Ian Dunlop hasn’t always walked the halls of eHealth NSW.
Today, he’s a Health Informatician for eHealth NSW. But he began his career as a nurse walking the hospital ward right across the state.
“I had always had it in the back of my mind to be a nurse. I have relatives that are nurses and chatting with them about nursing gave me insights. I actually applied to nursing via the mid-year intake to university back in 1986. I had to write an essay as part of my application which I wrote whilst on a travelling holiday to Far North Queensland. I wrote my vision-type statement in this essay that said, in part, “it’s better to make someone healthy than to make then wealthy.”
During Ian’s nursing career, he worked across five different Local Health Districts (LHDs) in a wide range of settings. Putting his nursing skills to use in everything from Emergency, Operating Rooms, wards, Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and palliative care, through to Community health. He has also worked in management and even ran a hospital after-hours while stuck in an elevator!
Nursing career the best decision
He says becoming a nurse was, without a doubt, the best decision he ever made.
“It allowed me to meet some outstanding people, including patients, carers, and fellow clinicians. It has allowed me to see the extremes of human experiences; from the start of life through to the end of life. Even now I still miss that joy of directly helping patients.”
“I was always an advocate for the patient and their families/carers. In moving to eHealth NSW, I have carried this focus forward, and working in Clinical Engagement and Patient Safety, I have ensured that the patient is central in all considerations and deliberations.”
If you’re pondering a career in nursing, Ian says ‘do it!’.
“It is the greatest journey you could ever go on. You will be able to positively impact everyone you meet during your workday. Health is such a diverse environment; you can move and challenge yourself throughout your career and never get bored.”
