A triple celebration awaits Australia’s answer to Florence Nightingale on the same day that all nurses are celebrated worldwide.

Like Florence Nightingale, Arna’s thoroughly dedicated to her patients.

“I’ve been nursing for over 17 years. I absolutely love my job with total passion, and all my clients are treated exactly the same - with love, dignity and respect and all the care as if they were my own parents,” she said.

“I think it’s an honour to share a birthday with Florence Nightingale. I’ve always been a caring person, and when I decided to become a nurse, I felt like this was really the job I was born to do.”

While the world celebrates all nurses, Arna’s actually taking the day off to be with her 'other' family, her own.

It’s also Mother’s Day, but at the same time she’ll be sparing a thought for the clients from the Resthaven Marion Community.

“I’ve worked in acute care for about 10 years and in all areas of medicine – palliative care is a passion of mine. I’ve always been interested in aged care and making sure people receive dignity and respect in their treatments, ensuring their care is delivered in a holistic way,” she said.

Arna coordinates a team providing home care services to 80 older people in the Greater Adelaide area, helping clients stay at home, and independent, for longer.

“Arna is so caring and goes out of her way to help her clients,” her manager, Ilse Kruger says.

Arna says there is a newfound appreciation and respect for aged care nurses in the wider community.

“We always need more nurses and more experienced nurses but also young nurses coming up.

“Nursing isn’t just one job there’s actually a huge array of areas that you can move into … from GP nursing to clinical nursing and to aged care nursing.”

Arna was also recently thrilled about her nomination in the Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) You are ACE! recognition campaign (customer focus and care category).

ACCPA CEO Tom Symondson said: “The sector appreciates the hard work of skilled and caring nurses like Arna. We wish all nurses a very happy International Nurses Day.”

“There’s a critical shortage of aged care nurses in our sector and it’s estimated we will be 6000 RNs short by October this year.

“The work of nurses in aged care is invaluable, their dedication and compassionate care uplifts the lives of older people every day. We applaud their knowledge, resilience and most of all their kindness.”

The next intake for ACCPA’s Nursing Transition to Practice Program starts on 27 May.