Subscribe
2,200 in Donegal on boil water notice following significant spike in water issues countrywide
Daniel's mother on donating milk after death of her beautiful newborn son
Nuala Harkin has an extensive background in paediatric nursing and is Australia’s first Diabetes Paediatric Nurse Practitioner.She has also co-authored a number of renowned research papers and has been instrumental in advancing paediatric diabetes care in the children’s hospital in which she is based in Sydney, as well as internationally.Nuala was recently presented with the Australian Diabetes Educators Association’s Honorary Life Membership Award, the most prestigious award that can be bestowed on members.Speaking to the Journal from Sydney, Nuala, who also has Type 1 diabetes, said she was ‘very surprised and humbled’ to receive the accolade and told how she was honoured that her work has had such an impact.Paediatrics has always been Nuala’s passion, back from when she was a little girl growing up in Inishowen.“I always wanted to look after sick children and go to Australia. I don’t know where I got the notion from, growing up in Culdaff, but I was determined to follow it through.Nuala’s mother, Peggy Harkin (nee Maggie McGuinness) was a ‘fantastic’ nurse and her two older sisters were also nurses. Nuala began her nursing career in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, followed by Waterford Hospital and on to Great Ormond Street Hospital. However, she still dreamed of moving to Australia, but thought that dream was over when she was turned down twice for a working visa.“I do believe, although I was never told, that it was because I have Type 1 Diabetes. In Ireland you get Long Term Illness cover. However, in Australia there is a cost associated with diabetes supplies. I thought my dream was never going to come true.”Nuala them worked in Templestreet Children’s Hospital (Children’s Health Ireland) for six years. In September 1996, she finally got the opportunity to fulfil her lifelong wish by travelling to Australia on sponsorship. She began working in the children’s hospital in Western Sydney and has ‘never looked back.’Nuala worked initially in ICU, but in 2000, began working within paediatric diabetes care – something she was initially unsure about.“I thought that I didn’t want to live with it and work within it but I really loved it once I moved. It also helps the families of the young children, as they know that not only am I working within diabetes care, but I’m also living with it as well.”Nuala outlined how there are still some misconceptions when it comes to Type 1 Diabetes.“The majority of people in the world have Type 2 and when you mention diabetes, people think it’s type 2. It’s really difficult on young families, as people have come up and said to them that they were feeding their children the wrong food. But, it’s completely different. In Type 1, the insulin producing cells are totally destroyed, where type 2 is lifestyle related. But there is still a lot of misunderstanding.”Nuala works with children with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, as well as children with steroid-induced diabetes, which can manifest as a result of treatments such as those for cancer or cystic fibrosis.Nuala told how many parents are knowledgeable in understanding that something is wrong when their child presents with diabetes symptoms, which include ‘running to the toilet a lot, drinking a lot and weight loss,’“If those symptoms are not picked up, a child can become very tired and very unwell. But, a lot of families pick up on the symptoms quickly, which is good.”While paediatric care can be difficult at times, Nuala is extremely passionate about it and feels ‘very lucky’ she gets to do it every day.“I know people say that nurses should be paid more and I agree with that, but I never went into nursing for the pay. I went into it because I was so passionate about it. After all these years, I look forward to every day. I never know what I’ll be facing, but I love getting up every day and going to work. Considering that I began nursing in 1981, I feel very blessed.”
Nuala added how she ‘loves Australia and loves Ireland, especially Culdaff’. She does miss her family and friends and the ‘beautiful beach’ and feels ‘very blessed’ to have been able to travel home every one to two years since coming to Australia.
The Honorary Life Membership Award is the most prestigious ADEA award and is bestowed upon one member every year. This year’s award was presented at the Australasian Diabetes Congress in Brisbane. Nuala is a past president of ADEA and a well-respected member of the community. ADEA stands for ‘professionalism, innovation, relevance and personalisation in all that we do.’
ADEA’s long term vision is to: Reduce diabetes and its impact throughout the world; Be the global leader for diabetes education; Build the Credentialled Diabetes Educator workforce so that it is sufficient to meet the needs of all people with diabetes; Make the Credentialled Diabetes Educator profession a preferred career for health professionals and Influence diabetes research to ensure it delivers practical outcomes. Its vision is ‘transforming lives through excellence in diabetes education’ and its mission is to is to support, promote and empower members, and to lead and advocate for best practice, person-centred diabetes education and care
You can read about Nuala’s award at https://www.adea.com.au/
Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Derry Journal, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Derry Journal, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Subscribe
Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Derry Journal, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Diabeets
13/10/2022