IN THIS week’s profile of a Leeton District Hospital nurse, The Irrigator caught up with Tanisha Houghton.
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Mrs Houghton has a special reason for choosing a career in the nursing field, saying after her mum was diagnosed with cancer, it gave her a huge reason to want to give back.
“I started my traineeship when I was 15 (through year 11 and 12),” she said.
“I’ve been here (at Carramar for two years) and before that I was at Assumption Villa for a year.
“Before that I was studying my RNs (registered nursing) at University of New England and doing my AINs (assistant in nursing) at Armidale Hospital in the medical and surgical ward.
“I’m still studying my RNs, but it’s good.”
Currently based at the Carramar aged care facility within the hospital, Mrs Houghton is also a lifestyle officer, helping to keep residents engaged in mind and body with different activities.
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The best part of turning up day-in and day-out for Mrs Houghton is the idea that she is helping patients and residents.
“That’s why you do it,” she said.
“The other thing is we have an amazing team here, we really do.
“It is a family. You do see the staff here more than you see your family so they are a big part of our lives.”
As with any career, going to work each day can be taxing, but for someone in the medical field it does mean putting in long hours and working shifts of all kinds.
Mrs Houghton said there was an element of weariness sometimes, but shift work didn’t really faze her.
“I actually don’t really mind it,” she said.
“It changes things up a bit so you’re not just doing the same thing all the time.
“Staff shortages are pretty hard on everyone though.”
Nursing offers up many opportunities for young men and women in today’s world and Mrs Houghton was hopeful more people would take up the career out of school.
“I think you should definitely consider it and give it a go,” she said.
“I will say it is a very rewarding career. You get to meet so many good people.”
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