Graduate nurses start at southwest hospitals

The newest members of the South West Hospital and Health Service, are going to different towns throughout the region.

BRIGHT FUTURES: These new nurses will be spread out across the South West Hospital and Health Service. Front: Emma Williams, Sandeep Naia and Anna Roeger. Back: Jodie McCallum, Emma Henderson, Taylah Gee, Alex Ferry, Eve Rhodes, Emma Roese and Beth Zohl. Picture: Jorja McDonnell

TEN graduate nurses have been deployed to hospitals and health facilities across the southwest this week, starting with a training day at Roma Hospital.

From here they will spread out across the region, with Cunnamulla, Quilpie, Injune, St George, Charleville, Mungindi, Augathella and Roma all welcoming the recruits.

Anna Roeger is starting her career as a community allied health nurse in Roma, and says taking a job in the west was something she never expected to do.

"I hadn't considered working in a rural job until I did a placement in Injune and fell in love with it.”

Being part of the community and continually learning at work were the best parts of the job, she said.

"I'm looking forward to starting here and getting all the core skills behind me over the next 12 months or so, and then see where nursing takes me.”

Sandeep Naia has travelled cross-country to start at St George Hospital.

"I've come all the way from Perth, but lived in Brisbane before that so I've always called Queensland home.

"I'm looking forward to going from a city to a country town - I think I'll really enjoy rural living and everything it has to offer.”

Nursing was a natural choice and an ideal career change for Sandeep, who comes from a family of nurses.

"My background is in hospitality but I didn't enjoy what I was doing,” he said.

"Looking to both of my sisters, who are nurses, I saw how much they enjoyed their jobs and their career satisfaction, and that drew me to it as well.”

This round of graduates is a diverse bunch, and not all of them are new to town.

Charleville locals might already recognise Emma Williams, who is stepping up to a new role in the hospital.

"I'm already in Charleville and have been an enrolled nurse there for the past two years, so I'm looking forward to making the registered nurse transition,” she said.

"Going from EN to RN means taking on more responsibility.

"Instead of having a direct supervisor to answer to and ask questions, I'm becoming the person who answers the questions - I'm looking forward to it.”

The young mum said getting this far wasn't easy.

"Studying, working and raising kids is definitely full-on but, in the end, it's so rewarding and I love what I do. At the end of the day it's all good fun,” she said.

Originally published as Graduate nurses start at southwest hospitals