Flight Nurses
Justine completed RGN training in London in 1993 and worked in UCH and Middlesex Hospitals in A&E. She obtained a BSc (Hons) Midwifery in 1996 and worked at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for 4 years setting up the UK's first Midwifery High Dependence Unit.
Justine moved to Australia in 2000 with the sole aim of becoming a Flight Nurse. Initially she worked in Alice Springs Hospital and gained rural and remote experience during those first six months. She had some interaction with RFDS at that time and began working in the Queensland Section in 2001 as a Flight Nurse Retriever, spending time in both Rockhampton and Brisbane. In January 2006 Justine became Nurse Manager - Clinical at the Brisbane Base and manages her excellent team of Flight Nurses whilst maintaining her clinical skills by flying or working in the Queensland Clinical Coordination Centre.
Justine is passionate about Flight Nurses being recognised for the unique skills they have and utilise every day for the benefit of their patients. She is excited about the prospect of Nurse Practitioners within Flight Nursing and is working with the Committee to uphold and promote the standards of Flight Nurses Australia.
Vice President - Jennifer Craig
Secretary - Judy Whitehead
RN, RM, B Nursing, Emergency Nursing Cert (Vic), Aviation Nursing Cert
Judy has been Flight Nursing for a total of 19 years, all within the RFDS. She began in 1986, undertook further education in Emergency Nursing in Victoria between 1989 and 1994, and has progressed through the ranks to reach her current position of Nurse Manager of the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section based in Broken Hill.
Judy says her job combines her two passions of Emergency Nursing and Flight Nursing which she regards as the best mix in the world.
Since 2000, Judy has been a member of the FNA Committee and was President between 2003 and 2009.
Treasurer - Margaret Tabone
RN, RM, Bachelor Health Science (Nursing), Graduate Diploma Emergency Nursing, Trauma Certificate & Aviation Nursing Certificate
Margaret currently works for the Air Ambulance Service of NSW as the Nurse Manager. Margaret has been a Flight Nurse for the past nine years and still thoroughly enjoys the daily challenges of the aeromedical environment.
Margaret’s Nursing career has been based in metropolitan Sydney and the central coast, working in all areas of Nursing, but has had a strong focus in Emergency Nursing both as Clinical Nurse and in a management role. Margaret has been involved in Trauma Nursing, disaster management and the triage education program.
Kathy Arthurs
RN, RM, Ed Cert, Bachelor of Health Management (Operational)
Kathy has a rural hospital background of 28 years. She has been Flight Nursing with Central Operations based in Alice Springs since 2004.
There are 10 Flight Nurses in Alice Springs and they retrieve people using PC12s. She, too, appreciates the view out of the office windows and enjoys combining three of her passions: nursing; flying and living in Alice Springs.
Karen Croker
Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing), Masters of Emergency Nursing, Grad Cert Health Mgt
Karen has recently joined the RFDS (Qld) Section as Principle Clinical Advisor for Aeromedical and Critical Care Services. Prior to this Karen had been involved in Emergency Nursing for 18 years. She worked as RN, CN, Rural Clinical Educator for the Southern Zone - Cunningham Centre Rural Health Training Unit, NUM of Gympie ED and, more recently, as NUM of Nambour ED.
Karen was the first Nurse in Qld to hold the position of Co-Chair then Chair of a Clinical Network in Qld - Central Area Emergency Network.
Karen is an Instructor for Pre-hospital Life Support Course and has previously been an instructor for TNCC, ENPC and ALS.
Chris Davenport
Troy Dicks
RN, RM, BN, GradDipNurse(Critical Care), GradDipMid, GradCert HealthMgt, RIPRN, IMM
Troy has been a Flight Nurse for 5 years and this includes two years with the NSW Air Ambulance. He is now employed by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Qld) Section. Troy is currently based in tropical Cairns.
Troy's background is mostly in Emergency Nursing but he has gained experience in a variety of clinical settings including Rural & Remote, Midwifery and Nurse Education. He has recently completed studies in Health Management.
Troy enjoys Flight Nursing because of the diverse patient case mix, the unpredictable nature of the work, relative autonomy and wonderful views from the office windows.
Troy is interested in Flight Nurse Education, particularly the development of flexible e-Learning programs for Flight Nurses. He is also interested in the develpment of Flight Nurse Models of Service Delivery, such as the exciting prospect of Nurse Practitioner (Aeromedical).
Susan Green
RN, RM, BN. ICU Cert
Susan began Flight Nursing with the RFDS at Port Augusta SA in 1996. She has also worked at Dubbo and Broken Hill RFDS bases. Since 2000 she has been a Flight Nurse with NSW Air Ambulance Service. Susan likes being able to combine her love of flying and travel with her Nursing career and feels truly blessed to have such a great job.
