A woman from a remote community, a mother-of-three and a person following in family footsteps are among those set to join the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health System.
More than 140 graduates, from an array of backgrounds, are ready to translate the skills they’ve learned at university into excellent care for local patients.
One-hundred-and-twenty-seven nurses and 19 midwives were selected to join SCHHS, after it received about 800 applications.Among them is Abby Loiterton, who has just moved to the region to work in the rehabilitation team.“I grew up in a small remote community with a really high Indigenous population and being Indigenous myself I saw a real need for nurses and other allied health professionals,” she said via a SCHHS media statement.“When I became an AIN (assistant in nursing) I would go back home to work at my local hospital, I just realised how hard it was for them to get health staff to the area.“I want to get experience under my belt and branch out into something more acute like emergency.
“I definitely have a plan to return to rural and remote nursing, as a lot of indigenous people struggle with chronic illness and don’t always have access to healthcare.”
Mother-of-three Caitlyn Campbell has always wanted to be a midwife but life kept getting in the way.After completing studies at UniSC, she will join the maternity team at Sunshine Coast University Hospital.“Being a midwife is all about protecting a mother and her space, especially in the birth suite,” she said.
“I am passionate about giving them the birth they want, as we have been taught that everybody’s idea of a perfect birth is completely different.“Working at SCUH is a dream come true because my eldest has ASD and ADHD, and it’s been a tough couple of years with him in school.
“He finally started having a good year last year so to move was out of the question – as parents we had to put him first – so to get a job here was perfect.”
Nurse graduate Sarah Rogers comes from a family of medical professionals, including her mum who is a nurse and her aunty and uncle who are doctors.“Helping others was born and bred into me,” she said.“Previously I was a vet nurse, but I was really inspired to study nursing after my stepfather had a stroke, so I want to be able to provide excellent care to patients and be their advocate when they can’t advocate for themselves.“I was interested in joining the surgical team because people are critically ill when they come to us and they need a strong voice to support them, and also because I am someone who loves learning.”
Postgraduate nurse educator Amanda Naumann was pleased to welcome the talented and passionate cohort.“Our nurses and midwives play a key role in the future of our region’s health workforce, and we look forward to supporting this group of graduates during such an important time of their career and seeing them continue to grow as confident health professionals,” she said.“They will be warmly welcomed by all the staff of the SCHHS and supported by highly skilled clinical coaches and nurse educators as they transition into the workplace providing care for patients and their families.”Each graduate will work in a specialty area and will have the opportunity to further develop their skills within the SCHHS.This year’s intake was the most culturally diverse cohort at SCHHS, with an increase in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander graduate nurses and more international residents who have moved to Australia.“As a health service we are dedicated to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and part of our strategy to achieving health equity involves recruiting a culturally diverse workforce,” Ms Naumann said.“We know these graduates will bring immense value and a rich contribution to the workforce.”
A majority of the graduates started on Monday, February 20, with a small number to start in April, June and October.
