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At First Choice Care (FCC), we take pride in celebrating the incredible work of our nursing staff. For August, we are thrilled to announce Kat as our Nurse of the Month! As a dedicated travel nurse, Kat has made a lasting impact on patients across Australia while balancing her personal and professional life. Here's a closer look at her journey with FCC. What do you like most about FCC? "One of the things I like the most about FCC is the variety of contracts on offer to nurses throughout Australia and the work/life balance I've been able to achieve working as a travel nurse." Why did you want to be a nurse? "I chose to become a Registered Nurse because the profession offers a unique combination of personal and professional fulfillment. The ability to provide care, support, and comfort to patients during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives gives me a profound sense of purpose. Furthermore, I have always been fascinated by the human body and how its complex systems work in unison to sustain life. You can probably guess some of the subjects I enjoyed most whilst at university!" What has been the highlight of working with FCC? "The best part of working with FCC has been the opportunity to improve my clinical skills, meet new people, and explore locations I wouldn’t have discovered if I had continued working solely in Brisbane." Would you recommend FCC to other nurses and why? "I would recommend my consultant, Sasha, to any of my nursing friends considering travel nursing. I have found Sasha to be dependable, an excellent communicator, and proactive in securing contracts for her clients." Conclusion Kat's passion for nursing, her adventurous spirit, and her dedication to delivering top-quality care make her a shining example of what it means to be part of the FCC family. We are proud to have her as our Nurse of the Month for August and look forward to supporting her continued success as she travels and makes a difference across Australia. Congratulations, Kat!

Healthcare is an incredible industry to work in. There are so many opportunities, amazing people to work with, and so much good to do. Because of all these positives, remaining focused on your professional development is important to make the most of your career. To help you get the best out of your healthcare career, we’ve put together our top 7 tips for healthcare success. 1. Make a plan To find success you must have a plan! This should always be the first step taken in setting up your career. So, what should you include in your plan? It’s all about what you want to achieve. Think about some goals. Look to your future and where you want to be. Put together the steps you need to take, and the skills you need to develop to get there. The trick to making your plan effective is to include SMART Goals. That means specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. Your SMART Goals will help you keep on track as you progress in your career. 2. Surround yourself with the right people The right people make all the difference. By surrounding yourself with people who have similar goals and aspirations you’ll find the support and motivation you need to keep pushing ahead. You’ll also be able to utilise this network for advice, to find job openings, and for help around upskilling. The best way to find like-minded people is through networking events or by joining professional organisations. Have a look online or ask around for events happening near you. While they may seem intimidating at first, once you’ve gotten to know a few people they will be fun and great for your career! 3. Pursue your passions The best way to advance your career, and have a blast doing it, is by pursuing something that you’re passionate about. Following your passion will keep you motivated and provide positive experiences regardless of the challenges you face. To find the fields or specialisations you’re passionate about, consider your past experiences. What have you enjoyed most while working? What is something that first excited you about healthcare? Once you’ve got an idea consider doing agency work in these fields to try them out. 4. Be open to change Healthcare is filled with change. There are new technologies, procedures, discoveries, and information coming in constantly. To work in healthcare, you need to be prepared for, and open to, change. You’ll be required to constantly learn and evolve your skills in order to keep up. Sometimes unexpected career opportunities may open up. Exciting developments are occurring in healthcare, creating fresh job opportunities and innovative approaches to working within the field. When an opportunity that interests you arises, give it a go, even if it wasn’t part of your plan. Trying things out may allow you to find whole new passions. 5. Dress for success What you wear is important for progressing your career, even these days. As they say, dress for the job you want, not the job that you have. Your clothing can reflect your level of professionalism and competence. It can also give you confidence, allowing you to step up to be who you want to be when meeting with others in your industry. Scrubs will always be a staple in healthcare and have their time and place. But when it comes to networking events, interviews, or meetings, it’s important to dress the part. You don’t need to break the bank. Simply wear well-fitting, clean, and pressed clothing to convey that you’re put together and take your career seriously. 6. Continue your education A key component to a long and successful career in healthcare is to never stop learning. As we’ve said earlier, it’s an industry which is constantly evolving, so staying on top of everything requires a love of learning. Pursue new training opportunities where you can. Learn about new technologies, theories, or procedures. Look to professional organisations, your employer, or third-party learning companies for more ongoing educational opportunities. Growing your skills will grow your career opportunities, helping you reach your goals. 7. Start now When’s the best time to start working on your career? Right now! Starting right now allows you to keep up your motivation, and maintain your momentum. Waiting could leave you procrastinating, and missing opportunities. Get started with a plan as soon as you can. From there, you’ll be free to focus on education and upskilling, which will be guided by your plan. Start now and you’ll change your career for the better, forever! Conclusion Working in healthcare is an incredible experience. There are so many wonderful moments, opportunities, and people to meet. It’s an unforgettable career path. To make the most of it, you need to put together a plan, surround yourself with the right people, and get on with pursuing your passions. Start trying out these tips and see how they shape your career. For a change in your career check out agency nursing by getting in touch with us!

