More than nursing hours: Listening, belonging and lessons that don’t leave you

For nursing students Azalaya Benjamin (Laya) and Ella‑Rose Yow Yeh (Ella), a primary health care placement in Inverell became far more than a university requirement. It was an experience marked by moments of uncertainty, connection and deep reflection, one that reshaped how they understand care, community, rural health and their role within it. 

Both students came to nursing through different paths. 

Laya initially studied civil engineering before realising it wasn’t where she belonged. It wasn’t until the birth of her son and the care delivered by a compassionate midwife that something shifted. 

“She made a difference in my life and I want to be like that,” Laya said. “I want to have experiences with people when they're at their most vulnerable and have an outcome and the power to make people feel the way that she made me feel.” 

Eleven weeks after giving birth, Laya commenced her nursing degree and quickly found a sense of purpose she hadn’t experienced in any other industry. 

Ella’s journey began straight after high school, inspired by the nurses in her family. Like many students, she trained during the height of COVID‑19, experiencing the pressure and intensity of aged care early in her career, which left her feeling defeated. It wasn’t until she started working with her sister in medical imaging that she fell back in love with nursing. 

“I think what made me fall in love with it again is just building patient rapport,” Ella said. “I take a lot of pride in being that person where they can feel comfortable with.” 

Laya (left) and Ella (right) out front of Armajun in Inverell

 

Placed in community 

Both students identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Laya’s Aboriginal country is Ngadjon, while her Torres Strait Islander heritage is Meriam Mer from the eastern Torres Strait Islands. Ella is Aboriginal and South Sea Islander, part of the Bailai mob near Rockhampton.  

Both Ella and Laya were part of an initiative funded and arranged by the Hunter New England & Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) and APNA designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students or those with a strong commitment to Aboriginal health. This placement opportunity introduced them to the realities and rewards of working in a close-knit rural community. 

The first weeks at Armajun Aboriginal Health Services in Inverell were confronting. 

“When you come into a small community, especially like a small Aboriginal corporation, it can be quite confronting because you don’t know anybody and it’s very close-knit,” Laya reflected. “For the first week and a half, Ella and I actually genuinely struggled trying to find our place.” 

Over time, that uncertainty eased. By showing up, taking initiative and listening deeply, trust grew. 

“Being us, persevering and showing up eventually broke down those walls,” she confirmed. 

 

Learning beyond the clinic 

For Laya, one of the most profound experiences came during an elders’ day trip organised by Armajun. The day involved visiting elders at home, travelling together on Country and listening as elders chose where the group would go. 

“We got to learn direct knowledge, straight from an elder to our ears and that’s really profound as an Indigenous person,” she said. 

At Lemon Tree Flat, the meeting place of two rivers, elders shared history and stories of Country. 

Ella (left), Elder Uncle Leo Walker (Gomeriroy and bunjalung man) (middle) and Laya (right) at Lemon Tree Flat

The group also met Beryl Connors, Australia’s first formally recognised Aboriginal nurse, who spoke about her life, her nursing journey and the discrimination Aboriginal families faced in Inverell. 

“I couldn’t believe I was sitting with somebody who survived that,” Laya recalled. “I just started crying. I was sitting with a living, breathing human being telling me that this was their lived experience.” 

The experience reinforced the importance of Aboriginal‑led health services and culturally safe spaces for community. 

 

Seeing the whole picture 

Beyond cultural learning, the placement also built practical skills across vaccination clinics, cold chain management, chronic disease coordination, maternal health and telehealth. The students saw firsthand how much planning and advocacy is required to provide care in rural settings, especially when specialist services are far away. 

“There’s a massive gap in health literacy and there are limited resources to educate,” Laya explained. “And because there’s not a lot of First Nations nurses, it’s almost like people don’t know how to talk to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.” 

The placement opened her eyes to how much care continues long after a patient is discharged, including the follow-up, coordination and constant communication required to support people once they return home. 

At times, reality was confronting. Laya recalls caring for a palliative patient who chose to forgo dialysis due to the burden of travel and disruption to family life. 

“For him, it was easier to die than to get treatment,” she shared saddened. 

 

A future shaped by purpose 

While both students intend to continue broadening their clinical experience after graduating, the placement confirmed the value of primary health care and its potential for systemic change. 

“I am a part of the change. It might not change the whole system, but it changes with me,” Laya said. 

Ella agrees. “Healthcare is so diverse. You can literally take it anywhere, and being in a rural setting is just as, if not more rewarding because you’re with community,” she said. 

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students considering nursing, their advice is simple, go for it. 

“It’s so needed,” Laya said. 

 

If you are interested in learning more about the National Nursing Clinical Placements Program and hosting the next generation of student nurses in your workplace, click here.

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We acknowledge the Gomeroi (Kamilaroi) people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this placement took place in Inverell, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.  

We also acknowledge the Countries and peoples that Azalaya and Ella-Rose come from. We honour the cultures, histories and lived experiences they carry with them, and the strength they bring to nursing and to primary health care. 

The National Nursing Clinical Placement Program is supported with funding from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.