Western fosters a family legacy of nursing excellence
Lauren Bentley, a recent Bachelor of Nursing graduate from Western Sydney University, is driven by a family legacy of dedication to nursing and delivering exceptional patient care.
Carrying on the tradition established by her parents, Lauren's father, Tim Spencer, pursued nursing at Western graduating in 1989. Now, over 30 years on, Lauren proudly continues this family tradition as a second-generation nursing graduate venturing into a postgraduate Midwifery program at Western.
With over three decades of accomplishments, Tim has built a thriving career as a clinician, author, researcher, and educator, including a remarkable 27-year tenure at Liverpool Hospital's Intensive Care Unit, where he served as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Notably, he played a pivotal role as the Clinical Nurse Consultant, leading the establishment and management of the internationally renowned Central Vascular Access Service (CVAS) from 1996 to 2014.
Jo-Ann, Lauren's mother, brings more than 30 years of invaluable experience as an Emergency Nurse to the healthcare sector.
Lauren says she has always wanted to become a nurse, particularly a midwife. She credits her parents’ encouragement, their strong work ethic and professional commitment to patient care, as inspiration to achieve her own dream career.
“My parents are my biggest supporters, and being nurses themselves, they were a constant support to me throughout my studies and now into my career,” Lauren said.
“My goal is to become a midwife. Since I was young, I used to watch the TV series ‘One Born Every Minute’ and I loved how caring and kind the midwives were in helping these mothers bring their babies into the world.
“It felt like it would be so rewarding, and it made me appreciate front line workers so much more. It shaped me into wanting to become a part of that, to help people and ensure they receive good, appropriate care when in a hospital setting.”
Lauren says her parents were a major support throughout her studies, with her proudest achievement to walk up on the stage at her graduation ceremony and accept her degree while her parents, brother, and her husband watched on.
“Without my family’s encouragement, I would not have been able to do it. There were certainly tough periods, especially during the pandemic, and certain subjects I had some struggles with, but my dad excels academically and is very intelligent and dedicated to his work. He was able to guide me when it was needed.”
“I always knew if I struggled with understanding something, that I could turn to him for guidance and talk through concepts and ideas with him.”
This year, following the completion of her postgraduate program, Lauren has embarked on further studies at Western Sydney University, focusing on specialising in Midwifery.
Determined to make a positive difference for new parents and their babies, Lauren says hearing birthing stories and experiences that didn’t meet expectations is something she wishes to hopefully change.
“I want to be one of the midwives that makes an already special moment in people’s lives, by exceeding their birthing expectations, ensuring that I can be the best midwife to every one of my patients and have them going home with the most positive experience, leaving an imprint that their midwife did the absolute best to make the experience and something they can reflect on happily.”
Meanwhile, Tim couldn’t be prouder of his daughter. Currently the Director of Global Vascular Access, LLC and based in the USA with wife Amy, Tim recently returned to Western’s Parramatta South campus to celebrate Lauren’s graduation.
Reflecting on his time at Western, Tim recalls his own fond memories of his graduation ceremony. As an Associate Editor for an international vascular access journal and his current undertaking of a doctoral degree, Tim highlights his ongoing commitment to professional education.
“To me, nursing is always a learning career. As an educator, a commitment to professional development is an ongoing process in many professional healthcare roles, not just nursing,” Tim said.
“In the dynamic landscape of contemporary evidence-based practices and clinical research, it is imperative to consistently engage in ongoing learning as a crucial element for staying abreast of developments and upholding clinical acumen.”
“I have had the honour to engage with and present at national and international forums and congresses, and collaborate with clinicians, researchers, authors and professional organisations from around the world with likeminded ways to positively impact the patient experience”.
Looking back at her university experience, Lauren says making life-long friendships and challenging herself daily throughout her degree were highlight moments for her.
“I had so many wonderful lecturers at Western Sydney University who supported me and made the experience of stressful assignment and exam periods a lot easier. It may seem overwhelming, but you’ll become more confident, and you’ll reap the rewards when you get your results back and reflect on your achievements,” Lauren said.
“I know I have made my parents proud following in their footsteps, and hopefully I will have a very rewarding, successful career ahead of me too.”
ENDS
13 February 2024
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