Suzanne Hood
RN, RM, RIPRN Endorsed, Immunisation Endorsed, Child and Family Health Certificate
Suzanne concluded her role of the Executive Manager Nursing Services within the RFDS (Qld) Section in September 2009.
Suzanne’s Nursing career has seen her based in metropolitan Brisbane, and rural and remote Queensland. She has a keen intereest in Flight Nursing.
Suzanne has dedicated her Nursing career to the Aeromedical environment within Queensland Jennifer Lang
Jennifer has been Nursing for more than 10 years and joined the RFDS (Qld) Section as a Flight Nurse in April 2007.
Jennifer works in a part-time capacity and spends the remainder of her time caring for her twins. Recently she has taken on the infection control portfolio and she enjoys the challenge of implementing infection control in the unique aeromedical environment.
Together with her membership of FNA, Jennifer is also Representitive for Nursing on the Workplace Health & Safety Committee for the RFDS (Qld) Section.
Brigid McCarthy
RN, RM, B Nursing, Grad Cert Critical Care Nursing, RIPRN, IPN
Brigid has been a Flight Nurse for 7 years, all with RFDS (Qld) Section.
From 2002 to 2005 Brigid was Flight Nurse reliever, working in all Qld Bases, enabling her to gain immense insight into the workings of each region.
Since 2006 Brigid has been a Flight Nurse - Clinical at the Brisbane RFDS Base. This role involves both flying and working in Retrieval Services Qld, assisting with the co-ordination of all fixed and rotary wing retrievals in Queensland.
Brigid enjoys her role as a Flight Nurse and is extremely passionate about Flight Nursing as a career option. She has been a member of FNA for several years and is pleased to now be a Committee Member. She hopes to be able to contribute in many ways.
Jaimy McGilvray
RN, RM, BA of Nursing Health Science (Western Sydney, Grad Dip Midwifery (Newcastle), Grad Cert Critical Care (University of Technology), Dip of Early Childhood (Australian Academy), High Dependency Cert (NSW College of NSW), Remote Emergency Care Course (CRANA)
Since 2000 Jaimy has had a passion and a desire to be a Flight Nurse and to work for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. This wish started when Jaimy received a scholarship from the Royal College of Nursing Australia allowing her to be involved in a program for third year nursing undergraduates to nurse in remote Aboriginal communities north east of Alice Springs. Jaimy then went on to work in Alice Springs and Darwin before undertaking her graduate year at the Royal North Shore Hospital (Sydney) where she spent five years working in critical care areas (CCU, ICU, HDU and ED) while completing various courses from basic cardiology to a Grad Cert in Critical Care.
In 2005 Jaimy accepted a contract for 15 months at Port Hedland Regional Hospital in north west WA and worked in a 6 bed acute emergency department. During this time Jaimy joined CRANA and was involved in training and educating staff in the Pilbara.
Since late 2008 Jaimy has been working as a clinical Flight Nurse at the Rockhampton base in the Qld section of the RFDS.
Jaimy has a strong interest in rural and remote Nursing and an appreciation for the pivotal role Flight Nurses have around Australia.
Sarah Ryan
Since graduation in 1992 Sarah has been involved in paediatrics/neonates. She undertook two years in General Paediatrics and then Neonatal ICU @ CHW for 18 months prior to moving to the UK.
While in the UK Sarah worked in many PICU’s including Guy’s Hospital PICU (+ agency PICU), Leeds General PICU and Bristol Children’s PICU. She briefly did a stint of adults at Bath Royal United Hospital A&E then got scared, saw the light, and went back to children's PICU at Bristol. She was a team member of the paediatric retrievals teams at Guy’s Hospital and Bristol Children’s Hospitals. Sarah did her PICU course at the University of West of England (Bristol) in 2004. Sarah is now employed full time by “NETS NSW – moving intensive care for children” which involves the moving of premature neonates, newborns and children, up to the age of 16 years, to a higher level of care. She has just completed her Post Graduate Certificate in Retrieval Nursing.
Judy Whitehead
RN, RM, B Nursing, Emergency Nursing Cert (Vic), Aviation Nursing Cert
Judy has been Flight Nursing for a total of 19 years, all within the RFDS. She began in 1986, undertook further education in Emergency Nursing in Victoria between 1989 and 1994, and has progressed through the ranks to reach her current position of Nurse Manager of the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section based in Broken Hill.
Judy says her job combines her two passions of Emergency Nursing and Flight Nursing which she regards as the best mix in the world.
