A NURSE who has helped bring babies into the world, cared for the elderly, and been there for the community in emergencies is looking forward to her next life chapter.
Linda Goltz has retired from full-time work at Bass Coast Health (BCH) after 38 years with the organisation and its predecessors. Most recently, Linda served as Nurse Unit Manager of the Urgent Care Centre at Cowes, enjoying the last few weeks in the new centre within the Phillip Island Community Hospital.
“It’s been a long 38 years, but it’s gone so fast. Nursing has kept me stimulated, and I’ve always kept learning,” she said.
“I’ve admired the growth and development of BCH, and the services we’re offering from Cowes are just brilliant for the community.”
Before Linda joined Wonthaggi and District Hospital – as the organisation was then known – 38 years ago, she had trained at Royal Melbourne Hospital, worked in maternity at the former Queen Victoria Hospital in the Melbourne CBD and also in maternity at Monash Hospital at Clayton.
Her first role at Wonthaggi was as a Midwife, but in a reflection of staff in country hospitals being required to be multi-skilled, she also worked in the surgical ward.
After finishing post-graduate studies in family and community nursing, Linda undertook outreach work with the Maternal and Child Health team and became team leader, which also entailed overseeing the drug and alcohol service. Linda combined that role with working as a Midwife and a Health Service Coordinator, the latter a role she worked in on and off for 15 years.
Working in the Emergency Department inspired Linda to complete a Master’s degree in Advanced Nursing Practice in Emergency, before her career took another trajectory: transforming Armitage House from an aged care facility to a rehabilitation unit.
Her next few years were spent as Nurse Unit Manager of the Maternity and Maternal and Child Health teams.
In 2019, Linda helped to open the 24/7 Minor Injury and Illness Clinic at the Phillip Island Health Hub at Cowes while the Urgent Care Centre was built.
After a stint managing the Emergency Department at Wonthaggi for eight months during the COVID pandemic, Linda returned to Cowes as Nurse Unit Manager of the Urgent Care Centre – a role she held until her retirement.
Her passion for learning and studying throughout her career inspired her to offer this tip to young healthcare workers: “Knowledge makes you versatile. You have to keep educating yourself and keep contemporary because it’s changing all the time.
“Working in a rural health service, if you have the energy and the capacity to keep educating yourself, it gives you choices.”
Patients can still expect to see Linda in scrubs at the Urgent Care Centre as she will help out from time to time, while she pursues her interest in textiles, spinning and weaving.
The Phillip Island community will continue to be in skilled hands when they come to the Urgent Care Centre, with Fiona Mills taking over the role of Nurse Unit Manager.
