Nurse Joel takes the plunge in the casual recruitment pool

Growing up in Esperance, Joel Waters has called country WA home for as long as he can remember.

After relocating to Perth to study nursing at the University of Notre Dame, he was soon eager to get back to doing what he loves most.

For Joel, joining the WA Country Health Service Centralised Casual Pool (CCP) over the last two years has been his ticket back to the bush – giving him the chance to explore country towns, work with local communities and keep his degree on track.

“Initially, I was in the casual pool as an Assistant in Nursing (AIN) and it was through university,” Joel shared.

Mid-degree, Joel jumped at the chance to go bush.

With freedom and flexibility at the top of his list, the pool’s “no lock-in” agreement was a game-changer for Joel, who could balance his study goals and with gaining some work experience, while picking up on-the-job training courses.

Now, Joel’s been all over – Kalgoorlie, down to Ravensthorpe and Denmark, up to Carnarvon and a lot of places in between during his summer, winter and study breaks.

“If I’m not available for two or three months because I have classes or other contracts, that’s okay, you can still come back.

“The CCP team are great at regular communication, so I could book ahead a long time in advance if I’m available, which is handy.”

Working with the dedicated team at Kalgoorlie Health Campus saw Joel return three times on different contracts.

A country lover through and through, Joel says he enjoys spending time away from the hustle and bustle of city life, while soaking in the warm welcomes and friendly nature of rural communities.

“When I was in Kalgoorlie, me and another nurse had the same shifts for a portion of the time we were there.

“We ended up going out to explore together, which was pretty groovy to have a bit of an adventure buddy,” Joel enthused.

“It’s really cool when you see CCP Nurses at one place, then you end up seeing them at three other places as well.”

Out in the country, Joel said his routine is simple – finish work, head home and then go for an hour run around the local town.

“If it’s a small town, I’ll run every road in the town or run through the bush because that’s something you just don’t get in the city.”

Now undertaking a year as a Graduate Registered Nurse with East Metropolitan Health Service, Joel said he hopes to get back out there in the future and continue making a positive impact in country communities.

“Certainly, out of this experience, I’ve identified locations that I would very heavily consider moving to permanently.”

Are you seeking a job with more lifestyle and less hustle?

Apply here for the WACHS Registered Nurse Pool and specify that you’d like to join the CCP team.