Nursing at new heights in Air Force
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Air Force nurse Leigh Molloy Leigh Molloy has taken her nursing degree to the next level with the Royal Australian Air Force. Flight Lieutenant Molloy, a nursing officer in the 1 Expeditionary Health Squadron at Amberley Medical Centre outside Brisbane, experienced first-hand the Ashmore Reef disaster in April, 2009. Leigh was called in to assist after a boat carrying 41 asylum seekers exploded at sea, off the northwest coast of the Australian mainland, killing five people. Just hours after the explosion, Leigh joined an Army doctor and nurse, who were all flown to Truscott Airfield to help with the aeromedical evacuation of civilians. Leigh helped coordinate the aeromedical evacuations from Truscott Island to Perth. “I acted as liaison between the Air Force and the civilian nurses and doctors; we were all working together to evacuate the patients during the crisis,” she said. Last year, Leigh was deployed to Dubai where she spent four months as a senior nursing officer at the Air Force medical facility on base. “It was extremely busy but a real highlight of a rewarding career,” she said. Leigh entered her nursing degree at James Cook University with the sole intention of becoming an officer in the Air Force. After completing a degree in biomedical science, Leigh decided to begin a Bachelor of Nursing degree at JCU with the support of a Defence university sponsorship, enabling her to focus on her studies and work placement without the additional stress of part-time work. After finishing her nursing degree, Leigh worked for two years in a civilian base hospital as an Air Force employee and she is now the officer in charge of outpatients at Amberley. Leigh, 32, said she loves her position as a nursing officer and has no intentions of returning to civilian nursing. While other Air Force nursing officers took on post grad in ICU or emergency nursing, Leigh stuck to a general nursing role that allows her to take on a more managerial position. Related articles: Share your thoughts Related and Recent Articles
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