It Takes Heart

33. From Overseas to Aged Care: How Neha Built a Nursing Career in Australia

• Hosts Samantha Miklos & Kate Coomber • Season 2 • Episode 33

Share episode

Neha arrived in Brisbane from Nepal with good grades, high hopes, and a postcard-perfect image of Australia, but the reality was tougher. Cultural shocks, unfamiliar accents, and the quiet weight of starting over left her searching for solid ground. Nursing became her anchor and in time, aged care quietly captured her heart. 

Now a registered nurse, Neha supports aged care residents through a mix of bedside care and telehealth. She shares what good care really looks like: calm, consistent, and deeply human.  She also shares lifestyle and nursing content online, offering insight, encouragement, and connection, especially for international students navigating similar journeys. 

This episode is for anyone wondering where a career in nursing can take them, especially if you’re starting fresh in a new country, navigating setbacks, or finding your place in a different system. Neha’s story is a reminder that purpose often lives in the places we least expect.

More about Neha's Organisation of Choice, Beyond Blue
Beyond Blue is one of Australia’s most well-known, trusted, and visited mental health organisations. For more than 20 years, people in Australia have placed their trust in Beyond Blue as a reliable source of mental health information, support, and hope - whether they’re well and want to stay that way, unsettled or struggling and need support, or in recovery and want to reconnect.

Follow Neha on Instagram and TikTok.

It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr CEO Sam Miklos, alongside Head of Talent and Employer Branding, Kate Coomber. 

We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso 

Get to know cmr better!
Follow @ittakesheartpodcast on Instagram, @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment on Linked In, @cornerstonemedicalrec on TikTok and @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment on Facebook.

Sam Miklos:

For many, aged care is not the first point of call when working in healthcare, and that was certainly the case for I guess today, Niha. However, she found herself full circle landing a career in aged care, which has given her so much joy and fulfillment.

Neha Gupta:

She was telling me all about her life story and her family is not here, and then she she just called me once and she's like, I don't know what I want to do next. And I was like, what do you mean by that? She's like, I've got no purpose in life, and that felt so sad. And I asked her what would make you feel better, and then she said, I just want to go out and see some shunshine. And I was like, Oh, this is so small thing, but it's just gonna make a big impact in your life, then why not?

Kate Coomber:

So don't forget before you get into this episode to go and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And if you know someone in aged care, why don't you share it with them?

Sam Miklos:

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram for all the behind-the-scenes fun.

Instrumental:

We care for the Legends.

Sam Miklos:

Okay, so today we are joined by Niha, a registered nurse who moved to Brisbane from Nepal at just 18 to chase a dream of becoming a nurse. Niha currently works in the aged care sector and knows what it takes to look after our most vulnerable groups. She's also a content creator, showing others what is possible as life in Australia as a nurse. Welcome, Niha, to It Takes Heart.

Neha Gupta:

Thank you so much for having me, you guys.

Sam Miklos:

It's so good to have you here. Absolutely excited about today. Let's go back to though. So you grew up in Nepal and you came to Australia when you were 18. Yep. Tell us about what it was like to grow up in Nepal.

Neha Gupta:

Um so growing up in Nepal, it's it's kind of different to here in Australia. So I grew up in a very strict traditional family. So education was most priority there. So going to school, coming back home. Uh my parents were super protective of me, so I wouldn't be allowed to go out with friends a lot. Like they would let me go, but they were like, What time are you coming back? Or when is this finishing? So it was pretty strict, and I didn't get a chance to travel a lot or explore a lot. Uh as soon as I finished my grade 12, um, I think there was a six month gap, and then I was here in Australia. So yeah, it was just simple routine, so nothing very exciting.

Sam Miklos:

Sounds like my growing up in towomba. Strict, one of the way to do much, not any opportunity. Why Australia? Why Australia? And was there other countries that you were considering?

