12 May 2022
This International Nurses Day (IND), we are proud to highlight all the wonderful nurses that are integral to the Regis community. To celebrate this year’s theme of “A Voice to Lead”, we’ve asked some of our nurses to share the voices that have been integral to their lives and careers.
David Aiken is the Client Services Manager and one of our registered nurses at Regis Home Care in Hobart, Tasmania. David’s desire to work in aged care was ignited at a young age. When asked at age four what he wanted to be when he grew up, he confidently answered: “I want to be a nurse!” Although there were voices persuading David to reconsider his career ambitions, they only acted as further motivation. “Being told continuously that being a nurse wasn’t something that I could be as a man was inspiring enough.”
Although he entered the industry later in life, David says that “aged care is my passion, and it is where I began the journey to becoming a nurse in 1988 in a care role.” David says of the inspiring nurses who surrounded him, “they were incredible. They identified my passion and encouraged me through the years.”
In his current role, David supports the voices of the Regis community by ensuring dignity and promoting independence with everyone he encounters. His responsibilities include “daily interactions with families, medical practitioners, Public Trustees, and cleaning and gardening service providers, all to achieve each client’s individual goals and maintain therapeutic and confidential business relationships.”
David is also a great role model for younger and upcoming voices at Regis, where he assists home support workers in finding their feet in the early part of their career. David says, “I have lived it for 25 years, and the role that they are in is familiar to me. I can express my knowledge. Additionally, being physically by their side to help is important, and I hope I can inspire them in some way.”
While there are many rewarding elements of a career in nursing, the most important to David is seeing “clients who are happy to see you and the personal journey you have with each individual. It is an honour to be a part of their lives, and I believe these things build the character of the person and the knowledge of the nurse.”
A career in nursing is something to be proud of. However, David initially didn’t think that way. “Being proud of being a nurse is not something I had thought of until now, however giving thought to this, I would say that I am proud of the 4-year-old boy who achieved his goal.”
We thank David and all the nurses at Regis for the incredible support they provide to our residents and their families every day.
