The work of a nurse is challenging enough, but when you add a remote location, the stakes are so much higher. Meet fifteen courageous people who have chosen to pursue careers in remote area nursing.
There's Anna, who is on duty in Georgetown as the fury of Cyclone Yasi tears through inland Queensland; Maureen in outback New South Wales, who faces everything from a snakebite to a helicopter crash; Aggie, who overcomes her demons to help young people in the Kimberley; and Catherine, newly graduated and determined to make a difference in the Gulf Country she and her rodeo-riding husband call home.
From some of the most remote places on the earth, these stories bring the outback to life – we witness the harshness and isolation as well as the camaraderie of life in small towns in the middle of nowhere. These intrepid nurses manage everyday health care and life-threatening emergencies, patch up the local pets and fundraise for their towns. They are the heartbeat of their communities.
From Bidyadanga to Broken Hill, from Mount Isa to Marree, these tales are by turns moving and inspiring, full of gutsy feats and classic outback spirit.

Nurses Outback by Annabelle Brayley tells the experience of 15 nurses who braved the heat, dust and isolation of the outback, to use their nursing skills to save lives and attend to people suffering injury. They worked in with the Royal Flying Doctor Service also, who were called to take seriously injured people to hospital.
The small towns where they set up clinics made them very welcome, and treated them like family.
This book is very fascinating with stories of the outback.

Released to Goldenwattle.

Thank you.

Last year I visited some of the places mentioned in the book, on my return drive from Canberra to Darwin, with a side trip to Kununurra in Western Australia. Over 12,000 kms.
The story that affected me most was Chapter Six, "Heart of the Territory" and the sad incident of the boy going missing at Dunmarra Roadhouse. During my road trip last year I camped there twice; going north and south. The remote roadhouse, the campground, the road trains (trucks, each up to 54 metres long) parked out front and roaring past, the water buffaloes wallowing in the mud out by the highway and the cattle wandering in from the bush. I have vague memories of a plaque at the roadhouse to the child. I got a bit teary.
An interesting read.

Photographs: In front of Dunmarra Roadhouse

Releasing at the Bookcrossing meet at King O'Malley's Pub. Enjoy.

I enjoyed these stories of adventurous, brave and dedicated women.
The story that affected me most was that of Karen Schnitzerling who set up a clinic in a remote area of western Tasmania. She developed cancer or the tonsils, had to have 7 teeth removed, removal of tonsils and chemotherapy. She drove herself to chemotherapy appointments appointments and kept of working. Still the contact person for nursing appointments, she has never let anything slow her down.

I left the book with some magazines in a waiting area at Queanbeyan Hospital

On a table in a waiting area near outpatients.