Vicky Coddington has been a nurse and midwife for 46 years and caring for patients at Young Hospital for 37 of them.
With no intention of slowing down, Vicky recently upskilled to include qualifications in child and family nursing and immunisation to keep “variety and challenge” in her working days.
“It is a little adventure into something different and very nice to be seeing a bit more of the children that we have birthed here at Young Hospital,” she said.
Vicky began her nursing career in Sydney, in May 1977, and worked around the city in a variety of hospitals.
An experienced midwife and Mothercraft and Tresillian nurse, Vicky decided to return to her hometown of Young in 1986.
“I grew up in Young, and my family is here. Once the novelty of city life wore off, I could not wait to come home,” she said.
“Besides being able to enjoy more down time and less crowds and avoiding the hectic vibe of the city, country life offers more professional opportunity to grow as a nurse, to experience a wider variety of situations and learnings.
“I really enjoy the follow-up with the women and patients that I see here because you have a greater opportunity to offer that continuity of care, to remember their history. I also have opportunity to help in both the hospital and community setting as a child and family nurse.”
Vicky credits her longstanding career at Young Hospital to a positive attitude, remembering the good days and a willingness to “get on with it and show up”.
“Of course, there are days that are hectic, and you might think are a bit rubbish, but that is life sometimes, isn’t it,” she said.
“I feel nursing is an important contribution to support the people within your community, and that is what keeps me coming to work each day. It is about helping people out.
“Nursing has really changed over the years, and it is refreshing to see the focus on patient centred care where the person is more involved in decision making, care is more holistic, and we are able to build more positive and collaborative relationships together.
“Young Hospital is a positive place to work and I am enjoying my three roles as a midwife, nurse and consolidating my skills as a child and family health nurse.”
Vicky brushes off any imminent notion of retirement.
“I know I cannot work forever, but I am pretty healthy, and I do have 50 years of service in my sights,” she said.
In the meantime, she encourages others who are at the beginning of their careers to consider working in regional and remote facilities.
“It is not all about working in the city, you can learn an awful lot here,” Vicky said.
“I think I'm a better practitioner for working in the country, and have been given multiple opportunity to multiskill and grow as a clinician.”
