From the days when smoking in the hospital room was the norm, and becoming a nurse saw you trade in much of your freedom to live full time in nurses’ quarters at the hospital, to advances in technology, a COVID pandemic and everything in between, Pam van Kempen has been through it all, and she’s here to share her tale ahead of her well-deserved retirement.

Pam’s nursing career spans more than five and half decades.

It all started back in the 60s when registered nurses were typically called ‘sisters’, enrolled nurses were known as ‘nurses’ and they’d refer to their manager as Matron.

Yes, it gives all the vibes of the television series Love Child.

But that’s largely how it was back then.

Pam started her nursing career at 16 and a half years of age as a cadet nurse.

In those days, to become a nurse, you were required to move into the nurse’s quarters on the hospital grounds, which she explains was much like boarding school.

“We each had our own room, and you had to be home by 10pm unless you were working, and while you were working as a nurse, you were to live in the quarters until you were married and only then were you able to move out with your husband.”

Pam and her nursing colleagues would spend six weeks in Bendigo for full-time lectures and practical lessons that included simulation rooms and scenarios.

They’d then return to work and study one day a week at the onsite lecture theatre.

“It may sound very regimented, especially compared to how things are today, but I thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie and friendships (many of which are still going strong today), not to mention the great opportunity for practical, on-the-job learning.

“In the work environment, we (nurses) rely on each other a lot; it’s important to work well as a team. You end up building these great friendships with your colleagues. I still catch up with nurses I trained with when I started my career, and now heading into retirement, I’ll still make time to spend with friends I’ve made through working at West Wimmera Health Service.”

One of the positive changes Pam noticed in her decades-long nursing career is the relaxing of the hierarchy between clinicians.

“The relationship between doctors and nurses is much more respectful now; doctors seem to value our opinions more. When I first started my career, there was also a hierarchy between nurses. We could easily be distinguished by what we wore – RNs and ENs had very different uniforms, whereas nowadays, everyone is a valued team member regardless of their level of training—we all respect each other.”

Pam’s seen and done a lot in her 57 years of nursing and still maintains that nursing is a wonderful career path to take.

“I’ve had some wonderful opportunities and experiences through nursing. I’ve lived and worked in different places in Australia, as well as in a convent hospital in England.

“Nursing provides great flexibility. The shift work is handy, especially during daylight savings, and the friendships you make will last a lifetime.

“Working at West Wimmera Health Service is great because you get the opportunity to work across the different sites and build rapport with patients, there’s no hustle and bustle traffic like there is in the cities, and you get more time with your family; it’s a better lifestyle.”

Pam’s answer to overcoming the increasing nurse shortage is to offer traineeships to locals who want to stay in the area.

“Traineeships are perfect, and they are delivered in much the same way I was trained.

It gives young people a foot in the door and the opportunity to see what nursing is really like.

“During my time at West Wimmera Health Service, we’d often have school students come and work in hospital catering, and it was great because they’d get to see nurses in action and they’d start to consider if it was a career path for them. I know a few of the students have since started nursing traineeships because of it.”

Pam reflects fondly on her nursing career and is eager to see the young ones coming through and hopes they flourish and enjoy the journey much like she has, but she says there’s one thing she certainly won’t miss.

“All the online training and remembering 10 passwords—I’m happy to leave that behind!”

If you’d like to have a chat about employment opportunities with West Wimmera Health Service, please contact the Careers Team via email: careers@wwhs.net.au.

This article appeared in the Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times, 31 May 2023.