I've resigned!

Well, actuary I've retired, after over 30 years as a nurse and over 10 years as NUM.

Here is my resignation letter. 

It is with some sadness that I am submitting my letter of resignation. I have decided that my health is preventing me meeting the performance required by a Nurse Unit Manager.

My last working day will be Thursday 18th July 2024. I have leave booked from the 25th to the 28th of June following which I will return to work for the next three weeks on a part time basis (3 days a week) to give the health service time to have a plan in place to cover my role.

I am not seeking further employment and will be taking retirement on medical grounds.

Thank you for your support over the last 25 years and the last 10 Years as NUM. I hope you look upon this as an exciting opportunity to have a new NUM with a new approach to the role. I hope they will enjoy the position as much as I have over the years and make the job their own.

It was a life changing experience when in 1999 I was recruited to an RN position for the Clark Centre. I still appreciate being able to support patients on the worst day of their life. Later as NUM,  I felt privileged to lead the Clark Centre team to provide excellent care and kindness to our patients.

I will miss the Clark Centre team, there have been times when we had a good laugh and given support to each other through the rough patches of our lives. I would prefer not to have a farewell party or a fuss. The Clark Centre staff have given me such beautiful gifts over the years. If anyone would like to drop into my office for a goodbye and for me to thank them, that will be enough.

I am looking forward to spending more time with my husband Graham, my grandchildren, and my doggies!

My best wishes for a thriving Tablelands Mental Health Service, I know you will go on to continue to provide excellent care and support for those whose lives are affected by Mental Health.

Regards Kim

 

Back row:- William, Chloe, Allie, Ellie, Jill, Laura, Lucy, Irena

Front row:- Mindy, Me, Irene, Lizzy, Tee, Mary-Anne.

 

And of course I couldn't get away without a farewell afternoon tea and a gift.

Here's most of the gang above. 

 

and the lovely food.

 

 I won't share all the beautiful words inside the cards, some things good to keep private.

 

 

And here are some memories from around the unit.

 

 At my work station. (looking unusually tidy).

The butterfly wall made by the patients.

This above is our covid project, the staff brought photos of their pets....

Anybody want a job, there's been no applicants so far...

 

Here is the job ad below.

 

 

About the Role

As the Nurse Unit Manager at The Clark Centre, you will lead a dedicated team comprising Registered Nurses, an Enrolled Nurse, a Clinical Nurse Educator, and a Social Worker. Your role will be pivotal in overseeing the provision of exceptional care to voluntary inpatients within our unique mental health unit. With a capacity of 8 beds, The Clark Centre is an integral part of Tablelands Mental Health Service located at Armidale Hospital, where you will play a key role in planning and implementing patient care strategies.

Where you'll be working

The position is based in Armidale which is set high on the beautiful Northern Tablelands and is known for its beautiful tree lined streets and magnificent autumn colours. You can enjoy alfresco cafes, impressive architecture, a variety of arts and cultural activities. The region offers diversity in outdoor activities such as bushwalking in the nearby World Heritage listed National Parks offering some of the most spectacular gorges and waterfalls in Australia. Armidale is an educational centre featuring a university, as well as public and private schools, each providing a level of education comparable to any capital city in Australia.

About You

As the NUM1 you will be responsible for the efficient management and coordination of nursing and other relevant staff in the Clark Centre. Bringing your extensive knowledge of mental health nursing and leadership to the role, you will be a person of influence who can drive positive, strategic direction in the unit and be adaptable in your approach.

You will:

Direct, coordinate and supervise the provision of nursing services within the unit to maximise the health outcomes for patients and their families.

Assist and support the Health Service Manager in the day to day clinical and operational management including maximising the utilisation of resources to achieve budget and service delivery targets.

Assist with the management of workforce functions including recruitment, induction, professional development, performance reviews, performance management and leader and patient rounding.

Participate in problem solving in matters related to the functioning of the unit.

Monitor and maintain a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.

It seems I have not left entirely as I have remained on the casual list.

 

Christmas 2021 - The second slice - Biscuit Kit

 

Hello My Dear Readers 

and Happy New Year and welcome to 2022!

I have a few more Christmas New Year posts to share so I'm doing a bit of a catch up.

 My regular Dear Readers will be aware that every year I make a Christmas Extravaganza for my nurses and our other wonderful support staff.

I also gift one to my hairdresser, my cleaner, grand-kids, niece (for Christmas, with a mixing bowl set)  and our next door neighbour.

You may remember, in the past for Christmas gifts I've done bookmarks, paper stars, jelly beans and reindeer noses.

This year ..it nearly killed me! 

Only kidding.

