APM offers health professionals the opportunity to explore new career paths
As registered nurse with 10-years’ experience in aged care, Denise Brown decided to explore a career change and found her skills and knowledge were an ideal fit as a Clinical Advisor with APM.
Denise joined APM’s Residential Aged Care Assessments team (RACA), part of APM Communities and Assessment Services in early 2021.
APM’s RACA team is responsible for undertaking assessments of residents in aged care homes, which are then used by the Federal Government’s Department of Health for funding purposes.
APM delivers these assessments, which involves meeting residents in residential facilities and getting a good understanding of the care and support they need and that they receive, in 44 regions across Australia.
Skills and experience smooth the pathway to a new career
In her Clinical Advisor role, Denise worked with teams of assessors throughout the northern Queensland region, from Thursday Island to Mackay, to provide support, growth opportunities and clinical supervision.
She was able to transition the skills and experience she’d gained in her nursing career, and from earlier as a counsellor, to help assessors enhance skills such as problem solving, reflective practice and interpersonal communication, and support them to provide the best possible assessment outcomes for every resident.
“I loved working with the assessors and helping them to perform well,” Denise said.
“We have an important to role to play and it’s important that we get our assessments right the first time – how we connect with residents and having them understand what is expected of us is key to this.”
Stepping into a leadership role
Having demonstrated leadership and initiative as a Clinical Advisor, Denise was encouraged to apply for a Regional Manager role, and now oversees 45 RACA assessors throughout Queensland, metropolitan Sydney, and northern New South Wales.
It’s a huge area and a big role, but one that comes with flexibility and work-life balance.
“APM has been amazing in fostering a well-connected team, while supporting our needs on a personal level,” Denise said.
“I work from home but still have the opportunity to meet up with my teams if needed and feel just as linked in with my teams and managers as I have in past roles. I found there to be a genuine commitment to flexibility and balance at APM.”
The Australian aged care sector is transitioning into a new era, with a revised Federal Government aged care support program to be launched in 2024.
“I love that I get to understand the value and impact of the program in my current role. Older Australians deserve the very best in terms of care, and I’m proud of my teams’ role in making a difference in a very important part of their life’s journey.”
If you have a passion for enabling better lives for older Australians, we’d love to have you on our team. Explore open roles at APM Assessment Services.
