May 9, 2025#WeAreNorthern
This week, Northern Health is celebrating International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day. Today, we share the thoughts of Nicole Psaila, Postgraduate Program Coordinator – Nursing & Midwifery and Perioperative Clinical Nurse Educator, Nursing and Midwifery Education Unit, Northern Health.
Q: What is your coffee order?
Skinny latte or maybe a mocha for a change.
Q: Tell us about your career journey.
I began my nursing career at Northern Health as a graduate in 1998 as part of the very first cohort of just eight nurses! While I always knew theatre was my calling, my time with Unit B and Annie Fraser made the start of my journey so enjoyable that I stayed until February 2000.
After completing my Postgraduate Certificate in Theatre, I’ve remained in the theatre environment ever since. In 2005, I joined the theatre education team as a Clinical Support Nurse and became a Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE) in 2010. I completed my Master of Clinical Education in 2017.
In 2019, I was promoted to Postgraduate Program Coordinator while continuing part-time in my CNE role – positions I still hold today. I’ve also had the privilege of stepping into the Director of Education role temporarily, this has been both a challenge and a privilege to lead the team of educators at Northern Health.
Last year I began my research career and published my first paper. A lot of hard work but so exciting to have my work published with the support of the Australian College of Nursing Emerging Research Leader program.
Q: What inspires you?
I am a huge nerd! I am inspired to continue to learn and to make a difference in the lives of those around me. I pride myself on supporting the wellbeing of others and am now undertaking my Professional Doctorate at La Trobe University where I am researching the preparedness of nursing educators to support nursing student wellbeing in the clinical setting.
In my spare time, I coach and play netball (I should have retired from competitive netball a very long time ago but it’s in my blood!) and I love sharing my knowledge and passion for the sport with young netballers.
Q: Tell us about a particular student/patient interaction that has really stuck with you.
As a graduate nurse I once had a patient’s relative tell me I was a terrible nurse and I didn’t care about anyone. I was shocked, upset and hurt when I had worked closely with this family and patient for a week. I received amazing support from the ANUM and NUM on that ward and learnt a lot about how stress comes across from families.
This has stuck with me through my nursing career and reminds me how vulnerable our junior nurses are to criticism and is part of the reason I am passionate about wellbeing support of our nurses.
Q: As someone who works across both nursing and midwifery, what does International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day mean to you?
To me as an educator, it makes me reflect on the privilege I have personally had in training and supporting nurses to make a difference with high quality skills and knowledge and impact positively on patient experience and outcomes.
It makes me proud to see my students working capably and some now in management roles at Northern Health and other health services, and to know I helped to grow them.
Q: Do you have a message for your students?
I always start orientation with my goal for each and every student I come across. “I am not here to make you a good nurse, I am here to support you to become a great nurse!”
Q: If you could listen to any song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Too many to mention. I love music and the way it can articulate how you feel in any given situation. There is a song for everything.
Q: What would your perfect weekend look like?
Anything to do with travel, really. I love being out and about in the world. But if I had to choose, my grandmother turned my entire extended family into Disney fanatics from a young age. So my perfect weekend would be a trip to Disneyland with the family wearing Mickey Mouse ears and enjoying the happiest place on earth!
