News

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 Kayley Harris 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 .

Join the conversation

FiftyUp Club
Fiftyup Club

Join the Conversation with other members below on the FiftyUp Club Forum. Join an existing conversation, or start your own. 

Conversation is closed.
Read our moderation policy here.
Joseph
Joseph from QLD commented:

It seems to me that people are complaining about the little things, don't they realise that these are only symptoms of a much larger problem. If this country was a business it would be declaring bankruptsy. Everyone wont's more money, the problem is, prices in this country are more than double anywhere else, and I've yet to find a reason other than greed. Every time people get a five dollar increase in pay , they actually become twenty dollars worse off, because everything across the board has had the same increase applied. Numbers mean nothing, the real matter is what you get for your dollar, and these day's it isn't much, the dollar may be high, but it's buying power is pretty low. 

Joseph
Joseph from QLD commented:

It seems to me that people are complaining about the little things, don't they realise that these are only symptoms of a much larger problem. If this country was a business it would be declaring bankruptsy. Everyone wont's more money, the problem is, prices in this country are more than double anywhere else, and I've yet to find a reason other than greed. Every time people get a five dollar increase in pay , they actually become twenty dollars worse off, because everything across the board has had the same increase applied. Numbers mean nothing, the real matter is what you get for your dollar, and these day's it isn't much, the dollar may be high, but it's buying power is pretty low. 

Bigyan
Bigyan from NSW commented:

Can we get an Insurance Company to come up with an offer for Fifty-up club for CTP insurance. 50 up group are possibly amongst the safest drivers, but having to pay an exorbitant premium. 

Bernard
Bernard from QLD commented:

I'm tired of the excuses and the non performance. I have been an LNP supported for twenty year. No more; had enough. It's a case of you go your way and i'll go mine and i'm not afraid to try something new. 

Beverley
Beverley from NSW commented:

Still believe 3 or 6 months - maybe 1 year? bootcamp could be the answer for many of the school-leavers and unemployed - male or female. And you MUST have done this before you can receive unemployment benefits. Do some National Service - for yourself and country. Learn some country pride, discipline, learn how to operate/co-operate as a group and individuals, maybe driving skills??? perhaps experience a trade or other skills while there which may help to decide what to do with the next stage of their life. Reasonable courses and goals could be set for physical or age related abilities. Achievement levels could be employed to ALLOW or MAKE people discover and reach their potentials. If they are being paid an allowance, at least we are getting something for the investment! It doesnt have to be ALL impossible . . . BUT . . . for the hardnoses . . . find a job before you leave! I have known two young men who, undecided with their lives, chose to join the Army. They are were always polite and decent, but now two very self assured, well mannered, quietly spoken exceptional human beings who are very settled and satisfied - happy with the lives. 

Beverley
Beverley from NSW commented:

Perhaps the powers that be could look into the amount of money LEAVING this country every day - being sent back to the "homelands" to assist/support the lives of those less fortunate somewhere else. If all the funds earned or handed out HERE were being spent HERE it might be a different story too. How come the Mr and Mrs. Averages of this country KNOW what goes on - needs to be done - and yet the powers that be stand with heads turned as though they didnt see or know about it? 

Someone
Someone from NSW replied to Beverley:

Oh yes Oh Golly gosh YES. Of course that might upset big business and our wonderful neighbors and is nowhere as easy as poor bashingour own It also might take a little more GUTS than our pollies have.Our country is stripped of its wealth by predomimatly overseas countries,then sent abroad so others can 'value add' along with a large proportion of the wages thus earnt.Meanwhile we worry about moving a short distance into the waters of countries who are not too worried about us moving in to build 120 schools,helping in disasters zones and have no concern about recieving endless aid that our homeless should have spent on them. The best stance for those worried about their countrys dignity and sovereignty.is standing straight, head held high,AND HANDS BY SIDE.Unfortunatly we have little chance of voting for any change in these areas as there is no choice of statesmen to vote for. 

Beverley
Beverley from NSW commented:

Foreign aid yes Anonymous but I meant private individuals sending their families $$$s to enhance their lifestyles back in their homelands. Loopholes that need tightening :) 

Bernard
Bernard from QLD commented:

Beverly. Dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. The current parties have had their chance and failed miserably. Time to at least try something new. As the great Albert Einstein once commented; "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result". Its time for change 

Beverley
Beverley from NSW replied to Bernard:

Im assuming (which one should NEVER do!) that you mean ALP and LNP by your words "current parties." How can you say the Howard Government failed??? We were hauled out of debt and travelling well with a decent lifestyle and coffers in the black . . . my question is why change something that wasnt/isnt broken? I listen to a lot of talkback radio. Many younger voters had never known any other Govt.. With many being straight out of school where socialist/communistic/green etc ideas and ideals are rife, they thought they'd give "the others" a go. By the comments I heard, many were disillusioned VERY quickly. But sadly, now we are reaping the benefits of the rape and pillage of pink batts schemes, school improvements debacles, and many more we all know about. NO ONE PARTY will ever please all the people all the time - or get everything correct. But they can do their best to get the majority of the decisions made in our favour. Our favour being Australia's favour. Sadly the rot goes back a long long way - Whitlam comes to mind . . . and Labor Party now is not the Labor Party of old who stood for the worker. They just are not. But I guess this forum is a place for us to agree to disagree on many things. 

Beverley
Beverley from NSW replied to Bernard:

Its time for a change? Sounds like the Whitlam slogan and look what happened there! (A sour memory.) 

Bernd
Bernd from QLD replied to Bernard:

I totally agree with you Bernard. It is time for us to get off our arses. All of the "currant political parties" all seam to have one agenda which is to turn Australia into a 3rd world country. We the older generation have seen both the good and bad times. But since the motto "greed is good" was initiated, times have been good only for those with money. I know without any doubt what-so ever that amongst us older generation there are people who can get this country back on track to make it "the lucky country " once again. This can only be achieved if we form our own political party. So lets do it. 

Ron
Ron from QLD commented:

In the FAQS for the electricity offer, is states 17% discount for direct debit, but in the offer it only states 9%, how do you get the 17% discount? 

Jess - FiftyUp Club
Jess - FiftyUp Club from QLD replied to Ron:

Hi Ron, Sorry for the confusion. The 17% listed was an error. The offer is 9% and the FAQs have been amended to reflect that. 

pauline
pauline from NSW commented:

I rang Coles and told them I was in the Fiftyup club therefore she quoted me on this. I also have my house insured by Coles so was expecting a good deal. When I said that the premium was too expensive the girl commented "That I had an old car so I should expect a high premium" I was not happy with this comment. Pauline 

pauline
pauline from NSW commented:

Hi quote from Coles Car Insurance $200 dearer than NRMA - Will go with NRMA Pauline 

Jess - FiftyUp Club
Jess - FiftyUp Club from QLD replied to pauline:

Hi Pauline, Please make sure you press the red "Apply for Price Beat Guarantee" button on the website. If this does't work I'd suggest you give Coles Insurance a call on 1300 661 407. Coles Car Insurance guarantees to beat your current price by at least $75. 

Comment Guidelines