We know that shift work is tough! So, we’ve put together some tips to help nurses stay energised and passionate through their shifts. If you’ve got irregular or a tonne of night shifts it’s important to be prepared and put some robust routines together. It’ll turn the after late night shift “why on earth did I choose this career?” around to “I love nursing” again (at least after a good sleep). We’ve all had the challenges of dealing with shift work, so we know what works and what doesn’t. Shift work can be stressful on your body, and all the systems that manage how your body functions, so we’ve got 10 tips designed to aid those body functions and help you feel your best. There’s some important habits and routines you can put in place now that will help your body recover quickly and get it into a new rhythm, helping you stay energised. It’s all about finding the right routines which work for you. We’ve put together our top 10 tips to help shift workers with their health and well-being. 1. Create a sleep schedule Sleep is the best defence on your side against the side effects of shift work. You’ll need to find the sleep schedule that works specifically for you. Most people need at least 7-8 hours of sleep a day however this can decrease with age. The first place to start is keeping a sleep diary. Record your sleep patterns and any problems you encounter while sleeping in a physical book (we want to avoid screens). Then, use this to help you find the best strategies and conditions to improve the quality of your sleep. Once you know how your sleep is going, there are a few things you can try to improve it: If you’re working regular shifts experiment with different sleep and wake-up times until you find something that works for you. Have a short sleep before your first night shift. When coming off a night shift, have a short sleep and go to bed earlier that night. When you’ve found the sleep schedule that works best for you, try to keep it. 2. Find a routine Beyond sleep, your body loves routines. This includes routines for eating, resting, working, and having fun. Start by putting together a consistent bedtime and wake-up routine. When you start either routine, your body will know it’s time for sleep and then wake you up with the wake-up routine. It can be as simple as a shower, putting on certain products and listening to some calming music. Just make sure you limit your screen time before bed. Beyond your wake-up and bedtime routines are your other day-to-day routines. It’s a good idea to be consistent, when you can, with eating meals. It’ll help with your digestion and energy as your body knows when it can expect to receive more energy. 3. Plan out caffeine Coffee is great for waking you up when you need it, but it can also disrupt your sleep or have other negative side effects when taken at the wrong time. So, to make the most of your daily coffee it’s important to structure it so you can get the best sleep possible. You generally need to give your body at least 6 hours to process caffeine before you should sleep. This means that a 5 am coffee while on your night shift may be a bad idea, even if it’s desperately needed. Try to avoid caffeine after 2 am so you’ll be able to get a good sleep and be well-rested for your next shift. 4. Plan out water Just as important as managing your caffeine intake is managing your water intake. At night your kidneys concentrate your urine while you sleep so that you don’t need to get up through the night. But when you swap night for day on night shift, your kidneys don’t swap around. So, your kidneys remain quite active during the day even when you’re trying to sleep. It can be frustrating when you’re trying to rest, especially after a night shift, and you keep getting woken up busting to go to the bathroom. To help, taper off your water intake after 4 am. While staying hydrated is important, drink more water towards the start and midway point of your shift before tapering off. It’ll help you stay energised while avoiding your body waking you up mid-sleep. 5. Bring along healthy snacks and meals Nurses work long hours so it’s important to remain energised through your shift. It can be tempting to reach for sugary foods or those high in cholesterol, like chocolate, baked goods or chips, but they’ll only provide a short-lived boost of energy. What you need is a long-term energy boost without the side effects of a sugar-high crash. Some easy things to bring include egg cups, cheese and crackers, overnight oats and fruit. Eat meals with good fats like avocado, nuts and fish to help regulate hormones throughout your shift. Whether you’re on the night shift or not, structure your day around a “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” schedule to keep your metabolism going. 6. Keep up with family and friends Shift work often pushes your schedule out of line with your friends and family. This can lead many shift workers to feel isolated. So, it’s important to make an effort to not lose contact. Start by talking to your friends and family about shift work, so they understand the challenges you face, your shift schedule and be accommodating to find time with you. Make the most of your time off and plan mealtimes, weekends, and evenings together. 7. Keep active Night shift can often bring with it reduced activity. While some nights are busy, others are less so, meaning you’re sitting down a lot more. It’s important to keep your physical activity up to improve your energy and alertness levels. Whether you’re going on walks while on shifts or going to the gym before your shifts, you’ll be able to keep your energy up to take you through the shift. 8. Learn how you destress Everyone needs something that will help them destress. These things will help energise you, improve your mental health and make your shifts easier. Things like meditation, mindfulness, yoga, reading, exercising, or any other hobbies are great for your energy levels. Bring them into your routine to help make stress reduction second nature. 9. Plan the end of your night shifts Plan a reward for yourself after your night shift. It could be a catch-up with friends, an after-night shift brunch, buy yourself a gift, or get yourself a massage. Motivation is so important for getting through challenging shifts. It’ll give you a quick mental health boost and help make each shift even more worth it. Nursing is a 24/7 job, you can only do as much as you’re physically capable of. So don’t feel bad about relying on your colleagues and rewards for support. 10. Say no to overtime and take time off When you’re feeling exhausted, have had a day with no sleep, or are close to burning out, don’t take on more work! You need to take time off for your mental health. Stress is a part of the job so it’s important to recognise when you’re feeling overwhelmed and need the time to recover. The best way to provide the best care for your patients is to be well-rested. Sometimes just say no to overtime and take a day off between shifts.  Conclusion When doing shift work your mental and physical wellbeing is important. Shift work can be challenging for your body and your health. To keep yourself at the top of your game, and in love with your job, take the time to look after yourself, and set up a routine that will keep your body energised. Take these tips and tweak them to fit your needs and schedule! If you want more nursing tips, check out our blog here .

