19 June 2024

For Men's Health Week, we celebrated our male healthcare workers with some well-deserved self-care activities.

Dennis Emery, Spiritual Care Clinician, organised a “bromance” session down at the local nail salon. The team was pampered with manicures and pedicures, bonding over conversations that go deeper than just nail polish. The evening was finished off with a cold pint and hearty meal at the pub.

For staff who attended, it was a wholesome moment to unwind, destress, and emphasise the importance of self care. The gathering also highlighted the importance of community support. The team learned to create paper hearts, which they planned to gift to a team facing challenges.

Brian Norris, Palliative Care Nurse, stresses the importance of checking in on each other.

"As blokes, we generally don’t talk, especially about our mental health, which is crucial. Meeting and chatting while getting our nails tended to is different and out of our comfort zone, but it's also about having fun."

Sam Fisher, Aboriginal Mental Health Liaison Officer, agrees, admitting he wasn’t expecting the nails, but had a great time and saw the value in men having a yarn outside the workplace.

This wellness concept began three years ago in the Palliative Care Unit, and has since expanded to the haematology, mental health and the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) teams who now gather regularly.

Haematology Nurse, Aidan Fawdry, described it as a “worthwhile gathering” that brings together colleagues from different departments.

Whether it’s manicures or getting together to watch the footy or rugby league, these catch ups serve an important purpose: providing a safe and welcoming space for colleagues to check in on each other.