Passionate cardiac nurse and proud La Trobe alumna, Carolyn Naismith, reflects on her career as part of La Trobe's 50 years of nursing celebrations.
“When I did my hospital-based training at the Mercy Private in East Melbourne in the 1980s, I learned from expert nurses and clinical educators on the wards. The focus was very much on the ‘see one, do one, teach one’ model of learning,” she says.
After more than 20 years as a nurse, Carolyn decided to return to study and completed a Master of Clinical Nursing at La Trobe in 2004.
“Nursing education has evolved over the years to encompass academic inquiry and critical thinking skills. Looking back, I really enjoyed writing my thesis and learning about how to conduct research.”
“I think the structure of nursing education these days provides a lot more opportunity for nursing graduates, and doing my master's certainly set a great foundation for me to advance in my career,” she says.
Carolyn is currently the Clinical Services Director for the Heart and Lung program at Alfred Health. She is also the Chair of the Interventional Nurses Council for the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.
“We've got about 60 advanced practice nurses in our program – all very bright and competent individuals – and one of the things I enjoy most about my role is developing them and supporting them in their practice.”
“I also like looking to the future and being involved in the strategic direction of our program, whether it is investing in new staff, introducing new technologies, or working to ensure a more environmentally sustainable workplace.”
She says patient experience is always “top of mind” and her ultimate goal is to achieve good outcomes for her patients.
“We've always got that connection with patients and part of my role is making sure our programs are built on their experiences.”
Looking forward, Carolyn believes there is still work to do when it comes to bringing together the clinical and academic aspects of nursing.
“We need to look at joint clinical academic positions where very experienced nurses can have both a clinical and academic appointment with partner institutions.”
“I certainly think that opportunities for nurses in academia are growing, but we are nowhere near finished that journey yet.”
