Thursday April 4, 2024
Registered Nurse (RN) Stephy Kuriakose longed to return back to Australia to kick-off her nursing career.
“Healthcare in India and across Europe is different to Australia. Australia feels more advanced and the industry here seems to give higher priority to the education and development of staff. I’m excited to move forward and learn more,” Ms Kuriakose said.
During the COVID pandemic, her plans took a detour to Ireland where she worked for three years.
“I had completed my course in Australia to receive my registration between 2019 and 2020. I had to head back to India as the borders were closing due to COVID.
“I managed to get the role in Ireland so I went there. It was a good experience, but my ultimate aim was to come to Australia,” Ms Kuriakose said.
Today, she finds herself at Eastern Health Box Hill, working as an RN in Endoscopy.
In October 2023, Ms Kuriakose had found herself at the RDS International Job Fair in Dublin looking for her next opportunity. There she met Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Adjunct Professor Philippa Blencowe and Box Hill Perioperative Services Manager Nicole O’Brien, who instantly took her aside for an interview.
“It was a life changing moment for me. Nicole and Philippa made me feel very comfortable and also answered any questions I had for them.”
On 19 December 2023, Ms Kuriakose showed up for her first day at Eastern Health Box Hill after making the trek over from Ireland with her family.
“Nicole and Philippa made the transition so easy. When we were relocating from Ireland to Australia, they were readily available by email to give me answers to any concerns and made sure everything went smoothly.
“They’re from higher management levels so it was a pleasant surprise to see how involved they were with supporting me. I’m very thankful to them, and all my managers and colleagues for all their support. I never met any of the Chief Officers at the other hospital I worked at.”
Ms Kuriakose has hit the ground running since joining Eastern Health, spurred on by her passion for helping others.
“My colleagues are very supportive. I also like being in the endoscopy ward because we see so many different people from different walks of life. We make sure they understand what’s happening before and after their procedure and comfort them when they get results.”