Neha Gupta:

So I was very young and I did not did not have a lot of knowledge about different countries. Uh so my parents, they wanted me to study medicine. Uh they thought I was that smart, but I was not. So they wanted me to go to Bangladesh, which was like six to eight years of course. And I was like, no way I'm gonna study that lot. And it would be like a hostel, and I could come back home like twice a year. So idea of that and studying was like a nightmare for me. I was like, no way I'm gonna do that, but I didn't have courage to tell them that. So there was like a medical, I think it was like a medical training program you get into before going to the medical school. So I they joined, they asked me to join me there, so I went there. But the thing is, on the way to the medical training center, there was a lot of um consultancies where you would like Australia, America, like different countries. That was very fascinating. So once me and my friends were like, let's just try, you know, and my grades were good and my English was good. So I was like, let's just try. And it's just like they were very convincing, and they were like, Oh yeah, your grades are good, you'll be able to go to Australia, America, wherever you want. Uh for me, America sounded scary at that point, and I didn't have a lot of knowledge. So Australia was like beach, happy country. That's what came into my mind. Um so I was completely convinced that I want to go to Australia, I don't want to go to Bangladesh. Uh slowly I said to my mom, and I thought I wouldn't be able to convince her by myself. So I took her to one of those consultants and she was convinced. And that's it, she convinced my father, and I'm in Australia now. And has it lived up to the hype? I think so. Oh my god. I uh I was so like I was a teenager, so I thought everything is so happy, chappy. Like they wrong every day. I was like, okay, this is gonna I'm gonna get $25 per hour. This is gonna be my expenses. So I had everything in my mind. Like that's that didn't happen. But I was like, oh, this is my plan. Um so I think most of the things, like people are very friendly and there's a lot of opportunities, but reality is much more different than what I had expected. Like everything didn't go as a smooth ride.

Kate Coomber:

Well, we definitely want to do that. I don't know about that.

Sam Miklos:

But no, you went about nursing a bit first.

Kate Coomber:

Yeah, so they you know, your family thought you might become a doctor. When did nursing come up? And was that you mentioned then having things mapped out. Was that the plan here?

Neha Gupta:

So it took me a little bit of negotiation. So I said to them, I'm gonna finish nursing and then I'm gonna do medicine. This is my pre-med.

Kate Coomber:

Yeah.

Neha Gupta:

I just wanted to I just wanted to get out of the country. And I was a very rebellious teenager. So and then being protected, I just wanted that independence. I was like, yeah, I'm gonna do nursing, it's just three years, and then medicine, I'll get more education, so I know I'll wanna be doing medicine. Uh I also wanted to become a dentist at one point, but it was so costly. So I was like, yeah, let me finish my nursing first. And then they were like, okay. Until then, my mum is like, when are you gonna study your medicine? Yes. And still asking you. Like one day. Yeah. Is that the one day?

Sam Miklos:

Mum's listening, yeah, we're we're gonna do it. Yeah, we'll do that. Never too late. What um what went wrong? You said earlier it didn't all go to plan.

Neha Gupta:

Mm-hmm.

Sam Miklos:

How so?

Neha Gupta:

Uh I think I'm a very delusional person.

Sam Miklos:

Sorry about it. Delusional. I love it, and I'm connected.

Neha Gupta:

So I was like, oh, my English is good, because I always got good grades in English. So I thought the only barrier would be English, and I'm good at English. So what could go wrong? But no, the accent, like because we learned American English in Nepal. And then the accent here is so strong. And then when I had to repeat myself again and again, and still people wouldn't understand me, and I'm like, oh my god, this is not good. So I think English was the first thing that like took my what's the right word? Uh it made me feel low-motivated because I was like, Oh, it's easy, I can speak English, but that didn't go as per the plan.

Sam Miklos:

Yeah.

Neha Gupta:

And then everything else, like big cultural shock. And when you're in Brisbane, did you come straight to Brisbane? Yes, I did. Uh big cultural shock.

Sam Miklos:

And I think that's sorry, talk to us about the cultural shock.

