Princess Alexandra Hospital is helping strengthen renal services in North West Queensland, welcoming two new nurses for specialised haemodialysis training before they begin their roles in Mt Isa.
The initiative was a valuable opportunity for the nurses to learn within a tertiary hospital, gaining hands-on experience in a complex, high-acuity environment.
Renal Educator Angela Henson said the collaboration came about following a request from the Mt Isa Dialysis Unit.
“We were contacted to say they were doing a recruitment drive, and they wanted to know whether we’d be interested in training their new staff in dialysis,” Angela said.
“It’s the first time we’ve done this with Mt Isa, and it’s been a fantastic opportunity to support their team.”
One of the new nurses is Young Kim, who embraced the chance to expand her skills after working in Normanton in the Gulf Country at the end of her graduate year.
“I received an email about haemodialysis training and was keen to dive in,” Young said.
“I was excited to come to Brisbane because I went to university here, but it’s also been really interesting to see how differently the system works in a tertiary hospital.”
During her time at PAH, Young gained exposure to a large multidisciplinary team and the complexities of dialysis care in a busy metropolitan setting.
“It opened my eyes to how things are done at PAH. You have to learn how to manage complications and work with a variety of machines,” she said.
Angela said the training was beneficial in building clinical capability and strengthening existing ties between the two health services.
“We’re very fortunate because some of the staff in Mt Isa used to work at PAH, so it was a nice opportunity to help them,” she said.
“It’s also about supporting renal care across rural Queensland which we know is so important.”
Following her four-week training at PAH, Young was straight off to Mt Isa to transition into her role within the Renal Services team.
Her work will also include outreach across the region, helping deliver vital care to remote communities in the north.
With new skills, confidence, and experience gained at PAH, Young is well prepared to bring high-quality renal care closer to home for patients who need it most.
Thank you to everyone at PAH and Mt Isa who made this exciting opportunity possible.