Internship provides rare opportunity to see hospital open

24 May 2018

24 May 2018 

Elly-Rose, who completed a 2017/2018 summer nursing internship through CareerTrackers Indigenous Internship program, was able to see firsthand the intricate planning involved in opening the new hospital on Kangan Drive.

“It was brilliant to see the hospital come alive,” she said.

“I did the first half of my placement on the medical ward at the old hospital and then went across when the new hospital opened, saw it before it opened and then completed the rest of my internship at the new facility.

“It was an amazing opportunity to see the planning and training involved in getting everything ready for the new hospital to open and I am sure I will always remember this experience as my career progresses.”

Elly-Rose’s connection with St John of God Health Care and healthcare more generally continues back to her grandmother who was born in Broome and cared for by the Sisters of St John of God.

“My Granny speaks very fondly of her experience with the Sisters of St John of God who taught her to read and cook which helped her become a cook for the Broome hospital where she worked for decades before retiring,” she said.

The family connection to healthcare continued through to Elly-Rose’s aunts who are nurses and her brother who is studying medicine.

“It was my brother who suggested I take part in the internship as he had completed an internship in medical research which he found really valuable,” Elly said.

“I feel really grateful that I was able to secure an internship at St John of God Berwick Hospital as it is giving me relevant and hands-on experience in nursing and health care.”

St John of God Health Care Group Coordinator Social Justice Advocacy Neal Murphy said it was really rewarding to see how the CareerTrackers program could enable the organisation to support people like Elly-Rose and continue, in a tangible way, the Mission of the Sisters of St John of God.

“It is amazing to know that the work the Sisters of St John of God started in caring for and supporting our communities continues to be relevant today,” he said.

“Through our partnership with CareerTrackers we are able to provide hands on experiences for young Aboriginal people in our hospitals where they can start to learn more about their chosen career path and get a head start in their careers."