This year Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 11, followed by International Nurses Day on May 12. At St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba, we are proud to have an inspiring mother-daughter nursing duo, Carly and Kaila to celebrate both days.
Carly’s journey into nursing began unexpectedly. She had initially aimed for a career in the equine industry until her daughter Kaila fell seriously ill at just five days old, requiring a month-long stay in a neonatal intensive care unit. This experience inspired Carly to enrol in nursing at the University of Southern Queensland, and for four years, she commuted between Ipswich and Toowoomba with young Kaila in tow.
Kaila grew up immersed in the nursing world, often attending her mother’s university lectures and spending time with her nurse friends. “My earliest memory is sitting in a nursing lecture next to Mum while I ate a Vegemite sandwich,” Kaila recalls.
In 2016, Carly moved permanently to Toowoomba to manage the Day Surgery and Endoscopy units at St Vincent’s. She has held various roles, including Nurse Unit Manager of the Medical and Cardiac wards, Patient Experience Coordinator, and most recently, a Clinical Nurse in the newly opened Clive Berghofer Intensive Care Unit. “I love working in intensive care. It’s challenging work, but we have an amazing team,” Carly said.
After high school, Kaila initially studied architecture but soon realized her true calling was in nursing. She joined St Vincent’s as an Assistant in Nursing (AIN) in 2018 while studying her nursing degree at the University of Queensland. Upon graduation, she completed the hospital’s medical-surgical graduate nursing program, which provides foundational skills for new nurses. “I actually worked with Mum in Day Surgery for a while when I was an AIN, and she was the Nurse Unit Manager,” Kaila said.
Now a Clinical Nurse in the Orthopaedic ward, Kaila finds joy in seeing patients’ quality of life improve after surgery. “It’s rewarding to be part of each patient’s progress and work closely with the Allied Health team.”
Reflecting on her 22-year nursing career, Carly values the camaraderie and mutual respect among the nurses. “Being involved in a patient’s life when they are at their most vulnerable in ICU, and helping them manage their condition, gives me a sense of achievement. Seeing patients discharged from ICU is extremely fulfilling,” Carly said.
Carly and Kaila cherish sharing the same career and working at the same hospital, where they support and advise each other. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have had my mum by my side as a senior nurse during my studies, and now, it’s a blessing to work alongside her,” Kaila added.
To learn more about how you can support our dedicated nurses, please contact Greg Potent at 0479 187 160.
