Proving it’s never too late to try new things, PA Hospital Registered Nurse (RN) Irene Rossow has taken a brave leap into the Permanent Nurse Pool after twenty years on the corporate health springboard.
Taking two decades of HR and project coordination experience at Queensland Health (QH) into her most pivotal career move, Irene says the decision to dive into the clinical frontline came naturally to her.
“I wanted my health career portfolio to include experience from both sides of the fence – corporate and clinical. I realised that clinical experience was essential to fully appreciate the complexities of the healthcare system and see firsthand how new procedures and policies translate practically in the workplace.”
Guided by a passion for people and a vision to improve healthcare at both sides of the system, Irene threw herself into her nursing degree while balancing ongoing project work, with the support of her QH team and her family behind her.
“I wanted to experience and be involved in making changes and improvements in the wards and at the coalface,” she said.
“I want to make a positive change to health, to patients, and anyone I can influence. Change is one of my passions, and I’m always looking for ways to improve things for patients and staff.”
It was in her graduate year that Irene dipped her toes in the PAH pool for the first time, embracing the opportunity to work as a USIN (Undergraduate Student in Nursing) with the Internal Medicine Unit.
“I deliberately chose to complete my graduate year with the Permanent Nurse Pool to gain exposure and experience in many wards.”
Before long, Irene found her stride at PAH and applied for the RN position, with her sights set on tenure once she completes her graduate program in June 2024.
In the meantime, Irene is thriving on the unique and ever-changing landscape that defines pool nursing and says she hasn’t looked back.
“To step out from behind a computer and start interacting with patients and experience the clinical side has been really refreshing. Having the opportunity to work as a USIN allowed me to confidently step into the RN role and hit the ground running, so I’m really grateful for that.
"Every ward team I have worked with have been inclusive, supportive, helpful, and appreciative that I became part of their team for my allocated shift. My experience to date has been fantastic."
Today, Irene is a strong advocate for careers in nursing and encourages her peers to explore the wealth of opportunity that nursing offers.
"You can always switch it up and try something different. You can always put yourself out there and develop yourself further, because there are so many pathways you can take with nursing,” she said.