Summary
- 6 new nursing graduates join Torres and Cape HHS
- The graduates will participate in a 12-month graduate program that involves theoretical and practical assessments.
- Nurses can take some very different paths to their new careers.
6 new nursing graduates joined the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service this week.
Torres and Cape HHS Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services Jacob Walsh said the six March graduates would be allocated initially two each to Thursday Island Hospital, the Weipa Integrated Health Service and Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service general wards.
Mr Walsh said a seventh nurse graduate also would start in September and be allocated initially to Thursday Island Hospital.
“The registered nurse graduates will have a range of clinical experiences, including acute medical, surgical, emergency care, community, and primary health care,’’ Mr Walsh said.
He said the new registered nurse graduates were from a variety of universities and backgrounds. “We are happy to welcome them as they begin their careers with the Torres and Cape HHS,’’ he said. “They are an important part of our team, and we value the contribution they will make.’’
Nurses can take some very different paths to their new career.
For instance, nurse graduate Amie-J Fookes already has been working as an Assistant-in-Nursing at the Weipa Integrated Health Service for the past six months after moving up from Mackay, where she had been working as an administrator at Mackay Base Hospital.
She completed her degree through Central Queensland University, undertaking part-time and external studies while continuing to work at Mackay and then Weipa.
Originally from the Sunshine Coast, Ms Fookes said she was drawn to a career as a registered nurse because of the diversity of options offered.
“There’s also great satisfaction in helping those who need it and there’s great camaraderie and support for you in the profession,’’ she said.
“I’m particularly passionate about tackling rural health disparities and am keen to learn all I can to help residents in remote communities overcome these disparities.’’
Also currently working at Weipa as an Assistant-in-Nursing, Mayvis Thompson will be joining Ms Fookes as a newly qualified registered nurse in this year’s graduate intake.
Ms Thompson has been working for the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service for about two years as an AIN with Weipa Support at Home and the residential aged care unit.
“I’m originally from Mount Isa in Kalkadoon Country and I lived there for 15 years,’’ she said.
“Before that, I grew up in a small town outside of Bundaberg called Burnett Heads, but I spent majority of my life in Mount Isa before moving to Weipa.
Ms Thompson said, while working as an Assistant-in-Nursing, she was exposed to many different skills that she could see would transfer over to registered nursing.
“I started studying nursing with James Cook University internally in Mount Isa part time, then when I moved to Weipa, I went external, changed to full-time and my base was Townsville at the Bebegu Yumba Campus, meaning ‘place of learning’ in the local Birri-Gubba language,’’ she said.
“My degree took me four years as I started part time, but a full-time degree takes three years to complete.
“The opportunity to start studying nursing in Mount Isa became easy as they offered it locally and I loved the vast opportunities available for a nurse.
“l love to care for people and really be there for them and their family at their time of need.
“I've completed over 800 hours of placement during my undergraduate degree and have been blessed to have experience in aged care, emergency department, surgical and cardiac.
“But my favourite placement was my final eight weeks here in Weipa. It was good to be home, the nurses are knowledgeable and helpful, and the community are so welcoming.
“During my eight-week placement in Weipa, I enjoyed working with paediatrics, but my passion is for fast paced emergency, which is what I would like to pursue as a Registered Nurse.’’
Mr Walsh said the new nurses would undertake a 12-month graduate program that involved theoretical and practical assessments.
“Our new graduates have chosen a rewarding and fulfilling vocation that provides many pathways for career development and is hopefully the beginning of a long career as a clinical expert, educator, researcher or future leader serving the communities of the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service,’’ he said.
“We hope their first year of practice in our diverse health service provides a range of professional experiences and a strong foundation for their future careers as Registered Nurses in our communities.
“We employ more than 400 full, part-time, and casual nurses and midwives throughout the region.
“I would like to thank our compassionate, caring, committed and resilient midwives and nurses for their service, and for dedicating what is often their life’s work to the health and wellbeing of others.
“When caring for patients, the voice of the nurse is critical. Without their contribution, their passion and their dedication, we could not offer such a comprehensive suite of health services to our local communities.’’
Find out about our nursing and midwifery graduate program.