Many of our study families would have met research nurse Beth Armstrong over recent years, and last month we said a fond farewell as she heads off into retirement!
Read on to hear about Beth's journey with the Vaccine Trials Trials Group and the adventures she has planned ahead:
Tell us about how and why you decided to get into research and what led you to working with VTG.
I moved up to the Northern Territory as a paediatric nurse and there was limited employment opportunities that sparked my interest. I came across an advertisement for a research nurse in a vaccine trial looking at preventing ear disease in Aboriginal babies by using a combination schedule of two different pneumococcal vaccines. The job included travel to remote communities to recruit families, working in a small team of dedicated researchers and the opportunity to be part of discovering preventative measures for infectious diseases, instead of treating patients with the disease like I had been doing for the past 30 years of my career.
How many years have you been working with VTG and what studies have you worked on?
I have been working with the Vaccine Trials Group for three-and-a-half years, and in that time I have coordinated the ATOMIC Ears Study (my passion) and completed coordinating the RSV Study in Toddlers. I have worked on all other studies in some capacity, conducting study visits and vaccinations, doing skin prick food allergy tests, collecting samples in theatre and meet some absolutely wonderful families who commit their time to our research.
What have you enjoyed most about your time working at VTG?
That is such a hard question to answer because there is no clear winner. I would have to say equally the staff I work with and the families we care for. My colleagues are such an eclectic bunch but each of them play an invaluable role in our team and have been absolutely fabulous to work with. I know that things change and people move on, a new team member arrives and the one that left is replaced. I understand all of that but I will never forget the team I have worked with. As for the families (especially the ATOMIC Ears families), I feel so privileged to have been part of their child’s journey and to be able to provide them with the support and reassurance they need. They have given me the most wonderful years of my career.
Tell us what your plans are for the next stage of your life.
Well, my husband went out for a loaf of bread one day and came home with a caravan! So, we are retiring to travel this beautiful country and to enjoy the culture, sights and especially the people we will meet along the way.
If you have one piece of advice for anyone thinking about either working in or participating in research, what would that be?
Well, it may not be everyone’s thing but playing a role in finding new treatments and vaccines has been my greatest pleasure and if I ever need a job again it will definitely be in research!
Safe travels Beth - you will be missed!