MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses' source. Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:08:58 +0100 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/12/another-soul-lost.html Already knowing what to expect, images from similar past events blur with the sights and sounds on route to another tormented soul lost amongst the bluestone and steel. Arriving at a normally crowded space almost totally void of the living, heralds unwelcoming news. Making our way down onto the ballast, the odour of sulphur comes up to meet us with every cautious step. The added mix of sweat, grease and trepidation will do little to mask the smell and visions we will meet not far from where we now tread. In the dark as others standby with solemn and foreboding looks under the bright blue sky, the lost soul lies tattered and torn, hidden from view under a menacing beast that once hurled along at speed. Checking for signs of life, we are not surprised to find there are none. For us, t... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056408 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2056408 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/12/chameleon-by-nature-or-by-design.html “Like the Chameleons who change colour, so do we have the ability to change our colours in order to fit into different social and workplace situations depending on our motives and ethics. Whether we totally abandon our true values or sacrifice a few of them for a moment or for all time, the temptation is to go with the flow and for the most part it is done for convenience sake so we can be accepted or blend in with others.” True or false? Before you make a choice, consider this. Next time you get ready for work or for pleasure, look at your choice of clothing. Everything that you see in front of you is or is most likely the fashion of what others will be wearing or would be considered acceptable by the ones you will meet. Right? You can also throw in your hair sty... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040510 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2040510 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/11/private-ralph-thomas-cooke-gifts.html As I remember my Great Uncle, Private Ralph Cook 7th Battalion Australian INF, who died on the 29th June 1916 in the fields of France, so should we remember the ten million soldiers who also lost their lives in the Great War of 1914 – 1918. Back on the 11th November 2008, Remembrance Day Commemorations marked 90 years since the guns fell silent on the Western Front, November 11, 1918. In my endeavour to find out more about my Great Uncle Ralph, I have been greatly assisted by my mother and sister. For that, I thank them dearly. Both have forwarded on images that give me a fantastic insight into the young man that was. The first image shows what remains of a necklace sent by Ralph to his mother whilst serving in Egypt. The next two images, a scarf along with its toggle, were fou... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961384 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1961384 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/11/private-ralph-thomas-cooke-part-two.html The final resting place of my Great Uncle, Private Ralph Thomas Cooke, who was killed in action during World War One in the fields of Northern France, can now be revealed through the kind assistance of Mr Matt Smith, Archive Director and Project Co-ordinator of the Australian War Graves Photographic Archive (AWGPA), who has kindly forwarded to me the images you see below. Private Ralph Thomas Cooke's Grave and Headstone -  Berks Cemetery Extension - Row B, Grave 6 - Ploegsteert, Belgium. Matt Smith has come to our rescue, as he and others in this great team work tirelessly on a volunteer basis to digitally photographing every Australian War Grave and Memorial Commemoration of Australia's Armed Forces for families, who like us, are trying to find closure or a link to their past. ... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933468 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1933468 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/10/private-ralph-thomas-cooke.html My great uncle Private Ralph Thomas Cooke, an 18 year old farm hand from South Yarra Victoria, was one of 60,000 Australian soldiers killed during World War One. Ralph Cooke was most likely only 16 at the time according to my grandmother, with so many young men (boys) from all around Australia, pushing their ages up to join the Great War of 1914 to 1918. In 1916 Australia’s population was less than five million, where 416,809 men enlisted to fight and a total of 156,000 were wounded, gassed or taken prisoner during the war. Having enlisted on the 19 July 1915 in the Australian Imperial force with the permission of his father and mother, his Unit, the 22nd Battalion 6th Reinforcements, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board H.M.A.T. A38 Ulysses on 27 October 1915. The 7th B... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1907923 Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1907923 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/10/wayward-passion.html "She hasn’t been seen for quite sometime and I’m really worried that something dreadful has happened to her. Please, can you take a look inside?" "Sure thing. We get a lot of calls like this. Your friend is probably out for the day. As soon as we find out what’s going on inside, you’ll be the first to know." "Be careful when you go in, she's a bit of a hoarder!" Image of Public Domain artwork by Samuel van Hoogstraten from 1653 Perched atop a ladder a grimy window like a portal to this one’s soul blurs a vision seen far too often amongst those forgotten by time and family. With hands and face pressed hard against the glass, dim lit eyes scan the room f... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1871229 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1871229 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-gets-your-partner-goat.html 10 + ways Partner TO UPSET YOUR Ok! I asked for it. I just asked my lovely wife what exactly is it that I do that upsets her. It didn’t take long for a reply. As I ruefully scan the items on the agenda, I’m not at all surprised to see what’s on her mind. What I am surprised about, is the fact that she actually told me after so long. It’s an odd thing with couples that have been together for sometime, as what’s really on their minds quite often goes unsaid. There aren’t that many on the list; mind you having told her I was going to put them all up on the web, I have a vague suspicion she may have held back. Now that I’ve finally been confronted by some home truths, the challenge is for you to set it right with your partner and do the sa... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1851312 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1851312 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/09/self-portrait-under-three-hundred-words.html A companion of yours and mine, who is neither precious nor tangible, has been with me for as long as I can remember. Best described as mischievous, domineering and a right royal in the butt, this Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde character has partnered many before us and will seek out others yet to come. Wikimedia – public domain image Having recently found myself almost stripped of pettiness, short temperedness and the need to satisfy others before family, it’s time to tell this fellow who’s boss. You may well ask why I waited so long to tell this gibbering fool where to get off. Well, like other weak-minded fools my lack of maturity, persistence in wallowing in unwarranted self-importance and not being able to think outside the square in the past, has delayed this long o... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1826312 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1826312 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-bucket-list.html In the movie "The Bucket List" two fictional senior citizens played by Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, discover they are dying from terminal illnesses. Wanting to go out with a bang rather than a whimper, they formulate a list of things to do together before they kick the bucket; hence the movie title. This movie had such a very profound effect on me that I have drawn up my own bucket list. But unlike the two in the movie, I have no idea of when I might be confronting Saint Peter or Lucifer. Considering the life expectancy of an Australian male is 78.5 years, I have, touch wood, 26.4 years to go before I drop. Perhaps a little bit more, considering my father is 81.3 years of age. As my wife will be partnering me on this one, I have asked her to add to my list of things to ... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794769 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1794769 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/09/father-day-downunder.html F rom the time you took in your first breath, our world changed for the better. Eyes now clear of milky dew, I see myself in the reflection of your squinting gaze. Blindly holding onto my finger with your hand, my eyes begin to fill with your mother’s tears as you settle at the breast. You are the first of three and with time, you will all grow strong and make us proud. Robert, Stephen and Christopher will be your names. A ll three separated by time, will finally arrive at the place we call home. Never grand but always welcoming. Timid but wanting, our gifts from above settle into our care. Little sleep and long nights await us all but in the end, our three sons settle into the warmth of friend’s gifts. We dare not leave but we must. Looking back for the third time, we trust... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1769344 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1769344 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/08/australia-most-wanted.html I can't believe it was 30 years ago today, that I graduated from St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst as a registered nurse. A lot has happened since then and like some, I've had many regrets since graduating in August 1978. Too many to mention here of course, but one that I can tell you is not keeping in touch with my class mates. Can you say the same about yourself? Wanted: St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst August 1978 Registered Nurses So before you become a museum piece try and make contact with friends and classmates from your past. I can't guarantee that it will be all good on the day but at least you won't die wondering. It's pretty much of a gamble really, as who know's what can happen after so many years. I remember meeting up with an old friend from the past, t... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1747043 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1747043 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/08/team-nursing-in-1970.html The purpose of this article is two-folded. It provides an historical and personal account into team nursing practiced at St Vincent’s Hospital Darlinghurst, Sydney - New South Wales (Australia) - during the late 1970’s. It highlights the roles and responsibilities of their student general nurses during the three-year journey to becoming a registered general nurse (RN) within a hospital based training system. Introduction After successfully completing three months training at the Preliminary Training School (PTS), adjacent to St Vincent’s Hospital, student nurses worked an eight-hour rotating shift, which included night shift, on the wards with a patient load. After eight weeks they were moved to another ward or speciality area, on site or off si... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734324 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1734324 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/08/beijing-2008-olympic-games.html Like most of you I have been captivated by the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Who wouldn’t be?The records now being broken are as fantastic as the cost of hosting the games.A mind blowing $40 billion has been spent by China preparing for the expected 16,000 athletes from 204 countries, the plethora of supporting staff, volunteers, media, seven million spectators. Included in this amount was $5 billion that was spent upgrading the Beijing Airport to cater for the influx of people in August.Considering the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games cost close to $7 billion, one has to ask, “How can we put an end to the spiraling costs of an Olympics?” As London prepares for the 2012 Olympic games, it appears the $23 billion budget may well not be enough.Although it is a sore point for many, the enormous a... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1705047 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1705047 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/08/will-6000-return-you-to-nursing.html Back on 15 January 2008 the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the “Bringing Nurses Back into the Workforce program”.  Over the next 5 years $39.4 million will be provided to reduce the nursing shortage and to attract 8,750 of the estimated 30,000 qualified nurses who left nursing, back into nursing at public and private hospitals and residential aged care homes. It is part of a program that will provide $138.9 million to the Health and Ageing and Education portfolios. Public domain Images courtesy of (PHIL) and DefenceLink To entice eligible nurses to return to nursing, a cash bonus of up to $6000.00 is now being offered to those that return on or after the 15 January 2008. The first bonus payment of $3,000 will ... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692456 Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1692456 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/08/save-emergency-departments-for.html It is not often I get on the bandwagon to support a Australian cause, so I would like to make up for that flaw and plug the latest campaign from the New South Wales Government Department of Health. Their site goes on to say: "During the winter months NSW hospital emergency departments face a significant increase in activity. This television campaign highlights the serious nature of illnesses treated in emergency departments each day and reminds the community that minor illnesses like coughs and colds can be treated by a General Practitioner (GP)." Play TV Commercial Anything that can reduce the workload of a busy hospital is worth supporting. To be continued... (Source: St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses) St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686618 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1686618 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/07/childhood-memories.html Distant childhood memories flash before me as I stare longingly into the flame of a bright burning candle. Transfixed, I’m drawn into the visions that spew out and settle into the translucent molten pool of days long gone. Wishing that others could see them, I watch each memory being carried away in tiny hot droplets as they trickle down from the waxy precipice, only to have them fade as they become whole again; memories again set in time. All excellent memories I can assure you, but some would have them put away like a good book, to be revisited some other time for the sake of the present. Considering I tend to forget where I’ve put things these days, I’ll stick to what’s best. Whether the candle is set on a table, before my mind’s... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1657443 Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1657443 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/07/why-do-we-blog.html The title was going to be “Why do we write”, but after careful consideration I changed the title, as I firmly believe that blogging belongs in the same basket as writing. "It may be every professional writer’s nightmare to hear blogging and writing mentioned in the same sentence, but isn’t better to have written, than never to have written at all?" Personally, I find there’s no better place than in our blogs to showcase our wordsmanship and images, and that for some, they are the incubators for greater works to come. From day one, this blog was a means to an end. Finding the nurses that I trained and worked with at St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst was all that it was supposed to do. But in the process I discovered a new passion that go... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1635267 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1635267 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/07/poor-conversationalist.html I can trace my poor conversational skills back to my childhood days, where eating meals in front of the television was the norm. Any attempt at verbal communication during these times, be it a few words or looking as if it was going to turn into an attack of verbal diarrhoea, would be met with scorn, evil eyes and having the nearest thing thrown at me by my younger siblings. Mind you, I was no different. Image Credit - Clara Natoli Little has changed since then and with the benefit of hindsight, I wish it had been different. Now as an adult, I find myself working in an environment where actions speak louder than words. Conversations are kept to a minimum, with the only chance of having a good chinwag occurring during hurried meal breaks or outside... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1618210 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1618210 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/07/css-in-blogger-part-two.html This is the my second attempt at creating an image gallery within a Blogger Blog using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). The code that I have used will allow for a larger image to appear when the cursor is passed over them.In my previous post, I created a similar CSS image gallery effect that I found at Dynamic Drive. All went according to plan if you were using Internet Explorer. But for those using other Internet browsers, the larger image was cut off at my sidebar. In my endeavour to learn more about CSS and CSS image galleries, I was lucky enough to come across a new acquaintance who goes by the name of, "Narrowband". I am attempting to partly replicate his example which is based on Dynamic Drive's CSS and his invaluable assistance has enabled me to put this one up on the blogosphere.NOTE... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1577517 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1577517 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/06/css-in-blogger_29.html This is the my first attempt using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) in a post. All credit goes to Dynamic Drive, and from what I can gather this post should display correctly in most browsers.When you pass your mouse over a thumbnail, a larger image will be displayed. I first started off creating this within Windows Live Writer and after pulling out half my hair attempting to get this right, I then published the post to my Blogger Blog. Unfortunately I hit a FEW hurdles as I hadn't used CSS in Live Writer before, but after some copying, pasting and deleting between the two, I put a few problems to sleep, permanently .To make this all work in the end, I placed CSS code within a sidebar widget to get another piece of code within the post itself to work. There was supposed to be text below each l... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1554599 Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1554599 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/06/three-hearts-beat-as-one.html As we look to the north we remember the young lass who has not only captured the heart of our son, but ours as well. This rare beauty with a mind for tidy estates and an eye for our son, works overtime making sure everything is just right. We love her dearly and proudly call her a member of our family. With dogged determination and a deep longing for one another, that only lovers will know, these two have built their nest in far north tropical Queensland, Australia. For her parents, it would seem like yesterday that their daughter and the beauty of this fruitful relationship, was seen riding a horse as a child. For us, recalling how our son bolted through his bedroom window after being grounded at the ripe old age of thirteen, left us in no doubt that he had a mind of his own. After mu... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1547048 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1547048 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/06/fear-of-known.html I am making an assumption here but I think it is fair to say that most of us, from a very early age whilst at school, had impressed upon us, very much like a red-hot branding iron would do to cattle, to do our utmost when it came to doing anything that we had to put our hands to. If not, fear of the known was sure to follow. Like an Gregorian chant passed down from generation to generation, the somewhat encouraging inspirational phrases of, “Heads down, tails up” and “knuckle down” were recited to us on countless occasions by many a teacher determined to set us straight and still echoes in my mind to this very day. We were indoctrinated into believing that we had four things to fear if we failed to meet great expectations within a catholic education. They were ... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526903 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1526903 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/06/independent-observer.html Piercing stares from hollow eyes reveal your shallow soul Long serving cohorts knowing your game You bide your time until you can entrap another Going for the jugular when it happens   Indifference and intolerance hide well behind your back Calling them out like dogs of war You set them loose on unsuspecting prey Calling them off after they have had their fill     Time honoured practise has fine tuned your devilish skill Starved of love elsewhere your chances of finding it here are slim Perceived friends hide amongst actuals Sadly, all are too few   Your purgatory ways are not the answer Common decency and patience is what you need Unlike your dogs of war these two will serve you well But knowing you, Heaven knows!   - My Poetry Mentor - To be continued... (Sourc... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1509257 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1509257 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/06/fathers-and-very-young-sons-listen-up.html I cannot say with certainty that what I’m about to relate here will ever happen to you, but seeing it's better to be forewarned than to be caught off guard, I’ll carry on. Hopefully by the time you’ve finished reading this, you would have worked out one of the things that dads miss most. A well-known phenomenon best known to more experienced fathers has, through the ages wiped the smile off many a grown man’s face and will no doubt affect more to come. It appears to only affect the male species and is not the sort of thing that is handed down, but rather, passed up from son to father. When it struck my father I was around the tender age of seven. His stunned expression said it all, just as my expression said it all when each one of my sons,... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1488838 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1488838 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/05/my-mates.html The 31 May, 2008 marks the first anniversary of my blog, so I would like to give a special thanks to those who have helped and supported me for the past twelve months. This is my way of showing you may gratitude. To put it simply, "I couldn't have done it without you." If I have missed anyone, I apologise. Anna Moonshadow Starlily JJ Loch Bob Max Mickie Ange The Muse Janeywan Windyridge Dan Chessnoid Lynda Julie Mega Sue Swubird JD Gina ... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1472734 Wed, 28 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1472734 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/05/kids-inheritance-baby-boomers-point-of.html According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) I’m a “Baby Boomer” due to the fact I was born Downunder during the years 1946 to 1964; and there I was thinking I was just “a chip off the old block”. Following closely on the heels of the ABS, are the so-called generation experts who claim that “Baby Boomers” are cashed up, getting botox, running off to the gym and travelling the world. Well, have I got news for them. “You’ve got to be kidding!” Now, I’ll explain point by point, why they are so wrong. Point One – Cashed up Our entire cash savings are tied up in our well worn wallets, loose change in the centre console of the family car, and one three month old frozen barramundi. Being able to save money h... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1467103 Sun, 25 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1467103 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/05/cold-hard-facts-of-life.html I see myself as a weather beaten old tree growing along side slow moving waters, surrounded by younger and stronger trees. Only one other is from the original stock that I grew up with and why we’re still there is a mystery to some, but not to me. Although our days may be numbered and our bark not totally intact, I still think of us of being more than capable of standing up to the heaviest of winds. For the younger ones it will seem like an eternity but it won’t be long before they taste and feel the ground that I now stand in. How long I stand depends on a few things but as there’s still plenty of life in the old tree yet, I hope to stay until my leaves drop. Forever mindful that my time there could be cut shor... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454889 Tue, 20 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1454889 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/05/three-peas-in-pod.html Looking over West Channel’s calm blue waters from Townsville’s windswept Castle Hill Lookout recently we took in the hazy image of Magnetic Island. This mysterious island paradise, located just off the northeastern coast of Australia in the State of Queensland, is a stone’s throw away from the Great Barrier Reef and filled with sunshine three hundred days a year. Magnetic Island was the target of the day’s main event with our eldest son; a tall, handsome aussie devil, deep, broad-shouldered, loving and caring man with the heart of a lion and very much loved by his parents. Having boarded the Sunferry we set off for Nelly Bay, the entrance to this sun soaked island. As we approached we noted its steep hilly interior and rugged northwestern side, as did Capt... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1434640 Sun, 11 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1434640 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/05/welcomed-intruder.html With the swipe of a card the outnumbered enter a brightly lit world filled with the forlorn and the foreboding. Both freedom and hope linger to eagerly strike from behind every corner. Lined in a row, numbered not named, the faces tell it all as they wait for their turn. Four long walls hide the pain as hope walks the floor day and night. Like prizefighters, the young and the old unwillingly step into the ring to battle it out. Battered and sore all but a few fail to go the full distance. One would hope the only trophy here is life. Although outnumbered the willing stand strong center stage. Moving out to join forces with others of mixed skill, they battle the unknown and the known to send these welcomed intruders back home. Waiting times only add to their pain. Pigeon holed between fl... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419157 Sun, 04 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1419157 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/04/mirrored-image.html With sandman eyes and bladder's empty we set off before the break of a Townsville dawn in far north Queensland to catch ourselves a mighty Australian barramundi.Having reached our destination, a stones throw away from the Great Barrier Reef and the Pacific Ocean, you shepherded me through midgy infested sands to still dark waters with the hope of landing the one that got away.As I follow and tread within your steps I listen to pearls of wisdom other than my own. It wasn't long ago that I led the way with smaller footsteps within my own. Like a mirrored image, I see my former self in the dark.Having settled for the perfect spot I watch wide-eyed with mouth wide-open as my head arches from start to finish as you cast your mighty net with herculean effort into still dark waters to snare the s... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1401499 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1401499 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/04/mind-eye.html Dark backgrounded hazy dreams, always the same rarely ever remembered, take me to places only seen with closed searching eyes and mind parted open by the longing. As I fall deeper, dead to my world, I drift amongst others. Like a puppet on strings I have no control of my own, forever grateful that I don’t set down on one not to my liking. The dark worlds that greet me are distant yet close and mostly to my liking. Still longing for the wanting, I drift along misty paths to the next. Forever searching, time not lasting; I search what’s laid before me. With unfounded trepidation, forever watchful, slowly creeping; I stop at minds corners. Once reassured the journey continues from one dreamy world to the next. These worlds, filled with indifference when it comes to the living... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1379611 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1379611 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/04/i-wasn-born-old.html As I was reading Mr. Grudge’s post "Sheltered Harbor" I couldn’t help but visualise and reminisce about my days as a boy and present-day happenings. Treating each memory like a relic brought out to be dusted; I reveal old ground to the curious and to those who assume I was born old that I wasn’t.The beaches and suburbs of Maroubra, Coogee and Bondi are the places I frequented when young to smell the ocean, see the sights and hang out with my mates. The sounds of the Beatles through to U2 still resonate through the sands.From a very early age I learnt that the key to having fun around town or at the beach was having oodles of coin. So with the help of my mates we’d hunt in packs and collect glass soft drink bottles of varying sizes for the refund money and the wealth that it brought... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1373900 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1373900 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/04/life-is-like-suppository.html This article, which is a follow up from a post published in September 2007, reveals another chapter in the story of you know who and what happened after three months of hard work in order for me to put the above plan into action. It all started on the 7 January 2008 when I commenced the New South Wales Nursing Re-Connect Program as a Registered Nurse within the emergency department (ED) of a large Sydney Hospital and finished with the successful completion of the program on the 9 April 2008. This period has been the most terrifying, the most exhilarating, the most challenging, the most rewarding and the most awesome days of my working life to date. Each eight and ten hour shift were crammed full of drama and action. To give you some sort of insight into how quick a shift would la... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1362504 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1362504 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-if.html If you have experienced critical incidents that involved the unexpected loss of one of those under your care you may remember them like it was yesterday, whether you like to or not.Whether you’re alone or in the company of others one perplexing question always seems to come to mind, “Could I have done more?” with even the most experienced having asked the very same question.Because we were directly responsible for the care, feelings of inadequacy may develop.Even though others reassure us, we may still question ourselves and perhaps some of those around us, in an effort to explain what happened. We are then guilty of not facing the truth.Looking back with the benefit of hindsight we look for ways that could have led to reversing the outcome. But it’s most likely nothing could have ... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344673 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1344673 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/03/who-inspires-you.html At least once a day I gain inspiration from people wanting to return to normality as they struggle to live from one day to the next. I think it would be fair to say that you have experienced something similar. They treat their condition and man-made appendages with disdain; and would like nothing more than to forget that they’re there. They may even think that’s all that we see of them. In our mad rush to comply we must remember to take a holistic approach to the dying which includes treating the soul and the mind as well as the body. We must accept their mood swings, cover their pain and be there always. Having accepted their plight they seek out the positives that make their day brighter while shutting out the negatives that would threaten to drag them down again. ... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1327633 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1327633 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/03/kismet.html Long ago a blessing was set-aside for two souls not yet born. As ages passed prior souls, having served their time, set them free to behold that blessing. So it was written and so it was for these two souls as they set foot upon earthly grounds. Never knowing they journeyed on, worlds apart, until Kismet played a hand and caused paths to cross. From that day forth each would glance upon the other in different light. One curious but shy while the other more outgoing both hoped for common ground. With time they would come to know each other well as they made their mark upon this earth. One of nine and one of five they conquered grounds not yet tried. Until that day came when both set up camp on shores well known. Supported by all and sundry close to home they melded as one. So the blessing k... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1317943 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1317943 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-thoughts-on-women.html "We all have our own opinions when it comes to the opposite sex. But I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I love women." I've delved deep into my innermost thoughts to back up that claim and to reveal to you why I find women more curious, more intriguing and more captivating than you know who. I have worked with women for the last 39 years. From that you could surmise that I am somewhat of an expert when it comes to casting an intelligent eye over one of God’s most gifted creatures and making comment on her/his product of creation. As with men, women run the whole gambit of complexities and niceties. But I have to say I appreciate and prefer their uniqueness and outlook in life. I now hear you say, “Give me twenty good reasons why you find women more... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1300769 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1300769 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/03/second-life-gamble.html "What would you do differently if you had the chance to live life all over again?" First reactions for most would be to jump at the chance to be given such a gift. But would you? Would you really be prepared to leave everything you have now for an uncertain future? Knowing that in the back of your mind you could make the same mistakes as before. I'll let you do the sums on how it might work out for you. It would certainly be a big gamble. Even though I know it’s impossible, I’ve often thought about what it would like to start all over again. But to make a long story short I’ve given up on that idea. Yes, to cut to the chase would be far better. As I’d hate to go through childhood and all that goes with it again. It would be far too taxing and there&#82... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1282382 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1282382 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/03/bullying.html My very good blogging friend Moonshadow, the author of KS Born has recently highlighted school bullying as a major concern.  Her aim is to get bloggers united to help spread the word about this blight within our schools. So I have accepted the challenge and after receiving this in the mail, I've combined the two. Firstly I must say I’m not an expert on this matter even though I experienced bullying and the bullying of others during my education. For me I was luckier than most, as I was far bigger than my tormentors; who quickly learnt that I was more than a match. The best I can do is to be a resource to other sites and an outlet for others to express their views and lessons in life that may assist others. I truly hope so.   To put you in the picture better, my schooling d... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1268688 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1268688 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/02/hard-on-outside-soft-in-middle.html My memories have been jogged by Mick the talented author of Mr Grudge, that when dealing with the most gruesome of work, one can become hardened and impervious to visible signs of distress in order to get on with the job. Now the type of job I’m talking about is not just confined to emergency workers or nurses who have to deal with death on an everyday basis. But to many others that go out day after day, paid and unpaid to assist those found sick, destitute, alone or even in far worse condition. To work amongst such horrible images and experience others peoples pain, be it in death or in the dying of loved ones, is a hard task for anyone to handle. But to keep performing the task without losing your grip, one becomes hardened on the outside whilst still trying to remain just like any... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1251183 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1251183 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-am-i.html I am what I am For you made me that way Never a thought Then a thought Then I was there From nothing to something Here I am Helpless and wanting Forever wanting Pure ID Crying and shaking Forever wanting Never stopping Forever searching I find what I need Nestled in the warmth The frenzy begins Contented for now Sleep is my partner As I wait for the wait Forever thirsty Looking up Never down Forever caring I fall asleep Contented again I dream for the next I dream to be near Awakened at last The game starts again As the game never stops I seek the attention I want for the change Warm again It starts over again Caressed by one hand Chastised by the voice Not knowing what I am I accept what I am Never far from the nest Never wonderi... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1242439 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:02:37 +0100 1242439 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/02/mccartneys-magical-mystery-tour.html "All aboard! No tickets required. Hang on as we travel the World!" Simple words with simple images are all that it takes for one to understand that complex ways aren’t required to capture one’s mind and soul. Coupled with humorous conversations free from entangling webs makes my heart grow fonder. Although frequent visits are certainly an honour, they're not demanded what so ever. That’s what makes it such a pleasure when I wonder and say hello to the one that matters. They breed them tough in the Sunflower State, the heartland of one so dear who has a heart the size of their fair state. Always there to share a thought and give comfort even when frozen in. Forever sharing past and present family glories; forever searching for former family. I take heart and wis... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1233350 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1233350 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/02/things-were-far-simpler-then.html “Mankind is doomed to live a life of servitude catering to the technology juggernaut.”Yes, a very bold and pessimistic view on human society to say the least. But does it ring true, I ask.Machines and gadgets free us from labour intensive and mind-bending chores. But in the process we become slaves to their needs.I now spend an inordinate amount of time nurturing and caring for the things that are supposed to make my life and others better. To compound this even further are the reams of computer-generated paperwork that go with the job. They all take me away from giving quality time to the ones that matter most.I know I can’t go back but things were far simpler earlier on in my careers.Green Park and St Vincent’s Hospital 1937PICMAN Database - State Library of New South WalesNow do... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1221356 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1221356 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/02/does-your-mouth-get-you-into-trouble.html Has your mouth ever got you into trouble? Well, it did for me when I first started nursing and to tell you the truth, it still does. Now, I’m not talking about inappropriate language. I’m talking about being misunderstood by people from overseas when I use Australian Sayings. As my class had a sprinkling of overseas students they too found it extremely hard to digest what I was trying to convey. At times I felt like I needed the services of an interpreter. But through trial and error those confused classmates grew accustomed to my ways, as I did with them. To test your skills on Aussie Sayings, I’ve highlighted below snippets of conversations I’ve had in the past. Your job is to pick out a couple and work out what I’m trying to say. (1) Hi... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1208221 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1208221 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/01/life-is-like-race.html in some ways. A baton relay race, that is. So Imagine this! You’re running around a track with a baton in your hand waiting to pass it on. This baton contains everything you have learnt and all that you hold dear. This race was started when but a youth. You’re full of life and energy; you’re nothing but a lean mean fighting machine. You continue to go full circle time after time, after time. But you don’t mind. There’s plenty to see on the way and the crowd still there, cheering as you go by. But unlike the real game there are no other team mates up ahead, as far as you can see. This race is not as simple as you think. You continue to circle the track with life’s baton firmly held within your hand. The minutes tick away, the hours tick away, the days t... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1181875 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1181875 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/01/to-cry-or-not-to-cry.html Conclusion Why is it that some people cry and some do not? I have my theories but it would take an expert to give a correct answer to this one. I have tried to sum it up in a word or two here. Perhaps you have a better explanation and one that I'd like to hear. Upbringing Inexperience Emotionless Tearless Unprofessionalism Hardened Reserved Faithless Unmanly Undignified Exhaustion Stubbornness Frightened Repercussions Uncaring Flippancy Career ending Soul destroying Can’t handle it Depression Crowdedness For me, I'm an emotionless prat but it helps! To be continued... (Source: St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses) St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173533 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1173533 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/01/family-friends.html Everyone will reach a time in their lives when they’ll look back at the things they have achieved and experienced. When we contemplate our life’s journey the first thing that comes to mind are the negative aspects of our lives. They cast a dark shadow over the good things that have come our way. The best we can do is to learn from the past and get on with our lives. Not wanting to live in the past, I think it’s good for the soul to revisit the good times to remind us that our family and friends are the most important thing is our lives and that they should always come first. I’m still loving the memories that I’ve shared with my beautiful wife and three children. Even though we’ve had our moments, I’m still grateful that my wife and I love each ot... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1158491 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1158491 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/01/mission-impossible.html What is the name of a creature that has two heads and is best described as elegantly beautiful, a great conversationalist, philosophical, loves to interact with people including me and lives in Portugal? The answer to that question is found here. Now! My friend Max has challenged me to declare my 2008 New Year Resolutions. I have accepted but have broken the rules as usual to suit others and myself. When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions we seem to fall into four categories: 1) quite serious about them, 2) be flippant about them, 3) do it because we feel pressured to, or 4) do not do them. For me, I’m all of the above. In this case I have selected number four (4). However I have highlighted fifteen (15) Australian resources below that all Australian’s should be... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1143520 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1143520 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-save-life.html My first experience with saving a life occurred shortly after commencing my general nurse training in 1975. I found myself alone with a patient who had suffered a heart attack. A few chest compressions later she was up and about again so to speak.The next day as her smiling family stood by, she presented me with four packets of export cigarettes. It may seem inappropriate to some but that was her way of saying thank you. It meant a great deal to me and I appreciated the gesture.I would come to partially understand what she went threw in regards to thoughts of death, 10 years later after having a melanoma removed. For me this memory never fades, as each day I’m reminded that it may reoccur in one way or another. So it’s not until our lives are threatened that we start to look at ourselv... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1129521 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1129521 http://stvincentsdarlinghurstmalenurses.blogspot.com/2007/12/my-answers-you-seek-are-within.html Dan Hanosh is a great family man from Waukesha, Wisconsin USA. As I consider him a friend I have accepted his challenge set out below. He’s a well-known writer with a passion for poetry and who's goal is help those that can’t share their dreams and capture their stories. Dan's enthusiasm for spreading the word is contagious. I, as well as many others, visit his sites to read his thought provoking words of wisdom. Now for my pearls of wisdom, “Seek and you shall find” my answers to Dan’s questions. Name one person who made you laugh last night? What were you doing at 0800? What were you doing 30 minutes ago? What happened to you in 2006? What was the last thing you said out loud? ... St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1117885 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1117885