Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone: A Path to Personal Growth

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone: A Path to Personal Growth

This blog is the “monthly thought”. A section in the Monthly Dose Newsletter.

You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

As nurses, it’s easy to fall into a routine and stick to what we know. However, growth occurs when we step outside our comfort zone. When we challenge ourselves and take risks, we open ourselves up to new perspectives and experiences that can help us become better healthcare providers.

Stepping outside our comfort zone can be daunting, but the rewards are often well worth the effort. Not only does it broaden our horizons, but it also helps us build resilience and confidence. We learn to embrace change and adapt to new situations, which is an essential personal and professional skill.

So, the next time you feel stagnant or uninspired, consider taking a leap of faith and trying something new. Whether learning a new skill, attending a conference or workshop, or even just introducing yourself to a new colleague, the possibilities are endless when we step outside our comfort zone.

Remember, growth occurs when we challenge ourselves. By taking risks and embracing new opportunities, we can continue improving our practice and providing better patient care.

Redefining Nursing Education: Embracing a Holistic Approach for a Successful Career

The Myth: Nursing School Teaches You Everything

🤔 No, it won’t.

Many believe that university or TAFE-based nursing programs provide all the necessary knowledge and skills for a successful nursing career. This commonly held belief stems from the assumption that formal education is the key to success in any profession. However, this belief has led to underprepared nurses entering the workforce.

Shortcomings in Traditional Nursing Education:

  1. Limited clinical practice in controlled environments
  2. Lack of exposure to different nursing specialties
  3. Insufficient focus on soft skills like communication and empathy

The Flawed Belief in the Traditional Nursing Education Model

Traditional nursing education often falls short because it doesn’t prepare students for the realities of the profession. Real-world experience and adaptability are crucial, yet many programs lack these elements.

Embracing a Holistic Approach: The New Perspective

To shift their mindset from “old” to “new,” nursing students should actively seek hands-on experiences. By engaging in undergraduate, volunteer, or part-time work in healthcare settings, students can gain practical experience and enhance their skills as well as gain confidence.

The Benefits of a Holistic Approach

Compound the experience you gain with additional benefits seeking your own learning goals. By adopting a more comprehensive approach, nursing students can expect improved clinical skills, better communication, and critical thinking abilities. This will better equip them for the challenges and complexities of the nursing profession, leading to a more fulfilling career.

The “Old” Way Is Fading

The “old” way of relying on traditional nursing education is on its way out, as the need for adaptable and well-rounded nurses becomes apparent. A more comprehensive approach, integrating theory, practice, and soft skills, is the future of nursing education, ensuring that students are prepared for the ever-changing healthcare landscape and contribute to improving patient care.


Atomic Essay Titled Redefining Nursing Education: Embracing a Holistic Approach for a Successful Career
Redefining Nursing Education: Embracing a Holistic Approach for a Successful Career

“Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.”

Author Unknown
Read more

5 Tips for New Graduate Nurses Getting Started With Their Career

Starting a new job as a graduate nurse can be an intimidating experience, but with the right advice, support, and tips mentioned in this post, you can make the most of your new career.

Table of Contents

Here are five tips to help you navigate the challenges of being a new graduate nurse:

🙋🏼‍♂️ Ask Questions and Seek Help

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and reach out for assistance when needed. Everyone was once a new graduate nurse, and it can be comforting to know that you are not alone in this journey. Your colleagues, supervisors, and mentors can provide valuable insight and support to help you succeed. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of your resources.

Extra Tip: Have a system for your continued learning and growth. Clinical and non-clinical.

⏰ Time Management

Being mindful of your time and prioritising your tasks is an essential part of being a successful new graduate nurse. Make sure to take regular breaks and pace yourself to avoid burnout. Prioritising your work, taking breaks, and developing good time management habits will help you stay on top of your workload.