Since 2000, Judy has been a member of the FNA Committee and was President between 2003 and 2009.
Justine moved to Australia in 2000 with the sole aim of becoming a Flight Nurse. Initially she worked in Alice Springs Hospital and gained rural and remote experience during those first six months. She had some interaction with RFDS at that time and began working in the Queensland Section in 2001 as a Flight Nurse Retriever, spending time in both Rockhampton and Brisbane. In January 2006 Justine became Nurse Manager - Clinical at the Brisbane Base and manages her excellent team of Flight Nurses whilst maintaining her clinical skills by flying or working in the Queensland Clinical Coordination Centre.
Justine is passionate about Flight Nurses being recognised for the unique skills they have and utilise every day for the benefit of their patients. She is excited about the prospect of Nurse Practitioners within Flight Nursing and is working with the Committee to uphold and promote the standards of Flight Nurses Australia.
Vice President - Jennifer Craig
Secretary - Judy Whitehead
RN, RM, B Nursing, Emergency Nursing Cert (Vic), Aviation Nursing Cert
Judy has been Flight Nursing for a total of 19 years, all within the RFDS. She began in 1986, undertook further education in Emergency Nursing in Victoria between 1989 and 1994, and has progressed through the ranks to reach her current position of Nurse Manager of the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section based in Broken Hill.
Judy says her job combines her two passions of Emergency Nursing and Flight Nursing which she regards as the best mix in the world.
Since 2000, Judy has been a member of the FNA Committee and was President between 2003 and 2009.
Treasurer - Margaret Tabone
RN, RM, Bachelor Health Science (Nursing), Graduate Diploma Emergency Nursing, Trauma Certificate & Aviation Nursing Certificate
Margaret currently works for the Air Ambulance Service of NSW as the Nurse Manager. Margaret has been a Flight Nurse for the past nine years and still thoroughly enjoys the daily challenges of the aeromedical environment.
Margaret’s Nursing career has been based in metropolitan Sydney and the central coast, working in all areas of Nursing, but has had a strong focus in Emergency Nursing both as Clinical Nurse and in a management role. Margaret has been involved in Trauma Nursing, disaster management and the triage education program.
Kathy Arthurs
RN, RM, Ed Cert, Bachelor of Health Management (Operational)
Kathy has a rural hospital background of 28 years. She has been Flight Nursing with Central Operations based in Alice Springs since 2004.
There are 10 Flight Nurses in Alice Springs and they retrieve people using PC12s. She, too, appreciates the view out of the office windows and enjoys combining three of her passions: nursing; flying and living in Alice Springs.
Karen Croker
Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing), Masters of Emergency Nursing, Grad Cert Health Mgt
Karen has recently joined the RFDS (Qld) Section as Principle Clinical Advisor for Aeromedical and Critical Care Services. Prior to this Karen had been involved in Emergency Nursing for 18 years. She worked as RN, CN, Rural Clinical Educator for the Southern Zone - Cunningham Centre Rural Health Training Unit, NUM of Gympie ED and, more recently, as NUM of Nambour ED.
Karen was the first Nurse in Qld to hold the position of Co-Chair then Chair of a Clinical Network in Qld - Central Area Emergency Network.
Karen is an Instructor for Pre-hospital Life Support Course and has previously been an instructor for TNCC, ENPC and ALS.
Chris Davenport
Troy Dicks
RN, RM, BN, GradDipNurse(Critical Care), GradDipMid, GradCert HealthMgt, RIPRN, IMM
Troy has been a Flight Nurse for 5 years and this includes two years with the NSW Air Ambulance. He is now employed by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Qld) Section. Troy is currently based in tropical Cairns.
Troy's background is mostly in Emergency Nursing but he has gained experience in a variety of clinical settings including Rural & Remote, Midwifery and Nurse Education. He has recently completed studies in Health Management.
Troy enjoys Flight Nursing because of the diverse patient case mix, the unpredictable nature of the work, relative autonomy and wonderful views from the office windows.
Troy is interested in Flight Nurse Education, particularly the development of flexible e-Learning programs for Flight Nurses. He is also interested in the develpment of Flight Nurse Models of Service Delivery, such as the exciting prospect of Nurse Practitioner (Aeromedical).
Susan Green
RN, RM, BN. ICU Cert
Susan began Flight Nursing with the RFDS at Port Augusta SA in 1996. She has also worked at Dubbo and Broken Hill RFDS bases. Since 2000 she has been a Flight Nurse with NSW Air Ambulance Service. Susan likes being able to combine her love of flying and travel with her Nursing career and feels truly blessed to have such a great job.
