May 22, 2024 • 18 mins
Lee likes to brighten people's days by smiling and taking the time to have a chat with patients, their loved ones and his colleagues. Lee spoke with Frances during a short break in his shift as a stores officer at a local hospital. Lee shares the important role health care workers like him play in ensuring doctors, nurses, allied health and pharmacy have everything they need to provide safe quality care. Lee opens up about his own cancer journey, how he came to work in health, and how we should never feel afraid to connect with someone who looks like they are having a hard time.
If talking about cancer brings up uncomfortable feelings for you, please be kind to yourself and consider listening to another episode. If you feel you need support, Lifeline offers 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention to all Australians. Phone Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Music.
(00:32):
Putting a smile on people's faces and being there for his family.
Now, just a heads up, Lee does briefly touch on his experience with cancer as
a younger person and how that shaped his journey from being a fitter and turner to a career in health.
I hope you enjoy this conversation and thanks again for joining us on The Kind Side.
(00:58):
So, Lee, what brings you to hospital? Well, I work here.
What do you do here? I do the stores for the hospital. So my day-to-day routine
is just getting all the stock, ordering stock for the hospital,
receiving the stock and putting it back on the wards. Right.
So what's a typical day like for you here at work?
Typical day is pretty full on. It consists of going up, making sure the wards
(01:20):
have got all the stock for all the patients, making sure that the nurses have
everything they need to look after the patients,
whether it's from nappies to equipment and anything that they need I just make
sure that they're all topped up and ready to go.
That's really interesting I think it's something a lot of people wouldn't think
about as being an essential role in health but when you stop and think about
(01:42):
it there is a lot of stock and equipment in our hospital wards.
Yeah there is a lot there's a I guess every ward has their own needs and what
they look after so you've got to kind of adjust to what everyone needs.
And yeah, it's all different kind of things from what we look after palliative
patients to emergency patients to aged care.
(02:02):
So it's a big variety of needs that they require.
So yeah. And are you handling like sterile, like clots.
Stock as well as other equipment that
we might normally see in our own homes yeah
so anything anything from we just don't
do anything that pharmacy can look after everything from sterile
(02:23):
products just to normal uses like i said like nappies
to catheters to cannulas whatever they need needles whatever we need that all
the nurses need to get their job done depending on the patient like i said every
ward has their own requirements i guess and we just learn the products that
each ward needs and order whatever they need and then put it away to make sure
they're full and they don't run out.
(02:44):
Wow. So is there a special skill set that you need to have in order to handle
some of these healthcare items?
No, no. I didn't come from a hospital background or haven't done any.
I just, something that you just learn along the way and learn what the products are.
Obviously the nurses use different lingo and they call items differently,
but you just got to learn what each item is and, and learn what they use more
(03:07):
of and make sure they've got the stock there to, yeah, serve the purpose.
So you would be going in and out of our wards on a daily basis.
Are you sort of checking where stock levels are up to or that's something that
the team tells you? No, so that comes back to my responsibility.
So I actually do all the linen as well.
(03:28):
Wow. So I check all the linen in the morning, make sure everything's stocked
up, towels, sheets, blankets, pillowcases, make sure they've got everything
I need for the day, top them right up.
And then after that's done, I'll go into looking at the wards,
making sure, usually at the start of the week, I'll go through and make sure they've got an order.
I'll check everything, fill it up, what they need, what I have to give them.
And then, yeah, I go through and make sure that what they're low on, I order.
(03:50):
If the nurses do have any special requirements, they'll let me know.
We've also got whiteboards on the wall.
So we have a communication that way too. If they see something or they want
to notify me, but most of the time they have the trust in me to go through and
check everything and fill it all up. Wow.
It's really vital, isn't it, to the safe provision of quality healthcare,
making sure that they have those items ready when needed.
(04:14):
Yeah, especially when some of our wards were aged care, so they might need dialysis
or things like that we don't usually carry.
So they'll give me a heads up and I just ask them what they require and they'll
go out and search it and find it and bring it in.
And it could change from day to day, especially when the new patients come in or go out.
It's such a change in the needs of each ward.
(04:36):
So we just have to roll with it and make sure we've got everything that they need.
And if the nurse has got everything, then they can look after the patients.
