The latest cohort of nursing and midwifery graduates are all smiles as they prepare to head to Weipa, Cooktown and Thursday Island for Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service. Photo: Supplied.
Five new nursing and one midwifery graduates are heading north after joining Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) on 3 March.
Executive director of nursing and midwifery services Jacob Walsh said the five new nurse graduates would be initially posted to the general wards in the Weipa, Cooktown and Thursday Island hospitals, with the region’s newest midwife also heading to the Torres Strait.
“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, including Thursday Island’s Gabrielle Sabatino, who has swapped an office for a ward.
Originally from Tasmania, Mrs Sabatino met her husband, who is from Hammond Island, in Brisbane, and the couple moved to the Torres Strait in 2018.
She has worked for TCHHS in various administrative positions since 2019, and said she was looking forward to continuing to serve her community, albeit in a new role.
“Initially, I wanted a change from administration and I really wanted to move into something clinical,’’ Mrs Sabatino said.
“After looking into a few different healthcare fields, nursing stood out as a highly rewarding career with diverse clinical and non-clinical opportunities.
“I was and still am really interested in chronic disease management, First Nations health and rural and remote health practice and research.’’
Mrs Sabatino completed her degree externally over four years, two full-time and two part-time, while also continuing to work part-time with the health service.
“It was pretty hard juggling that with young children, but I had lots of support from my husband and extended family,” she reflected.
Mr Walsh said the new nurses would undertake a 12-month graduate program that involved theoretical and practical assessments.
“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 working within Torres and Cape communities,” he said.
Thursday Island’s Gabrielle Sabatino says she cannot wait to help her community and the region as one of Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service’s newest registered nurses. Photo: Supplied.
Original Article published by Cape York Weekly on Cape York Weekly.
