Midwife Hailee Ryan is making the most of life in Weipa!
Midwife Hailee Ryan never planned on working in a remote region, but it turns out the Far North Queensland town of Weipa offers a home away from home.
Hailee went from having never heard of Weipa to quickly falling in love with the town following a five-week contract stint in May last year.
She then made it her mission to move there permanently.
“To be honest, I had never heard of Weipa before I took the contract to get a taste of something different. I certainly didn’t think I’d be back for good,” Hailee said.
“After five weeks here, the lifestyle and the community really sold it to me.
“The job did too – being a midwife in a region like this is so different compared to working in the big city tertiary hospitals.
“You have a lot more time to spend with patients and build relationships with the women and their families.
“We can give them more time, more compassionate care, and a lot of education about their pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum journeys.
“If you’re looking for a change from working in big hospitals where the care can sometimes feel a bit rushed and impersonal, it’s a great change to make.”
Hailee is one of six clinical midwives in Weipa’s Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) team, which also includes a midwifery unit manager, a women’s health physiotherapist, an Advanced Indigenous Health Worker, a social worker, and a team of doctors with skills in obstetrics and anaesthetics.
“The Midwifery Group Practice here is amazing. The continuity of care we provide means we’re with women right from the very start of their journey when they find out they’re pregnant, up until when they give birth, and for six weeks of follow up care after.
“Even after the mums stop being your patient you get a chance to see them. I’ve run into former patients of mine with their little ones at the post office or at Park Run on a Saturday morning.
“It’s so fun to see the bubs grow up as you see them around town - it feels like you’re part of something special.
“In a small town like this you don’t just work in the community, you become part of it very quickly.
“Even at work, I know everyone I pass in the corridor and it makes for a really nice environment to work in.”
Hailee is a big advocate for living and working in rural and remote pockets of Queensland.
“If you’re thinking of moving to a rural or remote region, I definitely recommend it,” she said.
“And don’t worry about losing skills at smaller facilities – they’re supportive of upskilling and furthering your education as much as possible.
“I’ve been to conferences and training programs in Sydney and the Gold Coast, and have another one in Brisbane next month – they’ve all been amazing.”
Hailee said that adapting to a change of lifestyle and pace in Weipa wasn’t as much of a shock as she thought it would be.
“You’ll find yourself busier even than if you were in the city – it’s so much easier to take part in everything on offer,” she said.
“I’m making the most of all the community events and have made friends so easily.
“The local pub runs bingo and quiz nights, there’s also ladies day long lunches, Park Run every Saturday (you even get a shoutout in the paper if you get a PB!), events on at the gym, a pottery cub – there’s really a lot of stuff here for a small town that it always feels busy.”
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Get your bearings
Weipa is part of the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service.
