Get ready to dive into the fascinating world of nursing education with our ‘Meet the Trainer’ interview series. In this edition, we sit down with Louise Kemme, the Head of VFA Nursing, as she shares her inspiring journey of empowering future nurses and what drives her to inspire the next generation.
From drawing inspiration from remarkable clinical facilitators to staying ahead of industry advancements, Louise’s passion for teaching is unparalleled. We’ll also uncover her genuine love for patient interactions and her unique nursing superpower. And she reveals her most memorable experiences as a trainer at VFA Learning. So join us as we gain a glimpse into the remarkable career of Louise and her invaluable contributions to nursing education.
1. What inspired you to teach nursing?
While studying to become a nurse, I had some absolutely amazing clinical facilitators and some not-so-great clinical facilitators. The amazing ones really inspired me to continue my nursing education journey. And since then, I’ve wanted to inspire the future generation of nurses.
2. How do you stay up-to-date with industry advancements and use them in your teachings?
I follow a few methods to keep up-to-date. The first is that I remain employed casually within the hospital sector. I work on a variety of wards, caring for a variety of different types of patients to maintain my practical skills.
I also help develop course content for the nursing course at VFA, which requires a lot of in-depth research. And I find that allows me to understand what I’m teaching and ensure that I’m conveying that information to the students holistically so that they go out into the clinical placement fully understanding the background behind why they’re doing what they’re doing.
3. What’s your favourite thing about nursing?
My favourite thing about nursing is interactions with the patients. I adore those unexpected conversations where you both chuckle as you walk away. I love the smiles I get from patients. And the reward of seeing patients recover and getting better and eventually saying goodbye to them is bittersweet but awesome.
4. Can you share a particularly memorable experience or success story from your time as a trainer at VFA Learning?
My most memorable experiences are working a shift at the hospital and partnering with one of the VFA nursing graduates. Working on the ward alongside them as experienced nurses is absolute awesomeness.
5. If you could have any teaching-related superpower, what would it be and why?
I would like to be able to snap my fingers and have drawings put on the whiteboard exactly how I envision them. For example, anybody who knows me knows that when I teach about the cardiac cycle, I will draw a heart because that is the extent of my doodling capabilities.
I would like it to be a little bit better!
