Taking the lead in her hometown
Graduate Registered Midwife and Nurse Rachael Wood says she feels empowered provide exceptional patient care by the team at St John of God Bendigo Hospital.
7 Nov 2022
Rachael, who started her dual graduate midwife and nursing program in February 2022, has always been drawn to caring for others.
“I was always the cousin, friend or sibling wanting to care for people,” she said.
“It wasn’t until year 12 when I started to consider what I might study that my mum asked if I had thought about midwifery, as she thought I would be perfect for it because even as a little girl, I showed interest in all things nursing and midwifery.”
A Bendigo local, Rachael completed a placement at St John of God Bendigo Hospital during her nursing and midwifery studies and grew fond of the team and working environment. Less than a year later, she landed a job at the hospital.
“I had placement here in 2021 and I was overwhelmed by the support and willingness of the nurses and midwives to help me learn and develop my skills,” she said.
“When I was applying for graduate programs, St John of God Bendigo Hospital’s program was an attractive option because it meant I could stay in Bendigo.
“The hospital also offered a lot of variety. I’m able to mix my skills – I spend some days in birth suite, others on the postnatal ward with maternity patients and others with paediatric, orthopaedic, gynaecology or ear, nose and throat patients.
“It’s different to other hospitals that offer a dual graduate program, where it’s often six months on a nursing ward and six months on the maternity ward as a midwife with no crossover.
“I’ve really enjoyed St John of God Health Care’s structure as I’ve been able to develop my skills in all areas without feeling like I am forgetting anything across midwifery and nursing, which was really important to me in my first year of practice.”
Rachael said the graduate program has made her realise her potential more than she thought possible.
“Due to the nature of the graduate program and the support I’ve received from caregivers, I have been able to be involved in many new experiences which has allowed me to develop my skills and confidence in both nursing and midwifery,” she said.
“The caregivers I work with are amazing at allowing me to lead the care, however, are right there supporting me and able to step in when I ask questions or need help.
“I have enjoyed finding my feet and working with women in labour and patients on the ward to learn what works best for me and how I can best support patient outcomes.
“Getting to know and work with patients and families has also been really been enjoyable as has working with specialists, which was scary at first, but I’ve learned a lot from their experience and expertise.”
Rachael is looking forward to her future with St John of God Bendigo Hospital.
“The management is great at checking in regularly to see if I need any extra support or want to be involved in anything in particular to boost my skillset and confidence,” she said.
“I have really enjoyed getting to challenge myself here. I’m excited to further develop and practice skills as well as reflect on experiences I have been through.”
Find out more about St John of God Health Care’s graduate programs.
Interested in getting to know Rachael better? Check out the St John of God Bendigo Hospital maternity Instagram page to see her and the maternity team in action.
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