It Takes Heart

Hosts Samantha Miklos & Kate Coomber
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It Takes Heart is a podcast about connection at the centre of Australian healthcare.Each episode brings together nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, leaders and changemakers to share real stories from their work, their communities and the healthcare system they navigate every day. From moments of purpose and pride to challenge and growth, these conversations explore the realities of caring for others and the people behind the profession.Co-hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber, It Takes Heart offers honest, human conversations that reflect the heart of the healthcare community and the difference it makes, often in ways that aren’t always seen or heard.

  1. 1d ago

    52. Why Nurse Fiona Chose Aged Care, and Never Looked Back

    There is a particular kind of magic in a resident's face lighting up over something as small as a shared joke or a genuine "are you okay?" For Nurse Fiona, that is the whole point of aged care. In this episode, we sit down with Fiona to talk about what it really looks like to lead with warmth, humour and presence in a sector too often misunderstood as easy, quiet work. Fiona takes us from her first placement through to agency nursing in London, navigating rigid hierarchies along the way before returning to the reason she keeps coming back to the bedside: the people. She talks candidly about the hidden cost of paperwork and box-ticking, the loneliness that can come with contract work and moving city to city, and the flexibility and curiosity it takes to build community wherever she lands. It is a conversation that says a lot about where aged care careers can take you, and what they ask of the people who choose them.  Fiona's organisation of choice is Orange Sky, an Australian not-for-profit supporting people experiencing homelessness and hardship through access to free laundry, warm showers and genuine conversation. It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber and recorded at cmr’s head office in Brisbane. We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso Get to know It Takes Heart & cmr better! Instagram: @ittakesheartpodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment YouTube: @ItTakesHeartPodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment TikTok: @cornerstonemedicalrec LinkedIn: @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment Facebook: @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment

    52. Why Nurse Fiona Chose Aged Care, and Never Looked Back

  2. Sep 8

    51. BONUS EP: What Is FASD? Dr Sarah Jane Springer on Alcohol and Pregnancy

    For International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day, Dr Sarah Jane Springer returns for this bonus episode as a DrinkWise ambassador, to talk about something she believes deserves clearer, kinder conversation: alcohol and pregnancy.  Dr Sarah Jane discusses what FASD can mean for a child's development, why the messaging around alcohol and pregnancy has not always reached the people who need it most, and why she believes real change starts with clinicians creating a safe, non-judgmental space for women to be honest about what they are going through. She also speaks openly about culture and community, and why this has never been an issue that belongs to one group of people. Sarah Jane is a proud Wiradjuri woman, a mother and a GP obstetrician who has spent over two decades caring for women and babies across rural and remote Australia. She first joined Sam and Kate on Episode 37. Additional Resources: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Program, DrinkWiseEvery Moment Matters: Find out about FASD13YARN, 24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, call 13 92 76It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber and recorded at cmr’s head office in Brisbane. We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso Get to know It Takes Heart & cmr better! Instagram: @ittakesheartpodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment YouTube: @ItTakesHeartPodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment TikTok: @cornerstonemedicalrec LinkedIn: @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment Facebook: @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment

    51. BONUS EP: What Is FASD? Dr Sarah Jane Springer on Alcohol and Pregnancy

  3. Sep 1

    50. What It Actually Takes to Become a Remote Area Nurse with RAN Kate

    Kate Chapman didn't finish school. She left in Year 8, became a nurse at 32, and built a career on one simple belief: people deserve the same standard of care no matter where they live or who they are. That belief has carried her from humanitarian work with Médecins Sans Frontières and the Red Cross, to Remote Area Nursing across some of Australia's most isolated communities.  In this episode, Kate unpacks what Remote Area Nursing actually looks like day to day: the trust built one conversation at a time, the cultural knowledge that has to be earned, and the deep sense of purpose that keeps her coming back to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. She talks candidly about cultural safety, autonomy, and why lived experience matters more than tick-box rules when you're the only clinician for hundreds of kilometres. She also shares the story behind Gayle's Law, and why she's still pushing for safer working conditions for the RANs who come after her. Kate's organisation of choice is Street Side Medics. Street Side Medics' purpose is to bring free, judgement-free healthcare directly to people experiencing homelessness, meeting them where they are through a mobile medical centre rather than waiting for them to walk through a clinic door. Content Warning: This episode touches on sexual assault and violence. Please take care while listening.  It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber and recorded at cmr’s head office in Brisbane. We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso Get to know It Takes Heart & cmr better! Instagram: @ittakesheartpodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment YouTube: @ItTakesHeartPodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment TikTok: @cornerstonemedicalrec LinkedIn: @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment Facebook: @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment

