Why did you become a CRANAplus Member?
I am not yet a remote health professional. However, as a third-year student nurse with the goal to work in the rural and remote areas of Australia, I am excited to be a part of CRANAplus as a student Member. Having heard fantastic things about CRANAplus from other nurses, I was inspired to join as a student Member in order to further my passion for rural and remote nursing. Additionally, the prospect of joining other rural and remote health workers in striving to improve access to, and quality of, rural and remote health care was too incredible to not be a part of.
What do you love about remote health?
I grew up in Singapore, which is essentially a tiny island city, hence I spent the first 16 years of my life in an urban environment, which made me explore non-urban healthcare access across the world as a method to understand differing perspectives and experiences. I moved to a regional area of NSW in which I navigated the health system and further explored the disparity in services and accessibility even on a regional level. These experiences have driven me towards the goal of supplying high-quality nursing care to regional, rural and remote communities. I believe the postcode lottery in healthcare access should not exist, and my primary driving force as a student nurse has been to become a member of the rural and remote nursing workforce to help eliminate this barrier.
What career goals are you building towards?
I am striving to become a Rural Generalist Nurse Practitioner. This is a passion that I’ve had for a long time and one I wish to share with others to inspire and encourage other students to pursue rural and remote healthcare roles.
What do you wish other people knew about being a remote health professional?
I wish other students realised how much of a huge impact one can make in rural and remote locations as a nurse. The opportunities on offer in rural and remote health facilities, especially as an early career nurse, are incredible.
