TREATING those injured in the infamous Boxing Day tsunami was just one experience Orange man Greg Brown drew on to inspire a group of Australia’s leading nurses.
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Major Brown was a guest speaker at the Nursing Grand Rounds at the Royal Hobart Hospital, where he shared his expertise learned working as a trauma nurse in the Australian Army.
Nursing Grand Rounds is a conference which gathers the nation’s health system nurses to promote excellence through scholarly presentations and providing staff nurses a forum to share clinical expertise and the best of nursing practices.
Approximately 50 administrative, nursing and medical staff attended the seminar where Major Brown spoke, using a variety of deployments across more than 20 years in the armed forces to illustrate the challenges of modern-day nursing.
“In 2004 I was deployed to Indonesia to assist with the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami,” Major Brown said.
“Years of training allowed me and my team to carry out much needed medical support in the area.
“We were ready for anything and were able to make a real difference for people who had suffered so much.”
Major Brown explained to the group that serving in the Australian Defence Force as a health professional allowed him to develop qualities like leadership, teamwork and logistics training, all of which are crucial in the medical field.
“I have worked in many roles overseas on missions in combat as well as humanitarian aid,” he said.
“Clinical expertise, adaptability, mental and physical robustness and a supportive family are all key qualities that have made me the best clinician I can be.
“Whether it be in dangerous and terrible situations or in a garrison health facility, the training I received helped me in a wide range of situations.”
In 2006 Major Brown was formally recognised for his achievements and awarded the Nursing Service Cross for his outstanding devotion and competency in the performance of his nursing duties in the armed forces.
The honour was in response to his role as as second-in-command of the Army Parachute Surgical Team and Officer Commanding Holding Company of the ANZAC Field Hospital in Indonesia, which provides water, tents, medical supplies, blankets, other emergency provisions and logistical support in the tsunami-devastated provincial capital of Banda Aceh.