Twenty four fresh faced nurse and midwifery graduates have begun work at Mount Isa Hospital.
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Nursing and Midwifery director Michelle Garner said the students would have three four month rotations at different sites and departments within the NWHHS, giving them a year packed with experience.
“Our graduates consistently give us feedback that they get more hands on experience here in the North West than in the big coastal hospitals,” Ms Garner said.
“We put them to work straight away, and for them, it’s a great start to their career.”
Four of the graduates are midwives, and will be based in Mount Isa.
Six will start their rotation in rural and remote sites.
Rosie Bickerstaff, from Redcliffe, who grew up in the country, said there are more opportunities in rural and remote nursing.
It’ll be a sea change for her, as she starts her nursing on Mornington Island next week, then comes back to Mount Isa for four months, and finishes the year at the Karumba Primary Health Clinic.
Perry Hill, from the Sunshine Coast, decided to be a nurse when he was about 16, and starts his rotation in Cloncurry.
“I’m very interested in rural and remote nursing for the experience,” Mr Hill said.
Rachel Arnold, from a cattle station near Gregory Downs, has always wanted to stay rural.
“I didn’t even want to go to the coast to study, so I took the opportunity to do my nursing study through Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health and James Cook University,” Ms Arnold said.
She begins her first year of practice at Normanton Hospital, then Cloncurry and finishes the year at Mount Isa’s Emergency Department.
Isabel Perkins, from Brisbane, knew she didn’t want a desk job, so nursing in a rural setting is perfect for her.
Ms Perkins begins her nursing career at Cloncurry, then Julia Creek.
Sophie McLaren from the Sunshine Coast got inspired to do rural and remote nursing when she travelled to Cambodia.
Ms McLaren has strong ties to Mount Isa as her grandparents lived there, and her father was born in Mount Isa Hospital.
He drove her out to Mount Isa for her orientation and gave her a street by street reconnaissance of the city.
Ms McLaren’s first rotation is in Julia Creek, which she’s looking forward to.
“I’m really excited to get out of uni and start practising as a real nurse,” Ms Mclaren said.
