It takes something special to be a bush nurse working in rural and remote Australia. They patch people up and keep them alive while waiting for the doctor to arrive, they drive the ambulances, operate the clinics and deliver the babies. They are on call around the clock and there are no days off. All this with no back-up and while working in some of the most isolated places on the planet.

To get the job done, bush nurses often have to make do with whatever is at hand (think, transporting patients via wheelbarrows, stemming bleeding with their bare hands, etc.), but their trademark passion, resourcefulness and sense of humour see them through the tough times.

Some of these stories will raise the hairs on the back of your neck, others will make you laugh and some will make you cry. But there's no doubt you'll be amazed at the strength of character and the skill of these nurses who are the backbone of medical practice in rural and remote Australia.