RFDS nurses among Central Australia’s unsung heroes

From delivering babies in the remote outback to responding to critical road accidents, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) nurses in Alice Springs consider their essential duties as a privilege

Royal Flying Doctor Service flight nurse Carol Illmayer and senior flight nurse Kathy Arthurs. Picture: EMMA MURRAY

From delivering babies in the remote outback to responding to critical road accidents, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) nurses in Alice Springs consider their essential duties as a privilege.

As nurses across the world were recognised on Tuesday for the International Day of the Nurse, the flight nurses of Alice Springs shared their unique experiences in saving the lives of people who are hundreds of kilometres away from help.

Carolyn Illmayer has been a flight nurse with the RFDS for six years and said she never knows what her job will throw at her each day as she flies out to vast chunks of the outback, often as the only nurse on board.

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“When we come to work we never know what we’re going to do, so it’s a mystery every day,” she said.

“We could go to something as simple as broken arm and the next day we could go to a massive road accident with four patients.”

Ms Illmayer said although her job can be hectic and gruesome at times, she has great satisfaction in providing critical care.

“I’ve been stopped in Coles and been given a cuddle by someone we’ve treated and its really rewarding to know that they’ve gotten better and remember you,” she said.

Royal Flying Doctor Service flight nurse Carol Illmayer and senior flight nurse Kathy Arthurs. Picture: EMMA MURRAY

Senior flight nurse Kathy Arthurs said nurses have also had to adapt to COVID-19 to provide care and transportation for less urgent matter amid travel restrictions.

“Some patients would get the bush bus in, but now we have to go in for them,” she said.

“For people that would usually go to Adelaide for treatment on a Qantas plane, we are now taking them there for tests and other stuff.

“We see a lot of the country and communities that the average Australians don’t see or understand. It’s quite a privilege to go out there.

“The view out of our ‘office window’ is pretty good too!”