Lifting each other up: A story of professional growth and friendship

For almost ten years, nursing has taken Katie Croom across Australia, New Zealand, Nauru and the Solomon Islands. But it was her first experience in the Solomon Islands that changed her life – shaping her identity as a nurse and inspiring her to return as a Nursing Education Mentor through Volunteer Service Abroad Te Tūao Tāwāhi (VSA).

She had been looking for an adventure, and wanted to “give back to a community and spend my time on something meaningful while also trying something new”. What she found was a role, a community and a sense of purpose that continues to shape her every day.

Working alongside the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara, Katie supported staff across the hospital with education, mentoring, day-to-day problem solving and practical improvements across departments. Her work was varied and no two days were the same, from helping to deliver workshops, securing practical resources, and working with colleagues to improve patient safety.

Katie also took the lead on a project to address the hospital’s longstanding rodent issue which became one of her most meaningful projects. “Infection control is quite hard to do when there is a rodent problem,” she explains, reflecting on the impact rodents had on equipment, staff and patient recovery. She supported the IPC team to design a comprehensive rodent-management initiative and later in 2025 it became a published research paper. “I was very proud of this,” she says.

Informational posters translated in Pidgin were posted around the National Referral Hospital

Much of Katie’s impact came through mentorship. She formed a close bond with a colleague at NRH and fellow nurse, Kukari, and watched her confidence grow over time. Kukari described the impact of Katie’s work clearly: “Katie is a blessing to us.” She shared that her mentorship “greatly strengthened the knowledge, confidence, and clinical skills of IPC staff and IPC Link Nurses across all departments.” Kukari says that Katie also developed key tools including “a comprehensive database and a checklist for eight IPC audits” that have since been rolled out across the whole hospital. Kukari also added, “Katie’s work has made a significant impact on the National Referral Hospital as a whole,” especially her “leadership in addressing the long-term issue of rodent management.”

Beyond the technical work, the heart of Katie’s assignment was the people she worked with, especially her colleague and friend Kukari. “I saw her growth in her journey,” she says, proud of the confidence and leadership that grew during their time together. With encouragement and support, “she would go and smash it,” Katie says, noting that Kukari eventually stepped into broader leadership within the department.

Celebrating World Hand Hygiene Day in 2024

Their bond continued long after the assignment, and together they secured funding for Kukari to complete an IPC qualification, visit Aotearoa New Zealand for an IPC conference and to participate in an observational placement at Auckland Hospital. Kukari says that “Katie has greatly strengthened the knowledge, confidence, and clinical skills of IPC staff….fostering a culture of learning, collaboration and ongoing quality improvement.”

Beyond her work in the hospital, Katie’s connection to the Solomon Islands ran deep. She learned Pidgin, shared morning walks with neighbours and was also welcomed into homes and families. “I have never felt such a deep sense of sisterhood as I did in the Solomon Islands,” she says, describing the genuine warmth and care she experienced every day.. The experience reshaped her perspective on health care, and Katie says that “we’re so lucky in New Zealand for what we have… This experience has made me not take our health system for granted.”

Katie with her fellow hospital staff

Kukari’s final reflection captures the lasting impact of Katie’s work: “Katie will never be forgotten at the National Referral Hospital for her dedication and the positive changes she brought….Her contribution has left a lasting impact on both our team and the hospital environment.”