn more. A certified nurse midwife, who becomes the director of a birthing centre, will earn a lot more than a midwife just starting their career. Conclusion Midwifery is an exciting career path for anyone who loves working in women’s health. You’ll experience a lot of variety each day and you get to work with infants! If you think midwifery is calling you, then the best place to get started is with a Bachelor of Midwifery. If you’re already a qualified midwife and are looking for more control over your career then agency nursing may be your next big move. Feel free to reach out to us and we can help you get started.

Congratulations! You’ve graduated from Uni with a Bachelor of Nursing. But now you’re wondering “What’s next?” There are so many opportunities at your fingertips that it can be tricky to know which path to take. This is especially true after you’ve had a year of experience after your graduation. But with a lot of choices, it can be tricky to know what to choose. Many graduate nurses will work at a hospital or other healthcare facility in a graduate role at first. But after that first year of experience, so many new pathways open that you can take. To help you find the best career path for you, we’ve detailed a few of the many options available so you can find the best route forward. Benefits of nursing Nursing is an incredible career path. Many people who become nurses do so because of their love of helping people. But also, there are other benefits to becoming a nurse. A key thing about choosing the right pathway is ensuring that it maintains all the reasons and benefits you expect and desire for becoming a nurse. The common benefits you’ll receive across most career paths are job security, professional growth, a variety of specialties and work settings, and competitive salaries. Each career pathway offers these benefits to a varying degree. We’ll touch on the availability of these benefits within each opportunity below. Career paths: As you’ve likely seen or heard, there are a lot of career paths for nurses. There are too many for us to cover in just one article. So, we’ll be looking at some common employers and specialisations to help you get started. Let’s break down the top 5 career paths you could take! Nursing Agency Agency nursing is a highly diverse, flexible, and exciting career path that allows you to experience many different aspects of nursing on your own terms. You won’t find a more flexible career path. Agency nursing involves working for an agency where you’ll be placed in a variety of different healthcare facilities to fill available shifts. The key thing with agency nursing is that you can pick the shifts that you want to work, in your preferred facilities and roles. It allows you to work around your schedule and take full control of your career. Agency nurses tend to have the highest pay rate, excellent opportunities for personal growth, variety of specialities and work settings available. As with any casual work, there are peaks and troughs in the amount of work available, but there is always enough work to fill your month with shifts. Staff nurse Becoming a staff nurse in a private healthcare facility, aged care home, school, or more is a very common pathway for many nurses. It’s extremely popular for its job security, stability, and ability to make a positive impact. You’ll find a lot of variety in locations and roles, many in unexpected places. However, once you’re in the role, there are far fewer opportunities to find variety without leaving your current role. Many nursing facilities will have training programs in place. But, some nursing roles outside healthcare facilities may have fewer opportunities for professional growth. So the availability of education and upskilling will vary depending on your role. As well as this, job security and pay will vary depending on your employer. Public nurse Public nurses work in public health facilities like state hospitals, Medicare facilities, and more. It’s a career path with a tonne of job security, professional growth pathways, and plenty of opportunities to make a positive difference. Pay is consistent and set by established awards. This is the perfect option if you want stability in one facility and one role. Public health can be harder to get a job in with more competition per role. So, a great option for nurses looking to put their foot in the door of public health is through a nursing agency. You can pick up public health shifts, explore different facilities, and build connections. Travelling Rural & Remote Nurse If you’re looking for the most variety in work settings and roles, then you’ll love travelling as a rural and remote nurse. Rural and remote nursing also offers some of the highest salaries and benefits as these healthcare facilities look to entice nurses to these locations. You’ll have the opportunity to deliver high-quality healthcare to communities in need. The variety of challenges, opportunities, and scenarios you’ll work with offer excellent on-the-job professional growth. We have some partner agencies that offer a wide variety of rural and remote contracts across the country. You can pick up a contract for a few weeks in one town, then move across to another. When you’re back in the Gold Coast you can just pick up some shifts with Carestaff and keep on going. It’s perfect for those looking for the ultimate amount of flexibility. Following specialisations Beyond different employers, there are a lot of specialisations to follow. Each will lead you down a different path with different facilities and different employers. Specialisations are great for taking your nursing career to a new level, allowing you to follow the path you’re most passionate about while becoming more valuable to employers. Options in nursing like emergency room, operating room, clinical, aged care, and so much more, allow you to focus on the aspects of nursing you love the most. You can get started by taking relevant training courses and working in facilities or nursing agencies that offer roles in your chosen specialisation. Conclusion Nursing is a varied and exciting career path. Once you’ve graduated from nursing and have gained some experience in healthcare facilities multiple different pathway options open up. We hope the information we’ve provided will help make your choice clearer as to the direction you want to take your career. If you want to get started in agency nursing, feel free to reach out to us.

