Career, family, lifestyle, how to have it all.

Posted: 15th Jul

Geelong it’s time to meet the new you.

 

 

When Critical Care nurse Cassie moved to Geelong she might have expected to compromise on something.

“I transfered from Epworth Richmond to Epworth Geelong so I knew I my career pathway would continue to be strong in a beautiful modern  hospital.  I was confident I would continue to  have the education  support of my employer, and hopeful that my work/life balance would also be good.”

  And Geelong was a great choice for her family life .  Her husband landed at job at TAC head office, and they soon welcomed a  daughter  into what, for them,  is  a family friendly  relaxed outdoor lifestyle.

Why Geelong?

But Cassie worried she might be leaving shopping, good coffee and restaurants behind her.  “I couldn’t have been more wrong. In my 20’s I was excited by the city life, and Geelong just  didn’t seem to have it going on. In the past five years since we moved here I have discovered a brilliant café culture.  Pakington street for shopping, the Bellarine for wineries, great regional restaurants, and the beaches,   Geelong has it all.”

At the same time Cassie’s family has  grown with the addition of her one year old daughter .

They all love the Great Ocean Road so much, they escape to their  caravan in Lorne every chance they get.

“I just  didn’t expect the impact of all the positive lifestyle changes.   We live five minutes from work.   Childcare, kinder and schools are all close. The beaches, the town, and even the bright lights of  Melbourne are less than 60 minutes away. We are all just loving the  great Victorian regional lifestyle”.

 

 

 

 

Why Epworth?

 

As an Associate Nurse Unit Manager (ANUM) in the Intensive Care Unit, Cassie specifically cares for patients experiencing high dependency, life threatening conditions - a challenge she relishes. “I love the complexity of my work.  Everyday is different. I am a people person so I enjoy being part of a multidisciplinary team that works collaboratively to provide optimal patient care, and achieve the best patient outcomes possible.” 

 

Epworth’s dedication to continually provide educational opportunities has allowed Cassie to undertake further study to enhance her knowledge  and skill set she requires for her role. “That support has empowered me to be the clinician I am today.”

Epworth Geelong is a new, state of the art hospital which allows Cassie and her colleagues to practice with the latest technology and equipment in accordance to current, evidence based best practice. 

 

 

Intensive Care Nurses are a skill shortage in Geelong, so Cassie’s career  choice is a secure one.   Like many regional areas  around Australia,  Health care is the largest employer, and in the Geelong region it remains the fastest growing industry.Between 2006 and 2016, careers in caring  in the Geelong region increased by 54.2%!

Entry level careers in caring jobs often require little or no previous experience and an ATAR or university degree is not a pre-requisite. Opportunities like Cassie’s role as an ANUM demonstrate that you can start your career in  Geelong, study  and learn on the job  and enjoy the challenges and opportunites you might expect to find only in major cities, and all without leaving the wonderful Geelong lifestyle.

Careers in Caring are a diverse choice of occupations, including highly skilled professional positions at one of our internationally recognised health facilities: Deakin University Hospital /Barwon Health, Geelong Private, St John of God and Epworth Hospitals.

State of the art childcare and aged care facilities present a surprising range of professional and entry level roles in direct care and support.

Surgeons, specialist nurses and researcher roles are amongst the fastest growing professions. Geelong’s careers in caring reflect the demands of both an aging population looking for an active and healthy retirement, and young families moving here for the unbeatable combination of lifestyle, work, education and recreation opportunities.This is great news for career seekers of all ages.

ANUM Cassie Bickel is thriving in her challenging role and dreams one day of moving into undergraduate nurse facilitation / education. It’s a dream she can realistically achieve in a region where she and her family are thriving,

To gain an up-to-the minute guide as to what employers value in experience, training and skills, see Geelong Careers in Caringlive job feed where you will find position descriptions for all kinds of roles in this engaging, fast paced and promising sector.

For more about health careers in  Geelong, see  Careers in Caring