Melani, Register Nurse, Milton Ulladulla Hospital: We do resus, we do a bit of rehabilitation here, so as a registered nurse I’m quite grateful to be working here because it challenges me day to day. We are also challenged to think on our feet. Rural nursing requires that.
Michelle, Register Nurse, Milton Ulladulla Hospital: And I think if you can balance that out with a really good family life, then that sustains your energy and that fills up your compassion cup and that makes you a better nurse. Definitely. And you give much more optimal care.
Bruce, Registered Nurse, Milton Ulladulla Hospital: The group I work with in the Emergency department, we’re all very close. We know each other very well and we produce a high standard of work. I like the autonomy and the advanced skills you need to work in a rural setting. I really enjoy that.
Carla, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Shoalhaven District Hospital: I’ve been at the Shoalhaven Hospital for about eight years and before that I was working in the community mental health team. I am actually a very young Clinical Nurse Consultant. The opportunities for promotion are huge in regional and rural settings.
Janie, Registered Nurse, Shoalhaven District Hospital: I work at the Shoalhaven Cancer Care Centre and we follow the patient through their journey of cancer care radiation and look after them throughout. I think in a regional or rural hospital you have a broad range of skills, and you become very adaptable, resilient and flexible.
Rachel, Clinicial Nurse Specialist, Broken Hill: Surgical Ward, Rachel speaking. In the rural setting, nurses really are the backbone of the hospital. Obviously it’s a small hospital so the learning opportunities are a lot.
Martin, Deputy Director of Nursing Broken Hill Hospital: Broken Hill affords opportunity. Yes, you’ll work hard, you will be challenged but if you work hard in a rural or remote area your exposure to clinical scenarios will be greater than you could ever imagine. You’ll be afforded opportunities to train and to progress and be where you want to be quicker than perhaps you would elsewhere. And that’s the beauty.
Donna, Registered Midwife, Broken Hill Hospital: I’m a midwife in the midwifery group practice here in Broken Hill so that’s our only model and we’re all amazing. We have an all risk model and we have quite a wide catchment area, so we look after women from all diversities and that’s quite rare. It’s just a privilege to be able to do that and to support them through such a special time in their lives.
Broken Hill has been very good to myself and my family. It’s a great place to start a career. I was able to get to my goal to be a midwife in Broken Hill with my three children being small so that was really great. So, yeah, it offers a lot to support careers.
Lisa, New Graduate Nurse, Broken Hill: I moved from Coffs Harbour on the north coast to come to Broken Hill for my New Grad position. I chose to come remote because it was something I always wanted to focus on in nursing was rural/remote nursing. I love the outback. I’m just a country girl. There’s opportunity to expand your skillset quite quickly and you get more opportunities.
Louise, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Illawarra Shoalhaven: I love working in the rural remote areas. So, we have a big geographical area. It’s large and so we do a lot of time on the road travelling from community to community. I think the country folk and, you know, the people who live regionally basically have a different outlook on life .They are so appreciative and grateful that there are healthcare professionals who will actually go and visit them in their home and in their community that they love.
Return to Imagine Rural
Return to video