MEET THE LOCALS… Christine Petersen

Christine – or do you prefer Chris? – you recently moved to Tieri to take on the role of child and family health nurse. Where were you before and what were you doing?
I prefer Chris. We moved from Bundaberg to Clermont in 2025 and I was working in Emerald. The lovely Sue Hall (or ‘Nurse Sue’ as I know she was affectionately called) approached me and asked me to consider taking on the role here in Tieri. As we now live in Middlemount, it was a great fit for me.

What attracted you to the role and the town?
I was very taken with working in a smaller community where I can get to know the families and be a part of the community.

What has been your first impression of the town so far?
I grew up in the mining towns of Moura and Moranbah so I am familiar with the small town feel. I find Tieri to be a lovely community, very friendly and welcoming.

What inspired you to become a nurse?
I was one of those little girls who always wanted to grow up and be a nurse. My Pop was in hospital a lot when I was young and I loved sitting and talking to all the nurses.

What prompted you to specialise in child and family health?
I have been nursing for 36 years and have always predominantly worked with children and families. I started in Paediatrics as soon as I finished my training, then I did midwifery. I later returned to Paediatrics and have been a child health nurse for the past 23 years. I have also been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant for 15 years.

Where did you complete your training?
I started in 1989 and completed my general nursing and midwifery training in Bundaberg. I was in the last hospital-based nurses training program there. Registered nurses are now trained in universities.

What does your work here involve?
Supporting families in their parenting journey; attending to developmental checks for little ones from birth to four-years-old; supporting feeding, sleep and everything in between. A big part of my work is ensuring parents are also supported to look after themselves.

What are you most enjoying about working with the local community?
The families of Tieri and Capella have been very welcoming and it has been a very easy transition for me.

What do you think makes a great child and family health nurse?
I believe a great child and family health nurse needs to be supportive, easy to talk to, knowledgeable, and someone you can trust.

What do you hope patients feel when they leave
your care?
That they feel heard, valued and safe, and that I have made their day a little better.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?
It is a real privilege to be a part of a family’s journey, whether that be good or bad, and that the families I see have a safe place to come and be supported.

It must come with its challenges too; what’s the most prominent one you face?
I think the hardest thing is that a lot of mums judge themselves too harshly. They can often feel very lonely and have to be “perfect”. I want them to know they are doing an amazing job. 

How has the role of a child and family health nurse changed over the years, especially with the advancements in technology?
Fundamentally the pressure put on families with the increased cost of living, relentless advertising, and so much information online can make parenting very difficult. It isn’t just raising our children we have to worry about, it is often isolation, expectations and social media that can make us feel like we are failing.

They say ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and Tieri is known as being a wonderful place to raise a family. What role do you believe a community like ours plays in collectively raising the next generation?
I believe it is remembering that, in a small town like Tieri, we all bring something unique and special that we can share with the children in the community.

What’s the most common piece of advice you find yourself giving to new parents?
Be kind to yourself! The first six to eight weeks are all about survival. It’s a time for you to get to know your baby and a time for your baby to get to know you, as well as the outside world and how their body even works. That’s a lot, so be kind to yourself.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t put off your happiness waiting for things to happen; enjoy every day for what it is.

What do you think is special about rural/small-town child and family healthcare?
Getting to know the families in the area and watching little ones grow up and go through life’s rich phases.

Quick-Fire Round…

How do you describe yourself? Friendly, loving
and kind.

How would your friends and family describe you? I’d like to think the same as me: friendly, loving and kind.

How do you spend your time and with whom? I spend my time with my family – my husband, my two children and son-in-law, and the apple of my eye, my three-year-old granddaughter, and my extended family.

5 things you can’t live without? My family, good food, my bed, my pets, my phone – unfortunately it is my ‘brain’ that remembers everything for me.

Dead or alive, who would be your ideal dinner guests? My family including all the extended family – we have a great time together. 

If you could have anyone else’s job, whose would it be and why? Honestly I can’t think of anything that I would rather be doing – I love what I do.