In her 45 years working at Proserpine Hospital, Leigh Ironside has witnessed many incredible and dynamic changes in the nursing profession.
Tourism, technology and a transient population had reshaped healthcare delivery in the Whitsunday region since the Proserpine local began her hospital-training at Mackay Base Hospital in 1979. She commenced full-time work at Proserpine Hospital in May 1982.
“I’ve seen many colleagues I’ve worked with start their careers, get married, have babies and then their babies actually come to work here – it’s very generational at Proserpine,” Leigh said.
The number of patients presenting to the small rural hospital had increased significantly over four decades, as had the acuity.
“Patients used to come with one health issue – now they have several illnesses and with an ageing population, there’s a much greater degree of co-morbidity.”
On public holidays the rural hospital was extremely busy – the cost of a GPs and long wait times had also changed the face of primary healthcare, Leigh said.
“We generally see be between 60 and 70 people every day in the ED here, for a range of conditions,” Leigh said.
“Once upon a time GPs stayed in the area and saw many generations of the same family – that just doesn’t happen anymore.”
As a clinical nurse in the busy emergency department, Leigh is impressed by the standard of care and the rural hospital’s response to major incidents in the region.
“I’ve seen some really impressive responses to large trauma cases; how the entire staff mobilise and really pull together to triage,” she said.
“I worked triage a few years ago after a serious bus accident – it was incredible to see the whole staff response to such a terrible incident and how teams were allocated to each individual patient and were met upon arrival.
“Bloomsbury has always been major fatigue zone on Bruce Highway – we’ve really seen a huge increase in the number major traumas coming here over the years.
“The retrieval process has undergone phenomenal change – a transfer used to be done by road ambulance once a week. Now the helicopter flies into Proserpine several times a week.”
Growth in the tourism industry had changed the dynamics of the hospital, the staff and consumers.
“During Christmas and over New Years the region gets an influx of about 8000 people – that puts significant pressure on our ED and hospital,” Leigh said.
“A lot of people visit the Whitsundays and end up moving to the region – who wouldn’t want to live here in paradise?”
Leigh’s passion for rural nursing started early in life. Her mum was a nurse and midwife and she had several aunties who were nurses.
“When I was still at school, mum got permission from the matron for me to work here at Proserpine as an Assistant in Nursing over Christmas and during the school holidays,” she said.
“That’s how I learnt to take blood pressure, make beds and shower and feed the oldies. It’s how I knew that I really wanted to do this as a career.
“Times have changed. Gone are the days of no-aircon and wearing those starched white nurse dresses and stockings.
“When I first started nursing there was only computers in the office; so ieMR (digital records) would definitely have to be one of the biggest changes I’ve seen in my nursing career in addition to medical equipment.”
Leigh admits she considered retirement after a health scare last year, but still enjoys the pace and face-to-face demands of nursing. She remains invested in her patients, in the hospital and the community itself.
“I have no children so work is my socialisation,” she said, “but I love that at Proserpine you aren’t just a number – we really get to know our patients and they become part of our family.
“At a rural hospital like this we get to experience a bit of everything, from surgical to paediatric, and that’s very appealing to the next generation of the healthcare workforce.”