Neha Gupta:

So people back home are very connected to each other. They're very nosy. Even they don't know each other, they're like, oh, what's happening? They're like, they'll talk to you, they'll not to you, even if they are not really into you. But here people just mind their own business. Yeah. And when I first came from somewhere where everyone is so involved in each other to like no one cares about you now. It was um quite hard.

Sam Miklos:

And you were looking isolated and were you on your own or did you come with a friend?

Neha Gupta:

I was, I did not know anyone here. Um now when I think about it, I was like, I'm so dumb. I didn't have a backup plan. Um I did not yourself. You were the backup plan. Yeah, yeah. I had no friends, um, did not know anyone here. So the consultancy I applied through, he said that there was another girl from Nepal who was going to go on the same course. So she would come and pick me up from the airport. So I was like, yeah, cool. I was delusional. Um, she did come, but she came a little bit later. So that I was so anxious. Like right when I landed, and I was like, oh my god. She said she's gonna come in 15 minutes, 20 minutes. She didn't come. Eventually she did come, but I was like, Oh my god, this is reality. She just moved your love. I don't know where to go. I have no I don't have a SIM card anything, but she eventually came and I think she was my lifesaver. So she took me to the university, she let me stay with her for a couple of weeks, which was very nice of her. And then yeah, uh, but still feeling lonely because I did not have a lot of friends. And to me, she was a friend, but still a stranger. So it took me a while, and then I felt like back home I was a very extroverted person. I would get my way through because I had my parents. I didn't know that there was a backup support. But here I had to do everything on my own. And the decision of coming to this country by myself, I did not want it to tell them the bad parts about it because it was my decision, and I didn't wanted them to be sad about it because they would stress, of course. So for the very first few years, I was like, everything is good, everything is happy, but later I realized that they need to know what's happening. So yeah. It took me a while. It was like first few years was everything was a learning experience by myself.

Sam Miklos:

So what about study then?

Instrumental:

Yeah.

Sam Miklos:

When were you studied nursing out in Australia? Like how was that challenging as an international student? And then was it hard to then go on and find work?

Kate Coomber:

And did it bring some belonging being part of that cohort?

Neha Gupta:

So study-wise, it's completely different to what it's in Nepal. It's more open here, whereas we used to do books and writing, all paper-based. There was nothing online back then. Uh I think it g because I had just finished grade twelve, I came with a blank s slate. So I did not have a lot of baggage in terms of nursing. Whereas I had co-workers, uh, sorry, classmates who did work as a nurse back in Nepal and they were like, Oh, this is easy. Whereas me, I was just learning everything from base. So that was not um that difficult. But the thing that everything was online based, education is so different. Back home, it's all uh books, books, books, but whereas here it's more practical. So that was a bit of difference. And I think the teaching system, like teachers are very strict back home. There is a standard like teachers are not your friends back home. Whereas here, teachers were very friendly, like you can approach them, you can email them. So that was a very good thing. That's a very positive thing I experienced here. So I think being just finished grade 12, that was a good thing. I think that was a good thing that I didn't have nursing background, so it was not a lot of mix and match. Um so I uni was quite fun. I think that was the best time of my life here in Australia. I was doing a lot of things. I don't know how I got the energy back then.

Sam Miklos:

And what about your nursing career then? So once you graduated, where have you worked? What sort of have you always been in aged care?

Neha Gupta:

Uh no. So I wanted to do cosmetic nursing. So I had that in the back of my mind. Um so as soon as I finished uh nursing, I I wanted to get a job, so I applied to different places. I did not want to go in aged care at all because I had worked as a AIN in H care and I know how hard it is for registered nurses with the patient load one to forty or one to fifty, and sometimes it's more, and the risk they are putting. And then when I used to work as an AIN, the nurses would always be stressed. So I was like, I don't want a life like that for me.

Instrumental:

Yeah.