Extra Tip: This is unique to you! Developing nursing skills is an ongoing and dynamic process. Check out the podcast I recorded with the Two Humerus Nurses, where time management was the theme of the recording. I share the same resource I used as a student with my students and graduates, and they find it helps them to reduce distractions and focus on categorising their patients’ care. Download Your Copy.

👥 Build Relationships with Your Colleagues

Building positive and supportive working relationships with your colleagues will make your work environment more enjoyable and help you learn from each other. It is important to build relationships with your peers and supervisors in order to get the most out of your job.

Extra Tip: Start this in your first year of nursing! If you are serious about nursing, then commit to it and network with others. You have a lot of chances to make connections and build a network for your future at university and on placements. In the third year and beyond, attend conferences at least annually in your field and interest area. You are here now in your graduate year, continue to build on the relationships you have and develop new ones along your path.

🍀 Maintain a Growth Mindset

Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and continuous learning. Stay open-minded and willing to try new things. Don’t be afraid to take risks and challenge yourself.

Extra Tip: You will always be learning something new. Be inquisitive and enjoy the fun of learning with others while performing your job. It’s ok if you do not like something, especially if you have given it a try and enjoyed the journey. It’s all about experience first, then identifying second, and finally choosing what aligns with you.

🥸 Focus on Patient-Centred Care

Always put the patient first.

Focus on giving your patients good care with compassion and building good relationships with them and their families. As a newly graduated nurse, it’s important to give your patients good care and get to know them well.

Extra Tip: Concentrate on this and work from there. This will help you with the environment as the stresses, people, and workload change to focus on what is truly a priority and of concern to your patient and yourself.

These tips can help you become a successful and well-rounded new graduate nurse.

With a bit of hard work and dedication, you can make the most of your new career.

Head out and have a great time!

Remember to savour the experience!

You’ve earned it!

Take a moment to dive into your progress, learning, and growth.

Reach out if you need anything 😃

Mastering Time Management in Nursing: Using the CURE Tool to Prioritise Critical, Urgent, Routine, and Extra Tasks

In nursing, time management is essential to providing quality care to patients.

One valuable tool that can help you prioritise tasks and manage your time effectively is the CURE tool.

CURE stands for Critical, Urgent, Routine, and Extra tasks.

With this framework, you can organise your work and focus on getting the most important tasks done first.

Article Quick View ⤵️

🚨Critical

Critical tasks are those that are essential to patient care and safety. They require immediate attention and should be your top priority.

Examples of critical nursing tasks may include:

 

    • Administering medications to a patient experiencing a life-threatening reaction

    • Responding to a patient who has stopped breathing and performing CPR

    • Assessing and managing a patient who is experiencing a rapid decline in health status

    • Responding to a patient who has fallen and is showing signs of a head injury

🤔Urgent

Urgent tasks are those that have a deadline or need to be done quickly but are not life-threatening. They require prompt attention and should be completed after critical tasks.

Examples of urgent tasks include preparing a patient for surgery, completing documentation, and responding to a patient’s call light.

Examples of urgent nursing tasks may include:

 

    • Administering medications on time to ensure the patient’s pain is managed effectively

    • Assisting a patient who is experiencing shortness of breath

    • Responding to a patient who has pressed the call bell to ask for help with using the bathroom

⌚️Routine

Routine tasks are those that are done on a regular basis but do not require immediate attention, such as taking vital signs or performing a bed bath. While these tasks are important, they are not as critical or urgent as other tasks. Routine tasks should be completed after critical and urgent tasks.

Examples of routine nursing tasks may include:

 

    • Performing daily patient assessments to monitor for changes in health status

    • Administering medications at scheduled times (excluding medications for pain/diabetes, these would be urgent)

    • Assisting patients with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing

    • Documenting patient care in the electronic health record

🥱Extras

Extra tasks are those that are not essential but may be helpful. Examples of extra tasks include restocking supplies, organizing a patient’s room, and completing non-urgent paperwork. These tasks should be completed last if time allows.