And that's in the mindset of myself and my off-sider is that we just want the
best outcome for the patient.
So if we can make sure that everything's there that nurses need,
it's best for the patient.
And can you tell me, I heard that there was a bit of a quality improvement project
(04:57):
you were involved in where there was an idea to source some suction toothbrushes
to give our patients better oral care.
Can you tell me about your role in that? Yeah, so we had a nurse educator that
came into the hospital and we had a patient that had a stroke and all this patient
(05:18):
wanted to do was brush their teeth.
But because of the whole, the stroke and the swallowing and stuff,
they were worried about the liquids going down and that could cause any potential problems.
So we discussed a different situation of how we can work, what we can do for
this patient. And with the educator finding out that we can use suction toothbrushes,
(05:39):
that the liquids be sucked straight up, we thought, okay, let's try and find a way we can get them.
So between me and myself and the educator went out and found the product.
And yeah, now that the patient's so happy, it was the best thing.
It gives us, me and my off-sider, gratitude.
We think about what it's done for us. Like we like seeing the patient happy
and that they have the best outcome. So, yeah.
(06:00):
So it feels good to be part of a team that's providing those good.
Experiences. And that's the biggest thing, I guess, that drives us is we see
that and when the patients are happy and they're getting looked after,
it makes us happy because that's what we would want to be if we were in that situation.
And how long have you been working in this sort of role?
So I've just sticked over two years. I've been doing this role.
(06:21):
So it's very, like I said, it's very different to what I'm used to.
But yeah, once you're a learner and like I said, you see those,
you get the challenges and when you can, I guess, achieve those goals and look
look after those patients, that's what the rewarding side is. So yeah.
And just for our listeners, so your uniform, you have kind of a high-vis shirt.
What's the purpose of that? Are you interacting in areas where deliveries are
(06:45):
occurring? Is that for a safety purpose?
Yep. So I'm bright orange like a witch's hat, I guess. So if we're out in the
dock, there's trucks moving around that they can see where we are because as
well as us ordering and doing all that, we need to go to the dock,
get the stock off the trucks,
make sure that everything's there receive it all in
and then yeah we're putting it back on the wards so yeah we do
stand out pretty pretty clear and i imagine you
(07:07):
get quite a few steps up during the course of the day
it sounds like you're on your feet a lot moving throughout the hospitals yeah
we're up and down all day we we go up and down the lifts
a lot with the trolleys and i think even we don't have a trolleys because we're going up and
down stairs and stuff if we can try to avoid the stairs a bit we will because
there's a lot of them so yeah no it's good we we're always
moving and making sure and people are ringing us and checking in
and yeah it's good and what's your approach in a
(07:30):
role like that you obviously need to work with all different people and
interact with patients and and visitors on your
way through the wards what's your approach to your communication with everyone
here in hospital i think best thing is i've i've been here for two years now
so i'm pretty blessed to work at where i am now because this is the communication
from the don of the hospital right down to the cleaners we're talking nurses
(07:53):
we're talking everyone in the hospital.
We need to have that communication so like we
order for every single person in this hospital so and
and i guess the big thing is is that we're all people everyone has their degrees
and has their knowledge and whatever it is in you know we're talking physios
everything so everyone needs doc to look after their patients and so if we can
(08:14):
get that communication level and everyone respects each other and has that that's
the best thing about this hospital is yeah we can all talk Yeah.
And you feel that respect. It doesn't matter if you are a clinician or a non-clinician
or where you come from, you're all here with that shared passion and commitment
for our patients. We've all got the same goal.
That's the biggest thing. We've all got the same goal and it's the patients
to make sure they're looked after.
(08:35):
And before you started working here, were you working in health or another sector?
No, I worked in the hardware industry. So I'm actually a trader by,
I'm a fitter and turner by trade.
And yeah, and then that just, I had my own health issues. Yeah,
I had cancer when I was younger.
So that rolled into not being able to do my trade anymore.
I rolled into doing a retail kind of background. And then as the process went
(08:56):
on, I did that for a while.
And then I rolled into going into the health opportunity came up and I wanted
to be there more for my family.