Neha Gupta:

So I applied everywhere else except for HK. So I wanted to go to cosmetic nursing but needed some experience for it. So I started with GP and community. Uh I really wanted to work in GP, so I did that. Uh I think I worked in community for three months. Um, didn't really enjoy that because of the driving. Uh I was I've always been a bad driver. Driving stresses me out. I just don't I I just want to avoid driving as much as possible. So I left community. Uh I found GP work, like which was 10 minutes walking distance from my house, which was perfect. Um, I loved doing it where in there I did COVID immunization. I made a lot of good friends there. It was such a good experience, but the pay, like eventually you have to catch up with things, and uh I realized that I was getting paid very less, like the minimum of the minimum. Yeah. So I was like, oh, it's time to upgrade. So I joined cosmetic nursing courses. Uh I did a course and then I got a doctor who was ready to train me. Um, so I did training, and then I think within a few weeks I realized that cosmetic nursing is not for me. Like it does look very glam, and then the idea of making your own money, like working in your own hours, was very fascinating to me. But as long as I went there and saw the reality of cosmetic nursing, I was like, Oh my god, this is dark. No one talks about it. Yes, sir. So I feel like when patients come, like the doctor would be like, What's wrong do you see in your face? And I'm like, uh wrong? What's wrong? I don't see anything wrong. But they would be like, Oh, I something's wrong here or here, and they would point out to their flaws, and they think that that's their insecurities. But for me, I was like, They are beautiful. What are they talking about? So for me to solve a problem, I need to find the problem first, and I couldn't see the problem. So that was a little bit of concern. And so a patient would come and say, like, oh, I want to get this, this is fixed, which is fine. And then the doctor would go like oh, but what about this? Have you ever thought about this? So that would make them more insecure about the things that they haven't thought about. You just didn't want to be a part of that. No, I was like, uh, I don't think this is the right thing for me. Like, I thought I could easily make money out of it, but nah. So I left that. That was a very short-lived job. That was short-lived. Then then I H care then. Yeah, so then I went to H care. And how did you what because you said no, not for me. How did you then get back to it? So that happened, and then I started applying for different jobs because GP was not paying me good enough. And at at this point I had experimented enough. Money wise, it was just going downhill. So I was like, let's focus about the money first and then let's figure it out.

Kate Coomber:

And I can get a sense that you're trying to build a real lifestyle for yourself here. You come to Australia for you know, a good life. Yeah. And so the money was important to be able to support that lifestyle.

Neha Gupta:

Yeah. And then my biggest nightmare was I never wanted to ask money with my parents, so I had to survive. So I was like, okay, let's focus on this first. Um so I went to HCARE and I just loved it. It's so different. Yeah, well, what was the misconception? So it's so different when you're working as an AIN and when you're working as a RN. So the level of respect people see is just amazing. Like when you are an AIN, they really don't care. But when you are RN, they're like everyone is giving you respect. The residents or the healthcare staff? Everyone. The residents, the family, the staff. And I was like, wow, this is good. Um which makes you feel valued. Yeah. It made me feel valued and the responsibility I was getting and the job satisfaction at the end of the day. So I joined HCare and then yeah, I've sh I've been working in aged care since.

Sam Miklos:

So what's the um a typical day in the life working for you in an aged care setting?

Neha Gupta:

Because are you working in more of a telehealth setting? Yeah, so I don't work on floors. Uh I do night shift in aged care, and then during the day I don't work on the floors. I work in telehealth settings. So it's mostly like I facilitate the telehealth rounds. Uh most of our specialists, geriatricians are all over Australia. So I go to different aged cares, uh, and then I have got my laptop there. So I do my prep work, um, I do my assessments, and then I give handover to the doctor, and then we go into the residence room with my laptop on, and then the consult happens. Yeah. Sometimes it's just four or five residents a day, sometimes it's a longer day. Um so yeah, that's different and that's new.

Kate Coomber:

That's a really incredible service, isn't it? Because I imagine for a lot of these residents to leave the centre to go out to specialist appointments, or you know, that must be really challenging for a lot of them to be able to bring that service into their own room. But is that sort of newer since COVID?