Examples of extra nursing tasks may include:

 

    • Attending staff meetings to discuss patient care and unit operations

    • Participating in continuing education activities to maintain nursing licensure and competency

    • Completing administrative tasks such as ordering supplies and completing paperwork

    • Participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient care and safety

Example of the CURE tool used in the Emergency Department

Applying the CURE tool in a practical scenario:

You are a nurse working in a hospital’s emergency department. You have four patients assigned to you, and each has different needs. One patient is experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath, another patient requires a dressing change for a wound, a third patient needs a medication refill, and the fourth patient needs assistance with using the bathroom.

Using the CURE tool, you would identify the chest pain patient’s care as critical and attend to them immediately. Next, you would treat the patient who requires a dressing change as urgent to prevent an infection. Afterwards, you would attend to the medication refill for the third patient, as it has a deadline. Finally, you would assist the fourth patient in using the bathroom, which is a routine task.

Overall, using the CURE tool can help you prioritise your tasks effectively and manage your time wisely. By doing so, you can provide better patient care, reduce stress, and prevent burnout. Remember, critical tasks are always your top priority, followed by urgent tasks, routine tasks, and extra tasks last.

🤩 Download Your Copy Of CURE

Examples of CURE

Intensive Care

 

    • Critical tasks: Responding to a patient who is experiencing cardiac arrest, managing a patient who is experiencing sepsis or septic shock, performing interventions to manage a patient with a rapidly deteriorating condition, and managing a patient with a compromised airway.

    • Urgent tasks: Administering medications to manage a patient’s blood pressure or oxygen saturation, responding to alarms or changes in vital signs, and assisting with procedures such as inserting a central line or changing a ventilator setting.

    • Routine tasks: Assessing and monitoring patients, administering medications on schedule, performing daily patient care tasks, and documenting patient care in the electronic health record.

    • Extra tasks: Participating in multidisciplinary rounds and care conferences, participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes, and attending unit meetings to discuss patient care and unit operations.

Emergency

 

    • Critical tasks: Responding to a patient who is experiencing a life-threatening allergic reaction, performing CPR on a patient who has gone into cardiac arrest, managing a patient who has experienced a traumatic injury, and responding to a patient who is experiencing an acute asthma attack.

    • Urgent tasks: Administering medications to manage a patient’s pain or anxiety, performing triage assessments to determine the severity of patients’ conditions, and responding to a patient who has sustained a minor injury and requires urgent care.

    • Routine tasks: Assessing and monitoring patients, performing wound care and other routine interventions, and documenting patient care in the electronic health record.

    • Extra tasks: Participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes, attending meetings to discuss patient care and unit operations, and participating in continuing education activities to maintain nursing licensure and competency.

Anaesthesia

 

    • Critical tasks: Monitoring a patient’s vital signs during surgery, responding to a patient who is experiencing a complication related to anaesthesia, and managing a patient who is experiencing an adverse reaction to medications.

    • Urgent tasks: Administering medications to manage a patient’s pain or anxiety, responding to changes in a patient’s condition during surgery, and assisting with procedures such as intubation or insertion of a central line.

    • Routine tasks: Preparing patients for surgery, assessing and monitoring patients before and after surgery, and documenting patient care in the electronic health record.

    • Extra tasks: Participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes, attending meetings to discuss patient care and unit operations, and participating in continuing education activities to maintain nursing licensure and competency.

PACU

 

    • Critical tasks: Managing a patient who is experiencing postoperative complications, and responding to a patient who is experiencing respiratory distress or other urgent issues after surgery.

    • Urgent tasks: Administering medications to manage a patient’s pain or nausea, monitoring patients for postoperative complications such as bleeding or infection, and responding to changes in a patient’s condition after surgery.

    • Routine tasks: Assessing and monitoring patients, providing wound care and other routine interventions, and documenting patient care in the electronic health record.

    • Extra tasks: Participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes, attending meetings to discuss patient care and unit operations, and participating in continuing education activities to maintain nursing licensure and competency.

