The NSW Health Deployment Program has been growing in interest and popularity. The program offers a unique opportunity for staff to work in different locations across the state, providing assistance during natural disasters, emergencies or to fill much needed vacancies. Emma Jenkins, a nurse from Sydney Local Health District, participated in the deployment program traveling to Tullamore Multipurpose Service to provide support during flood relief efforts.
“I was there for a total of 10 days, and it was a huge change from what I was used to. It was a small town. I think the town had about 300 people in it. It was very different than where I work in metro Sydney,” Emma said.
Emma worked in a combination of roles while deployed, including in the emergency department and the long-term aged care facility. But the real standout for Emma was her experience staying in a nearby town with another nurse that was also on deployment.
“It was nice to be able to stay together, even though we were working 30 minutes away from each other. We built a really good new friendship where we were able to bounce off our working experiences and talk about our day at the hospital,” Emma said.
The deployment program provides both clinical and non-clinical NSW Health staff with the opportunity to work in different environments in various locations of the state, as well as outside of their own boundaries.
“It was just the challenge of trying to get out of my comfort zone as well as a mixture of what could I bring to other people and also what I could learn from other workers that really intrigued me,” recalls Emma.
In her downtime, Emma popped into nearby regional towns like Parkes and Dubbo and rekindled some old memories along the way.
“It was a different environment to what I'd been in. I had not been out to the bush since I was a child. It was different to see it in this light and like a very rural town than what I remembered,” recalls Emma.
The deployment program offers staff an opportunity to expand their skill set while experiencing different environments. As for Emma, it was also about growing professionally as well as personally.
“For me, accepting these deployments was about challenging myself on how to work in different areas and whether or not I could do that. It was a bit of that wanderlust trying to go and see different areas and be amongst new things in amazing places and scenery.”
Among the new things Emma experienced, was that community vibe you don’t often get in metropolitan areas.
“It's really endearing to see the strong sense of community all the people have, and that they want to stay in these beautiful towns and pass on their properties or their farms and their livelihoods to their families. That sense of community is something I have never really experienced before,” Emma said.
“I had these pre-deployment assumptions but once I got to know everyone it was the opposite and everybody was very welcoming. I felt incredibly safe in the end because I felt that I could trust everybody there that I came across.
“Everybody knew each other. I loved that feeling of trust and I really liked engaging with people” reflects Emma happily.