Neha Gupta:

I think our company started since COVID because most of the residents were not able to go out. But uh we've been able to bring a lot of services like mental health services, geriatrician services, we've got different specialists, pain specialists, palliative specialists. So it has become very easy for them because for a lot of residents it's very hard to get out of the facility. Their mobility, they don't have family members, sometimes it's a finance thing. So a lot of factors play into it. But we've been able to bring that has become a positive positive change. However, a lot of residents don't understand that there is a person right behind the screen and it's still new to them. So I have to be the person being like, Oh, there is this doctor, and sometimes the sound issues, technical issues, so I have to be the middle person saying, Oh, this, this, this. So it's uh most of them get used to it, some of them don't, especially someone with uh dementia. It's very hard for them to comprehend that there's someone else talking behind the screen. Sometimes they see themselves on the computer and they're like, Who's that?

Kate Coomber:

But how nice that you can be with them as opposed to them having to do those appointments on their own, like to have you standing by their side to help facilitate and answer those questions. I can imagine that's really rewarding.

Neha Gupta:

It is, because sometimes, like if you're for example, if you're going with a dementia resident or a resident who has some kind of um cognitive impairment, they'll be telling to the doctor, Oh, I just had a fall this morning, which they haven't had. So to just uh To advocate for them and help them.

Sam Miklos:

Yeah. Yeah. What do you think makes you know it's such a special area working in aged care. What do you think uh the skills or the qualities that a great healthcare professional has in aged care?

Neha Gupta:

I think patience. Um there should be a lot of patience for people who are working in aged care because I feel like hospital settings or everywhere else, GP setting, it's so fast-paced, next, next, next. Whereas in aged care you just see every individual as your own person or family member because you're seeing them every day in and out. Like it's not like it's gonna end. So and then sometimes it gets so busy and so many things are happening at the same time. So I feel like H care is not for the weak. So yeah, patience and time management is two important skills that is like a must-have in HCAR. Yeah, yeah.

Sam Miklos:

What what about um you know, you've seen all these wonderful people who are, you know, in the last stages of their lives. Is there um any stories from residents that have really stayed with you or life lessons that they've shared that you've gone, oh yeah, when you think about it, you've got people living in these facilities that have really lived a life.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Neha Gupta:

That's what I think about sometimes in the 90s. Um there are a lot of stories, but if I had to recall one, um, there was this resident, he was very lovely, no cognitive impairment or anything. And he used to tell me, Niha, always live your life. Always live your life. And at the very start, I was like, I don't know what he's talking about. I am living my life. Maybe I can imagine anything. So what it meant was like he always focused on his work throughout his life. He was a very focused person for his work, he was a go-getter, and I was like, Oh, I'm like that. I'm like, what's next? What's what's next? So he said that he lost his wife a few years ago. So throughout his life he was been working, and now all her all his kids were overseas and now he's all alone. So he says that he was not able to enjoy like special moments, birthdays, and special events of their life because he was always busy working. So that's what he said me. You work, but make sure that you have a life around work. So that was like, oh yeah. Because sometimes I get too focused at work that I forget what's happening around. So yeah, that has stayed with me, and I'm trying to implement it, but sometimes it's just too hard.

Sam Miklos:

That's saying you don't live to work, you work to live.

Kate Coomber:

Make sure that you've created connection with people.

Neha Gupta:

And I feel like special with nursing, we finish work, but we don't leave work at work. Sometimes it's just it comes with us. So yeah. Uh but having said that, I've started uh creating boundaries and I I follow a few things sometimes. If if I feel like if it's too heavy, I make sure that I do those things before entering my house. So that's it.

Sam Miklos:

What are those things that you do? What's those rituals?

Neha Gupta:

Like sometimes I just stay in my car and just think about what happened, and if it's not enough, I scream. That's great.

Sam Miklos:

Like wild just like in your car. Yeah. Yeah.

