ROBYN Whittaker left school not knowing what career path she wanted to take, but fortunately for Leeton shire, she went into nursing and midwifery.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Most residents would be aware of Ms Whittaker's humour and ability to put patients at ease through her many years of service at Leeton District Hospital, which has included working across the many different facets of the industry.
She started out in aged care before completing her enrolled nursing course and traineeship in Sydney.
It was after this when she was working at Pioneer Lodge in Griffith that a colleague suggested they should apply for the nursing conversion course.
"I thought I didn't have a hope in hell of getting in, but I ended up getting in on their first ever EN/RN conversion course," Ms Whittaker said.
That university course was completed via distance through Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, while still juggling work at the same time.
"I worked a bit all over the place, Sydney, Townsville and ended up back in Leeton 16 years ago.
RELATED
"I was the second midwifery student for Leeton 15 years ago."
Since completing those qualifications, Ms Whittaker hasn't looked back.
What she particularly enjoys about working in Leeton is the community itself and the friendships she has formed.
The babies she first started to birth as a midwife are now currently in year 10.
"It's just amazing really ... it can be a very rewarding career," Ms Whittaker said.
"Some days you can go home feeling down because of the challenges you face, but other days you are just so happy knowing you've made a difference or helped bring a new life into the world."
Ms Whittaker and the hospital's other midwives have been leading the way when it comes to the midwifery-led model of care.
She said it was a program midwives across the state were calling out for.
In terms of attracting more young people to nursing and midwifery, Ms Whittaker hopes the government starts to take a more active in approach in marketing the career to students. "It's just so rewarding," she said.
****
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox every Friday at 6am from The Irrigator. To make sure you're up to date with all news in Leeton sign up here.
