Here’s what our RN Dawn has to say about her experience working with the YNA Remote & Regional team.
What made you decide to do an R&R assignment?
I moved to Australia 13 years ago and once my children grew up, I was determined to try something new. I have been a nurse for over 35 years, training with the National Health Service and joining the Army in England, I have worked in a range of different environments. Once taking up nursing in Australia, I wanted to both travel and gain even more experience in my profession as a nurse. YNA has given me the opportunity to be flexible with my work and travel the country.
I joined YNA as Covid-19 hit and although that did come with its own difficulties, I have been able to travel to extraordinary places, that if I wasn’t working for YNA, I would have never traveled to.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience that’s for sure!
What has been the most exciting/fun experience of your assignments?
Wow, where do I begin?
Each place I have traveled to has its own little perks. It is the diverse communities and cultures that keep me traveling around Australia.
I get to meet inspiring people from all around the country and the world too and they have their own stories to tell.
Not only are the people inspiring but the experiences I get to do are once in a lifetime!
From riding in a helicopter over the Katherine Gorge in the Northern Territory to dune walks on Magnetic Island in Far North Queensland, each destination is an adventure.
What was the most challenging experience?
My job has its days, and some are more challenging than others.
Getting used to working remote has been difficult. This can mean no public transport and one pub but hey it’s not the worst!
Being a pom, the heat is obviously something I have had to get used to here in Australia. In some of these destinations I have gone to, the temperature has reached 44 degrees Celsius.
Do you have any advice for anyone considering R&R placement?
Just go for it! Why not?
Working while traveling the country is something that many couldn’t pass up. It’s a great way to see the country.
Expenses paid and you get to see visit places that aren’t tourist destinations. Remote towns with their own little hidden gems while crossing paths with inspiring people that will motivate you to try new things.
