Taking care of Moe’s health
Tracey Dastey can’t imagine moving away from the Latrobe Valley.
Tracey is a Practice Nurse working in a small general practice in the town of Moe where her specialities include women’s health, immunisations and chronic disease management.
Having been raised in Moe and living there all her life, she’s attached to the history and culture within her community and sees that deeper understanding of Moe and its people as an important part of her job.
“It is vital to understand who makes up the community so you are able to provide socially and economically appropriate care,” says Tracey.
“Working in general practice allows me to provide patient-centred care on a continual basis to the individuals and families who regularly attend our clinic.
The relationship that general practice allows you to develop with patients is the highlight of my role.”
Tracey graduated as a nurse in 2007 and more recently completed a Graduate Diploma of Primary Care nursing at the University of Melbourne.
She did the course via distance education which suited her busy work and family life – Tracey and her husband have three boys aged 15, 12 and eight.
She received an Australian College of Nursing scholarship that helped her with the costs of postgraduate study and Tracey says the extra study has been worth the effort.
“It gave me the opportunity to expand my scope of practice and to introduce new programs into our clinic. I’m now a credentialed Pap Smear provider and Nurse Immuniser,” says Tracey.
In a typical shift, she also undertakes wound management, plastering, telehealth consultations, financial management and management of clinical staff.
“Working in a rural area is unique and rewarding and being in Moe provides me with greater autonomy and the opportunity to see a diverse mix of patients,” says Tracey.
“I enjoy living in a rural community too. My close girlfriends that I grew up with still live in the area and we like to catch up. I like that Moe is quieter too and I like that if I walk down the street I feel as if I know most people.”
• The University of Melbourne is Australia’s top-ranked university in the Academic Ranking of Universities 2016 and is No 33 in the prestigious Times Higher Education Rankings 2016-17.
• Rural health and opportunities to study in rural and regional Victoria are part of the University’s Rural Clinical School. There are campuses in Wangaratta, Ballarat and Bendigo.
• The University of Melbourne is situated in the heart of the Biomedical Precinct in Parkville with world-leading research institutes and hospitals.
It’s the largest precinct of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
• Rural and regional students keen to study at the University of Melbourne may be eligible for Access Melbourne Scholarships. www.futurestudents.unimelb. edu.au