I am pleased to report, my nursing orientation in Roma went well. Mind you, the days were full-on because of the induction, policies and procedures that followed.
It was a relief for me meeting other girls in a similar situation to me—knowing no-one and feeling completely unfamiliar with South West Queensland.
During the orientation week I met so many welcoming people and so many different personalities. Diversity in a group is great to have because it allows everyone to relate to each other on different levels.
It’s official I’ve started
I started officially nursing this week which is great and nerve racking at the same time.
Everyone can tell that I am quite green when it comes to nursing here. I keep constantly asking where things are located, getting lost and forgetting the combinations to get into places. Normally, I am bad enough when it comes to remembering names, let alone learning new ones.
After a couple of weeks, I should be able to get myself sorted and develop a routine.
The challenge of shopping rurally
Shopping for groceries is another challenge because of the limited resources. Fresh produce arrives on different days for each shop, so to get the freshest produces it’s best to try and remember who has what when and shop on these days.
Our accommodation
Currently, the nursing quarters are getting renovated, so I have been allocated to one of the doctors’ houses. The house is a tradition timber and is well maintained.
If the house gets robbed I will know straight away because the flooring creaks at the tiniest of steps. For this reason, it is difficult to be considerate to other residents who are working shift work.
Community activities and hobbies
On another note, I have started to join up in community activities such as the gym and made some inquires to the pony club… watch this space on that section.
More to come, talk soon.
Chloe x
Our city girl in the country, Chloe Gibbs, is a 23-year-old Brisbane girl who recently graduated as a nurse from Australian Catholic University.
Chloe accepted a nursing graduate position in Cunnamulla to challenge herself professionally and personally.
Her hobbies include horse riding, martial arts, general fitness and her love of food. If you wish to follow her journey connect with Chloe on her Facebook or read her column on She Brisbane.
Loving your adventures Chloe. And I’m older than you but still freak out having to pass the road trains. The drivers are great though and usually help like yours did. Good luck to you there, what a great experience.
Hey Anna, sorry about the late reply on this comment. Road trains are scary at any age. I was fortunate enough the driver was considerate to me. Thanks for posting a comment, I enjoy reading the feedback.