Having worked as a midwife in Melbourne, Laura Hinds had a solid experience under her belt and a CV boasting multiple degrees in nursing, midwifery, tropical medicine, and neonatal intensive care. Then, one patient encounter changed her career path unexpectedly.
“I was looking after a newborn from the Northern Territory who had been diagnosed antenatally with a congenital heart condition – I questioned why this child was in Victoria and why they weren’t able to receive care close to home.”
Unfortunately, remote Australia lacks many health care services, and a lack of funding means that many specialists are unavailable. This leads to repercussions, such as mothers with higher risk pregnancies having to leave their homes and families to receive pregnancy and neonatal care, sometimes in a different state and without integral cultural support.
“This blew my mind; I knew that there was a huge learning opportunity for me straight away.”
Laura secured a short-term locum at Alice Springs Hospital and then enrolled into the Remote Health Practice program with Flinders University to gain more exposure and experience. During the week of practical skills units, she sought employment opportunities that offered transition to remote practice support.
“This is where I found my first remote placement and have not looked back since.”
Laura graduated in 2023 and received the Centre for Remote Health Prize for Outstanding Masters Graduate, which was a nice surprise for her and an accomplishment she puts down to her hard work and support from her family, workplace, and teachers.
“I felt supported by having teachers who understood the reality of living and working within remote areas. It created safe and welcoming environments to learn and reflect online with peers experiencing the same hardship.”
Laura is now employed within a remote Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and coordinates a women’s health outreach program for the East Arnhem Region. She travels a lot with this job and visits several remote clinical sites. She works alongside a Yolngu governance team and utilises her critical thinking skills every day.
“I believe that through my studies I got the support to think broader and wider about Primary Health Care issues and advocate for First Nations health.”
The Remote Health Practice program meets the higher education needs of health professionals working in remote areas and supports the transition to remote practice for those who have an interest in joining the remote health workforce. The program is offered online through Flinders’ Alice Springs campus, and consists of the following three courses:
Graduate Certificate in Remote Health Practice
Graduate Diploma in Remote Health Practice
Master of Remote and Indigenous Health