Neha Gupta:

I put music to Lard and I just scream and it feels so good. It just feels like I've left a baggage there. Um, I do that, and then once I'm home, I try to journal. Sometimes I talk to mom, she doesn't understand most of the things, but still she listens to me. Yeah. She's like, you know, this is this has happened, and 90% of the time she doesn't understand medical terms. She doesn't under like she doesn't know the people I work with, but she's still listening. So yeah, and sometimes I just go for a quick walk and it just helps me like ground myself. Yeah.

Kate Coomber:

And I guess what is it that's uh bringing you to those moments? You know, if you think about it, maybe a typical work day or one of those days that's particularly hard, what is it? Is there you know, are you sometimes carrying the load for your patients that you find upsetting, or is it just the I think it's a factor of a lot of things.

Neha Gupta:

Sometimes it's just patient load. Sometimes when I'm not able to advocate for my patients the right way, because sometimes you just have to deal with doctors who just don't want to listen to you and to be not able not being able to explain them like this is the thing happening. It's that sometimes it's just like a busy shift, time management, shortage of staff, which happens a lot of time. I'm lucky with my telehealth round, I work independently so that I don't have to worry about that a lot. But sometimes at night shift when you're short staffed, so yeah, and then just sometimes when there's a lot of decision making and then I just sit at the end of the shift and I think like, Did I do the right thing? 'Cause when you're there you're just so fast paced, and I like very end, like, did I do the right thing? And for me, the only thing is I'm not a person who panics during the action.

Sam Miklos:

Yes.

Neha Gupta:

When everything's happened, then I'll just sit back and I'm like, oh my god, what just happened? Yeah.

Sam Miklos:

So yeah, sometimes reflection at the end where you take a moment to go, was this was that right?

Neha Gupta:

And especially in age care, because you are surrounded with a lot of AINs and you are the one who's taking responsibility for everything, they'll come to you very panicked, like they haven't seen anything like that before, and they're like, Oh my god, this has happened. So to calm them down first and then to assess the situation is very important.

Sam Miklos:

Otherwise, do you treat um you mentioned about earlier like the RNs get more respect than the AINs. Do you find you treat the AINs better because you had that experience? Oh yeah, 100%.

Neha Gupta:

Uh I treat AINs like my friends and even I'm as my friends, and that's the thing I make sure that that always stays with me, because I've seen a lot of nurses treat their INs as like you don't know anything. Uh whereas they know a lot of more better things than us because they're spending more time with the resident than us, where we are doing paperwork and clinical stuff. So because I have been an AIN and I know how it feels, so I always make sure that they're well treated.

Kate Coomber:

Yeah. And is there if you think about the residents that you've been working with, is there are there any other moments that you're really proud of where you've, you know, you have those tough days but where you maybe have advocated and it's come to a really good outcome? Or is there a story that really sits with you that you remember?

Neha Gupta:

I think we do a lot of things for residents. But I think um to think about it, there was one resident who was like a public guardian, was seen by a public guardian and didn't didn't have a lot of family and support around. And her son was, I think, in New South Wales, in a place where the network was like so bad, so it was so hard to contact him in like important things. So she really wanted to go outside because she was not feeling that well, and then the facility was not able to provide that support because of her conditions and she was bedbound and everything. So I made sure that I just kept on advocating for her, like it's just fifteen minutes, it's just wheelchair, we can organize oxygen. Like I tried to provide all the options we had so that they couldn't say no. And then she I think because I do night duties most of the time. Um so she did that and she went out, and when she came back, she was so happy, and it was just 15 minutes out of her room, and I felt so good about that. Yeah. As would she, I'm sure. I could just see that smile on her.

Sam Miklos:

And such simple things too, like sunshine, yeah, like the impact that can have is huge.

Kate Coomber:

And that would just uh make her feel, I imagine, like she is worthy and she's a person, and she's still here, and she has needs and wants, and just for someone to care.

