SMHS welcomes 172 nursing and midwifery graduates
Top: FSFHG nursing and midwifery graduates. Middle: RkGP nursing and midwifery graduates. Bottom: FSH midwifery graduates.
2023 is off to a strong start with 172 graduate nurses and midwives joining the South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS).
Consisting of enrolled nurses (ENs), registered nurses (RNs) and midwives, 144 graduates kick-started their careers at Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group, and 28 at Rockingham Peel Group (RkPG).
Hear from Rockingham General Hospital (RGH) RN Kortnee Turner and Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) Graduate Midwife Catherine Malaspina about why they pursued their chosen career path and what they are looking forward to in their new roles.
Kortnee Turner – RGH Graduate RN
From a young age, Kortnee had a passion for helping others and often found herself drawn to caring for those in need.
After discovering her nephew was born with a rare condition known as Fumarase Deficiency, helping care for him and watching the care provided by nurses embedded her drive to study nursing.
"I knew nursing would allow me to make a difference in people's lives and provide them with the care and support they need during difficult times," Kortnee said.
After completing a Bachelor of Nursing at Murdoch University's Mandurah campus, Kortnee is looking forward to putting her knowledge and skills into practice.
"I am currently placed in the Aged Care Rehabilitation Unit (AURU) and have found my time on the unit enjoyable so far," Kortnee said.
"It is a heavy ward and I found the first few weeks to be challenging, but the team has been incredibly supportive of me as a new graduate RN."
Placed in the AURU for one more month, Kortnee will soon be rotating to Murray District Hospital for a further three months.
"I am looking forward to expanding my clinical knowledge through ongoing learning opportunities as I progress in my career," Kortnee said.
"I feel incredibly grateful to receive a graduate position at RkPG and look forward to seeing where my career takes me."
Catherine Malaspina – FSH Graduate Midwife
Catherine was inspired to pursue a career in midwifery following her experience as an RN.
Having worked in critical care areas across rural and tertiary hospitals, Catherine noticed a disconnect between the care provided from a cardiology and maternity point of view.
"I have cared for pregnant women antenatally and postnatally with heart conditions and arrythmias whilst on the Coronary Care Unit," Catherine explained.
"As these women were not patients on the maternity ward, I noticed the maternity care and education was disjointed.
"This led me to enrol in a Masters of Midwifery at Curtin University. I want to use my expertise in cardiology and my midwifery experience to improve the support and education throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period."
As a midwife, Catherine hopes to make a difference by helping create a positive birth story for everyone involved.
"The storytelling of birth is a common practice for mothers, and positive birth stories and experiences need to be shared as it can shape a woman and her family's perception of pregnancy, birth and postpartum," Catherine said.
"I hope to be able to help women create a positive birth story each step of the way by keeping them well-informed and ensure they are active participants in their maternity care.
"As midwives, I believe we have the power to positively influence families and communities."
Congratulations to all the nursing and midwifery graduates who have joined us, we wish you all the best as you kickstart your careers.
SMHS looks forward to welcoming more nursing and midwifery graduates in the mid-year intakes.
