Outback Nurse Credits Free Service With Saving His Career

When remote area nurse Dave Corstorphan lost his wife, the grief combined with work stress nearly pushed him to leave nursing after three decades. Instead, he found lifeline in an unexpected place: other nurses who truly understood.

Corstorphan spent years working in some of Australia's most isolated communities, including Kalumburu in Western Australia's far north. The challenges of remote nursing, shift work, and personal tragedy became overwhelming.

That's when he discovered the Nurse and Midwife Health Program, a free peer counseling service where retired nurses and midwives counsel current healthcare workers. The difference was immediate.

"The fact they've worked the shift work, done time in hospitals, know the conditions you're working under, it makes a big, big difference," Corstorphan said. "You can say, 'This is what is happening,' and they go, 'Yep, I understand.'"

The program started in Victoria and expanded nationwide in 2024 after proving successful. Now counselors receive up to 60 calls monthly from nurses, midwives, and students across Australia.

Remarkably, 42 percent of those seeking help work in regional locations. Chief executive Lori-Anne Sharp says the isolation of remote work adds extra pressure on top of normal nursing challenges.

The program addresses anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, and workplace harassment. All counseling remains completely confidential and operates independently from state health departments.

The Ripple Effect

Corstorphan now encourages his colleagues in remote areas to seek help before reaching a breaking point. Many nurses work as the only medical professional in their location, making the psychological burden even heavier.

"I think there is this fear of weakness, appearing weak, that we need to be stoic the whole time, particularly for our patients," he explained. But reaching out for support isn't weakness—it's what keeps dedicated healthcare workers in communities that desperately need them.

Program leaders note that nurses excel at caring for others but often neglect their own wellbeing. Many don't even know the free service exists.

Western Australia's Country Health Service employs over 4,200 nurses and 240 midwives across regional facilities. Each one faces unique pressures that city colleagues rarely encounter.

For nurses moving from urban to remote areas, the adjustment can be jarring. Corstorphan sees enthusiastic new nurses arrive full of energy, then burn out quickly without proper support systems.

The peer counseling program fills that gap by connecting healthcare workers with people who've lived the same experiences. Sometimes the best medicine is simply being heard by someone who gets it.