Suzanne Hood
RN, RM, RIPRN Endorsed, Immunisation Endorsed, Child and Family Health Certificate
Suzanne concluded her role of the Executive Manager Nursing Services within the RFDS (Qld) Section in September 2009.
Suzanne’s Nursing career has seen her based in metropolitan Brisbane, and rural and remote Queensland. She has a keen intereest in Flight Nursing.
Suzanne has dedicated her Nursing career to the Aeromedical environment within Queensland Jennifer Lang
Jennifer has been Nursing for more than 10 years and joined the RFDS (Qld) Section as a Flight Nurse in April 2007.
Jennifer works in a part-time capacity and spends the remainder of her time caring for her twins. Recently she has taken on the infection control portfolio and she enjoys the challenge of implementing infection control in the unique aeromedical environment.
Together with her membership of FNA, Jennifer is also Representitive for Nursing on the Workplace Health & Safety Committee for the RFDS (Qld) Section.
Brigid McCarthy
RN, RM, B Nursing, Grad Cert Critical Care Nursing, RIPRN, IPN
Brigid has been a Flight Nurse for 7 years, all with RFDS (Qld) Section.
From 2002 to 2005 Brigid was Flight Nurse reliever, working in all Qld Bases, enabling her to gain immense insight into the workings of each region.
Since 2006 Brigid has been a Flight Nurse - Clinical at the Brisbane RFDS Base. This role involves both flying and working in Retrieval Services Qld, assisting with the co-ordination of all fixed and rotary wing retrievals in Queensland.
Brigid enjoys her role as a Flight Nurse and is extremely passionate about Flight Nursing as a career option. She has been a member of FNA for several years and is pleased to now be a Committee Member. She hopes to be able to contribute in many ways.
Jaimy McGilvray
RN, RM, BA of Nursing Health Science (Western Sydney, Grad Dip Midwifery (Newcastle), Grad Cert Critical Care (University of Technology), Dip of Early Childhood (Australian Academy), High Dependency Cert (NSW College of NSW), Remote Emergency Care Course (CRANA)
Since 2000 Jaimy has had a passion and a desire to be a Flight Nurse and to work for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. This wish started when Jaimy received a scholarship from the Royal College of Nursing Australia allowing her to be involved in a program for third year nursing undergraduates to nurse in remote Aboriginal communities north east of Alice Springs. Jaimy then went on to work in Alice Springs and Darwin before undertaking her graduate year at the Royal North Shore Hospital (Sydney) where she spent five years working in critical care areas (CCU, ICU, HDU and ED) while completing various courses from basic cardiology to a Grad Cert in Critical Care.
In 2005 Jaimy accepted a contract for 15 months at Port Hedland Regional Hospital in north west WA and worked in a 6 bed acute emergency department. During this time Jaimy joined CRANA and was involved in training and educating staff in the Pilbara.
Since late 2008 Jaimy has been working as a clinical Flight Nurse at the Rockhampton base in the Qld section of the RFDS.
Jaimy has a strong interest in rural and remote Nursing and an appreciation for the pivotal role Flight Nurses have around Australia.
Sarah Ryan
Since graduation in 1992 Sarah has been involved in paediatrics/neonates. She undertook two years in General Paediatrics and then Neonatal ICU @ CHW for 18 months prior to moving to the UK.
While in the UK Sarah worked in many PICU’s including Guy’s Hospital PICU (+ agency PICU), Leeds General PICU and Bristol Children’s PICU. She briefly did a stint of adults at Bath Royal United Hospital A&E then got scared, saw the light, and went back to children's PICU at Bristol. She was a team member of the paediatric retrievals teams at Guy’s Hospital and Bristol Children’s Hospitals. Sarah did her PICU course at the University of West of England (Bristol) in 2004. Sarah is now employed full time by “NETS NSW – moving intensive care for children” which involves the moving of premature neonates, newborns and children, up to the age of 16 years, to a higher level of care. She has just completed her Post Graduate Certificate in Retrieval Nursing.
Judy Whitehead
RN, RM, B Nursing, Emergency Nursing Cert (Vic), Aviation Nursing Cert
Judy has been Flight Nursing for a total of 19 years, all within the RFDS. She began in 1986, undertook further education in Emergency Nursing in Victoria between 1989 and 1994, and has progressed through the ranks to reach her current position of Nurse Manager of the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section based in Broken Hill.
Judy says her job combines her two passions of Emergency Nursing and Flight Nursing which she regards as the best mix in the world.
Since 2000, Judy has been a member of the FNA Committee and was President between 2003 and 2009.