History in the making at Wauchope hospital

The 21-year-old recently completed a Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance after securing a 12-month traineeship last year to become the hospital's first Indigenous trainee.

For Simone, who was born and raised in Kempsey, the opportunity to work in Health is a "dream come true".

"Wauchope hospital is a great place to work. The staff are great and so are the patients," Simone said.

"I remember attending a few interviews for traineeships but this traineeship was the one I really wanted and I'm so happy and humbled to get the job.

"It has been an awesome experience and has really inspired me to make a difference for others.

"The course was held in Coffs Harbour, which was a bit daunting because I had to do it long distance, which is hard when you don't have that face-to-face contact, but now that I've finished, I couldn't be happier."

Simone's qualification allows her to work across several Allied Health disciplines, assisting in Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy. "I really love it - working across so many different disciplines - because I spend all day with patients."

The young woman with a big smile spoke at the Network Falls Forum in Sydney recently about her traineeship. She has also been asked to speak at local schools, where teachers hope her experience will inspire students to apply for traineeships which lead to meaningful career opportunities.

Wauchope District Memorial Hospital Executive Officer/Director of Nursing Ann Bodill said she was delighted with Simone's achievement, adding that her presence at the hospital had already made a difference.

"In the brief time that Simone has been with us, our falls rate for patients has dropped significantly," Ms Bodill said.

"It's a great outcome for our hospital and makes a real difference to the treatment and recovery of patients."