Congratulations to our Nurse of the Month for April, Faye! She’s been loving making a positive difference in the lives of her patients, while being supported by Carestaff’s friendly team. We love having you on the team Faye. You can check out her interview below! What do you enjoy the most about working with Carestaff? I like really enjoy working with the agency because Carestaff are friendly and caring. Tell me about a rewarding experience you’ve had whilst working with Carestaff? Facilities that I work at asking for me to come back to work for them again because they are happy with my nursing What makes you passionate about nursing? I love my job! Helping people with different needs. Receiving feedback from patients/clients saying that I made a difference and helped them. I feel like I am making a positive impact on people’s lives If you had to sum Carestaff up in one or more words how would you describe Carestaff? Wonderful, everyone is amazing

Congratulations to our nurse of the month for March 2024 – Leah! We’re proud of all the hard work and passion you put into nursing. At Carestaff, we love having you on our team. You can read all about Leah’s time with Carestaff at the interview below. What do you enjoy the most about working with Carestaff? Chatting with the wonderful allocations team, and the flexibility. Tell me about a rewarding experience you’ve had whilst working with Carestaff? Working across all the hospitals and feeling like a part of the team, no matter where I am. What makes you passionate about nursing? Knowing I've helped to make a difference in a person’s life. If you had to sum Carestaff up in one or more words how would you describe Carestaff? The team is supportive, understanding, flexible and wonderful to work with.

Diving into your first aged care shifts with Carestaff is super exciting! There are a whole lot of new things coming that will help you grow as a nurse and fall in love with your career all over again. But first, you’ve got to conquer your first day. We’ve put together the top 12 tips for first-time aged care agency nurses, that’ll help you settle in quickly, and hit the ground running, in any facility you enter. 1. Start with some research on the facility Before you arrive, get to know the facility a bit. Do some Googling to learn about where it is, how to get there, what they do, and they may even show some of the people you will be working with. Having some foreknowledge about the facility will let you know what to expect when you arrive. 2. Arrive early for your shift Showing up early to your first shift will give you time to ease into things. You’ll have time to be onboarded, learn your way around, and more without feeling rushed. It’ll make your first shift so much more relaxed. Take the extra time to have a walk through the facility and see if you can locate things like the bathrooms, etc. 3. Introduce yourself and be confident When entering a new workplace where everyone knows each other, except you, it can require a little confidence to break the ice. Go up to the team you’ll be working with and introduce yourself. Get to know their names, roles, and more. Be confident. Remember you’re an amazing nurse too who does belong there, even if it’s just your first day. 4. Be assertive and proactive Many nurses have an instinct to try to blend in on the first day, but you should ignore that instinct. Dive into your work with energy and passion. Be proactive in asking questions, it’ll help you learn how the facility operates and ways you can improve your own abilities. 5. Know the codes Ah the joys of being locked out of the bathroom, staff room, drug room, or the linen cupboard, because you forgot the codes! It can be easy to do, we’ve all been there. It’s important to write these down somewhere so you can grab them when you forget. If there are keys, keep them safely around your neck or in a pocket so that you don’t forget them. 6. Know your role We can absolutely bet that you’re an awesome nurse, and you’ll fit right into every facility. But one important tip is to understand where you fit into every facility you enter. They may require you for specific tasks in resident care, or for you to work with specific people. Ask around and find out where you fit into the team and what your role is. 7. Familiarise yourself with the facility It’s important to get familiar with the layout and procedures of any facility you enter. Learn where the evacuation points, fire extinguishers, emergency resources, and the nurse in charge of management are located. You should also get familiar with procedures such as the evacuation procedure, who you report to in an emergency, and your responsibilities in such a scenario. 8. Work out who needs priority care To plan out your shifts it’s a good idea to get ahead by reviewing each resident file to see who likes to be attended to first, and who likes a sleep-in. Also, check to see who needs a wash or a shower and who’s a two-person assist. If you can’t find this information don’t be afraid to ask, it’ll make your day a whole lot easier. 9. Always carry a phone or pager You never know what could come up, especially on your first day. So, always carry your phone or a pager with you to avoid any situations where you’re waiting around for help in an uncomfortable position. Never be afraid to call for help when you need it. It’s your first day so it is common to need assistance from team members for some of the more difficult tasks. 10. Write down Activities of Daily Living (ADLS) as you go If you want to save yourself a tonne of time and avoid the guessing game each day, take notes of everything you did with each resident. You’ll likely have a lot going on at once, so to keep track of everything, keep a pen and notebook on you. After each visit with aresident note down everything you did, then transfer that to the official documentation before you leave for the day. 11. Learn what time your breaks are Breaks are super important. You’ll be learning so many new things on your first day that you’ll need to use those breaks. So, check in when your breaks are and how many you get. Knowing when your breaks are will also allow you to better manage your time and prioritise tasks. 12. Get your timesheet signed early Avoid spending a long time trying to find the nurse in charge to sign your timesheet. Jump ahead a few hours early so you can get it signed on time, and avoid interrupting them during handover time. Once you do get your payslip, review it to make sure you’re getting paid for all the hours you worked, including overtime. If something doesn’t make sense, feel free to reach out and seek clarification. Conclusion Make your first day a breeze by following these tips. You’ll be knowledgeable before entering the facility, confident on the job, and energised by the fresh start. Agency Nursing is an exciting career path filled with new opportunities, and these tips will help you make the most of it. If you’re yet to start your first shift with Carestaff, feel free to reach out to us!