Surgical

 

    • Critical tasks: Responding to a patient who is experiencing a life-threatening complication during surgery, managing a patient who is experiencing hemorrhage or other urgent issues during surgery, and performing emergency procedures such as chest tube insertion.

    • Urgent tasks: Administering medications to manage a patient’s pain or anxiety, preparing patients for surgery, and assisting with procedures such as wound closure or insertion of a urinary catheter.

    • Routine tasks: Assessing and monitoring patients, providing wound care and other routine interventions, and documenting patient care in the electronic health record.

    • Extra tasks: Participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes, attending meetings to discuss patient care and unit operations, and participating in continuing education activities to maintain nursing licensure and competency.

Mental Health

 

    • Critical tasks: Responding to a patient who is experiencing suicidal ideation or intent, managing a patient who is experiencing a psychotic episode or severe agitation, and responding to a patient who is experiencing a medical emergency while in a mental health crisis.

    • Urgent tasks: Administering medications to manage a patient’s anxiety or agitation, responding to patients who require crisis intervention or de-escalation, and monitoring patients for adverse medication effects or changes in mental status.

    • Routine tasks: Conducting patient assessments, administering medications as prescribed, facilitating group therapy or other therapeutic interventions, and documenting patient care in the electronic health record.

    • Extra tasks: Participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes, attending meetings to discuss patient care and unit operations, and participating in continuing education activities to maintain nursing licensure and competency.

Community

 

    • Critical tasks: Responding to a patient who is experiencing a medical emergency, managing a patient who is experiencing a sudden decline in health status, and responding to a patient who has sustained an injury or acute illness while at home.

    • Urgent tasks: Administering medications to manage a patient’s pain or other symptoms, responding to patients who require urgent medical attention, and providing education and support to patients and families.

    • Routine tasks: Conducting patient assessments, providing wound care and other routine interventions, administering medications as prescribed, and documenting patient care in the electronic health record.

    • Extra tasks: Participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes, attending meetings to discuss patient care and community health initiatives, and participating in continuing education activities to maintain nursing licensure and competency.

Medical

 

    • Critical tasks: Responding to a patient who is experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency, managing a patient who is experiencing sepsis or other acute medical conditions, and performing emergency procedures such as intubation or chest tube insertion.

    • Urgent tasks: Administering medications to manage a patient’s pain or other symptoms, responding to patients who require urgent medical attention, and monitoring patients for adverse medication effects or changes in health status.

    • Routine tasks: Conducting patient assessments, administering medications as prescribed, providing wound care and other routine interventions, and documenting patient care in the electronic health record.

    • Extra tasks: Participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes, attending meetings to discuss patient care and unit operations, and participating in continuing education activities to maintain nursing licensure and competency.

General Practice

 

    • Critical tasks: Responding to a patient who is experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency, managing a patient who is experiencing a sudden decline in health status, and performing emergency procedures such as CPR or defibrillation.

    • Urgent tasks: Administering medications to manage a patient’s pain or other symptoms, responding to patients who require urgent medical attention, and providing education and support to patients and families.

    • Routine tasks: Conducting patient assessments, administering medications as prescribed, providing wound care and other routine interventions, and documenting patient care in the electronic health record.

    • Extra tasks: Participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes, attending meetings to discuss patient care and unit operations, and participating in continuing education activities to maintain nursing licensure and competency.

Aged Care

 

    • Critical tasks: Responding to a patient who is experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency, managing a patient who is experiencing a sudden decline in health status, and performing emergency procedures such as CPR or defibrillation.

    • Urgent tasks: Administering medications to manage a patient’s pain or other symptoms, responding to patients who require urgent medical attention, and providing education and support to patients and families.

    • Routine tasks: Conducting patient assessments, administering medications as prescribed, providing wound care and other routine interventions, and documenting patient care in the electronic health record.

    • Extra tasks: Participating in quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes, attending meetings to discuss patient care and unit operations, and participating in continuing education activities to maintain nursing licensure and competency. Additionally, some specific nursing tasks may include assisting patients with activities of daily living such as dressing and bathing, monitoring for changes in cognitive function and mental status, and communicating with family members and other healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive and coordinated care.