Me and that's the best thing about the health industry is that they've given me that
more time that I can spend with my kids and I know
there's a work work-life balance and I can see my kids play sport
and take them to training and stuff in the afternoon and do stuff like that
where I wasn't getting that in my previous role I guess so yeah well thank you
(09:18):
for sharing that I'm sorry to hear about your own journey with cancer yeah have
you found that lived experience has made you able to be better at the work that
you're doing in health because you bring that that patient.
Perspective as well yeah I tend I
tend to hide that or store that a little bit
what I went through and that's something that I take as like
(09:40):
a lesson in life it's life's like a roller coaster you know you got
your ups and downs and whatever you go through drives you
to go further so sometimes I look back and I go yeah
some obviously we deal with different patients some patients I
deal with have cancer I know what they're don't know their personal experience
but I know kind of what they're going through so but yeah I
just take that that's just life and you just learn from it I
(10:00):
had it really I was really young I was 19 when I got it so I kind
of just yeah learned got that experience young and
that just drives who I am so yeah and I think
it's like you said before because we are all just
people here working in health caring for people we
all bring different lived experiences to work.
And like you said that empathy of thinking what would
(10:21):
I want if I was a patient or if that was my mom or
dad yeah that's the biggest drive is like my my
family you know I think everyone's like that everyone's got
their own story everyone's got their own chapters in life that they go
through and for me like personally my family
drive me what I went through I don't think of
that it's more about what my family went through I've seen them I
(10:41):
guess cry and all that where I tried to keep that strong mind and that's what
I look at when I see some of these patients that come in here and I see their
families and stuff you know sometimes you you don't know how to react to what
they're going through as well so sometimes you just got to put the brave face
give them a smile and just let them know that.
(11:02):
Everyone outside this, we're all thinking of you. So yeah. I think that's a really good point.
I think sometimes we can be unsure how to approach or interact with patients
or families that we can maybe see are having a really tough time here in hospital. Do I engage?
Do I make eye contact? Do I smile? Is that appropriate?
Well, yeah, I think me personally, I just think that, you know,
(11:26):
everyone goes through and we can only be who we are.
We don't know how that person's feeling thing inside so just just
to be who yourself you know just smile even if it's a contact
I think even if someone's gone through a hard time you've got
to understand that that person doesn't know and you're just who
you are so yeah yeah I think that's to
me like I said going through what I went through when I was going through hard
(11:46):
times if someone smiled at me I never thought bad I just thought they're just
there to be in a positive person and you kind of get that positivity off them
so yeah yeah and i think you know you're never gonna go wrong if you do just
take that moment to smile or to say can i help you with anything if you can see someone struggling
that's correct i think the i think it's just in life you know like to walking
(12:10):
down the street say hello to someone it doesn't matter who they are what they
are what they look like where they're from we're all people in the day and if
someone's there and wants to open up to you let them open up to you you know
you don't have to have an answer for them it's just sometimes even say hello
to someone can brighten up someone's day.
Goodbye, whatever, just to talk. Absolutely.
Yeah, in the hospital system, I'm a big believer of that. I say good morning
(12:32):
to everyone and it just opens up the communication.
You're talking to someone, someone could be having a bad day and it could change
it for them. So yeah, that's what we do.
Well, it's a really nice transition to what we're talking about,
which is kindness and health.
And I was hoping you could share an act of kindness that you might've observed or experienced here.
Yeah, this, like I said, I'm pretty blessed to work at where I am now.
(12:54):
Everyone's kind of does things I get from people to like I
said I do linen so some of the wardies will go their way and they'll top
up the linen to make sure the nurses have got everything and that's not
really a kindness act that it's for the hospital make
sure that the nurses have got what they need before I'll come in and I'll
top it up again you know so I see that I see
things like just people saying good morning saying hello to
(13:15):
people then you go to the extreme where I've there's a
my offside I've done something really special for one of our
colleagues she just she just lost a
one of family pets and she was just before christmas so she
was really upset about it and and she was ordered a
shirt with the cat's name on it and yeah and then my
my colleague went out and because it wasn't going to arrive in time she went and
got one specially made and gave it to her and just to see her face and how that
(13:38):
all worked was just amazing that when she gave her to her as a present before
christmas just you know really touch home and it's just when you have those
open communications you know someone you know what they're going through to
do something special like that makes
it all worthwhile and you go, it's a great team to be a part of. So, yeah.
