Staff spotlight: Meet Esther
Learn more about Esther’s experience in Central Australia.
A holiday to Central Australia as a teen left such a lasting impression on new graduate nurse Esther, she always knew she’d be back to live and work in the outback.
Fast forward 18 years, and Esther is now a couple of months into her graduate year at Alice Springs Hospital. For her first rotation, she’s learning the ins-and-outs of the renal ward.
“I worked as an enrolled nurse in Sydney in medical and surgical settings, but I was eager to try something new, so I included the renal ward in my rotation preferences. It’s also a specialty I wanted to understand more about while working in Central Australia, as I knew kidney disease was a common health issue among Aboriginal people.”
For Esther, the pace of life and work in Alice Springs has been a highlight of her experience so far.
“As a new graduate, I’ve received so much support to help me transition into working as a registered nurse on the ward. All the staff are really supportive and make the time to help with anything I’ve been unsure about. I’ve learned so much from the nurse educator on our ward, as well as the graduate support team – it’s so reassuring to know we can call them at any time to talk or receive help providing patient care.
“Anyone working in health care who’s interested in spending time in the outback would be mad not to move here and give it a go - the lifestyle in the bush is great, and you have a rare opportunity to try your hand at lots of different clinical specialties.”