Neha Gupta:

That's true, because she was telling me all about her life story and her family is not here, and then she she just called me once and she's like, I I don't know what I want to do next. And I was like, What do you mean by that? She's like, I've got no purpose in life, and that felt so sad. And I asked her what would make you feel better, and then she said, I just want to go out and see some shineshine. And I was like, Oh, this is so small thing, but it's just gonna make a big impact in your life, then why not?

Sam Miklos:

Yeah, so I think that's the thing with aged care is it's those small moments of of care. Um, you know, when someone's at that last chapter of life and for some, yeah, purpose might not be there anymore. So what does purpose look like?

Kate Coomber:

And you know, making those moments happen in the future. So I guess in November there's some changes coming into aged care. How does that impact the the sector or perhaps the residents?

Neha Gupta:

You know, is it going to allow for I think it's gonna favor resident a lot more, like they're gonna have personalized care, more cultural inclusivity and for nursing staff I think it would be I think more accountability towards family. Um we're expecting better staffing, so hopefully that will work in place as well. But overall residents will be able to make more decisions about their care. So that's a good thing.

Sam Miklos:

How do you think we can attract more healthcare professionals to aged care?

Neha Gupta:

And really quality healthcare professionals. Um just to I think uh uh it's so different from like working in aged care and working in a different sector is so different. Um, but it's such a tricky question, eh?

Sam Miklos:

What do you love about working in aged care?

Neha Gupta:

Uh sense of satisfaction at the end of the day. Like I feel like I I've done a good job and I've made an impact in someone's life. Um so yeah.

Sam Miklos:

And there's that continuity of care too, you know, whereas if you're in a hospital, you're you might be in and out, and also you said you're like you're with people for a longer period and you really got more time building those relationships with them as well.

Neha Gupta:

Yeah. Just being a part of their journey towards the end of their life. Like 'cause most of the people we care like are eventually dying. So just making sure that they're comfortable, they're respected, their wishes are being uh their wishes are being acknowledged at the end of their life. So yeah, that just really gives the sense of satisfaction at the end.

Sam Miklos:

Um content creation, like a bit of a fun fact about you is um you create content and it's interesting, like we are seeing more and more healthcare workers creating their own content popping up on TikTok everywhere. There's this um so many of these healthcare workers have this wonderful creative side to them. Why did you start creating content?

Neha Gupta:

Uh I think I started creating content a few years ago where I was having a very monotonous life. I was working, coming back home, I c I was burnt out, I was tired, and I was like, I don't have any hobbies or anything. So and then I think I started creating content as a digital diary. So I would f film everything and at the end of the day I would do a voiceover. And when I looked back at it, I I felt like, oh, I've done a lot of things. Why am I just being so harsh on myself? So I started doing that. And also I when I filmed, I just filmed the raw and real life, not the fancy part of the content creation. So I would vent out about things that happened at work, of course, maintaining conf confidentiality. Because my mom would be like, What are you eating? What did you like? You know, just the tiny things, and now I don't have to answer her. Like, look at this video. Yeah. So that happened, and I got a lot of love and response from those videos because it was raw, natural, because I was just complaining about life all the time. And I'm like, oh, I'm low and iron. It resonated again.

Sam Miklos:

Yeah, it's real.

Neha Gupta:

Oh, this happened at work and I'm so sad about it. So I think that happened, and then I started getting a lot of questions about different things about nursing, because there were a lot of young girls in Nepal who wanted to become like me. Uh so when I first uh when they were first asking questions, I was like very raw. I would just give like straight answers, which sometimes it's not a good thing. Um but yeah, then I started realizing that I'm a creative person. And that gave me joy, and then from day in my life I started doing like uh small cleaning videos, cooking videos, and it just sparked joy, and it was not for anyone else, it was for me, and then I felt like oh I I think I'm getting my spark back.

Instrumental:

Yeah.

Neha Gupta:

And it's been two and a half years, and it's just gone in different directions now because it's a lot of things involved.

Instrumental:

Yeah.

