The only female Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedic in the upper north-west of Victoria says she hopes to inspire more women to take up the career.
Mildura-based Bronwyn Lambert began her paramedic career in the South Australian Ambulance Service in 2004, before joining Ambulance Victoria (AV) at the Irymple branch in 2007.
This International Women's Day (IWD), AV is recognising the women across the organisation, like Bronwyn, for their leadership, achievements, and work to provide the best possible care to Victorians.
Since she was a child, she'd known she wanted to be a paramedic.
"I was involved in a vehicle accident when I was in grade five," Bronwyn said.
"It was quite a minor car accident, but an ambulance came and I went to hospital, and I remember asking the paramedics all about their job and looking around the ambulance.
"Something just stuck with me from that point on."
Bronwyn is the only female MICA paramedic in the Mildura region.
In 2012, Bronwyn moved to Mildura before undertaking the MICA Program in 2015 and becoming the first female MICA paramedic in Loddon Mallee Area 3 - which includes Mildura, Irymple, Robinvale, Swan Hill and Ouyen.
"It's wonderful to be one of the trailblazers and to be the first at something, but it's really important to me to understand the challenges and work with my teams here to try and recruit some women," she said.
"That's my big focus, particularly in my current role as Mildura's Acting Senior Team Manager, to promote it as a great role for women."
Bronwyn's path to becoming a MICA paramedic saw her challenging societal norms, spending significant time away from her young kids.
"When I went off to MICA school I had a four and six year old and it was super challenging - but more for me than it was for my children," she said.
"I felt extremely selfish for spending Monday to Friday in Melbourne, leaving my kids with their dad and relying on so many other people to be their primary caregiver.
"I was incredibly homesick and I wanted to pull the pin on numerous occasions.
"Looking back on it, it's totally okay because I was being selfish for all the right reasons.
"It's something that's important to me around IWD - a reminder that it's okay to be selfish to be a career woman and a mum, if you've got the right support around you.
"And my kids can't even remember it!"
With IWD approaching, Bronwyn said many challenges remain for women and she hopes it serves as an opportunity to highlight the steps workplaces can take to better support female leaders.
Bronwyn with AV Chief Executive Jane Miller at the 2023 Staff Service Awards.
"Being able to have access to greater flexibility is the big thing," she said.
"In climbing the ladder, there are often barriers because of the lesser degree - or perceived lesser degree - of flexibility in management roles.
"It's all about challenging the norms and saying why can't you do those hours in that role and prove that you can be just as efficient?
"Women bring great things to their jobs: for me, I feel like I'm organised, I put my head down and get my work done, and I'm a multi-tasker.
"A big part of being a good people-person and leader is being able to be authentic and empathetic to your team members and I feel like as a woman, I'm authentic, I'm a really good listener and I have a lot of empathy for all of my people here."
Bronwyn's first AV shift, at Irymple in 2007.
Bronwyn's career has spanned 18 years, and she said her passion for her work remains strong.
"The thing I love the most hasn't changed and that's patient care and saving lives," she said.
"I love that we make a huge difference to people's lives, and their family's as well.
"The appreciation that you see if you get a chance to follow up with your patient and their family members is just incredible, there's nothing better."
She said she couldn't be happier being part of the team in Mildura.
"I love the close-knit community feel of Mildura," she said.
"It's a very unique place with unique challenges.
"But we're a part of the community and we get recognised outside of work as paramedics and I really like that.
"I really hope that I can make a difference in not just increasing the number of women in our MICA team in Mildura, but keeping MICA front of mind for paramedics as a wonderful role.
"I'd love to be known as someone who really changed that and got people more interested."
Bronwyn is celebrated at AV's Mildura Branch in 2022 after becoming an honour recipient in the Council of Ambulance Authorities Women in Ambulance Awards.
