Support provides endless possibilities

It takes a very special kind of person to work in the healthcare industry. For our aged care workers, it’s about having empathy, stamina, and resilience to care for the emotional, psychological, and physical needs of elderly people.

Assistant in Nursing, and ANMF ACT Workplace Delegate, Nischal Pokharel, first entered the sector in 2016, not expecting that it would lead him to pursue a long-term career. After migrating to Australia from Nepal, Nischal was initially studying IT in Sydney and also worked part-time, cleaning in an aged care facility to support himself through university. That role led him to discover what his future could look like and the career he could have.

“When I started working, I didn’t have a plan in my mind to work in the healthcare sector. However, I then started working with older people and with this experience, I realised that was a really rewarding and prospective career and that you can really contribute to society.”

“I realised okay, this is the career that I have the ability to do, to do something special.”

Whilst Nischal was completing his Certificate III and preparing to enter the sector as an Assistant in Nursing, his expectations of the role were influenced by many of his friends having been through the same journey as him. “I had a bit of an understanding of what to expect. A few of my relatives and friends worked in the sector so I saw their journeys and they motivated me to follow in the same footsteps.”

In 2016, 15% of Australians were aged 65 and over, by 2056, that number is expected to grow to 22% of the population[1]. As Australia’s ageing population continues to grow, the need to care for our older Australians continues to increase. Roles in the aged care sector have continuously expanded over the years, providing further opportunities and pathways for people aspiring to make a difference in the sector.

1 Australian Government, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Older Australians Report 30 November 2021

What Nischal wasn’t aware of was the opportunities, the various pathways, and career progressions that this role would provide him.

“The thing I didn’t know is that there are a lot of opportunities available. If you want them, there’s a lot you can do but it’s your choice.”

Making the most of opportunities is exactly what Nischal has done. On his first day as an Assistant in Nursing, Nischal joined ANMF ACT to make sure that he would be aware of his rights and have support in case he would ever need it.

“It’s really important and beneficial to become a union member because there is a lot to know and a lot you don’t know. The union can help you. You can claim the money on your tax return and at the end of the financial year, not only do you get money back but you are reminded that you have a team behind you looking out for your rights and giving you fantastic support. It’s really important.”

Today, Nischal is proud to be a Workplace Delegate, representing his colleagues, fighting for their rights, and providing them with support whenever they might need it. Support that he believes is essential when working in a job that can be physically, emotionally, and mentally draining at times.

“It’s not an easy job. You need to be properly trained; you need to have the qualifications. You need to know how to work in a team and with people. Whatever you do can directly and indirectly impact people.”

“It’s really important to have support from your workplace, supervisors or management when you are working because you are giving eight hours of your life, every single day. So if you don’t have the support, your working life will be extremely hard. It’s also really important to have support from your family as well because when you have a very difficult day ‘at the office’, you don’t want to take that burden back home. So you need to have the balance from both sides.”

It has been over a year since the Royal Commission handed down its final report but the crisis in aged care continues.

In August 2021, the ANMF Federal Office wrote to all political parties seeking their commitment on the key issues urgently needed for aged care reform, as recommended by the Royal Commission.

The key four actions to fix aged care include always having at least one Registered Nurse on site, greater transparency around funding tied to care, minimum mandated care hours and the right skills mix, and improved wages and conditions.

The ANMF Federal Aged Care Campaign is crucial in fixing aged care, it’s not too much to ask to help nurses and carers provide the care our elderly deserve.

Find out more about the ANMF Federal Aged Care Campaign at itsnottoomuch.com.

With the right support from your family, your workplace, and the union, possibilities to make real change are near limitless.

Nischal is hoping to go to university to study a Masters of Social Work and continue progressing in his career in the healthcare sector.

“For the next 20 years, I’m not going any other way. I want to stay in the health industry. I want to give something back to the community, my knowledge, whatever I have, where I can change and where I have made real change in people’s lives. That really makes me proud and happy.”