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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

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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Arthur
Arthur from QLD commented:

It's about time Australians woke up. Labor governs for people Liberals govern for money That's the fact people so look out pensioners. 

Fred
Fred from NSW commented:

Dear John and fellow 50uppers, The club is moving too slow for the time left in this life; we could measure our remaining time left in minutes. Here is what I suggest and why; the more corporations you engage to give discounts eg, four or five corporations would send clear signs of our buying strength and thus encourage other business to come to us with offers.This would in turn encourage and gain more club members. Currently the club has two discounts and is just not good enough. Please, Singo make an obvious and greater effort for us. 

Elaine
Elaine from WA commented:

I am sick and tired of being made to feel guilty because I am a 'baby boomer' and part of the 'aging population' that supposedly cannot be financially sustained going into the future. With the huge increase in population we are experiencing surely there will be some people who will be working and paying taxes as previous generations have done or are they all going to be on welfare? 

Diane
Diane from NSW commented:

Regarding std's in the baby boomers, I am one of the guilty ones, that upon going out with my new man a few times, we started becoming intimate. I am 61 and he is 63. We knew each other only within a circle of friends and I had never seen him with a lady(he is a widower of 9 years and I am a widow of 3). So I suppose we "felt safe" with each other without asking the question at the time. Suffice to say we are madly in love and have been going out now for 14 months. 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

I am yet to hear anything about the aged pension being lowered,where is all of this coming from. 

Elaine
Elaine from WA commented:

It is not. The Government have categorically ruled it out. It is just Bill Shorten scaremongering. 

steve
steve from QLD replied to Elaine:

We the cost of rising utilities will lower the amount you get 

Someone
Someone from NSW replied to steve:

I dont think so Steve we have always had to make sacrifices and we have to adjust,sick and tired of all the handouts that people expect. 

Roslyn
Roslyn from QLD commented:

Obviously you are not on a Disability Pension after paying taxes all your working life. If you want to stop the handouts. Get stuck into the long term unemployed, young people that haven't done a days work in their lives. Bring back National Service for men and women or at the very least the Red Scheme and make them earn the welfare cheques. If they don't take either option, then pay them in food vouchers. Now I've upset the do gooder's. Well tuff. 

steve
steve from QLD commented:

U obvesly dont live on a pention alone if u did u would now that there is nothing left after very modest expences. 

Someone
Someone from NSW replied to Elaine:

You are right Elaine,and I think a lot of these people have got off the track about the aged pension and I dont think people are listening .every body is scare mongering and stirring up trouble that is not there.I have been on the aged pension for 8 years now and dont have a problem surviving on it,it is the younger ones that they are targeting and about time. 

AnnL
AnnL from QLD commented:

As there is a few Ann's, Anne's from QLD I have changed my profile to AnnL 

John
John from QLD commented:

! worked from when I was 15 years old and finished working at 73 years old. I am dame sure I have paid my dues and if some of the lazy 5 or 6 generation who has been on welfare get off their backsides and worked life for all would be much fairer nothing wrong with one year national service 

Roslyn
Roslyn from QLD replied to John:

Good on you John. You are so right. This idea of the Abbott Government to make these long term dole Bludgers is just a band aid solutions. I agree with you bring back National Service for men and women and make them learn a trade and some discipline. Alternatively, bring back the Red Scheme to make them earn their Dole/New Start. If they don't take either option then no more tax payer dollars. Give them vouchers to live off. Sorry I have probably upset all the do gooders out there. Well stuff luck. 

Graham
Graham from QLD commented:

So how do we survive ? 

geoffrey
geoffrey from NSW commented:

I have read about the goverments proposal to cut cost and save money Why do the penioners get in the neck all the time.I am 62 and still working full time I cannot get a seniors card.But we seem to have a lot of money for middle class wefare, and bloody lay abouts and illegal boat people.Lets not pussie foot around and use this forum how us aged Australians who have put back into the public purse as opposed to those take out and put nothing in.LEAVE OUR BLOODY PENIONS ALONE GEOFF CARNEY LEUMEAH NSW 

Paul
Paul from QLD commented:

Paul from Qld Approaching 73 i retired at 70, but wish I had stayed working, the government does not give a stuff about pensioners and are only interested in where they can save money so they can get their big fat pay rises and they don`t have to worry about when they retire as they then get most of the benefits they get when in office the whole system STINKS I only hope people remember the promises when it comes time to vote again ,Clive Palmer is the only one that has said he will look after the pensioners he has got my vote. 

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