For many nursing students, gaining experience in regional and remote Australia can be life-changing. It can also come with significant financial barriers.
The Robin Miller Nursing Scholarship was created to help change that, providing nursing students with the opportunity to experience remote health care firsthand while building the skills, confidence and understanding that will shape their future careers.
This year, scholarship recipient Jessica travelled from Tasmania to Western Australia for a placement with the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Western Australia (RFDS WA), spending time with our aeromedical crews at the Jandakot base.
For Jessica, the placement was an opportunity to see how care reaches some of the most remote communities in Western Australia, while gaining a deeper appreciation for the role RFDS WA plays in ensuring distance is never a barrier to care.
To help capture everything she experienced during her placement, Jessica was encouraged to keep a diary of her time with RFDS WA. Looking back, it became a powerful reminder of just how much she had seen, learnt and achieved.
In five days Jessica:
- Participated in a range of aeromedical retrievals aboard our Fortescue Heli-Med Service EC-145 helicopter and Pilatus PC-12, including a Newborn Emergency Transfer across regional Western Australia
- Travelled approximately 6,000 kilometres across WA
- Took part in 14 patient retrievals and worked alongside pilots, doctors and nurses from across RFDS WA
By creating programs such as the Robin Miller Nursing Scholarship, RFDS WA can help inspire the next generation of nurses to consider careers beyond metropolitan areas and ensuring care continues to reach Western Australians, no matter the distance.
"This placement has provided me with invaluable learning experiences, broadened my understanding of rural and remote health care, and allowed me to meet so many wonderful people while experiencing parts of Western Australia I may not otherwise have visited."
RFDS WA is proud to support initiatives that help future healthcare professionals gain practical experience in regional and remote Australia while carrying forward the legacy of Robin Miller, whose pioneering spirit continues to inspire generations of nurses committed to care, no matter the distance.
"I would highly encourage other students to apply for this opportunity. It is an experience I will never regret and one that I will carry with me throughout my nursing career."
To find out more about scholarships with the RFDS WA, please visit the page linked below.
