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NewsMeet the oldest Air Ambulance Nurse in Australia
Meet the oldest Air Ambulance Nurse in Australia

Meet the oldest Air Ambulance Nurse in Australia

Tags: FiftyUp Club
Last updated by Someone on

Maureen Roberts has many career highlights to share from her 32 years as Australia’s longest serving air ambulance nurse.

In a recent interview on Macquarie Media, Maureen told the story of the pilot of her aircraft passing out at the controls and how she calmly popped his oxygen mask on and brought him around enough to land the plane. And you thought your job had challenges!

Maureen began her career in the Riverina and became interested in the Air Ambulance are speaking to a fellow nurse from the service. She started her career in Albury but is now based at Mascot, near Sydney.

Another memorable moment of her career involved a premature baby in the skies over the Hunter Valley in NSW. The Air Ambulance needed to land but a FA18 Hornet on “critical fuel” took precedence. Maureen remembers saying to the Air Ambulance pilot “the fighter pilot can eject if he needs to but we can’t, we need to land”!

One of the wonderful things about her job, Maureen told us, is that every day is a different experience depending on the patients you're transporting.

“Sometimes you're taking people home to die and they know they're going to die and they have the most amazing conversations with you."

Hear the full interview with Maureen Roberts here

Originally posted on .

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jim
jim from NSW commented:

make our dollar go futher.If you don't have a use of goods any more sell it on ebay to help with life style 

David
David from NSW commented:

Reduced power and insurance cost on a regular basis and not just once 

Maurice
Maurice from NSW commented:

Hopefully we may have some discounts on the things that hammer us on a daily basis, like energy, petrol ,rates, Tax Relief on wages , goods and services for the over 60's would be a boom, send it straight to super. .then we could think about retirement with a life. 

Someone
Someone from NSW replied to Maurice:

I agree with the relief for over 60s ! Many over 50s are still enjoying life in well paid jobs with annual overseas holidays etc etc. Not so for many of we over 60s. 

val
val from NSW commented:

i like most of us on here would like to see a discount on our electricity bill..im sick of paying a huge bill. 

Someone
Someone from NSW replied to val:

do you do any energy conservation tactics like one energy efficient light on at a time ? I thin the cost of delivering the power to the powerboard is a crock......over $30 a month before any electricity is consumed. Even if the energy companies gave us a break on that alone. And what about the $50 to read the meter to add insult to injury. 

Felicity
Felicity from NSW commented:

I agree with Paul to some extent however if we choose to work after the age of 65 maybe it should be tax free, I work a 90 hour fortnight and pay nearly $2000 in tax it would be good if the government gave us a break as it would mean greater financial independence and less drain on government funds in the form of pensions. 

Felicity
Felicity from NSW commented:

Hopefully there will be enough members to apply market pressure on essential items 

Keith
Keith from NSW commented:

This type of service cannot come quick enough. The over 50's are being taken advantage of and other than over 50 people really do not give a dam. Most think we will just work until we drop and then another will come to take our place. retirement is a total joke and the pension is even worse so what is the point of becomming older when we have nothing really to look forward too except watching our grand children grow. 

Paul
Paul from NSW commented:

AUSTRALIANS would be forced to work until they turn 70, under a radical late-retirement plan from the government's top policy agency. This is BS in a big way. Yes it may cost the country some money, but that money has come from those very same people who have put the money into making this country the best in the world. Most have worked hard, all their lives for this moment. They have paid for their retirement already, don't take away what we/they have worked 40 or 50 years for. Why should the baby boomers be punished because of the era they were born in? Totally unfair and an utter disgrace. It should be a choice, retire at 65 if you want and get the pension OR keep working if you want to. Maybe they could look at massive reduced income tax rate (e.g. 1/2 the normal rate) if you keep working after 65 instead of going on the pension. But that would be too easy or sensible!!! 

Daryl
Daryl from NSW replied to Paul:

Now they want us to work till seventy and tax us on the family home can they just leave us all alone it's never enough for them , over it .Daryl . 

Someone
Someone from NSW replied to Daryl:

of course the Pollies will never experience these expenses because they are on the never ending "gravy train" that should have a expiry date of 2 years post Government. So why would the Pollies support us. We need to start a 60sUp club, not a 50sUp. The latter are working or are capable of working in well paid jobs and have 10 years to save for their future. We over 60s are at the end of our working life (by virtue of medical issues, often) so we need the discounts more than the 50 to 59 groups. I semi-retired at age 60. 

Diane
Diane from NSW commented:

I hope that everyone over 50 will get better deals from banks, electricity, car insurance providers, plumbers, electricians etc as I feel that we are treated unfairly. 

David - FiftyUp Club
David - FiftyUp Club from NSW replied to Diane:

Hi diane, we hope to achieve offers in all of these areas. 

Someone
Someone from NSW replied to David - FiftyUp Club:

David, out of interest, why did you include people in their 50s who are still capable of working and saving for the future ? Wouldn't it have been better to call it the 60Up club ? Those of us over 60 often have medical issues that preclude us from full-time gainful employment, period let alone in well paid jobs where we would really not need discounts on electricity, water, rates, insurances etc etc Just a though. I recognize that there are exceptions to the rule for those under 60. 

Bronwyn
Bronwyn from NSW commented:

Thank you so much Paul, I'd decided not to bother making any further comments after that guy's response . I'll continue to read tho. Cheers, Bron 

Paul
Paul from ACT replied to Bronwyn:

Bronwyn - keep commenting otherwise the Trolls out there will win - I posted this the other day in response to a disparaging comment, explains what we did in a bit more detail "The idea of this site, as I understand it, is to help the over 50s to save money by providing advice, either from fellow members or offers proposed by the organisers - I see this as being pro-active. This "system" (negative gearing) does allow first home owners an opportunity but it is dependent upon a family approach by using their parent's equity to kick start the process, they will eventually own the home/unit when their parents die but in the meantime the kids are not paying "dead rent" and the parents have a tax benefit (holidays) - as I said a win-win for all. If you just sit on your bum and wait for someone to hand it to you instead of going out and grasping it you will end up disappointed and bitter. quod erat demonstrandum !" 

Valerie
Valerie from NSW replied to Bronwyn:

Don't let peoples critical replies put you off. You have your opinions so share them. It's good to hear whatother people have to say. 

Daryl
Daryl from NSW replied to Bronwyn:

Hey Bronwyn , which guy ? Does he have a name ? 

Someone
Someone from NSW replied to Bronwyn:

Bronwyn, I've looked up your original comment and I can't understand why you're so upset. I can't find any critical replies to your comment. Paul seems to be the one that has been criticised and can't stand the flack. If he can't stand the heat, he should stay out of the kitchen. 

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