“There’s a lot of practical work at ACU, which I really enjoy. Our placements are out on the road with ambulances. There’s definitely that adrenaline rush when you go to something you’ve never seen before. But the way in which these situations can be calmed down appeals to me. The calmer it is, the better the outcome.

I like the problem-solving part of paramedicine and the ability to have an immediate impact. Treatment isn’t always about giving drugs or stopping the bleeding. Being supportive is treatment in itself. ” 

Professor Kim Foster joined ACU in 2016 as Professor of Mental Health Nursing and leader of the Mental Health Nursing Research Unit at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Her role is to conduct high-quality collaborative research with mental health nurses, consumers, carers and multidisciplinary colleagues that translates into effective care and improves the wellbeing and outcomes of mental health consumers and carers.

Professor Foster’s main areas of research have been co-associated physical and/or mental health conditions, and the capacity of the mental health workforce to provide quality care.