Kalgoorlie healthcare hero marks 47 year milestone
L-R: Alison Weatherstone, Jennifer Fitzcharles, Jean Mathuranayagam, Rob Pulsford and Alicia Michalanney.
Not many people can say they work at the same place they were born in, but Kalgoorlie nurse Jenni can.
Clinical nurse Jennifer Fitzcharles has just tipped over 47 years with WA Country Health Service - and all at Kalgoorlie Health Campus.
Born and raised in Kalgoorlie, she has called it home ever since.
“My love for the Goldfields is so strong. My family has always grown up here, it’s where we all went to school and found our first jobs,” she said.
From an early age, Jenni found her love for health when she started her cadetship with St John Ambulance. She loved being on the ground and being able to provide care to people.
She then went on to volunteer with the ambulance crews about 60 kilometers south of Kalgoorlie, in Kambalda.
Her official nursing training started when she got accepted into the Western Australian School of Nursing in 1979.
“This was my first time I had left home, and I was both nervous and excited.
“I remember my mum dropping me off at Kirkman House, that’s where I met everyone who I would spend the next three years with.”
Although she enjoyed the stint in Perth, she said she realised the country was where she belonged and decided to move back to her hometown in the early 1980s.
Jenni has witnessed many changes at Kalgoorlie and has worked across many different roles throughout her career.
“I have worked in all three emergency departments and undertaken a range of roles, including afternoon/night supervisor, charge nurse for outpatients, and clinical nurse manager within the Emergency Department.”
However, after many different roles – she says it’s the team at Kalgoorlie that she enjoys the most.
“I have really found my niche as a clinical nurse, and I want to continue supporting our young and upcoming nurses through their placements.”
The support and guidance she provides to her patients, peers and colleagues is all the more reflective for her 47th year with WA Country Health Service.
Executive Director Goldfields Alicia Michalanney reflects on Jenni’s career and congratulated her on the incredible milestone.
“I have had the privilege of working with Jenni for more than 20 years. I especially remember working with her as part of the redevelopment of the new Emergency Department back in 2012,” she said.
“Jenni is a great mentor, she is always willing to share her knowledge, and she provides support as well as helps others develop their skills and confidence.
“I am so incredibly proud of Jenni and the service she has provided to the Goldfields community. Her achievement deserves recognition, and we are so fortunate to have her as part of the team.”
As Jenni looks back at her 47 years of nursing, one of the many highlights of her tenure is helping others achieve their careers as a nurse, and the thrill of not knowing what comes next.
“I love supporting our young nurses throughout their placements and watching them build their confidence.
“I still love the feeling of never knowing what might come through those doors next.”