When Kaylie Shaw travelled from Perth to Melbourne to complete an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) course, she felt instantly inspired by the city’s heartbeat and dedication to health innovation.
“Just being here, seeing the research happening and the facilities available in Victoria, was really exciting to me,” she said.
Kaylie was working as an Emergency Department (ED) nurse at a hospital in Perth, where she lived with her husband and child.
What happened next led her to become an Associate Nurse Manager (ANUM) in the Victorian Heart Hospital’s brand-new Cardiac Emergency Department.
“I had worked in ED for over six years, as well as doing other critical care roles, and I was looking for my next challenge,” Kaylie said.
She knew that she had found just that when she heard about roles in the Cardiac Emergency Department at the Victorian Heart Hospital,
“I was initially nervous about joining a dedicated heart hospital because when you’re an ED nurse, you do a bit of everything, and that’s something that’s really attractive about working in this area,” she said.
“But when I thought about it, I quickly realised it was going to be far from boring – the heart affects everything in the body.”
Kaylie said she’s looking forward to working within the Heart Hospital’s purpose-built Cardiac Emergency Department, the first of its kind in Australia.
“It’s structured differently to a normal ED because most of our patients will be acutely unwell, and it’s been set up to reflect that,” she said.
“We’re developing new workflows to make this service our own, and I’m excited to be a part of improving the way we deliver emergency care.”
As an ANUM within the Cardiac Emergency Department, Kaylie is responsible for things including clinical leadership, patient management, and policies and procedures.
“I’m a bit of a jack of all trades,” she said,
“We don’t have ANUM roles over in Perth, and the clinical leadership part of this role really appealed to me,” she said.
Having previously lived interstate in Queensland, a big move for Kaylie and her family wasn’t unfamiliar territory. However, she said that moving with a toddler had been “interesting!”.
“My husband is from Melbourne, so we had travelled here quite a bit, and we love it,” she said.
“There’s just always something happening in Melbourne.”
Kaylie said nurses considering a new challenge should consider a career at the Victorian Heart Hospital.
“Have a closer look at what we’re doing here and all of the things happening in the broader health service,”
“It’s an inspiring place to work, and you never know what your day will look like.”
Australia’s first dedicated cardiac hospital is the best place to grow your career in cardiac care. We’re currently hiring for roles in our Cardiac Emergency department, if you’re interested in a career at the Victorian Heart Hospital, head to the Victorian Heart Hospital Careers website to find a role that suits you.
