Burdekin Midwife Goes the Distance Without Leaving Home

A Burdekin-based registered nurse has broken new ground for rural healthcare workers, proving that advanced midwifery qualifications can be achieved without leaving home.

Ayr nurse Cher Vernon has become the first nurse to complete a Diploma of Midwifery through Townsville University Hospital (TUH) while continuing to live and work in a rural location. Traditionally, nurses employed within the Townsville Hospital and Health Service were required to complete the qualification onsite at TUH, often necessitating relocation to a major centre.

By completing the diploma from Ayr, Ms Vernon hopes her experience will open doors for other rural nurses considering further study.

“Normally, to get the Diploma of Midwifery you have to do the training through a tertiary hospital, which can be a challenge for nurses in rural communities,” Ms Vernon said.

“There’s the stress of needing to organise travel, work, and family which makes it very difficult and overwhelming.

“This was something I had been wanting to do for 15 years but was never able to do because of those commitments.”

Ms Vernon said the initiative was made possible after strong support from local leadership and collaboration with James Cook University.

“When I approached the director of nursing at the Ayr hospital and told her what I wanted to do, she and the health service moved mountains and worked with JCU to make this training available outside of Townsville,” she said.

Completing the program came with unique challenges, particularly meeting clinical requirements in a region with fewer births.

“For example, I needed to be at births as part of the training, which can be a challenge in the Burdekin because births are more sporadic compared to somewhere like Townsville,” she said.

Ms Vernon also completed short placements at TUH to gain experience with high-risk pregnancies and praised the support she received from colleagues across both regions.

Ayr Health Service Director of Nursing Tracey Gabiola said Ms Vernon’s achievement highlighted the importance of accessible training for rural health professionals.

“Access to training and development opportunities can be a barrier for staff in communities like the Burdekin,” Ms Gabiola said.

“What Cher has achieved is truly a credit to her and very inspiring.”

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Burdekin midwife Cher Vernon has helped pave the way for more nurses to gain
midwifery qualifications without needing to go to a major city. Photo supplied

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