Rural nursing stands out to me and is an area I wish to pursue my nursing career for several reasons.  I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to be completing a Registered Nursing Graduate program at Central Gippsland Health Service (CGHS) .   Whilst I know it will have challenges, I am excited to see how widely I can expand in my knowledge with this opportunity and how far I can push myself to grow.   This year I have experienced placements at CGHS in both the Emergency Department and the Surgical ward Unit and with this, I felt a great sense of community and belonging amongst the staff, patients and families.  Bonds that I am eager to continue expand.  I have also participated in placements in other rural areas including Bairnsdale Regional Health Service and Gippsland Southern Health Service Leongatha.

I am an extremely empathetic individual with a strong dedication in helping others and  I can really appreciate the opportunity to build more thorough therapeutic relationships with patients whilst they experience some of their most vulnerable moments in their lives at CGHS.   I have a family at home, and it is important to me to be able to put 100% into both work life and my personal life with my family.

I love to learn new things and continue to develop my critical thinking and clinical skills enhancing my scope of practice and the dynamic in rural nursing is always changing therefore the opportunities for me to learn every single day is substantial.   Rural  nursing is going to push me out of my comfort zone and push me to grow in ways that a metropolitan area may not necessarily do so.   In my placements at CGHS I have seen many Graduate Nurses to take on the nursing in charge role throughout shifts, and this excites me knowing this opportunity is strongly encouraged for new graduate nurses, as I would like to continue to push myself.