A MOUNT Gambier mother inspired to pursue a medical career after witnessing the care provided to her father following a severe car accident has received a high-profile University of South Australia nursing award.
Tamara Keatley never thought she would follow her mother and aunt into a medical role, especially given she used to feel faint at the sight of blood.
However, the birth of her two children and the vehicle accident involving her father – who required intensive care treatment – led her into the profession.
Ms Keatley was recently named the Margaret Grace McNair Am Foundation 2019 award winner, recognising the best performing student from a regional campus who achieves a consistent high aggregate mark in the clinical and professional nursing courses across the three-year degree.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Ms Keatley was unable to be publicly celebrated in a ceremony but will still receive the accolade and the $1000 prize it carries.
“I was surprised to have received the award and was pleased my hard work had paid off,” Ms Keatley said.
It was reward for effort by Ms Keatley, who studies at the Mount Gambier campus.
“I used to faint at the sight of blood and had no desire to follow in my aunty and mum’s footsteps as a nurse,” she said.
“It was not until I had my two children that I became quite interested in the medical field and knew I would want and need to re-enter the workforce once my children are at school.
“I had a real desire to enter into something that could make a real and tangible difference in people’s daily lives and to set a good example for my children.”
Further motivated to pursue a career by the highs and lows of her father’s car accident in 2015, Ms Keatley said she started to seriously consider the possibility of studying nursing.
“I was worried about managing study and placement commitments and also the fact I had no previous experience working in the healthcare field but decided to give it a go,” she said.
“Completing the degree was very difficult as I began the journey as a single mum with one child still at home.”
Ms Keatley conceded there were many sleepless nights where she stayed up into the early hours of the morning, finishing assignments.
“Part of our degree was completing six months of unpaid, full-time clinical placement which was tiring and hard on my children who were used to having me home,” she said.
“I was fortunate to have the support of my parents who travelled down from Queensland to help me during these times.
“I am grateful that we have the university available to us here in Mount Gambier.
“The staff are fantastic and we are really lucky to have a campus in a regional area.”
Fuelled by her passion to make a difference in people’s lives throughout her studies, Ms Keatley now works at the Mount Gambier and District Hospital as part of the graduate program.
Ms Keatley said the industry was everything she expected but conceded she had entered the field in trying circumstances given the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is a challenging field to work in, especially with the unique situation that the coronavirus has put the healthcare system in,” she said.
“I do believe with calmness and experience, the job will get a lot easier as it goes along.
“I always knew it was going to be challenging.”