Neha Gupta:

Um, it was just a passion and something like a hobby, and now when money is involved, it's a little bit trickier. But I still enjoy it. Yeah. Fantastic. There's a lot of growth opportunities, which I didn't think it was. So yeah.

Sam Miklos:

That's so good. What would you say to um, you know, the girls back in Nepal, the teenagers there, like if you reflect on your journey and what that's been like, what advice would you give to them?

Neha Gupta:

Ooh. I think the advice I would give is it is possible, because a lot of people ask uh about the financial factor. Is it possible to do everything by yourself or not? Uh, me coming from a middle class family, um, my parents would help me if I would have asked them, but I was so determined, I was so rebellious. I was like, I'm not gonna ask money and I'm gonna do it. And I think I had that mindset to work hard. No matter what, I'm gonna work hard and do it. So to all those teenager girls or younger girls who are watching my videos or watching this podcast, I just want to tell them it's possible, but you just have to put your right mindset to it. You have to do hard work, there's no shortcut to it. And the most important thing is you have to be there for yourself. No one else will be there for you at the end of the day. Sometimes you'll have friends and family around, you'll always have that support around. But if you are not there for yourself, no one else will be able to help you. And I guess that reality of you have to be ready to build from scratch. That's true. Yeah. And uh it's just a lot of small things that you're not ready for when it comes to doing life. Like you learn l cooking, cleaning, paying your bills, managing everything by yourself, and it's just you, so you have to be managing everything. And that's how you learn things, I guess. To be doing it for the first time in other country. Yeah, extra layer, isn't it?

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Neha Gupta:

Yeah. But you're doing it. I think now slowly I I am still not perfect. I have my days. I just call my c mom and I cry. I think that's the other thing. Like first few years, I was like, oh yeah, everything's perfect. I'm doing everything by myself. I remember I fainted at work once and I went to the hospital, but I did not tell that to her because I thought she would panic and she would just ask me to come back home.

Instrumental:

Yeah.

Neha Gupta:

I told that to her after months and she was so upset with me. So now if something's like bothering me or if something's sad happening to me, I just make sure I tell that to her so that she knows that it's just not all sunshine here. It's it's hard to be real. It's real too. Yeah.

Kate Coomber:

So with every episode, we're making a donation to a charity of our guest choice. Where would you like that money to go to?

Neha Gupta:

Oh, that's a really thing, good thing that you guys are doing. I think I would want to go to Beyond Blue because mental health is such an important thing, especially in nursing and overall in general, and a lot of people don't talk about it. And a lot of people just suffer in silence.

Sam Miklos:

So I want to choose Beyond Blue. That's a wonderful choice. No one's actually chosen beyond blue, I don't think, so it's great to have that. Niha, thank you. It's um honestly like what a what a great chat with you. And uh, you know, just seeing someone come out at 18, like honestly, like to come to another country, study, create a life to where you've got to, and then to land full circle in the very industry that you're like, wow, I'm not gonna be working there. And hear you speak so passionately about working in aged care is just amazing. And um, you know, the content side of things, it's so exciting to see this creativity come out, and even the way that you say, like, it's just sparked so much joy for you and a great outlet.

Kate Coomber:

So and then inspire others. Yeah. And help bring more people into the world.

Sam Miklos:

Especially the international nurses coming out, you know, and coming into the country and studying, like for them to see your journey and you know, be inspired and motivated by you. I think you're doing an incredible thing. So thank you for your time.

Neha Gupta:

Thank you so much for having me and recognizing me and my little TikTok. They are big TikToks.

Sam Miklos:

We don't do TikToks.

Neha Gupta:

So I think they are not a little TikTok.

Sam Miklos:

They are, they really are great.

Neha Gupta:

Thank you so much for having me.

Kate Coomber:

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land of which we meet, who for centuries have shared ancient methods of healing and cared for their communities. We pay our respects to elders past and present.

Head Shot

Sam Miklos

Host
Head Shot

Kate Coomber

Co-host