A recommendation from a friend to study Palliative Care at Flinders University led Rasa Kabaila (GradCertPallCare ‘14) to discover her calling as a Nurse Practitioner and eventual founder of Broadleaf: Holistic Nurse Practitioner Services.
Following graduation, Rasa called on the experience she had gained throughout her degree to pursue further studies – completing a Master of Mental Health Nursing and a Master of Nurse Practitioner.
“Flinders gave me the confidence to take that next step,” she reflects. “The course broke down subtle but powerful elements of communication that many overlook – like what it really means when you pat a patient’s back while they’re crying.”
She recalls the intensive Adelaide-based workshop as being particularly impactful, where hands-on roleplays and feedback sessions helped her hone communication skills vital to compassionate palliative care.
“It really changed the way I approached my practice, in a positive way,” she says, noting how the course also deepened her understanding of spirituality and evidence-based cancer care.
After working across a variety of clinical settings, Rasa followed her passion for delivering holistic, evidence-based care to diverse communities and founded Broadleaf: Holistic Nurse Practitioner Services. From mental health to women’s health, her work is driven by purpose and a desire to help others find healing and empowerment. Establishing her own practice stands out as a major career milestone: “It’s even better than I imagined,” she says. “Owning my work and trusting myself through the hard times has been a huge accomplishment.”
Today, Rasa Kabaila has a diverse and deeply rewarding career in healthcare, building on her palliative care qualifications from Flinders to create a unique, person-centred practice and continuing her educational journey with training in women’s health – particularly Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), endometriosis, and menopause – as well as drug and alcohol care.
Rasa says she could never have predicted where her work would take her; but feels fulfilled in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Her professional journey has taken her from uncertain undergraduate to accomplished practitioner and business owner.
“Studying at Flinders helped me reframe my relationship with learning. I was more self-aware, more focused, and more organised,” she explains. “The things I’ve been able to experience, learn and do are beyond anything I ever believed was possible for me”.
Explore your career in Palliative and End-of-Life Care at Flinders