I want to acknowledge the amazing women in my family who have chosen to pursue a career in nursing. My mum, Janet, my sister, Lily, and myself, are all at different stages and specialties in nursing.

Our mum, Janet, is an EEN in a rural multidisciplinary hospital; she works across many specialities on any given shift.

My sister, Lily, will graduate from Armidale University later this year to begin her career as an RN.

I have spent nearly 20 years working as an RN in operating theatres in both the public and private sectors in NSW and QLD.

You might have clocked the age difference here. My mum is still working in her early 60s, I am 40 and have spent my entire career until now nursing in hospitals, and my 22-year-old sister is just stepping into her first nursing role.

As the one in the middle of Mum and Lily, I can see how nursing is changing; the shift to more autonomous roles and the reliance on experienced nurses to prop up healthcare facilities, especially so in rural areas.

I am lucky to have a family who not only understands my job, but also does my job – they’re my support crew.

Shay Baynton, RN