specialty focus
“ There were times where I would be treating a patient and turn around and have a camera straight in my face ,” she said .
“ But at the end of the day , when I ’ m there with a patient , that is the only thing that matters to me .”
One dramatic scene from the second episode shows Maddy and the emergency team treating a gunshot victim .
What viewers didn ’ t see amid the chaos was the eight other patients allocated to her watch .
“ I feel as if that is the only thing they didn ’ t highlight , just how much we are actually juggling at one time ,” she said .
One of the most rewarding aspects of being on television was giving her family and friends a glimpse into what she and her colleagues experience each day .
“ The stigma around nursing is that we give out Panadol and read charts and give showers , when it ’ s so much more than that ,” Maddy said .
“ It ’ s all that scientific knowledge and industry knowledge we are applying every day and it ’ s not really recognised by the public .”
During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic , Maddy was the nurse allocated to triage when the first flight from Wuhan landed in Melbourne .
She and her colleagues then tested the 280 passengers who were transported to the emergency ward .
As nobody understood what COVID-19 was at the time , the passengers wore no masks , gloves or shields .
After Maddy fell pregnant towards the end of 2020 , she then made the difficult decision to leave the frontlines to become a nursing educator .
“ I just don ’ t know if there are enough support systems in place to nurture our nurses because we did cop such a brunt of this pandemic ,” she said .
“ I felt so guilty for so long because I had this desire to help people and duty to be there for my community , but I also had to think about my child and husband .
“ My entire prioritising of life and work changed ,” she said .
“ Take those opportunities , go the extra mile and put yourself out there .
Maddy then moved back to Albury with her family and became an Associate Lecturer of Nursing at Charles Sturt University .
She plans to complete her Masters ’ degree in nursing by 2023 .
Reflecting on her career , the now 28-year-old says being clear about her early goals and objectives has helped the most to establish herself from day one .
“ Don ’ t ever feel like you are stepping on other people ’ s feet ,” she says .
“ If there ’ s ever an opportunity to put a catheter in , or take a blood sample , take those opportunities , go the extra mile and put yourself out there .
“ I always say to my students , go to the space where you feel less comfortable because that ’ s where you grow the most .” ■
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