Congratulations to our nurse of the month for February - Piper! You are awesome to work with so we're so proud to give you this award. You can read all about Piper's time with Carestaff in the interview below. What do you enjoy the most about working with Carestaff? The Allocations team, they are wonderful Tell me about a rewarding experience you’ve had whilst working with Carestaff? Going back to facilities and seeing residents that I haven’t see for a while and them recognizing me What makes you passionate about nursing? Nursing is something Ive always wanted to do. Keeping people safe and happy. Looking after those that need help If you had to sum Carestaff up in one or more words how would you describe Carestaff? Inclusive – Carestaff feels like a big family

You’ve put together an amazing application, checked it twice, and clicked send. Now you’re wondering, what happens next? It’s exciting, and daunting, to sign up for a new nursing agency. So, to help you out and put you at ease we’ve put together a guide on what happens after you’ve submitted your application. This covers everything that goes on behind the scenes, as we process your application, prepare for your interview, and onboard you. We’re so excited to have received your application, so let’s dive into what happens next. The first 24-48 hours In about 24-48 hours after we have received your application, our team is right on it, reviewing it. We’ll have a look over everything you’ve sent through and make sure it matches what we’re looking for. If it’s a match, then you’ll progress to the next stage. To increase your chances here, write your application based on the requirements in our Ad. Ensure all of the requirements and skills asked for are listed in your application. It even helps if you use the same wording that we do. Introductory call If you’ve passed the first stage, then you’ll get an invite to an introductory call. Keep an eye on your inbox as we will email you through your invite. This call is our chance to get to know each other, discuss your skills and experience, as well as answer any questions you may have. In the call we love to hear about your goals, what you want to get out of agency nursing, and the kinds of shifts you’re looking for. It’s important for us to be a good fit for you as well. Onboarding Once you’ve gotten passed the introductory call we’ll be ready to onboard you. An email will be sent with a link to onboard yourself by creating a Carestaff profile. Here you’ll need to complete: 100 points of ID A payroll pack Evidence of education and immunity status A medical disclosure Reference check As a part of the onboarding process, we will complete a reference check. You’ll need to provide 2 references. They must be an Enrolled, Registered, or Clinical nurse who has directly supervised you for at least 6 months. Each reference must also be registered with AHPRA. Once you’ve provided their details, they will be contacted via SMS and email. Education After you’ve completed onboarding and your references have been checked, we’ll send through a series of online modules. These are completely free but must be completed within 7 days. They’ll help prepare you for work with Carestaff. Induction interview The last step is to book in your induction interview. Here’s where you’ll learn everything you need to know about booking shifts, representing Carestaff in healthcare facilities, uniforms and much more. This induction can be completed online or in the Carestaff office. During this time we will arrange your uniform and ID. Once you’ve finished this stage, you’re officially a Carestaff nurse! Conclusion Applying is just the beginning. There are a few stages you’ll go through before you can start picking up shifts. Fortunately, these stages can be quite quick, especially if you have all the information handy. Once you’ve applied, make sure you gather all the information we’ve requested so that you’ll be ready when you receive the interview email. We’re so glad that you applied, and we can’t wait to meet you! If you’re yet to apply, feel free to do so here.

