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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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Jim
Jim from QLD commented:

Forgot John Howard and there was another who wasn't there long enough to remember 

Jim
Jim from QLD commented:

The government says we don't have money for schools, hospitals or pensions, and I think it is time to reduce payments for ex parliamentarians including all expenses paid to ex Prime Ministers. Think about those costs, security, accommodation, secretary, travel and we have Whittlam, Hawke, Keating, Fraser, Gillard, Rudd. Any "blind" Freddie can see why the country and its Government are running out of money. STOP now and get back in the black and stop blaming everything else. Jim Queensland 

russell
russell from QLD replied to Jim:

You are correct Jim, politicians & ex politicians are the hidden leeches that are sucking the life blood out of this country. If they were paid what they are worth, they would starve. 

Ann
Ann from QLD commented:

It's alright for Susan Ryan to say we should work longer when she gets a huge government supper annuation and all the perks that goes with it,not to mention her huge salery she now collects for sitting on a board for seniors rearly heard from or seen.I am not against seniors working for longer if they are fit and able to ,a lot do work for nothing to stay active.If Mr Abbott needs more money to balance the books let him get it from overpaid polititions that should be more than enough to balance the books. 

Merilyn
Merilyn from QLD commented:

I'm nearly 60 and have been made redundant it's impossible to live on newstart while paying rent and a loan....surely age should make a difference on how much we get paid. I'm not eligible for the pension for 6years. And try getting a job at this age...I'm very discouraged at the moment. 

Carol
Carol from QLD commented:

I'm really sick of hearing how our Government is threatening to cut Age Pensions or get us back to work. I have just reached pensionable age and thank God for that. I have been working since 14 yrs of age and I am TIRED. I have a very sick Daughter and take care of my Grandaughter full time. By 8pm I am buggered and there is no way I want to go out to work. Why is it that we never here about the retired Pollies losing their pensions. Most of them get another high paid job, but still don't lose their lifetime pension. They are all for taking it away from the people they are supposed to be looking after , how about reducing their pensions and perks. 

Magreth
Magreth from QLD commented:

I would just like to say that I am so glad that someone has finally decided that we Baby Boomers need to be given some consideration! We have been standing behind the door for too long it seems. I am a woman on my own, so I don't get the advantages that couples do, I still have to pay a mortgage and 100% of the bills to maintain my lifestyle, like a lot of you, I have worked my whole life and it seems that I have always had to pay premium rates for everything... at 56 I am too young to get Pension discounts, or Seniors Discount Cards.. (for over 60's) and because I am self employed, it makes things so much harder. I seem to be working longer hours just to keep up! The worst part... I set up a business in Web Design and Development because the jobs were all going to younger people or what's worse overseas... So, Thank you to the people who thought to include us OVER 50's ! 

Christine
Christine from QLD commented:

I so agree Ann. I really think Government spokes people are out of step with what goes on in real life. 

Graham
Graham from QLD commented:

It looks like there are lots of folks in the same boat but not the wright boat ,I'm 63 and last June i was sacked after hurting my back at a community function and telling my boss that i would have to start looking after my back he said if you can't lift there is no job , I was back on my feet a couple of weeks later and went to centrelink and after eight weeks they gave my a wopping $30 a fortnight to help me out ,because my wife earns $19 an hour for a thirty eight hour.I have applied for heaps of jobs in my trade and anything else i think i can handle and don't even rate a reply ,now 6 months down the track all the stress has made my arthritus flair up and i can't kneel down yet there are lots of young people with back problems that know how to work the system. I feel very let down with the way things are, there should be rules for the oldies that have worked all their life and bustered there poofell for there employer and then tossed in the bin and told to put up with it. 

Christine
Christine from QLD replied to Graham:

Graham there will always be those who work the system. The Government legislate new welfare rules and soon after some one finds a way around it. I worked for them 20 years ago and nothing has changed except maybe the names ( frequently). And the Government talk about taking people off one payment or expecting them to do charity or community work. There is nothing new about this, it has all been done before. ( again just under a different name.) 

John
John from NSW replied to Graham:

yeah mate I know how you feel 

Paul
Paul from NSW commented:

I keep hearing that there is not enough skilled labour in the workforce, that is why companies have to bring in workers on 401 Visas, - Temporary work [Long stay activity] & all the other visa's out there. When the Federal Government are trying to keep older workers in the Aust workforce to reduce pension payouts. Wouldn't you think that the 1st option for any Co. in Aust would want to employ those who the experience genuinely wanting to remain in the workforce to build up their super & those 1st time applicants who will need a decent super to live on when they retire. Should it not be Australian 1st, stop importing labour & everything else from overseas, if more emphasis was on growing & producing local then there would be enough employment to keep older people in the workforce & to lower the unemployment figure. You will never get 0% as there will always be those out there who are addicted to social welfare the “they owe me” crowd. I am not counting those who are legitimate with disabilities, through no fault of their own, who cannot be employed & those who are carers for the disabled. The older workforce with all that expertise could hand it down to keep us as a Country self sufficient & a food source for all those other countries with expanding population who eventually run out of usable agricultural land, that’s if we haven’t sold it off to the rest of the world. 

Magreth
Magreth from QLD replied to Paul:

Just try to get the business bosses to think about the experienced labour that they snub their noses to... just because we are a bit older than the cute 20 year old. I actually applied for a job where they had previously hired a girl who was serving beers at the local tavern, and based on her looks , she got the job. But 6 months later, when they realised that she didn't have a clue what to do in an Administrative job, they had to let her go. But when I heard about the job vacancy and approached them (because I could do the job blindfolded) they said "ahhhh, no, we don't think we can afford anyone just now!" What a load of baloney! 

Maree
Maree from QLD commented:

I have just retired at the age of 58 no pension for me until 66, we intend to enjoy ourselves now. No doubt before I get to 66 the pension age will rise to 70. If you want to work, you should be able to work. I started work at 14 and have worked ever since. This is my time now. My husband is 69 and my earnings were taken into account for his pension and his pension was cut. 

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