Apply To The 2023 New Graduate Fellowship Program

🏥 New Graduate Nurses Seeking Hospital Positions

🤩 Exciting times for new graduate nurses!

It’s time to apply for all of the programs available to new graduate nurses for 2023.

There is a great program opportunity that closes THIS WEEKEND!

Read on 🤓

Ok, you have decided you would like to pursue a new graduate position in a hospital, commencing your career as a hospital nurse while developing yourself as a clinician 👩🏼‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

You have applied for your state or territory health areas, such as NSW Health for everyone in NSW and so on. This is one of the many options available to grads seeking to commence their career in the hospital setting.

Many do not realise, that Ramsay is the biggest private hospital provider in Australia AND is one of the most popular and prestigious healthcare providers internationally. They have hospitals in every state and territory of Australia as well as internationally in countries including the UK, Singapore, Italy and even France!

🤩 Graduate Fellowship Program with Ramsay

📅 Applications Close August 14th!

Dont miss out!

There are many reasons to consider an alternate hospital new graduate program such as Ramsay Healthcare. Ramsay offers a new graduate program they now refer to as a fellowship program. This is a great alternative for you to look at! Let’s have a look at a couple of advantages:

  • The fellowship runs over 24 months and you are able to work full or part-time depending on what works for you.
  • At the end of the 24-month period, you are offered a position with the organisation based on your performance.
  • Opportunity to complete rotations in the general ward, theatres, critical care (ED and ICU) and specialised services such as oncology and many others.
  • Opportunity to gain experience all over Australia
  • Opportunity to travel and work internationally, on another continent such as Alaska or somewhere like Singapore, Italy, the UK or even France!

Think about what you are interested in and what will fuel you to turn up, learn and do your best, each and every day.

Have you thought about it?

Have a think and if you are aiming for a hospital new graduate role, consider Ramsay Health.

After all, I completed a Theatres New Graduate Position and loved every moment 😜

You could too, CHECK IT OUT 👇🏼

Ramsay Careers Details – RHC Graduate Fellowship Program – Nursing & Midwifery February 2023 Intake

If you decide to Apply

Mention the Aussie Nurse Educator sent you.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your day.

😁

Earn more money this year by claiming expenses on your tax!

🤷🏼‍♂️ What Nurses Can Claim in Tax at the End of the Financial Year.

We would all love to earn a bit more money. Tax time is your chance to get that little more back in your pocket. For you to maximise the amount you get back into your bank account, you need to know what you can claim when completing your tax return at the end of the financial year.

Every year since I started nursing, I have helped, discussed, and guided individuals at tax time with their work-related expenses, ultimately ensuring they get their hard-earned money back in their pocket. Nurses can claim a number of expenses at tax time each year. There are also some things you can do to help reduce your net income as a nurse. To get us started, check out this list below.

Here is a list of common tax deductions for nurses:

  • Overtime Meals
  • Travel expenses
  • Personal car usage
  • Overnight accommodation costs
  • Uniforms and protective clothing
  • Repair and cleaning of uniforms and protective clothing.
  • Safety items: gloves, non-slip nursing shoes, safety glasses, lab coats, aprons, stockings, and vests.
  • Training and self-education course fees
  • Equipment and expenses related to training courses
  • Purchase and repair costs of work-related equipment
  • Stationery
  • Books and journals
  • Work-related phone and internet expenses
  • Logbook for travel expenses
  • Briefcase or work bag
  • Fob watch
  • Union fees
  • Professional memberships and subscriptions
  • The annual certification fee
  • Agency commissions and fees

You can claim the work-related portion of other expenses that relate to your employment, including:

  • Union and professional association fees.
  • Agency commissions and agency fees, and annual practising certificate fees
  • Technical or professional publications.
  • Tools and equipment, such as a stethoscope or a pin watch.
  • PPE mentioned below and more!

