NICKI Kovac is now a regular face at the Leeton District Hospital.
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As an agency nurse, Ms Kovac has been posted at the hospital several times and is back on deck again as a clincial nurse educator.
A registered nurse, Ms Kovac has been in the industry for almost 27 years and has worked at various different hospitals all across the state.
She also spent many years as a nurse at Sydney’s remand centre.
Ms Kovac’s latest posting at the Leeton hospital has seen her on board since October.
Nursing was something she always wanted to do after spending many of her younger years in and out of hospitals when her mother was sick.
“I knew since I was a little girl that I wanted to be a nurse,” Ms Kovac said.
“I was registered in 1992, so that makes it almost 27 years.”
After growing up on the Central Coast, many of Ms Kovac’s fond memories come from her training at Newcastle University thanks to the people she met and the learning she was able to soak up.
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Some of the places she has worked include Gosford, Tenterfield, Bega, Hillston, Hay and many more.
With an ageing workforce across the state, Ms Kovac would love to see more young people take up nursing and be nurtured into becoming the best they can be when they take up a position after study.
Ms Kovac said the question of what were the “good parts” of being a nurse was a difficult one.
“There’s so many different answers,” she said.
“We’re in the business of caring for people, so when you do that and do it well, you do feel good.
“That’s a bit cliche, but it is true. Caring for someone and seeing them get better is great.
“I’ve also done some work in palliative care. Making someone as comfortable as possible during their final stages of life is hard, but giving someone that comfort is what it is all about.”
Shift work and being away from her family were two of the things Ms Kovac struggles with the most. “It can be a hard job … you do miss being away from home and your family,” she said.
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