Tessa Mitchell recently interned with the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Western Australia as a student flight nurse.
She was the recipient of the Robin Miller Scholarship, which meant she was invited to travel to Western Australia from Tasmania to join the team for ten days in the lead up to the completion of her studies.
Tessa’s interest in the RFDS began when she worked on a cattle station in the Northern Territory and saw firsthand the impact the RFDS made to remote communities. She is also an avid listener of The Flying Doctor podcast and has recently read ‘The Flying Nurse’ by Prudence Wheelwright.
While her time at the RFDS was not at all what she expected, Tessa described the whole experience as amazing, and she loved being able to explore vast Western Australia.
One of my definite highlights was seeing the teamwork dynamic between highly skilled doctors and nurses.
Tessa MitchellOther highlights included retrieving patients with complex medical issues, one of which she was able to see from retrieval to treatment in a tertiary hospital.
It was suggested to Tessa to keep a diary of her time with the RFDS so she could see the impact she made.
- Over her ten-day internship, Tessa assisted in the retrieval of 27 patients.
- She flew to 14 locations in Western Australia, from Albany to Derby.
- Tessa flew over 18,000km in RFDS PC-12 and PC-24 aircraft.
Tessa is looking forward to working in rural Australia as a nurse and would love to join the RFDS in the future as she refines her skills and enhances her qualifications.
When asked what Tessa would say to nursing students thinking about applying for the scholarship she said:
“Do it! Do not even question it. It will be the best experience for anyone completing their nursing studies.”
To find out more about scholarships and work experience with the RFDS WA, please email students@rfdswa.com.au