It's wonderful when you can show up to work as your true authentic self and
(14:01):
feel comfortable sharing, if you're having a tough time and receiving that sort
of kindness and support from your colleagues, it must be really special.
We've all got each other. And that's the biggest thing is like I said,
we're all people, whether it's from the Don down to just anyone,
it's not even down to, I can't say down to, but we're all people.
At the end of the day, if we can all treat each other like people and we all
(14:23):
get along no matter what your title is, that's how it is.
And how are you kind to yourself, Lee?
Oh, that's probably the hardest thing. I respect, like I love looking after
people. That's my thing.
So when I see someone else happy or I go and achieve my goals,
it's by making them happy.
So then I go home to my family and making my kids happy.
(14:45):
That's what I thrive on. So, yeah, I guess when I look back at it,
I see someone smile and I make them happy. That's what makes me happy.
Yeah. Well, it sounds like you're in the right sector to be doing that. Yeah.
And if there was one thing above and beyond what you've already shared that
we could do to show kindness to you here in health, what would that be?
(15:06):
I think the biggest thing, like I said, going back to saying hello to people
and just acknowledge people.
People be grateful for what people do for you and just
that's said that whole communication and
to be able to talk to people is my my biggest thing
in health is just to open up that the communication say
(15:27):
good morning say good afternoon listen to someone and just be a team that's
the biggest thing so when i say for myself that's where i thrive on is is just
seeing people happy and that's all yeah i could want that so for anyone in a
hospital when we see one of the the people in the high-vis New South Wales health shirts.
Or anyone, just to anyone. Just to lock eyes and say hi and how's your day going?
(15:50):
Yeah, we're all people at the end of the day and just say hello and just,
yeah, you don't have to know their life story, but just a good morning or see
you later or hope you have a good weekend makes a big difference,
I think, to everyone. Yeah.
Well, Lee, thank you so much for joining me on the kind side of health. No worries.
Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed that conversation with Lee.
(16:11):
I certainly found it really uplifting and really inspiring.
It was so nice to speak with Lee because he had such a happiness and enthusiasm
for the work that he does and the people around him.
I loved hearing about how he really goes out of his way to smile and say hello
(16:33):
to all people in Hospital, especially those that he thinks might be having a hard time.
And I think if that's something perhaps you could think about taking into your day or your week,
is to don't be afraid to smile, say hello and engage with all people,
(16:54):
but particularly those you think might be doing it a little bit tough.
Well, thank you again for.
Music.
Music.
(00:32):
Putting a smile on people's faces and being there for his family.
Now, just a heads up, Lee does briefly touch on his experience with cancer as
a younger person and how that shaped his journey from being a fitter and turner to a career in health.
I hope you enjoy this conversation and thanks again for joining us on The Kind Side.
(00:58):
So, Lee, what brings you to hospital? Well, I work here.
What do you do here? I do the stores for the hospital. So my day-to-day routine
is just getting all the stock, ordering stock for the hospital,
receiving the stock and putting it back on the wards. Right.
So what's a typical day like for you here at work?
Typical day is pretty full on. It consists of going up, making sure the wards
(01:20):
have got all the stock for all the patients, making sure that the nurses have
everything they need to look after the patients,
whether it's from nappies to equipment and anything that they need I just make
sure that they're all topped up and ready to go.
That's really interesting I think it's something a lot of people wouldn't think
about as being an essential role in health but when you stop and think about
(01:42):
it there is a lot of stock and equipment in our hospital wards.
Yeah there is a lot there's a I guess every ward has their own needs and what
they look after so you've got to kind of adjust to what everyone needs.
And yeah, it's all different kind of things from what we look after palliative
patients to emergency patients to aged care.
(02:02):
So it's a big variety of needs that they require.
So yeah. And are you handling like sterile, like clots.
Stock as well as other equipment that
we might normally see in our own homes yeah
so anything anything from we just don't
do anything that pharmacy can look after everything from sterile
(02:23):
products just to normal uses like i said like nappies
to catheters to cannulas whatever they need needles whatever we need that all
the nurses need to get their job done depending on the patient like i said every
ward has their own requirements i guess and we just learn the products that
each ward needs and order whatever they need and then put it away to make sure
they're full and they don't run out.
