It Takes Heart

What’s it like to go from treating ski injuries on the slopes of Queenstown to working ED shifts under the red-hot skies of rural Australia? For Nicole Watts - emergency nurse, adventure-seeker and proud member of the cmr community - it’s a career that blends adrenaline, autonomy and purpose.

Nicole shares what it takes to thrive as both a ski field nurse in New Zealand and a travel nurse in Australia. We step into her world on the ...

Neha arrived in Brisbane from Nepal with good grades, high hopes, and a postcard-perfect image of Australia, but the reality was tougher. Cultural shocks, unfamiliar accents, and the quiet weight of starting over left her searching for solid ground. Nursing became her anchor and in time, aged care quietly captured her heart. 

Now a registered nurse, Neha supports aged care residents through a mix of bedside care and telehealth. She ...

You might know Erin Barnett from Love Island or I'm a Celebrity…, but her most powerful story isn’t one that played out on screen. A registered nurse living with endometriosis, adenomyosis and PCOS, Erin opens up about what it’s taken to be heard in a system that too often overlooks women’s pain.

From a tough start in the health system to becoming the kind of nurse she wished she’d had, Erin shares the personal journey behind h...

What happens when you flip the mic from healthcare workers to the people who help place them? In this Behind Recruitment Special of It Takes Heart, we sit down with global recruitment coach Sophie Robertson to explore what 'good' really looks like in recruitment and why it matters more than ever.

With three decades in the industry, Sophie shares how curiosity, consistency and care separate truly impactful recruiters from t...

What happens when the path you’ve worked so hard for starts to wear you down? In this honest episode, UK-trained doctor and content creator. Dr Chris G, opens up about burnout, sabbaticals, and building a version of medicine that actually feels sustainable.

Dr Chris takes us from the intense pace of under-resourced NHS wards to new rhythms of practice in Australia, and the surprising clarity he found during two ten‑day silent medita...

Content warning: This episode includes discussions of alcoholism, depression, and occasional course language, which may be sensitive for some listeners.

What happens when a nurse known for looking after everyone else hits her own breaking point? For Bek Woodbine (Nurse Practitioner, host of podcast Tenderness for Nurses, and founder of a successful aesthetic clinic), it started with shaking hands and overwhelming anxiety. In a healt...

What if the way you walk, rest, or hydrate could shift your entire nervous system? In Part 2 of our chat with Dr Anthea Todd, we explore how to apply the Fundamentals Framework, offering practical, everyday ways to reconnect with your body’s wisdom.

We dive into what hair testing can reveal (including Sam and Kate’s own results), how minerals mirror stress, and why beliefs like 'resting is lazy' may be doing more harm than...

What if dry skin, headaches or exhaustion weren’t just annoying symptoms, but messages your body’s trying to send? In this two-part episode, we sit down with Dr Anthea Todd, women’s health expert and author of What’s My Body Telling Me, to explore the space between: that frustrating place where test results are “normal,” but you still don’t feel well. 

Drawing from her background in chiropractic care, women’s health and functional m...

When the government announced sudden changes to the NDIS with only weeks’ notice, allied health business owners across Australia were thrown into crisis mode. For Judy Scott, occupational therapist and founder of My Therapy Crew, it meant pivoting her business while staying true to the values-led culture she’s nurtured over years of practice.

From starting out in a converted garage after redundancy, Judy has grown My Therapy Crew in...

What happens when you say yes to adventure, purpose, and the unknown? In this episode, we meet oral health therapist Karli Grace, whose journey from private practice to working in Australia’s most remote Indigenous communities is as inspiring as it is impactful.

Karli shares what it’s really like delivering oral healthcare across Central Australia, East Arnhem Land and the Torres Strait, setting up mobile clinics in remote communiti...

What happens when rest doesn’t work? When even after sleep, time off, or a holiday, you still feel depleted? That’s the reality of burnout and it’s something Ruth Limkin has seen up close. 

As Founder of The Banyans, Ruth shares how burnout often hides in plain sight - from professionals quietly struggling with addiction to healthcare workers pushing through chronic fatigue. She explains the difference between being worn out and bei...

What does it take to truly fix healthcare in Queensland? According to Dr. Nick Yim, it starts with smarter systems, not just more funding. In this episode, we sit down with the AMA Queensland President to unpack a bold new idea: a statewide digital passport for clinicians. It’s a simple solution with the power to break down bureaucratic barriers and supercharge workforce flexibility across hospitals and communities.

But Dr. Yim does...

What would life look like if you couldn’t speak? No way to order your morning coffee, tell someone you love them, or ask for help. For people recovering from strokes or neurological conditions, this loss of communication can be one of the most isolating parts of their journey and it’s where speech pathologist Nikki Wells steps in with purpose and compassion.

Nikki shares how her unexpected start in a teenage sign language class spar...

What drives a doctor to leave the safety of private practice and instead offer care inside prisons and homeless shelters? For Dr Juergen Landmann, it all started with a simple mindset: “Why not?” In this powerful conversation, Juergen shares how burnout led him to rethink the way he worked and opened the door to a more energising, purpose-led path.

Now splitting his time between general practice, correctional facilities, and Emmanue...

Who cares for the carers? Discover how one foundation is quietly reshaping rural healthcare.

In this heartfelt episode, we speak with Fran Avon, CEO of the Rural Doctors Foundation, and rural GP Dr. John Buckley. Together, they reveal the hidden struggles faced by rural doctors who serve as the backbone of their communities. From responding to catastrophic floods to managing everyday burnout, we explore why supporting rural doctors ...

Ever felt like your career was running on empty? Travelling Midwives Jess and Millie did and they chose the open road over burnout.

In this episode, we sit down with Jess and Millie, two Dual-Registered Midwives who turned burnout in healthcare into a journey of rediscovery, purpose, and friendship. They open up about the emotional toll of permanent roles and what finally pushed them to make bold moves into rural and remote contract...

What do Disney cruise ships, rural hospitals, and music festivals have in common? For Dr. Tim Turk, they’ve all been part of his incredible medical journey. In this episode of It Takes Heart, Tim chats with hosts Sam and Kate about how saying “yes” to unique opportunities has led him across continents, specialties, and communities - creating a career rich in purpose, adventure, and impact.

Tim shares how rural medicine offers unpara...

What do you get when a fourth-generation farm girl swaps her ballet slippers for blister packs? You get Shaylee Mills (better known as The Rural Pharmacist) who shares why she chose to take her pharmacy career off the beaten track and into the heart of rural Australia. 

 Based in Karratha, Western Australia, Shaylee sheds light on what rural pharmacy really looks like, dispelling the myths of outdated clinics and highlighting the mo...

Lorraine Evans is the kind of midwife who turns every experience into a story worth telling. With a larger-than-life personality and a passion for adventure, Lorraine has built a career that’s taken her from the bustling streets of London to some of the most remote communities in Australia. As a travel midwife, she’s delivered babies in outback hospitals, managed high-risk births via telehealth, and tackled emergencies as the sole ...