    50. What It Actually Takes to Become a Remote Area Nurse with RAN Kate

  4. Aug 18

    49. Hey Sister Scrub Club and the Nurse Behind the Brand

    Eighteen months ago, Steph Moore was working full time as a nurse and packing scrub orders from her garage between shifts. Today she's the founder of Hey Sister Scrub Club, a fun scrubs brand that's become a fan favourite with Aussie nurses and a runner-up for Rookie of the Year at the SheComm E-Commerce Awards. Steph opens up about the imposter syndrome that shaped both her nursing career and her business, from feeling like she hadn't earned the right to wear fun scrubs as a grad, to wondering who she was to launch a brand at all. She reflects candidly on the hospital admission that led her into nursing in the first place, the nurse whose advocacy changed everything, and how that same instinct to connect with patients became the reason fun scrubs mattered to her. She also talks openly about building a business while working clinically and raising three kids and why staying close to the ward keeps the brand honest. Steph's organisation of choice is the McGrath Foundation. The McGrath Foundation's purpose is to ensure that no one goes through cancer without the care of a McGrath Cancer Care Nurse. We raise money to fund McGrath Cancer Care Nurses right across Australia and deliver world leading cancer nursing services to support people and their families through cancer.  Follow Hey Sister Scrub Club on Instagram! It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber and recorded at cmr’s head office in Brisbane. We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso Get to know It Takes Heart & cmr better! Instagram: @ittakesheartpodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment YouTube: @ItTakesHeartPodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment TikTok: @cornerstonemedicalrec LinkedIn: @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment Facebook: @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment

    49. Hey Sister Scrub Club and the Nurse Behind the Brand

  5. Aug 4

    48. How Dr Jana Pittman Reinvented Herself from Olympian to Doctor

    What happens when the identity you’ve built your whole life around no longer fits? In this episode of It Takes Heart, Jana Pittman shares her extraordinary journey from world champion Olympian to doctor, mother of six and passionate advocate for women’s health. With honesty and warmth, Jana reflects on injury, public pressure and the moments that pushed her towards reinvention and a new sense of purpose beyond elite sport. Jana opens up about how missing the Olympic Games led her to pursue medicine and eventually specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology. She also shares what working in women’s health has taught her about trust, empathy and having the conversations many women still find difficult. This episode is for anyone navigating a career change, rebuilding after disappointment or searching for meaning in a new chapter. Jana Pittman’s story shows how reinvention can open the door to a life that feels just as meaningful as the one you first imagined. Content warning: This episode includes discussions of miscarriage, stillbirth and pregnancy loss. Jana's organisation of choice is the Australian Gynaecological Cancer Foundation (AGCF), a national not-for-profit organisation that focuses on funding laboratory research into all 8 gynae cancers. It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber and recorded at cmr’s head office in Brisbane. We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso Get to know It Takes Heart & cmr better! Instagram: @ittakesheartpodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment YouTube: @ItTakesHeartPodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment TikTok: @cornerstonemedicalrec LinkedIn: @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment Facebook: @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment

    48. How Dr Jana Pittman Reinvented Herself from Olympian to Doctor

  6. Jul 21

    47. From Survival to Purpose: Dr Wayne Lee on Medicine, Music and Imposter Syndrome

    What happens when a career built on survival slowly becomes a career built on purpose? For Dr Wayne Lee, a GP now practising in Brisbane, that shift is at the heart of a story spanning three countries, a musical childhood and a leap into practice ownership. Dr Wayne opens up about why he chose medicine over a music career for reasons that were more about supporting his family than chasing passion, and how that early decision shaped the way he has approached every chapter since. He reflects candidly on burnout in traditional general practice, the moment he realised a stable, routine career wasn't feeding him the way he expected, and how locum work in rural and remote Australia reignited his sense of purpose.  He also speaks honestly about imposter syndrome, not as something he overcame once, but as a constant companion through fellowship, remote clinical work and now practice ownership, and how learning to sit with it, rather than fight it, became one of his greatest strengths. Wayne's organisation of choice, the Push for Better Foundation, raises awareness and engages people in mental health through connection, education and health and wellbeing.  It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber and recorded at cmr’s head office in Brisbane. We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso Get to know It Takes Heart & cmr better! Instagram: @ittakesheartpodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment YouTube: @ItTakesHeartPodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment TikTok: @cornerstonemedicalrec LinkedIn: @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment Facebook: @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment

    47. From Survival to Purpose: Dr Wayne Lee on Medicine, Music and Imposter Syndrome

  7. Jul 7

    46. The Trucks Transforming Rural Healthcare: Dr Rolf Gomes on Heart of Australia

    What if specialist healthcare could roll into town, instead of patients travelling hundreds of kilometres to find it? For Dr Rolf Gomes, 2026 Queensland Australian of the Year and founder of Heart of Australia, that question sparked a life-changing idea: mobile health clinics bringing cardiology, radiology, respiratory care and specialist services directly to rural and remote communities. Rolf shares how his journey from Calcutta to Melbourne, electrical engineering to cardiology, and city hospitals to the Queensland bush shaped the way he sees healthcare access. He reflects on the rural placements that opened his eyes to serious symptoms, limited local options, and the barriers of distance, cost and fear that stop many country patients from seeking care. We also explore what practical healthcare innovation really looks like, from mobile CT scanners and cardiac testing on wheels to building trust through regular visits and making it easier for busy specialists to contribute. This episode is for anyone who cares about rural health, healthcare equity, and the kind of big-hearted innovation that helps every community feel seen. Dr Rolf's organisation of choice is Heart of Australia, a mobile healthcare company delivering access to specialists and testing equipment to rural and remote people in Australia. It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber and recorded at cmr’s head office in Brisbane. We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso Get to know It Takes Heart & cmr better! Instagram: @ittakesheartpodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment YouTube: @ItTakesHeartPodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment TikTok: @cornerstonemedicalrec LinkedIn: @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment Facebook: @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment

    46. The Trucks Transforming Rural Healthcare: Dr Rolf Gomes on Heart of Australia

  8. Jun 23

    45. Bek Woodbine Returns: Chronic Pain, Nursing and Finding a New Way Forward

    Bek Woodbine returns to It Takes Heart for a deeply honest conversation about chronic pain, recovery and finding a new way forward. Since her last episode, Bek has undergone major back surgery and has been learning to live with the physical and emotional impact of chronic pain. As a nurse practitioner and host of Tenderness for Nurses, Bek shares what it feels like when the helper needs help, how pain can change your sense of self, and why learning to accept support has become part of her next chapter. Bek also reflects on the future of nursing, including nurse wellbeing, boundaries, bullying, respect, the nursing shortage and the importance of returning to the basics of care. This is a vulnerable and thoughtful episode about nursing, chronic pain, resilience and the power of honest conversations. It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber and recorded at cmr’s head office in Brisbane. We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso Get to know It Takes Heart & cmr better! Instagram: @ittakesheartpodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment YouTube: @ItTakesHeartPodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment TikTok: @cornerstonemedicalrec LinkedIn: @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment Facebook: @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment

    45. Bek Woodbine Returns: Chronic Pain, Nursing and Finding a New Way Forward
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About

It Takes Heart is a podcast about connection at the centre of Australian healthcare.Each episode brings together nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, leaders and changemakers to share real stories from their work, their communities and the healthcare system they navigate every day. From moments of purpose and pride to challenge and growth, these conversations explore the realities of caring for others and the people behind the profession.Co-hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber, It Takes Heart offers honest, human conversations that reflect the heart of the healthcare community and the difference it makes, often in ways that aren’t always seen or heard.

Information

  • Creator
    Hosts Samantha Miklos & Kate Coomber
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 It Takes Heart
  • Show Website
    It Takes Heart