Agency nurses are important people who make a big difference in every healthcare facility they step inside. As a nursing agency, we’re extremely fortunate to know some of the kindest and most passionate nurses. In our time working with nurses there are 8 skills that we have noticed amongst our nurses that make them exceptional agency nurses. These skills have been developed through experience in agency nursing and allow the nurse to have the greatest impact in each facility they step into. Here’s a breakdown of the top 8 skills that successful agency nurses have developed. 1. Communication Great communication makes all the difference in agency nursing. You’ll need it to connect with the team at healthcare or aged care facilities you enter, understand what’s going on, and connect with your patients or residents. It’ll make entering any new facility a lot easier as you’ll know the right questions to ask and the best way to get the information you need. Adding to that, communication is essential for achieving your career goals. If you want to take on specific shifts, try a new specialisation, work in certain locations, or only at certain times, then the support team needs to know. When the team knows your career goals, they can work with you to help you achieve them. 2. A cool head under pressure Dealing with tricky situations while maintaining a cool head is an art form of its own. As a nurse, there are a lot of stressful, high-pressure situations where it could be easy to lose your cool. But your patients, their families, and your team are relying on you. Keeping a cool head in any situation will allow you to maintain order and prevent situations from escalating. Sometimes the pressure can be higher as an agency nurse because you’re representing both yourself and your agency. That’s why the most successful agency nurses develop this skill, making them highly valuable to all facilities they enter. 3. Adaptability As an agency nurse, you will be dealing with a lot of different situations, facilities, shift times, and more. There’s an absolute tonne of variety. This variety keeps each shift unique and interesting but does require a touch of adaptability. You’ll need to be able to adapt to the layout, processes and equipment of every facility you enter (especially if switching from private to public). Plus, you’ll need to pivot regularly to meet the changing needs of your patients or residents. There will be different shifts that you need to take up, times you’ll need to work each week, and challenges you’ll face. It’s why it’s the perfect career path for nurses seeking a lot of variety and a fast-paced environment. Adaptable agency nurses will find the transition into each facility, and the changes each week, a breeze. 4. Stamina It’s well known that nurses have a tough job. You need to be on your feet for many hours working with many different people. To do a day's work as a nurse you need to have a lot of physical and mental stamina. For agency nurses, you also need to add in the extra stress from travelling to unfamiliar locations and working irregular patterns with people you may not know well. That’s why agency nurses need to have great stamina and resilience, so they can keep on going to take advantage of all the great benefits of agency nursing. 5. Attention to detail Moving from ward to ward, you always need to be on the ball. The observations and records you make need to be accurate to ensure your patients get the best care possible. As agency nurses jump between different facilities it’s important to not get distracted by new surroundings and focus on your patients or residents. The most successful agency nurses dive into each shift, enjoying the variety, but focusing on getting the best care for their patients. 6. Positive attitude Agency nurses are an important part of a healthcare team. You have the opportunity to reinvigorate each team you join with new energy. This can make a difference to the team members, patients, and their families. How can agency nurses be this force of energy? With a positive attitude. Positivity can be infectious and provide wide-reaching effects. As an agency nurse, developing a positive attitude will transform every facility you step into. 7. Teamwork You’ll be working with a lot of different teams. Whenever you step into a facility, you’ll be working alongside new people with a different team dynamic. Agency nurses need to develop exceptional teamwork abilities so they can fit into each team easily. A well-working nursing team will make the quality of care your patients receive even better. 8. Dependability Facilities are struggling right now with staff shortages. They are desperate for dependable nurses who can take care of their patients or residents. Which is why agency nurses are perfect. Successful agency nurses are extremely dependable. They know how to jump into a facility and gel with the team to take care of their patients or residences. Conclusion Agency nurses are highly valued because of the skills they have developed. Due to the unique way they work in healthcare, successful agency nurses have learnt a wide range of skills that allow them to make a real impact in healthcare facilities. As you delve into agency nursing keep these skills in mind and look to take every opportunity you can to learn them. If agency nursing excites you, register your interest with Carestaff.

Congratulations to our first Nurse of the Month for 2024 - Petrina! We are proud of the hard work and dedication you put in every day. Your efforts are noticed. It's great having you as a part of the Carestaff team. Petrina has loved the flexibility she gets from working with Carestaff and enjoys the support she receives from the team. She loves that Carestaff are always comparing and compassionate. You can read more about Petrina's time with Carestaff in the interview below. What do you enjoy the most about working with Carestaff? The flexibility it gives me. The care provided by the Carestaff team, the team provided a more personable approach than other agencies I have worked with in the past Tell me about a rewarding experience you’ve had whilst working with Carestaff? Receiving lovely positive feedback from a facility, made me feel really appreciated. What makes you passionate about nursing? Helping people that are in a vulnerable state. I feel like I was “born to be a nurse”. From a young age I knew this is what I wanted to do, I couldn’t imagine being anything else. If you had to sum Carestaff up in one or more words how would you describe Carestaff? Caring and compassionate Congratulations Petrina! Feel free to head over to our Instagram and send your own congratulations by commenting on our NOM post.