An ambulance, a patient and a nurse.
Anne McDonald (right) shares a vivid memory from her time as a nurse at Maitland Hospital in the early 1980s.
It was the Australia Day weekend in January 1984. The Narara Music Festival was buzzing at Somersby. Pioneering heart surgeon Dr Victor Chang was at St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst.
On this day an ambulance, a patient and a nurse shared a journey I will never forget.
I started the day in the coronary care unit at Maitland Hospital with my I/C RN Cherrie Robinson and RN Robyn Ditton. The unit supported theatre recovery next door. It was a twelve bed area located in what, in 2021, is the education department.
In the coronary care unit things change in a heartbeat!
My patient needed to be transported to Sydney. I travelled in the ambulance with my patient as she began her journey for a new heart and a new beginning!
The Narara Music Festival held up traffic near Gosford, so it was lights and sirens for our journey as we travelled for kilometres on the wrong side of the road. I was grateful for the fast transport but there were a few heart stopping moments on the wrong side of the road.
I know we reached St Vincents in record time and I am grateful for the skills of those ambos under pressure.
I remember this day for many reasons but mostly for my patient as she got that chance to make her own memorable moments.
Anne also shared photographs and documents from her graduation in 1981.
Anne McDonald’s graduation in photos and documents, 2 April 1981.
(Anne McDonald collection)