THERE’S a lot to be admired about the wonderful work nurses do in our nation’s healthcare industry, and Mareeba is one such community that has a deep appreciation of the lengths they go to in ensuring they provide the very best care.
Patients across Far North Queensland will reap the benefits of a new crop of enthusiastic registered nurses as The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital Service welcomed 49 new nursing graduates and four new midwifery graduates last week – three of whom will be starting their careers at the Mareeba Hospital.
The three fresh faces that have been added to the Mareeba Hospital’s registered nurses team are Christina Cross, Elsa Price and Alicia Leitner.
All three newly appointed nurses expressed their excitement about beginning their role at the Mareeba Hospital.
“I was a medical receptionist prior to this, and I wanted a career that is more involved with people one on one, and I felt being a nurse was the perfect chance to do so,” Ms Price said.
“Added to that, nursing is a really flexible career that presents plenty of opportunities both professionally and in terms of travel, so that was another factor that drew me to the role.”
The professional flexibility that Ms Price lauded was echoed by that of Ms Cross.
“Like Elsa said, the diverse nature of the career is what I’m really excited about,” she said.
“Ever since I started nursing, whether it was when I was studying, on placement or now at the Mareeba Hospital, I have loved every minute of it and it has been more than I could have ever expected.”
“It’s also fantastic to be back in a small, rural town – I’m from a small community in Central-West Queensland so I can’t wait to live and work in a remote part of Queensland again.”
Mrs Leitner’s journey to becoming a nurse was a little different; having already had the chance to get a glimpse of what is required in the profession during her six years working at the Mareeba Garden Settlement.
“I gained my aged care qualifications and decided I wanted to progress into becoming a nurse,” she said.
“My grandparents were both nurses and that was a big point of inspiration for me, so I’m looking forward to starting and bringing some fresh ideas to the job.”
“Mareeba is a wonderful community and I’m thrilled to be given the chance to further my career here.” With the passion and commitment to the nursing profession all three appear to have, local patients appear to be in more than capable hands.
Caption: The Mareeba Hospital welcomed three new nurses this week, all three of whom are eager to make their mark on the profession.
