18 May 2020
Meet Sheila Whyte
Graduate Nurse Preceptor in Sandgate
How did you start your career?
It was so long ago but remains very clear in my mind. I wanted to be a nurse from the age of 10 so everything I did through school was always aimed towards nursing. I completed my training in the UK and am proud to say that I am a hospital trained nurse, old fashioned by today’s standards, but by far the most effective and challenging.
Describe your role in one sentence?
To be able to share my knowledge, give support and empower others to be the best that they can be.
What attracted you to work in aged care?
I have worked in aged care for more than half of my career and can honestly say that it is the most rewarding by far. The elder community have lived through so much change and have the most amazing stories to share. They are vulnerable yet command the most respect because of the lives they have lived and the hardships they have had to endure.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work?
Because I love what I do it is no hardship to go to work each day. I get satisfaction in helping others and giving them the tools and knowledge and support to be able to do their job effectively.
What do you like about working at Regis?
As a Graduate Nurse Preceptor I have felt supported, valued, respected and part of the Regis family.
How do our residents benefit from your role?
I am a very tactile person and find that a smile, touch and kind word go along way in making residents feel respected, special and loved. Maybe my long years of experience and knowledge helps too.
Do you have any daily rituals you live by to maintain your mental and physical health?
I like to eat a healthy diet, follow a daily exercise routine and use meditation to keep myself grounded and in the present. It is a waste of valuable energy worrying about what has past and what the future holds so I try, not always successfully, to live in the present moment and take each day as it comes.
