sally warriner

We are so lucky to have Sally joining our monthly event so be sure to tune in!

Come the end of the month Sally Warriner will, naturally need no introduction! With a breadth of experience that spans working for Medecins sans Frontieres to attending plane crashes in the Northern Territory, Sally brings a unique set of skills and experiences to the Raindrum team. She has seen both the devastating health effects of poverty and malnourishment, and those of diseases of affluence including addictions, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Sally gained her nursing degree at Canberra Hospital in 1972 and went on to train in accident and emergency and intensive care departments in London hospitals.

She returned to Australia in 1975 to take up a position as a Registered Nurse at Broome Hospital, in Western Australia, focussing on obstetrics and paediatrics. However, always possessed of an adventurous spirit, she soon took a role as a Registered Nurse with the Northern Territory Health Department, with the responsibility of running a clinic based on a large cattle property. The position saw the start of a challenging, 20-year bush career during which she also worked alongside her husband to manage a large cattle breeding operation. Not only did Sally often drive hours to find a patient, she attended plane crashes, road accidents and other traumatic as well as everyday medical events. 

 After a brief spate at Mater Private Hospital in Brisbane, adventure again beckoned for Sally who, in 2005 after completing special training, worked at a refugee camp in Sierra Leone for Medecins sans Frontieres. Part of her remit was to set up a pharmacy building that catered for three camps, or about 15,000 refugees. In 2006, Sally went on to work as the Nurse Supervisor of an in-patient facility in South Sudan, responsible for the day-to-day administration of the hospital, and treatment of patients with diseases ranging from malaria to TB and leprosy. Three years later, she could be found in the emergency room of hospital in Bhutan, where she also volunteered with an organisation providing refuge to those suffering from domestic violence.