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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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Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

Hi I am 51, was working in corporate Australia. I was retrenched by a company with less than 15 employees, so no package. 130 applications later….after being interviewed by people less than half my age I am told I am the following, not a corporate fit, you are too dressed up this is not a fashion job..( when it was..), you need to be more analytical ( when I had done done a test that said I was, and told to re do it so I wasn't!). You are close to retirement age…you live too far from the city..( the Sutherland Shire)……we need an agency that promotes people with skills…we are not dead at 50….. At 51 I got a place on a movie set where i had to walk up to 10 km a day, cook a breakfast for up to 80 people and dish in a 20 min period, do HR, WH & S, drive cars, truck, vans do a 50 hour week ( which is 65 with travelling plus I am working 20 on the weekend..AKA 85 hours…) but I am too old an decrepit to get back into corporate after 6 months out… again we need an agency that recognises that we have great transferrable skills and that we have learnt a lot.. Thank you... 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

Had the same experience at one year younger than you. Unfortunately you can not explain this 'elephant' to a government that simply has has no intention of facing a reality that does not suit them.I would like to know how many politicians have, working in their offices worn out chicken pluckers, coffee carriers bricklayers etc. ,potato packers who have been sent to a couple of office and computer courses. These people are not good enough for them however politicians are quite comfortable pretending that others are lining up to employ these people. If highly qualified persons have difficulty obtaining employment after the age of 55 what hope is there for the less experienced and qualified. There will come a time and quite soon when the problem the problem is so acute that our knackered pollies will need to pull their heads out of the sand and address real problems in their own country. 

Jennifer
Jennifer from NSW commented:

Anonymous - I am always intrigued as to why people blame the government for anything that goes wrong in their lives but I suppose they feel better blaming someone else. How do you expect the government to fix this problem when it is the employers who are the cause - instead of complaining about it how about a few suggestions as to how it can be fixed. Perhaps you have a government funded incentive in mind but who pays for that, oh the taxpayer of course. Do not get me wrong I have had similar experiences but it did not occur to me to blame the government of the day. We have to learn to fix the problems ourselves and there are organisations who are in the process of trying to do that so perhaps you should join them to provide some constructive feedback. Just having a whinge will not fix anything. Everyone has an opinion but few offer solutions. 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

There is a slight difference in pointing out a problem and the governments reaction or lack of reaction, . and blaming the government for the problem.However as governments make rules and sets agendas they are the people who need to be realistic as to the problem.One of the ways of pointing out the how people react to something is to make those concerned understand how they are reacting and so make other peoples reaction more easily understood. 

Jeannette
Jeannette from NSW commented:

Have you tried "adage.com.au" or even the "LinkedIn" site. I found them to be really helpful. I was retrenched at 57 (after 15 years) .. It took a while (about 18 months), but I'm now employed. Initially I had similar experiences to you. Absolutely no employer was interested and there was a litany of excuses why I wasn't OK for the job. Basically I was too old. I managed to change things around by doing a few online re-educations things (admin / accounting / payroll with myob, etc) and found part-time / casual work (telemarketing for charitys, going to shops and doing a "secret" market reviews, admin part time, blah blah). I even did charity work for a while (meals on wheels, etc). You've got to do this - get to know your potential boss!! Seriously!! I now work full-time from a contact I made in the charity area. REMEMBER - NO ONE WILL HELP YOU - you've got to do it yourself !!! 

Tyrone
Tyrone from NSW commented:

There are lots of university graduates out there who thinks they got the know how to reinvent the wheels. They have an attitude of we are the greatest! In fact they're so many of them that know nothing and this is the reason many corporate and going belly up! 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

cheaper prices an reliable service without the spin (lies) 

Bruno
Bruno from NSW commented:

I joined the 50upclub to see if my car insurance would be cheaper but it was more expensive than my current insurer with less benefits. 

Joel - FiftyUp Club
Joel - FiftyUp Club from NSW replied to Bruno:

Hi Bruno - make sure you keep going through the process and click the "Apply for price beat guarantee" button, or call Coles Insurance on 13-- 661 436. They guarantee to beat your current premium by at least $100. 

Tyrone
Tyrone from NSW replied to Joel - FiftyUp Club:

I don't think Coles can always beat any insurance policy. It is fact, I am currently insured on agreed value which is above the red-book value. Coles ask me to send copy of the policy so it can make its calculation and I did. Coles customer service person told me I will get a call soon as it gets copy of my policy from current insurance provider, probably Coles got shock it can not match my current policy and the obvious never got a call back. 

ANTONY
ANTONY from NSW replied to Joel - FiftyUp Club:

Joel...yes you right about that BUT...you are NOT telling full story...how they do that...go on..be honest and tell everybody how Coles Insurance do this things ??? 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

I havn't done the comparison yet for car insurance however what annoys me is as an unpaid carer for my parents, living in a caravan, on workers comp and already accessing my super pension; I drive 10,000-15,000 quarterly and it is seen as a liability not an asset to be an experienced driver that doesn't have accidents or fined- what gives??? I take my parents for a drive every Sunday and you see the loonies on the road that don't drive regularly who cause accidents. Why are not all drivers tested on the road every 10 years and questions without multiple choice answers every 5 years??? 

Kathleen
Kathleen from NSW commented:

Yes to the driving course wouldn't mind having a refresher course 70,75, 80 I bet if we did we would find things have changed only a refresher Course though not into tests Kathleen NSW 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

Everything just seems to be so expensive, so anything to assist in reducing the cost of living will help. 

leon
leon from NSW commented:

I am 66 years old and still working. There are recommendations that people should work up to 70 and, if possible, I will do that. What makes me mad is that, in order to receive a seniors card in NSW I must work fewer than 20 hours per week. Could representations be made to government that, once people have reached 65, they should be entitled to a seniors card irrespective how many hours they work? Leon 

Tyrone
Tyrone from NSW replied to leon:

Not only that, did you know if for some reason you're made redundant at 65 or over payout will incur substantial tax as oppose to nil tax when made redundant at age 60 to 64. This is a stupid taxation law, 65 and over are disadvantage or discriminated. I spoke to my accountant and the recommendation was to write to my federal parliamentarian to initiate amendment to the taxation law. 

mark
mark from NSW commented:

I saved $200.00Thanks to Fifty Up , Discounts on health insurance would be a great help, especially dental treatment as I would probably enjoy being able to chew a steak again . 

Perrine - FiftyUp Club
Perrine - FiftyUp Club from QLD replied to mark:

That is great news mark! Hopefully when we release special offers in the future you will continue to receive great savings. 

shirlee
shirlee from NSW replied to mark:

Health insurance without pregnancy benefits would be great - we want to keep top cover for when age starts catching up, but definitely resent having to include pregnancy/IVF/ and all other baby related items. Can absolutely guarantee that I'll never need these items in the future. 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

Not to sure how good Coles insurance is! did a quote and they were over $200 more than I am paying now,real good deal Coles. 

Joel - FiftyUp Club
Joel - FiftyUp Club from NSW commented:

Hi Anonymous, you need to keep going through the process, past the quick quote and the exact quote sections, and click on "Apply for price beat guarantee" button, or call Coles Insurance on 1300 661 436. They guarantee to beat your current premium by at least $100. 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

Rather worried about a radio station having a close relationship with a major supermarket as it could compromise the stations integrity.This has happened before with extremely dubious personal services/ products and it would be sad if a radio station with the reputation of 2GB should be tainted in this manner............ 

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