The Good Shepherd Home’s Mizue Jacobsen is the winner of the 2021 Palliative Care In Queensland Excellence in Palliative Care in an Aged Care Setting Award.
A quiet worker, Mizue cares deeply about every resident in her care, ensuring that every patient who requires her support has a final journey of comfort, minimum fuss and an approach to palliative care that is second to none.
She achieves this through her consideration for the little things that make a big difference. She gets to know her patients, what they like, what they don’t like and tailors her approach to each individual so that they can shine.
A keen student, Mizue uses her keen interest in the sector to inspire her learning; attending lectures, webinars and events that inspire her and support her learning and development. She then takes her learning and applies them on a daily basis to her role, using the principles she has learned to support every aspect of palliative care, from Statements of Choice and Advanced Care Planning through to being non-judgemental about the needs, wants and decisions patients and their loved ones make.
The excellent care that Mizue provides is an inspiration to others, and she regularly receives praise from her co-workers and the Chaplain, all of whom hold Mizue and her commitment to quality care in the highest regard.
We caught up with Mizue to find out what winning the 2021 Palliative Care In Queensland Excellence in Palliative Care in an Aged Care Setting means.
What does winning a 2021 Palliative Care in Qld Award mean to you?
Winning the award boosts confidence in my ability to play a significant role in palliative care. It also gives me an opportunity to reflect on my past and current palliative care experiences, and aspiration for my future contributions. As a nurse in aged care, I am privileged to be able to lead planning and provision of personalised care from the time of each resident’s admission to the end of their life, often over the course of months or years. It takes a whole team, of course, to deliver quality palliative care, and so I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of the extraordinary team at The Good Shepherd Home.
How does it feel to be recognised for your contribution to Palliative Care in Qld?
I feel extremely humbled to be recognised for the role I play in palliative care in Queensland. Even being nominated for the award is an incredible honour, particularly given the number of inspirational health care workers I have met in this field. To win such an honourable award is simply amazing and I feel incredibly proud, but I honestly count myself lucky to win.
Who would you like to thank or acknowledge as part of your award win?
With so many remarkable nominees, the judges must have had a difficult job, and I would like to thank the judges for choosing me. I would also like to thank the enormous support provided by the entire team at The Good Shepherd Home, without which I certainly would not have been in the position to receive the award. This win is as much for them as it is for me. I must also pay tribute to the current and past residents and families of The Good Shepherd Home, who trust/trusted me to be by their side until the end of their, or their loved one’s, life. I would also like to thank my family for their unconditional support.
