Close-to-home training means Sarah and her family can stay in the Midwest
Born in Port Hedland and growing up between Kalbarri and Geraldton, it's safe to say that Registered Nurse Sarah Battilana is a country girl through-and-through.
But a career in healthcare wasn't always on her radar.
"Prior to my role at Geraldton Regional Hospital, I was working as a dermal therapist, running a salon," she said.
"From a young age I was always interested in nursing and when I moved to the city, I volunteered at Solaris Care, a cancer support centre inside Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital."
After some time in Perth, Sarah realised she wanted to raise her young family in a close-knit community, not unlike her own childhood experiences.
Being a single income household, Sarah said she knew would have to work while studying and thanks to the training and professional development opportunities available at Geraldton Regional Hospital, was able to start out as a Patient Service Assistant, before being supported to transition to an Assistant in Nursing (AIN) role.
After working as an AIN for 12 months, Sarah became a Registered Nurse
Sarah told us she has a passion for country communities and being from rural and regional WA herself, brought local knowledge and context to her care.
“Patients appreciate my local knowledge, understanding and ability to provide culturally appropriate care,” she said.
WA Country Health Service Acting Executive Director Beverley Hamerton congratulated Sarah for her determination and commitment to caring for others.
“Staff like Sarah make our health services tick,” Beverley said.
“It’s important we support people from all professional backgrounds to transition to a career in healthcare if they’re interested.
“By enabling people to study and upskill close-to-home and then supporting them to transition throughout hospital ranks, we are creating a sustainable country health workforce.”
Sarah is set to start a 12-month Mental Health Graduate Program with WA Country Health Service and is looking forward to the challenge.