Australian nurse Karen Barlow retires after 27 years with RFDS
The senior flight nurse says she most remembers parents holding their sick children's hands during medical journeys.
Senior flight nurse Karen Barlow is retiring from the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) after 27 years of providing medical care to remote Australian communities, according to the Times of India.
Barlow was a founding member of the RFDS Dubbo base in New South Wales. She previously worked in midwifery, acute care, and emergency medicine.
The RFDS provides emergency air retrievals, remote medical clinics, and telehealth services. In 2023-24, RFDS crews across Australia made contact with approximately 345,000 patients, with around 33,000 people flown for treatment.
Barlow said the moments she remembers most are not grand experiences, but seeing parents hold their sick children's hands to reassure them during difficult journeys.
Her career included meeting King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Longreach base in 2012. She also met Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Dubbo after their wedding.