Mt_sunherald_21dec08

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December 21, 2008 THE SUN-HERALD

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On her toes ... newly qualified podiatrist Lisa Thompson would love to work in Africa. Photo: Drew Ryan

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elor of nursing, have registered as a nurse and have at least a year’s experience in clinical practice is the masters of nursing. It is targeted at those hoping to become nurse practitioners, that is, nurses with heightened levels of responsibility in a particular specialisation such as emergency. They are able to prescribe medication as well as diagnose and refer patients to specialists. The head of the school of nursing and midwifery at the University of Newcastle, Professor Michael Hazelton, began nursing ‘‘several decades ago’’ and has never thought twice about his decision. ‘‘For those uncertain about a degree in nursing, I would tell them about a 19-year-old who started nursing . . . knowing only that he wanted to work with people. Nowadays, I am a professor of nursing, head of a university school of nursing and midwifery and regularly travel overseas and throughout Australia as part of the job.’’ The acting head of nursing at the Australian Catholic University, Associate Professor Michelle Campbell, agrees a career in nursing is full of opportunities. ‘‘The professional status of nursing in Australia has improved dramatically in recent years, along with the pay scales,’’ she says. ‘‘Once you have completed a bachelor of nursing, you will be guaranteed a job as there is a shortage of nurses across the country. No other profession can guarantee 100 per cent job security at the end of a course like nursing can.’’

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the podiatry school at CSU in Albury, Paul Tinley, also sees the value of regional experience. The four-year course, which similarly requires 1000 hours of practical work, puts emphasis on regional placements. ‘‘At least one of the placements is done in a rural area and, depending on what’s available, we tend to encourage that particular part of the program,’’ he says. ‘‘The demand for podiatry is huge with our ageing population . . . we’ve got reasonable numbers of podiatrists in most major cities but the place that is dramatically missing is rural health.’’

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The University of Newcastle, one of just two universities in NSW that run the course, offers a threeyear bachelor course that requires students to undertake 1000 hours of practical experience. The program was started in 2007 to address the need for more qualified podiatrists. ‘‘There is definitely a shortage for regional NSW,’’ Chuter says. ‘‘It’s never traditionally been the popular area for new graduates to go into but regional areas do offer great incentives.’’ The associate professor and course co-ordinator of

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physios and OTs [occupational therapists] and nurses and doctors and I saw that there could be a need for podiatry.’’ Working overseas is just one of the drawcards of a degree in podiatry. There is also the abundance of jobs, the scope for employment in the public sector and private practice and the flexibility of working part-time while still earning enough money. ‘‘As a profession, it ticks all the boxes,’’ the podiatry program convener at the University of Newcastle, Vivienne Chuter, says. ‘‘There are a lot of job opportunities and areas to specialise in.’’

Tinley says there are many advantages to choosing podiatry as a career. ‘‘Podiatry really does give you a profession at the end of it and it’s a growing market,’’ he says. ‘‘You’re never, ever going to be out of work.’’ Thompson, who has just completed her course and has a job lined up in Melbourne, saw the rural emphasis of CSU as an advantage. ‘‘I thought that that would best prepare me for Africa,’’ she says, adding that the small classes and family atmosphere on campus were other reasons for her choice. ‘‘There’s only a couple of locals and most of the others are from everywhere around Australia so everyone becomes really close, really quickly,’’ she says. ‘‘I’ve gained lots of close friends through the experience.’’

Midwifery skills ... Annabel Watson takes joy in helping mothers. Photo: Lee Besford

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There’s much more to podiatry than cutting toenails, writes Martha Tattersall.

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WHEN Lisa Thompson told friends she was moving to Albury to study podiatry, their reactions were less than encouraging. ‘‘I had one friend who sat me down and said: ‘How come you’re going to uni for four years to learn how to cut toenails?’ ’’ she says. It’s a common misconception and one Thompson says she has been questioned about frequently. But her Bachelor of Health Science (Podiatry) at Charles Sturt University will allow flexibility, autonomy and a variety of work choices. ‘‘My long-term ambition, and another reason why I wanted to do podiatry, is that I’ve spent a bit of time in Africa and I really wanted to learn something that I could take back over there,’’ she says. ‘‘There are [already]

FOR many school-leavers, the decision of whether to enter the field of nursing is a difficult one. Though many associate the career path with confrontational moments involving life and death, advancements in the health-care discipline have created a diversity of options for students who want to work in or out of hospital wards. The variety of specialised courses connected to nursing has ensured a steady flow of students entering the field in the past decade. Annabel Watson, 33, waited years for University of Technology, Sydney, to begin its Bachelor of Midwifery degree, the first of its kind in NSW. She was among the original 30 students to enrol in 2005. The three-year degree combines midwife theory, scientific training and clinical practice and allows students to register as a midwife without being a registered nurse first. Students must undertake about 1500 hours of clinical practice in an allocated Area Health Service facility during the course, in which they document the pregnancy, pre-natal and postnatal state of 30 women. While the course is demanding, with students being on-call to attend labours and births as well as completing early-morning and late-night clinical shifts, Watson believes it is a worthwhile experience. ‘‘This is a profession for your mind, your intuition and your heart,’’ she says. ‘‘The Bachelor of Midwifery steeps students in a joyous process of life – pregnancy. Unlike nursing, you are not dealing with sickness, ailments or injuries but instead are assisting the birthing process, which is something to be very proud of.’’ The popularity of the Bachelor of Midwifery has increased the course intake to 50 students. The acting director of midwifery studies at the University of Technology, Sydney, Rachel Smith, believes the specialised degree has revived student interest in midwifery. ‘‘Rather than students having to undertake a bachelor of nursing and then going on to study midwifery for a year, they are able to dedicate three years fulltime solely to this profession,’’ she says. ‘‘Midwifery offers so many options for students. They can work in the policy, research and academic sectors or the clinical, community and private sectors. There are fantastic travel opportunities both in Australia and overseas but the best part of all is that it’s a unique job.’’ Workforce shortages in health care have led to the creation of specialised degrees such as midwifery. Some courses have been produced to complement the learning outcomes of nursing in order to train students and weave them into the workplace as soon as possible. An option for those who have completed their bach-

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