Say hello to Abi Fisher our first international nursing student to be placed at Coffs Harbour Health Campus’ Integrated Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs services.
From Cardiff to Coffs Harbour, Abi gains global education
Mar 25, 2024A big welcome to Abi Fisher who has joined the Mid North Coast Local Health District’s Mental Health team at Coffs Harbour Health Campus on a nursing student placement arrangement with Cardiff University in Wales.
Abi is the first nursing student to work at the campus in a new exchange collaboration between MNCLHD and the UK education facility.
The program includes three weeks of supervised work placement, rotating around Coffs Harbour Integrated Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs services, spending time in EMHAART, Drug and Alcohol, community mental health and inpatient services.
The initiative to support international nursing students to come to Australia and undertake a placement was born out of the setup of a knowledge exchange process led by Penny Jones and her team in the Mental Health directorate.
Abi says it is the first time that she has studied abroad.
“I am in my second year in my Mental Health Nursing degree, which goes for three years back home, which is different to here. I’ve only been here a short time but already I have picked up a lot,” she said.
“It’s interesting seeing the differences between the services, for example, this morning I spent the morning gardening with the inpatients and that’s something I can take back and share with my peers because it is such an engaging activity.”