Want to learn more about nursing and your end-of-year tax?

🤓 Read ON!

💡 Start to think about what you are going to add to your expenses and claims list.

⭐️ Golden rules

Follow these three golden rules to make sure you get your work-related expense claims right.

  • You must have spent the money yourself and weren’t reimbursed.
  • The claim must directly relate to earning your income.
  • You must have a record to prove it.

✔️ What Nurses CAN CLAIM

👉🏼 To claim a deduction for work‑related expenses:

You must have spent the money yourself and weren’t reimbursed.

It must directly relate to earning your income.

You must have a record to prove it.

🚀 Tax tips for nurses and health professionals:

  • Keep records
  • Save ALL of your receipts, whether you think it’s an expense or not! You could claim it.

💡 Most phones can scan straight from the operating system.

No apps or software needed!

That means no special apps, nothing special. On the iPhone, you can literally open files, tap + hold and scan a document. Done. Save these to a folder on your phone, or even better, connect your scans to a folder within your cloud storage and access your receipts wherever you are with whatever device you have with you.

🔥 Expenses and Deductions for Nurses 👇🏼

👨‍⚕️ Nursing Registration Fees

I highly encourage you to claim your annual nursing registration fees. For example, your AHPRA fees, which we all pay each year to practice as nurses, Just keep the email receipt as proof of payment, and at the end of the year, claim it.

📚 Education

Examples include seminars, conferences, training courses, and tertiary studies.

You can claim self-education and study expenses if your course relates directly to your employment as a nurse or midwife and it:

  • maintains or improves the skills and knowledge you need for your current duties.
  • results in or is likely to result in an increase in income from your current employment.

📚 Journals, books, periodicals, magazine subscriptions, and professional affiliations

If you are a member of a professional group, subscribe to an educational piece or author or series, and then ensure you claim it!

I am a member of the OTA (Operating Theatre Association). I claim my membership and the annual conference I attend for it annually.

👨🏼‍💻 Applications and Software

Do you use an app or software specifically for your work? Maybe it’s a rostering app, a medication resource, or a patient safety tool. Either way, you can claim that too!

I have claimed a number of apps and software over the years related to my profession and specific job role.

📱Phone and Internet

You can claim phone, data, and internet costs apportioned for private and work use, with records showing your work‑related use. You can’t claim phone, data, and internet use if you only use your phone to communicate with your manager about your shifts or use the internet to check payslips, rosters, or income statements. These are standard requirements for all employees. However, if they are used primarily to perform your job role, you can claim them. For example, an educator who uses their personal phone to access work emails and perform work-related tasks can claim a percentage of their phone bill.

👕 Clothing and Uniforms

You can claim the cost of buying, hiring, repairing, or cleaning clothing if it is considered:

  • Protective – clothing that has protective features and functions that you wear protects you from specific risks of injury or illness at work. For example, nonslip nursing shoes or scrubs.
  • A compulsory uniform – clothing you are explicitly required to wear by a workplace agreement or policy, which is strictly and consistently enforced and is sufficiently distinctive to your organisation.

🚙 Car Expenses & Travelling

This one can get a little grey and will likely need clarification from your accountant or the person looking after your tax return. In simple terms, you can claim a deduction when you drive between separate jobs on the same day.

You can claim:

  • The cost of trips between home and work if you have been shifting places of employment.
  • The cost of using a car you own when you drive it.

Examples

For instance, going straight from your first job as a nurse to your second job as a university lecturer on the same day.

Travelling between locations, to and from a different place of employment for the same employer on the same day, such as between clinics for the same employer.

You cannot claim:

  • The cost of trips between home and work (regardless of the distance travelled or shift time/date).

How to claim and log evidence

To claim car expenses, you can use the logbook method or the cents per kilometre method.

There are a few notes on the ATO website which talk about using your own car to drive heavy tools and equipment where there is no safe storage available. If you think you fall into this group, I’d suggest seeking further advice. If you’re thinking about it, you can’t claim a deduction for getting or renewing your driver’s licence, even if you must have it for your job. This is a private expense.