(02:44):
Wow. So is there a special skill set that you need to have in order to handle
some of these healthcare items?
No, no. I didn't come from a hospital background or haven't done any.
I just, something that you just learn along the way and learn what the products are.
Obviously the nurses use different lingo and they call items differently,
but you just got to learn what each item is and, and learn what they use more
(03:07):
of and make sure they've got the stock there to, yeah, serve the purpose.
So you would be going in and out of our wards on a daily basis.
Are you sort of checking where stock levels are up to or that's something that
the team tells you? No, so that comes back to my responsibility.
So I actually do all the linen as well.
(03:28):
Wow. So I check all the linen in the morning, make sure everything's stocked
up, towels, sheets, blankets, pillowcases, make sure they've got everything
I need for the day, top them right up.
And then after that's done, I'll go into looking at the wards,
making sure, usually at the start of the week, I'll go through and make sure they've got an order.
I'll check everything, fill it up, what they need, what I have to give them.
And then, yeah, I go through and make sure that what they're low on, I order.
(03:50):
If the nurses do have any special requirements, they'll let me know.
We've also got whiteboards on the wall.
So we have a communication that way too. If they see something or they want
to notify me, but most of the time they have the trust in me to go through and
check everything and fill it all up. Wow.
It's really vital, isn't it, to the safe provision of quality healthcare,
making sure that they have those items ready when needed.
(04:14):
Yeah, especially when some of our wards were aged care, so they might need dialysis
or things like that we don't usually carry.
So they'll give me a heads up and I just ask them what they require and they'll
go out and search it and find it and bring it in.
And it could change from day to day, especially when the new patients come in or go out.
It's such a change in the needs of each ward.
(04:36):
So we just have to roll with it and make sure we've got everything that they need.
And if the nurse has got everything, then they can look after the patients.
And that's in the mindset of myself and my off-sider is that we just want the
best outcome for the patient.
So if we can make sure that everything's there that nurses need,
it's best for the patient.
And can you tell me, I heard that there was a bit of a quality improvement project
(04:57):
you were involved in where there was an idea to source some suction toothbrushes
to give our patients better oral care.
Can you tell me about your role in that? Yeah, so we had a nurse educator that
came into the hospital and we had a patient that had a stroke and all this patient
(05:18):
wanted to do was brush their teeth.
But because of the whole, the stroke and the swallowing and stuff,
they were worried about the liquids going down and that could cause any potential problems.
So we discussed a different situation of how we can work, what we can do for
this patient. And with the educator finding out that we can use suction toothbrushes,
(05:39):
that the liquids be sucked straight up, we thought, okay, let's try and find a way we can get them.
So between me and myself and the educator went out and found the product.
And yeah, now that the patient's so happy, it was the best thing.
It gives us, me and my off-sider, gratitude.
We think about what it's done for us. Like we like seeing the patient happy
and that they have the best outcome. So, yeah.
(06:00):
So it feels good to be part of a team that's providing those good.
Experiences. And that's the biggest thing, I guess, that drives us is we see
that and when the patients are happy and they're getting looked after,
it makes us happy because that's what we would want to be if we were in that situation.
And how long have you been working in this sort of role?
So I've just sticked over two years. I've been doing this role.
(06:21):
So it's very, like I said, it's very different to what I'm used to.
But yeah, once you're a learner and like I said, you see those,
you get the challenges and when you can, I guess, achieve those goals and look
look after those patients, that's what the rewarding side is. So yeah.
And just for our listeners, so your uniform, you have kind of a high-vis shirt.
What's the purpose of that? Are you interacting in areas where deliveries are
(06:45):
occurring? Is that for a safety purpose?
Yep. So I'm bright orange like a witch's hat, I guess. So if we're out in the
dock, there's trucks moving around that they can see where we are because as
well as us ordering and doing all that, we need to go to the dock,
get the stock off the trucks,
make sure that everything's there receive it all in
and then yeah we're putting it back on the wards so yeah we do
stand out pretty pretty clear and i imagine you
(07:07):
get quite a few steps up during the course of the day
it sounds like you're on your feet a lot moving throughout the hospitals yeah
we're up and down all day we we go up and down the lifts
a lot with the trolleys and i think even we don't have a trolleys because we're going up and
down stairs and stuff if we can try to avoid the stairs a bit we will because
there's a lot of them so yeah no it's good we we're always
moving and making sure and people are ringing us and checking in
and yeah it's good and what's your approach in a
(07:30):
role like that you obviously need to work with all different people and
interact with patients and and visitors on your
way through the wards what's your approach to your communication with everyone
here in hospital i think best thing is i've i've been here for two years now
so i'm pretty blessed to work at where i am now because this is the communication
from the don of the hospital right down to the cleaners we're talking nurses
(07:53):
we're talking everyone in the hospital.
