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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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Michael
Michael from QLD commented:

It's all nice to say work longer, and most of us would like to, have you tried to get a job, when you have grey hair! It's an improbability, that you will get one. Let me know if there are any employers out there, who give an interview to an older person never mind giving one start. 

Allen
Allen from NSW commented:

How much longer do these people want us to work. Why not get some of the younger ones to start work. Younger ones complain they can't get jobs and these people want older people to work longer. What do they want us to work till we are ready to be put in the grave? 

Helen
Helen from NSW commented:

I think that baby boomers should be allowed to retire from age 60 onwards and draw the pension, whenever they feel they want or need to. This would free up some entry-level jobs for those on unemployment benefits, as current employees move up the ladder when retirees leave. I see no difference between paying a retiree a pension than paying an unemployed person a pension. After all, most 60 yo retirees have been working around 40 years and deserve to access the benefits currently being enjoyed by the unemployed, paid for by the employed! Retirees could also then access their superannuation, pumping more money into the economy. 

Gayle
Gayle from QLD commented:

That idea totally sucks. I cannot retire until I am eligible for the pension. I have worked my entire life since turning 15. I have never had unemployment or any other form of payment due to being unemployed. I don't want to work a day longer than when I turn 65. I think I will have earn't my retirement by then. I have paid taxes all that time. It will be about time I get to relax instead of enduring the stress at work. 

Robyn
Robyn from ACT commented:

After 15+ years of being sole carer of my husband who has a rare form of Motor neurone Disease, I am looking down into the future of working well into my 70's to pay off a mortgage that has grown substantially whilst caring. I have no choice, but I do not believe that other older Australians should be made to carry the burden of those who choose to stay on welfare when they are perfectly able to work. We all know they are out there. I know I am not the only one, but I am so tired. 

Pamela
Pamela from NSW commented:

I am one of the 'working poor'. I rent a house but will not be able to stay in it when I retire on the pension, even with rent assistance, BUT I have been told it is a 10 year waiting list for housing commission houses/units in my area. That means I will be 75 when I get a home - where do I live in the interim? A tent in the bush? Will there be a huge pool of homeless baby boomers forming communities in the bush? I have worked all my life and paid my taxes, and this is the best they can do! 

Someone
Someone from SA commented:

when is fifty up club coming to south Australia ? and why we need to work longer look at Germany just lowed the retirement age after putting it up years ago , the idea is to give work to the young 

nick
nick from QLD commented:

Why don't we cut the poly's pensions & benifiets they recieve after been in parliment for just one term.The family home has been paid for with money that has aiready been taxed.We've paid our dues it time for the next generation to step up & take responsibitly. 

Narelle
Narelle from QLD commented:

should the family home decrease the pension? No way! People have worked all their lives to get the home that they have wanted by saving and not squandering their money, so why should they have to move to be eligible for a pension that other people have collected for years when they were young enough to work. AND did not! 

Carol
Carol from NSW commented:

Why should we have to work longer, we have worked all our lives for retirement. Won't does she want us to do retire and then die, send all the bloodie lazy ones to work and them we can retirement with our pension like we should after so many years of paying our taxes, and supporting the ones that won't get off there asses and get a job. 

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