“Two women sat in a lounge room, drinking tea and pondering their future. Each previously held successful careers before pausing for children, yet both felt lost when it came to finding permanent and meaningful roles back in the workforce. One firmly declared to the other “no matter what happens, I know two things for certain: I am finished with study, and I am not the ‘ministry type’.” God smiled and whispered, “Challenge accepted.”
Consequently, I now have two passions: being a chaplain for the men and women of the NSW Ambulance Service; and completing my PhD to research this vital role and provide evidence on the contribution of chaplaincy to the ambulance service. With God, all things really are possible.”
About Katie
Katie is an academic, registered nurse and ambulance chaplain. After gaining her registration as a nurse in 1997 she specialised in emergency and trauma nursing, where she found her passion for walking alongside and caring for others during their worst days. In 2009, Katie turned her focus to education and began working casually for universities, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students on topics including critical care, empathic care and communication, and the social determinants of health.
In 2017, Katie accepted a role as an Associate Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney where she now teaches postgraduate and undergraduate nursing students and is a member of The Empathy Initiative research group. During this time, Katie also became a Volunteer Chaplain for the New South Wales Ambulance Service, where she provides pastoral care to paramedics and flight nurses.
Katie has a Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Teaching (Primary & Secondary), Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing (Emergency), Master of Advanced Nursing (Education), and is currently a PhD candidate, with a research focus on the role and value of chaplains in the ambulance service.
Fellowship Project: ‘Caring for the carers: A project to establish an evidence-base for ambulance chaplaincy’
The aim of Katie’s project is to advance ambulance chaplaincy, through individual research and collaboration with industry stakeholders. A significant body of evidence has demonstrated the high personal toll that responding to emergencies and traumatic events can take on paramedics, including developing illnesses such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. While there is evidence from the field of psychology on how to support ambulance staff, little is currently known about the role that spiritual and pastoral care plays. Katie’s project aims to obtain both paramedic and chaplain perceptions on the role chaplains play in the ambulance service, and the value they provide both to individuals and the organisation.
Working collaboratively with staff from the New South Wales Ambulance Service, Katie will conduct research and publish the findings in peer-reviewed journals. The outputs of her project will establish an evidence base to underpin the provision of pastoral and spiritual care by chaplains in our ambulance services.