Olivia Bryce

Working part-time for Custom Care Nursing to provide care for people who need assistance in their homes is the ideal job for nursing student Olivia Bryce.

“For me, the whole idea was to find part-time work that helps pay the rent while fitting with my nursing studies, as opposed to my last job working nights in a bar.”

On average Olivia sees five to six clients a week, people who are on ACC after being discharged from hospital or who have long-term physical impairments and need some assistance with daily tasks.

“I need to work mornings to fit around my uni timetable,” says Olivia who’s in her second year of Bachelor or Nursing.

“And the great thing about this work is that it’s really flexible. I get to choose what jobs I do.”

Olivia might see anywhere from two clients a day or up to six depending on what works. For example, she has a client who lives down the road from her and needs morning assistance.

“I visit her at 8.30am. She’ll be ready for her shower and then I help her get dressed and do some food preparation.

“What I really enjoy is the relationships and companionship you build with people. And that I get to meet a lot of different people who have different needs and respond differently. I’ve learnt a lot.

“It’s a great experience, very flexible and really complements nursing. I can certainly put on my CV.”