Rain, hail or shine, Karen Jackman loves taking her office on the road all in the name of patient care.
A registered nurse for 40 years, Karen has spent the last 14 years nursing in the community, visiting patients in their homes.
The program known as Hospital in the Home (HITH) sees Karen visiting several patients a day, ranging in age from nine days to 99 years.
“Every day is completely different. I like being out in the community, to be out of the hospital,” Karen said.
“Sometimes I’ll have patients in Epsom, then back in Kangaroo Flat. Sometimes it’s frosty, pouring rain or you can be driving around in 46 degree heat – but the work is still enjoyable.”
Karen said she’s come to think of the car as her ‘office’.
“It’s my storeroom, my tea room. Your car is everything to you when you’re out there,” she said.
From antibiotics and cannulations, to taking bloods and managing infections, as a HITH nurse the work can be quite diverse.
“We’re not paediatric nurses, you might not have worked surgical or medical, but you need to have the ability and expertise to cover each patient, to be well-rounded. You can meet with all kinds of diagnoses,” Karen said.
While the work is not without its challenges, Karen feels privileged to provide care to patients in their homes.
“It’s one of the most rewarding aspects, keeping patients at home and out of the hospital. You’re helping reduce their recovery time and they’re really thankful you’re coming to see them in their home and building a rapport with them.
“You feel like you’re their friend more than their nurse,” she said.
But there’s one aspect in particular which has kept Karen on the road for all those years.
“I’ve developed a passion for wound care along the way, I never stop learning. My colleagues refer to me as the wound guru,” she said.
“We deal with some terrible wounds, some we think we won’t be able to heal. But it is so satisfying when you see a wound go from that to healing to the point where the patient can look after themselves.”
Although the work does involve some autonomy, working alongside like-minded colleagues has helped Karen feel at home.
“I appreciate the friendships I’ve made over the years. You come to work for the team, as well as yourself, because you don’t want to let them down. That environment has become really important to me,” she said.
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