We need to have that communication so like we
order for every single person in this hospital so and
and i guess the big thing is is that we're all people everyone has their degrees
and has their knowledge and whatever it is in you know we're talking physios
everything so everyone needs doc to look after their patients and so if we can
(08:14):
get that communication level and everyone respects each other and has that that's
the best thing about this hospital is yeah we can all talk Yeah.
And you feel that respect. It doesn't matter if you are a clinician or a non-clinician
or where you come from, you're all here with that shared passion and commitment
for our patients. We've all got the same goal.
That's the biggest thing. We've all got the same goal and it's the patients
to make sure they're looked after.
(08:35):
And before you started working here, were you working in health or another sector?
No, I worked in the hardware industry. So I'm actually a trader by,
I'm a fitter and turner by trade.
And yeah, and then that just, I had my own health issues. Yeah,
I had cancer when I was younger.
So that rolled into not being able to do my trade anymore.
I rolled into doing a retail kind of background. And then as the process went
(08:56):
on, I did that for a while.
And then I rolled into going into the health opportunity came up and I wanted
to be there more for my family.
Me and that's the best thing about the health industry is that they've given me that
more time that I can spend with my kids and I know
there's a work work-life balance and I can see my kids play sport
and take them to training and stuff in the afternoon and do stuff like that
where I wasn't getting that in my previous role I guess so yeah well thank you
(09:18):
for sharing that I'm sorry to hear about your own journey with cancer yeah have
you found that lived experience has made you able to be better at the work that
you're doing in health because you bring that that patient.
Perspective as well yeah I tend I
tend to hide that or store that a little bit
what I went through and that's something that I take as like
(09:40):
a lesson in life it's life's like a roller coaster you know you got
your ups and downs and whatever you go through drives you
to go further so sometimes I look back and I go yeah
some obviously we deal with different patients some patients I
deal with have cancer I know what they're don't know their personal experience
but I know kind of what they're going through so but yeah I
just take that that's just life and you just learn from it I
(10:00):
had it really I was really young I was 19 when I got it so I kind
of just yeah learned got that experience young and
that just drives who I am so yeah and I think
it's like you said before because we are all just
people here working in health caring for people we
all bring different lived experiences to work.
And like you said that empathy of thinking what would
(10:21):
I want if I was a patient or if that was my mom or
dad yeah that's the biggest drive is like my my
family you know I think everyone's like that everyone's got
their own story everyone's got their own chapters in life that they go
through and for me like personally my family
drive me what I went through I don't think of
that it's more about what my family went through I've seen them I
(10:41):
guess cry and all that where I tried to keep that strong mind and that's what
I look at when I see some of these patients that come in here and I see their
families and stuff you know sometimes you you don't know how to react to what
they're going through as well so sometimes you just got to put the brave face
give them a smile and just let them know that.
(11:02):
Everyone outside this, we're all thinking of you. So yeah. I think that's a really good point.
I think sometimes we can be unsure how to approach or interact with patients
or families that we can maybe see are having a really tough time here in hospital. Do I engage?
Do I make eye contact? Do I smile? Is that appropriate?
Well, yeah, I think me personally, I just think that, you know,
(11:26):
everyone goes through and we can only be who we are.
We don't know how that person's feeling thing inside so just just
to be who yourself you know just smile even if it's a contact
I think even if someone's gone through a hard time you've got
to understand that that person doesn't know and you're just who
you are so yeah yeah I think that's to
me like I said going through what I went through when I was going through hard
(11:46):
times if someone smiled at me I never thought bad I just thought they're just
there to be in a positive person and you kind of get that positivity off them
so yeah yeah and i think you know you're never gonna go wrong if you do just
take that moment to smile or to say can i help you with anything if you can see someone struggling
that's correct i think the i think it's just in life you know like to walking
(12:10):
down the street say hello to someone it doesn't matter who they are what they
are what they look like where they're from we're all people in the day and if
someone's there and wants to open up to you let them open up to you you know
you don't have to have an answer for them it's just sometimes even say hello
to someone can brighten up someone's day.
