“I want to go somewhere I have never been before.”
That was the thought that Jaclyn Marin had when she first heard about the NSW Health Deployment Program.Based in Wollongong on the NSW South Coast, the emergency department support officer has recently returned from a two-week placement at Forbes District Hospital.
“I really enjoyed my experience being able to deploy to an area where I haven't been before and probably might never get to go to in my life. You don’t get an experience like that very often, and now I’m keen to go back out to see the rest of New South Wales,” reflected Jaclyn.
Working in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Jaclyn is used to the coastal life, so heading rural was quite the learning experience.
“Forbes was an amazing time. Being able to work in that community was great. I gained a strong understanding of what it's like to live in a rural community and understand what health services are available,” said Jaclyn.
The NSW Health deployments are open to both clinical and non-clinical staff across the system. Jaclyn says the attraction for her was in the day-to-day differences of going from beach to bush.
“Working in Wollongong, it is quite metropolitan, so you don't know what regional NSW is like until you actually work in it. It is one thing to read reports on paper, but living it is a completely different story,” shares Jaclyn.
“The sheer differences in accessibility to services in comparison to non-rural settings, even outpatient clinics in metropolitan areas are different than regional ones as they are not all located in one hospital. The community adapts really well.”
And it is that community spirit that Jaclyn says gave her the biggest motivation boost.
“The thing that was really interesting was seeing how all the staff in a rural location work together.
It is so much more cohesive than it is in metropolitan areas where things are a lot more separate.”
While being a community contributor rated high on Jaclyn’s interest during her deployment, it was career progression that was her underlying driving force for going rural.
“I’m hoping to apply to study Doctor of Medicine, and obviously there is a large push and a very strong need for doctors that are considering rural work, and now I know firsthand why there is that need as well as how important a role they play in these communities.”
And as with many before her, Jaclyn reflects on the excitement and adventure of these deployments as being the icing on the cake.
“It was a really great opportunity to not only see remote parts of New South Wales, but also it is really cool to travel around the state for work. I loved gaining a greater perspective on what differences there are in each area of work, as well as what challenges are presented by different communities across the state.”
And when it comes to challenges, Jaclyn says they add that little extra spice to life.
“I personally really like to be challenged. I like to challenge myself, especially to throw myself into a new environment that I am not used to. And these deployments do that well. It is great. I might not know everything, but I'm certainly going to try and have a go. I really want to recommend to anyone to just put themselves forward to visit a community where they probably don't know anyone. I think that is a really rewarding experience,” concluded Jaclyn with a beaming smile.