I put together 40 Christmas biscuit kits, I was exhausted,  

I keep telling them that next year their all just getting lollies..

Here is my production line, measuring out the ingredients for 40 kits.

The idea is the recipients just add one egg and some butter and bake the biscuits themselves.

I also bought some really nice recyclable packing with the pouches which I found online.

And of course there were things I forgot to consider...

They were heavy so I had to lug kilo's and kilos of gifts into work.

Chocolate melts in summer.

We have a mouse issue from time to time, which is why I had to store everything in plastic crates.

Graham thinks I'm bonkers.

But they were very much appreciated by the staff.

 

My first idea was to do a cookie mix in a jar.

But I needed a one litre jar and 40 jars were expensive. 

(I don't know why I didn't think of making the ingredients 1/2 quantity)! 

So that was 40 kits, each making potentially 24 biscuits. 

960 Christmas Biscuits!!!

Here's my original recipe from TASTE. (Thanks to Abby and her cookies in a jar). 

 https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/abbys-cookies-jar/717dc06f-5854-4c04-ae6b-768f72d9dcb9

I completely adapted it  to make the ingredients cheaper.  

But then had to do a test batch. 

The first batch was yucky, as I added Christmas spices and it was just too over whelming so I left the spices out of the final recipe. I also upped the flour a bit.

Here you are, 

some photos of pretty Christmas Biscuits.

These are mine! The successful test batch. (with a bit of cinnamon sugar on top).

Below:- These are Rory's!

Below:- These are Genevieve's!

Well, I may have to add to this post in the future if more photos of Christmas biscuits arrive. 

So watch this space..

``````````````````

 But wait there's more!

Below are Mary-Anne's!

AND MORE,

These are Chloe's!

 

 

 

Christmas 2020 ~ Pre-Christmas!

Well, thanks to the Goddess, 2020 is nearly over!

And the world will never be the same again...

Its nearly Christmas, but first it's..

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIMBA"

The tree is up.

Anyway,,, here is Christmas at work.

This year everyone was gifted a mixed package of coffee/tea.

I packaged and tied bows on about 60.

 Yes, it really was

'We wish to expresso how tea-riffic you are'!

~~~~

And now for the Clark Centre Christmas dinner at the 'White Bull'.

Above:- Chloe and Martin

(Martin is currently doing my NUM role while I'm on secondment).

Above:- Elle and Mary-Anne

Above:- The crew

 

Above:- Lizzy with her flashing Christmas Tree necklace

 

Not many Christmas parties this year, and Christmas day will be very quiet for us, and a lot of other people I suspect. 

 

Covid has ramped up again in Sydney so it looks like our plans to see Mum and Dad after Christmas have been  scuttled. 

Anyway, to put you in the Christmas mood,

'All I Want For Christmas is You'

Performed by Emma Wiggle and the Sugarplum Fairy.

 

 

Covid at work

 

Well, if you expect your staff to don and doff and covid test symptomatic patients you have to be prepared to be the first to get into the get up and go out and do the thing yourself.

What I didn't tell the staff was that I used the wrong tube so I found out later that

 this test was totally invalid!  

 

This year we have also put some great graphics on the patients bedrooms walls. 

 

 

Christmas Part Three - With Work

Lizzy, Jill, Me, Hellen, Irene, Elle, Mary-Anne and Martin

The Clark Centre Christmas get together was this year held at the newly renovated 

art deco Tattersalls Hotel. 

We're closed now until early January. 

We acidently booked the restaraunt rather than the usual outside Garden Bar.

Which was serendipitous as below is our backyard earlier that day. 

Smoke due to bush fires...

It use to look like below. 

2019 is an awful summer already and its only just started.

 For Christmas this year all the staff and friends received a bag

Of Jelly Belly, ice cream flavoured Jelly beans.

Christmas 2018

 "Cruel, cruel Mum, we will report you for Christmas cruelty to doggies"

Merry Christmas everyone..

A bit late with this post - been a bit busy and hot! 

 And this year I made all the staff Christmas stars.

I made 50 of the jolly things... I'll have to find something easier for 2019.

(The above and below photos are of my messy office)

And of course Christmas always means Birthday as well

 Rose and I share a Birthday, so we lunched out at Merilba Estate at Kingstown.

 https://www.merilbaestatewines.com.au/

 

Yummmy, chocolate desert. 

 And finally, some photos of my Christmas village.

Didn't bring it out last year as we were in Europe.

  

And I have seriously run out of room for anymore houses...

And sadly those were the last photos from my old faithful Canon SX30. It stopped letting me download photos from it and stopped zooming, and the lens was getting stuck...

However I have a replacement camera in mind, what this space.