The phrase, ‘like mother, like daughter’ very much applies to Enrolled Nurses, and self-confessed ‘talkers’, Linda and Brooklyn.
Two months ago, they both launched new careers – 52-year-old mum Linda had been a beauty therapist for 20 years, while 21-year-old Brooklyn had worked, since finishing high school, as a hospital cleaner then orderly – known as a ‘wardie’ – at Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH).
Brooklyn recalls, “I had decided to enrol at TAFE, and I sent mum a photo of my Diploma of Nursing booklet.”
Linda, who’d been caring for her father and best friend before they passed away, said, “I’d always wanted to be a nurse. I told Brooklyn ‘Let’s do it together!’ So, I bit the bullet and signed up.”
Not only did they enrol to study on the same day, but they also landed their first nursing job on the same day, at the same hospital and started their new careers together at GCUH… you guessed it, on the same day.
Brooklyn said, “I remember Mum picking me up, and we were in scrubs, and we could not stop laughing. Mum said, ‘we no longer have to play pretend nurses, we are real ones!’ “
“It was very hard working and studying full time, and if it wasn’t for Mum encouraging me every day, I could not have done it. But it was so worth it and so cool doing it all with Mum. I’m so proud of her.”
Both nurses feel they are making a difference in people’s lives and love getting to know, and caring for, their patients – mum in Gastroenterology, her daughter in Orthopaedics.
Linda said, “It can be physically and mentally demanding. But I’m proud of Brooklyn and myself, especially doing this at my age.”
“If it’s something you really want to do, just go for it. Life’s too short not to be doing what you love.”
Their next goal – studying to become Registered Nurses. Together, of course.
