News

Mother of six turns nursing dream into a reality

Mar 15, 2023

Since she was a little girl, Kathryn (Katie) Yappo-Wilkes, has always wanted to be a nurse, but when the Southern River woman met her husband and fell pregnant at the age of 18, she was forced to put her lifelong dream on hold.

Now with six children under 18 - some with health issues - Katie is even more determined to make her dream come true.

Katie started a Diploma of Nursing with Marr Mooditj Training Aboriginal Corporation in February, and she is one of 14 students who have recently visited Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) to hear first-hand about a new undergraduate cadetship program being offered by Ramsay Health Care.

The recently launched national Undergraduate Cadetship Program will offer support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student nurses in WA by providing hands-on clinical experience, support and supervision – initially at JHC, and later at Hollywood, Glengarry and Attadale private hospitals.

During clinical placements, cadets are simultaneously given the opportunity for employment as an assistant in nursing or midwifery, a personal care assistant or support services worker at a Ramsay hospital.

At the completion of their studies, the student is also guaranteed an interview for ongoing employment as part of Ramsay’s popular graduate program, which gives graduates the opportunity to choose from a range of specialties.

Ramsay Health Care Australia Chief Nurse and Clinical Services Director, Dr Bernadette Eather, said the program would help develop students into “leading nurses and midwives of the future”.

Dr Eather said that beyond nurturing and developing leaders in nursing and midwifery, it was important Ramsay hospitals bolstered their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce, a sentiment shared by Katie.

Katie said her experience navigating the health system had only intensified her quest to become a nurse.

“My 18 year old daughter had epilepsy and now our four year old son has it so I have been in and out of hospitals for years,” she said. “While I have found Aboriginal Liaison Officers very helpful, I’ve only met a few Aboriginal doctors, nurses and midwives.”

“We need more Indigenous staff across the board and this cadetship is a great catalyst for that,” she said.

The Ramsay Undergraduate Cadetship Program is part of the Ramsay Nursing and Midwifery Academy, which aims to provide a comprehensive professional pathway for nurses and midwives, to develop and mentor nurses and midwives to upskill and excel in their careers.