Dominique tell me about yourself and your experience in the Aged Care sector.
I am a married, mum of two. A Registered Nurse with the majority of my nursing career (past 11 years) being in Gerontology/ Aged Care. Nursing wasn’t on my radar until a gap year between school and going for my commercial pilots licence. In this year I worked as a caregiver at Athenree and was exposed to some really great nurses who strongly encouraged me to take up the ‘noble profession’. Management began early, working as a clinical nurse leader. This allowed me to direct the quality of care and execute changes that I felt improved patient outcomes. I am passionate about Gerontology. It is challenging and becoming increasingly complex and we must keep abreast of best practice and keep our workforce equipped with the skill set required to manage these needs. Although I sit in an office most days and work behind the scenes, I am a nurse at my core and I thrive on being a part of something bigger than me.
Dominique with a Waihi Lifecare Resident
What attracted you to the position of Facility Manager at Waihi Lifecare?
Whilst my husband and I were on route to the eagles concert in Auckland I received a phone call from a recruiting agent informing me he’d be tipped off that I was potentially on the market. I had recently decided to have a break from management and left my corporate role to pursue further study. Instead the chance to be part of the challenge of developing an older site and breath life back into it was the draw card for me. I feel humbled to be in a building with such history and walk in the footsteps of the many nurses and Doctors that have gone before me.
What do you feel has been your biggest achievement since you have been here?
I had to hit the floor running with 12 weeks before the sites certification audit. The results from this were amazing which speaks volumes of the staff and wider Multi-Disciplinary Team for accepting changes at quite a rapid speed. The preliminary outcome of the audit is excellent and something the whole team is very proud of and I feel privileged to be part of that. The facility has come a long way in a short amount of time and the positive feedback we receive about this from families and residents backs up the result we achieved.
What is your future vision for Waihi Lifecare?
My feeling about Waihi Lifecare, having come from a corporate environment, is that we provide a different version of care. One that allows more flexibility and autonomy to adapt and develop as we need to. We are unique in this setting with our Primary Birthing Unit and also our quaint cottage village. We have real potential to build up the community feeling. I am excited to see where we go in the next 6-12 months.