You always want to make the best first impression when applying for a job. Applying to work as an agency nurse is no exception. While there’s a lot of demand for nurses to fill all the available shifts, you still need to get your application right. A great nursing agency wants nurses who are highly qualified, meet their minimum standards, and will be great to work with. The best way to showcase this is to assemble an application that ticks all the boxes and makes a great first impression. What do you need to do to stand out? Fortunately, it’s simple. We’ve got tips for 3 parts of your application. Include all the information you’re asked for. The best way to increase your chances of getting the job, and making the application process faster, is by providing all the information asked for. It may seem simple, but it is one thing that is often missed. When you’re completing your application, go through each section carefully. Ensure you’ve provided information for each section, including relevant details. Once you’re done, don’t submit it. Instead, go back over every question to make sure the information is accurate, and every question has been completed. Once you’re happy you can hit submit! Your Cover Letter. Sometimes you’ll need to submit a cover letter. This one-page document is your chance to make a great first impression. It’s where you summarise who you are, what your experience is, and why you’re looking at agency nursing. The trick is to keep it concise, professional and well-formatted. Name the position that you’re applying for, mention where you found the job ad and the documents you’ve enclosed. Add to that a few words about your qualifications, and specialties that you’re interested in. We love to see your future goals in agency nursing so we can help you meet them! Your CV. Even more important than your cover letter is your CV. This includes your education, work experience, and skills. It’s what the agency uses to work out if you’re the perfect match. To help out, and stand out, here are a few areas to focus on. 1. Contact details Getting your contact details right is essential. Make sure your phone number and email are clearly displayed, easy to read, and accurate. If your email address isn’t easy to understand or isn’t professional, set up a new one and connect the accounts. 2. Timeframes The timeframes of your career and education should be listed in reverse chronological order. This means that your most recent career achievements and highest education completed go first. It’ll make it easy to read and understand. You should also make dates of employment clear and include some dot points on your achievements and responsibilities. 3. Strengths It’s a great idea to put your skills front and centre in your CV. Consider which skills you want to highlight. For some hints, look at what’s listed in the description or requirements section of the job listing. This will help you show that you match what the nursing agency is looking for. 4. Qualifications Ensure your training and qualifications are up-to-date and relevant. This is especially important for emergency nurses, rural nurses, or other specialised nurses. List any other relevant qualifications to ensure you showcase that you’re ready for the job. 5. References Not every employer requires references in the Healthcare sector. However, it’s often a requirement for nursing agencies. So, it’s a good idea to keep some handy. Put them into your application, and ensure all their details are correct. It’ll make your application process easier when the agency asks for references. Conclusion  Having a great application allows you to stand out, make an excellent first impression, and get started faster. You’ll start your new job with the best foot forward, ready to meet your goals. If you’re looking to sign up to FCC, register your interest here.

Are you looking for a career that allows you to follow your passion for caring for others? Then you’ll love nursing. It’s a rewarding career where you’ll work with a wide variety of people helping them improve their quality of life. Nurses are a vital part of Queensland’s healthcare system, being the primary carer for patients and the go-to person for their families. You’ll need to have fantastic people skills, as you provide fundamental care and treatment to patients, while juggling the emotions of the patient as well as their families and loved ones, in what is often a very difficult and stressful time for all involved. It takes a special kind of person to be able to navigate these challenges but it is one of the most rewarding careers for people who love to help other people. Ok, so you want to become a nurse, but how do you get started working as a nurse in Queensland? Luckily, we’ve got this extensive guide to working as a nurse in Queensland. You’ll learn how to get started, the different types of nurses, specialisations, where you can work, who you can work for, and much more. So, keep reading to find out!