Today is International Nurses Day (IND), a worldwide celebration and recognition of nurses across the globe. The theme this year is ‘Our Nurses, Our Future’, and aims to shift the focus to the health and wellbeing of nurses. This theme emphasises the importance of a healthy nursing workforce in improving health systems, strengthening economies, and delivering quality services in our communities.

At Warrigal, we acknowledge the round-the-clock commitment of our nurses in all our residential care homes across NSW and the ACT, and thank them for their selfless devotion to improving the lives of our older people.

Warrigal CEO, Jenni Hutchins, shares her gratitude.

“I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to all the nurses here at Warrigal. Your dedication, expertise, and compassion are at the very heart of our organisation.”

She continues, “I am particularly moved by your commitment to being present during special occasions that matter personally to you. Your dedication demonstrates the profound commitment that defines nursing at Warrigal. For this, I say thank you.”

In honour of International Nurses Day today, we would like to share the inspiring story of one of our dedicated employees, Emma Brown – Special Care Project Manager at Warrigal. We recently interviewed Emma to discuss her journey as a nurse at Warrigal.

How did you start your career journey as a nurse? What made you want to become a nurse? 

I’ve always been drawn to helping people, and nursing gives me a direct way to make a real difference in people’s lives every day. After graduating from Wollongong University, I secured a new grad position at Wollongong Hospital followed by a further 3 years as a RN on a surgical ward. I then packed my bags and moved over to the UK to explore the world and other opportunities being a nurse gives you.

Are you able to briefly outline what your career journey/path has been? 

After my 4 years at Wollongong Hospital I moved over to the UK where I started my work in aged care. While I really valued my experience in hospital nursing, I realised that I was passionate about building longer-term relationships with people, and aged care gave me that opportunity. I’m drawn to the idea of providing holistic, compassionate care, and supporting not just medical needs, but emotional and social well-being too. I also felt that my acute care background gave me strong clinical skills that I could bring to aged care to really make a difference in residents’ quality of life. This started with some work in the community in London followed by spending 9 years on the Isle of Man working as a RN, and then a Deputy Manager in a small nursing home. It was here that I fell in love with working in a residential aged care home setting, which I was able to continue when I moved back to Australia.

My Warrigal journey started at the beginning of 2011, and has given me an opportunity to grow professionally, starting with the Deputy Manager role at our Albion Park Rail care home which then led into project work. Some of the projects I have had the opportunity to be involved with was the commissioning of Warrigal Shell Cove, supporting the integration of new homes into Warrigal, and my current role of supporting the organisation to implement platforms to ensure that staff have efficient programs for improved outcomes for our residents and customers.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into aged care nursing, or why should RNs consider it? 

My driver has always been the privilege to be a small part in a person’s life to ensure they are able to live the life they want on their terms. You’re not just treating conditions — you’re becoming a trusted part of someone’s life story. Aged care is an amazing place to build really strong foundational skills — you learn to manage complex care, make independent clinical decisions, and develop leadership skills. Plus, you get to form meaningful, long-term connections with residents, which is something you don’t always experience in acute care. It’s a place where you grow not just as a nurse, but as a person. If you want a career that’s deeply meaningful, aged care is where you’ll find it.  Every day in aged care reminds me why I became a nurse in the first place!

Why do you think we need to value our nurses and recognise the important role they play? 

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare — they’re the ones advocating for residents, delivering care, offering comfort to not only the residents but also their loved ones, and often picking up the unspoken needs that others don’t always see. Recognising and valuing nurses is essential because without their skill, compassion, and dedication, aged care would struggle. When we value nurses, we not only support their well-being, we also improve the care residents receive.

We thank all of our nurses this International Nurses Day, and acknowledge the legacy of kindness, care and love that touches the lives of the older people we serve. Happy International Nurses Day!