My first shift as an aged care worker as an 18-year-old nursing student involved stopping a dementia resident from strangling another resident. I was alone. There were two other carers who were both dealing with other patients. I did not know what to do. The lack of training and lack of staffing meant that I was alone with no help. I stood there holding the resident’s hands while no one came to help. The resident started to become aggressive with me. It is unacceptable. The lack of ratios for the dementia floor is disgusting. If I was not there or helping another resident what would’ve happened?

Now a few weeks later I have seen understaffed, burnt out and underpaid nurses which are forcing me to reconsider if this is the future I want for myself. We need higher nurse-to-patient ratios, we need better pay and we need more nurses. Something has to change otherwise people will keep dying and nurses will keep leaving.