Eight years on, Ms Sibson is about to embark on a new journey to not only help those within the region but broaden her reach of those lives impacted by cancer.

The cancer council has employed three new regional nurses to as they work on the ACCESS project where support and information are provided to Victorians affected by cancer, particularly regional Victorians.

The project, funded through the Victorian Department of Health, aligns with the Victorian Cancer Plan and Cancer Council's priority to improve access to supportive care services for all Victorians affected by cancer particularly those in rural and regional areas.

For Ms Sibson, it's another opportunity to continue working within the nursing industry, and in particular, patients with cancer.

"Many people say, it must be a devastating area to work in, and at times it is, but to provide kindness and support to patients and their families in times of uncertainty can make a positive difference in their journey," she said.

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"You get to know the patients that come in because you see some of them often and you get to build a rapport with them."

Ms Sibson worked in administration at Stawell Regional Health for a number of years, and through her admiration of the nurses around her, she decided to study nursing.

Completing the course online through Ballarat University, Ms Sibson said she was grateful to her partner, her family and support networks in their help whilst studying - especially since having three young daughters.

"I enjoyed studying and when you find something you are passionate about, it does make the studying easier," she said.

"I've been working as a nurse for about five years now. I did my graduate year at Stawell Regional Health in the ward and theatre and moved into oncology after my graduate year.

"I've always been interested in the oncology side of nursing. I did a post-graduate certificate in clinical nursing oncology to give me more skills in that area.

"My new job will allow me to broaden my skills in oncology and help enhance my skills in emotional support which is something I am really interested in and the reason I got into nursing in the first place."

Ms Sibson said despite being exposed to rural nursing through her administration role at Stawell Regional Health, the role still surprised her when she first finished studying.

"Rural nursing is really full-on," she said.

"You all the jack of all trades really. You haven't got the teams that hospitals in Melbourne have.

"It wasn't exactly what I expect it but I still really love it."

Ms Sibson is back studying again, this time a post-graduate diploma in psychology to really hone in on her skills to mainly concentrate on the emotional support which will play a role in her new role.

"The new job will see me help not only those who come to Stawell but right across Victoria," she said.

"Cancer Council's 13 11 20 service provides supportive care screening, assessment, education and referral to tailored support for Victorians affected by cancer through its directory of more than 470 services across the state.

"Calls are not time-limited, and nurses can arrange to follow up calls for further support or to assess if services have been helpful.

"The nurses have existing relationships and referral pathways with health and community-based services, particularly nurses and social workers, in many regional areas that allow it to refer people to regionally qualified specialists and services, so they receive the benefit of locally available support."

Cancer Council Victoria's 13 11 20 services provide information and support for Victorians affected by cancer, responding to almost 9,500 calls or emails in 2020 alone. The service is staffed by trained cancer nurses who act as a gateway to credible information and practical and emotional support and assist people to navigate the health system.

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