Home » News » My journey: Before becoming a travel agent I was… a palliative care nurse

29 April, 2024

My journey: Before becoming a travel agent I was… a palliative care nurse

Edited by Travel Weekly

Australind Travel & Cruise and Travellers Choice member Saibra Twigg reflects on working as a palliative care nurse before joining to the travel industry.

How did you become a palliative care nurse?

ST I went straight from school in nursing and initially specialised in paediatrics, working at Perth’s Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. Over the years I held in a variety of roles within the Western Australian health system, including time on a vascular ward working with amputees. Then in the early 2000s I became interested in palliative care and began working in hospices and in the community.

Many people might imagine that working in a palliative care facility would be challenging. Was that your experience?

ST It could be draining, but it was also a genuine privilege to be part of people’s lives at such a profound time, and it’s incredibly rewarding to know that you are making a difference. Working as a palliative care nurse certainly makes you appreciate life. I absolutely loved it.

Why did you decide to change careers?

ST My parents operated a chain of shoe stores in WA, and both my sisters were in retail (one owned a couple of surf stores and the other a chain of Ella Bache beauty salons) – so retailing was in my blood. In the 1990s I took a few breaks from nursing to assist with a series of retail ventures and in 2008 I decided I’d like to do something on my own, in part because I was attracted to the potential for financial independence.

Why did you choose travel?

ST I wasn’t sure what sort of business I wanted, but I saw a travel agency for sale in Australind* and decided to give it a go, even though my only experience of travel was my own holidays. Fortunately, the agency was well established, I had experienced staff and my retail experience helped me identify ways to improve the business. The company had also just joined Travellers Choice, and the support and encouragement I received from my BDM, the head office staff and other members paved the way for success. It was reassuring to be part of an agency network that genuinely nurtured its members, including new business owners. One of things I wanted to do, when I left nursing, was to help people fulfil their dreams. I’ve been able to do that through travel and it has been really rewarding.

Saibra Twigg in nurse mode.

Do you sometimes miss being a nurse?

ST No, because I’m still working as a nurse one-and-a-half days a week in a medical practice. After leaving the health system, I worked part time for many years to keep my nursing registration. Eventually it became too hard, and two years before COVID my registration lapsed. But when COVID arrived, the WA government made it possible for some nurses to quickly become registered once again, which I did in 2020. Working as a nurse during COVID, I felt like I was doing my bit for both the community and the travel industry. I assisted in many immunisation clinics in the hope of helping to get our lives back to some normality and to eventually see the opening of our borders, the reuniting of families and the return of travel.

How has nursing helped you become a better travel agent?

ST I think nursing helped me become a more empathetic person, and I try to bring that compassion and caring to my travel customers. Another skill you develop through nursing is the ability to listen to people in order to really hear and understand their story. I’ve no doubt that also made me a better travel agent.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned that applies to travel and healthcare?

ST You can’t do it on your own. Both industries can get hectic and it’s important to surround yourself with a good team who will be there for you when times are good and bad. I honestly don’t think I would have maintained the positivity and strength to get though COVID if it wasn’t for the support I received from my loyal staff, other Travellers Choice members and the head office team, who ensured there was never a moment when I felt I was on my own. Also, try to look at life through “grateful eyes”. COVID did a lot of damage to the travel industry and threw our lives upside down, but when looking around at what truly mattered, we still had so much to be grateful for.

* The town of Australind is a 90-minute drive south of Perth, close to the coastal city of Bunbury and surrounding dairy and beef farms.

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

travellers choice