Registered nurse Nirmal Manu's beaming smile lights up any room he walks into at the hospital in the small South Australian farming community of Karoonda.
While a long way from his original home in South India, Nirmal, 22, comes from a family of health professionals and feels a connection to helping others.
"Australia is the first country other than India I have ever been to, so it was a big journey for me … but very exciting," he said.
"My father is the head of pathology in a big hospital in India … and my brother is a pharmacist, so they motivated me to get into healthcare.
"I thought nursing would be a good option so I can learn a bit about everything and then pursue additional studies and explore the medical field."
Nirmal, who arrived on Australian soil in 2019, made a home for himself in Ipswich and then Brisbane, while completing his studies over three years.
Last year, he moved south into the heart of South Australia's Mallee country, and connected with the community instantly.
Arriving at the Karoonda and District Soldiers Memorial Hospital, he was greeted by a small but tight-knit health community providing inpatient, outpatient and aged care.
"The people coming into the hospital are really friendly and always say, 'You came from beautiful Brisbane to Karoonda to come and help us,'" he said.
"It's such an inspiration for me and makes me really happy and I love the people here.
"Our [hospital] team is also really friendly and supportive, I know I'm in a good place."
'Full-on', but good challenge
Nirmal has his whole career ahead of him, but decided regional nursing was the best place to start if he wanted to gain experience and make a difference.
Heading to the bush was the young nurse's way of trying to help Australians, by answering the desperate plea for more trained health workers.
"Working in a rural hospital is a good opportunity for all [medical] professionals because we're small, we have to be really organised to manage difficult situations," he said.
"Anyone can come to the hospital, [with] chest pain, a stroke, or a child [suffering a medical episode], so it's pretty full-on for someone with only a year of experience.
"But it's a good challenge and if I go anywhere else, I'll be really confident, thanks to what I've learnt here in Karoonda."
Nirmal said he encouraged anyone considering a career in healthcare to look regionally first, as a way to support those in remote settings.
"We have staffing issues in Karoonda, so if we have more GPs, registered nurses and other health professionals, it would provide better care for the people in these communities," he said.
"Local people know we don't have doctors every day, so they have to go to Mannum or Murray Bridge [about an hour away], even for small things like removing a suture."
Having a yarn to keep the calm
Karoonda Hospital's director of nursing Desiree Parkhurst said she was grateful to have Nirmal as part of the team.
"He brings such a diverse set of skills to his role as a registered nurse and always delivers high-quality healthcare to patients with a smile," she said.
Nirmal credited his personable style of care to his ability to have a yarn with anyone at any time.
"I'm a very easygoing person and when some people get stressed easily, I calm them down, so I believe that's the quality people really like in me," he said.
"To be a good nurse you need to be a strong communicator with patients and colleagues.
"If we can communicate our emotions and understand other's emotions, it's a pretty easy job, and I feel lucky to have it."
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