😎 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal protective equipment you buy, such as safety glasses, footwear, masks, or anything you need to perform your role.

I wear SafeStyle Eyewear as my safety glasses, which you can also get in a pair with your prescription! I love them due to their square and finished design and also the blue light lenses helping with my headaches! I even use these as sunglasses or for when I am working outside. They are perfect for every occasion, and I can claim them for free. Check them out by CLICKING THIS LINK. If you like them and want a pair, use code: ANE10 to enjoy a 10% discount.

🍱 Meals for Overtime

This one is a bit confusing. According to the ATO, “you can’t claim a deduction if your overtime meal allowance is rolled into your salary/wages and not included as a separate allowance on your income statement or payment summary.”

If you want to claim a deduction for an overtime meal, I recommend keeping your receipts. However, the ATO sets an amount each year that you can claim for overtime meals without receipts if it was a “reasonable amount.” So if you’re asked to do overtime, don’t go hungry. Go buy a meal—just keep the receipt.

💸 Union Fees

Whilst you can absolutely claim your annual union fee, don’t forget to jump onto their website and see what other freebies and discount codes are on offer for you to benefit from.

I claim my fees, every time.

🎒Work Bag

Do you have a bag for work? Maybe a laptop sleeve, cover, or bag? All of these are work-related expenses and you can claim them.

I have two work bags. One for when I am primarily doing education work and another for when I am working clinically. I love leather, so they are nice bags. 😆

🖊 Stationary

You can claim your favourite pen! All of those office items you use in your job, can be claimed as an expense.

According to the ATO, “as long as the expense relates to your employment, you can claim a deduction for the work-related portion of the cost of stationery”.

This includes:

  • Calculators
  • Logbooks
  • Diaries
  • Pens

I am one of those crazy people who loves certain pens and perform better using certain pens. So I purchase my own and claim them on tax.

⌚️Watches/Fob Watches

Do you wear a fob watch or another type of wristwatch with special features that help you in your nursing role? The cost of these items may be deductible. This includes battery replacements, repairs, and watchbands.

As a small catch, the ATO says, “If the watch cost more than $300, you can only claim a deduction for a loss in value (depreciation).” Sorry to the Apple Watch fans…

🩺 Tools and Equipment

Do you need tools and equipment specific for your job and they are not provided to you by your employer? Equipment including stethoscopes, trauma shears, utility pouches and tool holders and securements are all items you can claim for.

I claim for my stethoscope, my shears, pen lights, theatre caps and my scrubs!

🪛 Repairs to tools and equipment

Do you use a stethoscope, trauma shears, an apron or a pen at work? If these items break, you can claim the cost of getting them fixed or getting them replaced.

🙋🏼‍♂️ Special Circumstances

The ATO does make mention of potential allowances “for work that may be unpleasant, special, or dangerous.” Speak with a tax agent if you believe this is you in nursing.

🚫 Cannot Claim

  • Private expenses such as music subscriptions, childcare, fines, flu shots, and other vaccinations, even if you’re required to have them for work.
  • You can’t claim a deduction if the cost was met or reimbursed by your employer.

🤓 Resources For You

Here are a couple of resources that may help you.

Income and work-related deductions for nurses and midwives

Work-related expenses

Final Note

I believe having a good tax accountant is important. Mine taught me a lot about my taxes as I transitioned professions, workplaces, and different roles. The same accountant now helps me with it all, including business and more!

For years, I have witnessed others doing it themselves to save money and try and complete their tax online themselves.

Yet, they often pay up to $100 to do it themselves and get a fraction of the money back compared to what they could have received back! For literally a couple of dollars more, you can get a professional who will do the entire process for you and teach you along the way!

A very valuable asset to have!

Thank you for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this blog.

Have you done your tax for this year yet?

Did you claim something new related to your nursing role?

Let me know 👇🏼

😁