Goodbye, whatever, just to talk. Absolutely.
Yeah, in the hospital system, I'm a big believer of that. I say good morning
(12:32):
to everyone and it just opens up the communication.
You're talking to someone, someone could be having a bad day and it could change
it for them. So yeah, that's what we do.
Well, it's a really nice transition to what we're talking about,
which is kindness and health.
And I was hoping you could share an act of kindness that you might've observed or experienced here.
Yeah, this, like I said, I'm pretty blessed to work at where I am now.
(12:54):
Everyone's kind of does things I get from people to like I
said I do linen so some of the wardies will go their way and they'll top
up the linen to make sure the nurses have got everything and that's not
really a kindness act that it's for the hospital make
sure that the nurses have got what they need before I'll come in and I'll
top it up again you know so I see that I see
things like just people saying good morning saying hello to
(13:15):
people then you go to the extreme where I've there's a
my offside I've done something really special for one of our
colleagues she just she just lost a
one of family pets and she was just before christmas so she
was really upset about it and and she was ordered a
shirt with the cat's name on it and yeah and then my
my colleague went out and because it wasn't going to arrive in time she went and
got one specially made and gave it to her and just to see her face and how that
(13:38):
all worked was just amazing that when she gave her to her as a present before
christmas just you know really touch home and it's just when you have those
open communications you know someone you know what they're going through to
do something special like that makes
it all worthwhile and you go, it's a great team to be a part of. So, yeah.
It's wonderful when you can show up to work as your true authentic self and
(14:01):
feel comfortable sharing, if you're having a tough time and receiving that sort
of kindness and support from your colleagues, it must be really special.
We've all got each other. And that's the biggest thing is like I said,
we're all people, whether it's from the Don down to just anyone,
it's not even down to, I can't say down to, but we're all people.
At the end of the day, if we can all treat each other like people and we all
(14:23):
get along no matter what your title is, that's how it is.
And how are you kind to yourself, Lee?
Oh, that's probably the hardest thing. I respect, like I love looking after
people. That's my thing.
So when I see someone else happy or I go and achieve my goals,
it's by making them happy.
So then I go home to my family and making my kids happy.
(14:45):
That's what I thrive on. So, yeah, I guess when I look back at it,
I see someone smile and I make them happy. That's what makes me happy.
Yeah. Well, it sounds like you're in the right sector to be doing that. Yeah.
And if there was one thing above and beyond what you've already shared that
we could do to show kindness to you here in health, what would that be?
(15:06):
I think the biggest thing, like I said, going back to saying hello to people
and just acknowledge people.
People be grateful for what people do for you and just
that's said that whole communication and
to be able to talk to people is my my biggest thing
in health is just to open up that the communication say
(15:27):
good morning say good afternoon listen to someone and just be a team that's
the biggest thing so when i say for myself that's where i thrive on is is just
seeing people happy and that's all yeah i could want that so for anyone in a
hospital when we see one of the the people in the high-vis New South Wales health shirts.
Or anyone, just to anyone. Just to lock eyes and say hi and how's your day going?
(15:50):
Yeah, we're all people at the end of the day and just say hello and just,
yeah, you don't have to know their life story, but just a good morning or see
you later or hope you have a good weekend makes a big difference,
I think, to everyone. Yeah.
Well, Lee, thank you so much for joining me on the kind side of health. No worries.
Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed that conversation with Lee.
(16:11):
I certainly found it really uplifting and really inspiring.
It was so nice to speak with Lee because he had such a happiness and enthusiasm
for the work that he does and the people around him.
I loved hearing about how he really goes out of his way to smile and say hello
(16:33):
to all people in Hospital, especially those that he thinks might be having a hard time.
And I think if that's something perhaps you could think about taking into your day or your week,
is to don't be afraid to smile, say hello and engage with all people,
(16:54):
but particularly those you think might be doing it a little bit tough.
Well, thank you again for.
Music.
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