International Nurses Day is a global day of celebration held annually on 12 May - the anniversary of the birth of the founder of modern nursing.
Two centuries later, Carinity is honouring our selfless nurses who are proudly carrying on Florence Nightingale's legacy of care.
Like the famous nursing pioneer, Carinity's nurses are dedicated to supporting people in need in their community.
They care for residents living in our seniors' homes across Queensland and the elderly who live in their own homes and are supported by the Carinity Home Care service.
Anita Karki is a Registered Nurse at Carinity Brownesholme aged care in Highfields whose nursing journey began in her home country of Nepal.
"It was my parents' dream to see me as a nurse which I carried forward and entered into this profession," Anita said.
"What really inspired me was seeing the impact nurses have; not just medically, but emotionally. Nurses are the ones who stay with patients and residents during their most vulnerable moments."
Anita says while nursing can be a challenging profession she very much enjoys the "connections that we build amongst residents and staff" at Carinity Brownesholme.
"Working as a team to achieve the best outcomes for our residents is a thing I love about nursing profession. What I also like is the constant learning: there is always something new to learn and enhance your skills."
Inspired by his mother, sister and wife who were nurses, Mark Lister has supported seniors via various roles with Carinity over the past 17 years, ranging from nurse to aged care home manager.
This has included working on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic as an infection control nurse. Mark currently supports seniors as a Registered Nurse with Carinity Home Care.
His role encompasses undertaking assessment of new clients to ascertain their care needs, devising falls prevention strategies, and providing clinical care tasks.
"My role is to make seniors feel more comfortable and help them live where they want to live for longer. I help seniors to live the life they want to live - on their own terms," Mark said.
Shyju Skaria is a Clinical Nurse Consultant at the Carinity Colthup Manor in Ipswich aged care home who has been working as a nurse for seven years.
"I wanted to help people, make a real difference in their lives, and work in a caring, meaningful job. Nursing offers a wide range of specialties, work environments and opportunities," Shyju said.
Shyju enjoys nursing because he gets to "make a real difference in people's lives every day".
"My role involves leading clinical care, supporting and educating staff, coordinating services, and ensuring patients receive safe, high-quality care," Shyju said.
"The best parts are connecting with residents, supporting my team and solving problems, contributing to positive outcomes through clinical care and decision-making, and supporting and mentoring colleagues to improve overall standards of care."
Executive Manager of Carinity Aged Care, Heidi Wiebe, thanked Carinity's nurses for their dedication to support older people in Queensland.
"Working as a nurse requires patience, kindness and compassion - and caring for older people also takes incredible skill, an extensive and deep knowledge base, and the ability to be an excellent generalist," Heidi said.
"The people living in our homes, the older people we support in their own homes - and their families - are always grateful for the efforts of our wonderful nursing staff.
"We celebrate and honour our nurses for their passion and commitment. The work nurses do to value each older person - and help them live and live well - is greatly appreciated."
