When Nicole Williams was offered the chance to become Queensland's only nurse practitioner for all types of adult cancer, she jumped at the opportunity.
But just a year into her studies she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
"I got angry that the cancer had come knocking here when I was quite clearly very busy trying to do my studies," she said.
Ms Williams went on to not only beat the cancer, but finished her studies, and is now helping to make a difference in the lives of patients in rural north-west Queensland.
"I knew I would need to make a choice whether to continue studying or not and I wondered if I would be able to get it finished," she said.
"To be honest, after working in oncology for so long, I was sick of cancer taking things – people, family, opportunities, and I saw completing my studies as a small way that I could fight back."
Passion for rural cancer care
Ms Williams said the new role meant cancer patients at the North West Hospital Health Service in Mount Isa and across rural Queensland were better looked after.
"There are lots of nurse practitioners who specialise in different types of cancer — melanoma, breast cancer, lung cancer— but this is the only role where a nurse practices in the care of all cancer patients," she said.
It was a major step toward improving the lives of cancer patients in rural areas, she said.
"We don't have any oncologists on site so patients sit with doctors via telehealth.
"But if they needed any prescriptions, physical exams, x-rays, they would have to wait and get things done by a medical officer who is super busy in other areas of the hospital.
"This role allows me to bridge that gap.
"It can be as simple as just supportive care. They've had chemotherapy, they may get a bit of nausea, they may have pain, and they can come to me rather than being in the busy emergency waiting rooms or having to be admitted into hospital."
Ms Williams said it was her passion for rural health that motivated her.
"There's absolutely no reason why the top of the game shouldn't be available in rural and remote areas," she said.
She hopes the new role will mean Mount Isa's hospital can better service more remote communities.
"We would like to see this unit grow and assist other units in the region to develop," she said.
"We would like to push out and have us teach Cloncurry or teach the other remote sites to get that care out to people even further away.
"How wonderful is it that we have a role like this all the way out here.
"I hope other nurses look at this and know that we can chase opportunities like this out here and be at the top of our career while providing top care back to our people."
