McCready and her sister Jessie worked in several hospitals after arriving in Australia with their parents and siblings in 1914 and garnered substantial knowledge and experience of nursing, hospital administration and the broader health sector of NSW. Both were required to sit examinations with the Australian Trained Nurses Association (ATNA) in 1914 before they could continue with their nursing careers, and they completed midwifery at
Crown Street Women’s Hospital, Sydney in 1922. Georgina also completed her Mothercraft Certificate at the Tresillian Centre,
Petersham in 1928.Georgina was at the Renwick Hospital for Infants in 1915-1916 and sub-matron at St George Cottage Hospital from January 1916. By 1920 Georgina Johnstone had been appointed Matron at Cessnock Hospital where she remained to 1923 leaving to take up the position of Matron at Maitland Hospital. Georgina also worked for a time at Broken Hill & District Hospital.She was described in the local press as follows:During her term of service at the hospital Matron Johnstone has won for herself the reputation of a capable and efficient nurse, and a tactful disciplinarian. Her departure will be keenly regretted not only by the medical and nursing profession and the committee, but by the patients and the numerous friends she has made in the town and district.McCready was praised in March 1923 when selected as Matron at Maitland Hospital, despite one of the Hospital Committee members, Mr W J Enright, objecting to her appointment He believed that as she was not a 'war nurse' her appointment was contrary to the Returned Soldiers and Sailor's Employment Act which gave preference to nurses who had enlisted and served during the war. McCready had already resigned from her previous position at Cessnock Hospital at this point and had been appointed and accepted the position at Maitland Hospital. She also wrote to the committee informing them that she had enlisted in the Australian Forces and was located at Randwick Military Hospital for some months in 1914. However Mr Enright continued with his objections until E. B. Harkness, the Under Secretary in the Chief Secretary's Department, ruled that Matron Johnstone's appointment could not be upset. It was after her husband’s death, and her absence from her nursing career for the duration of her marriage, that she was recruited for her role as a supervisory Nurse with the NSW Board of Health, this a catalyst for her on the next part of her professional life with the NSW College of Nursing and the NSW Nurses Association. Georgina did not return to hospital nursing but immersed herself into a prominent new role of trade unionist and activist for the profession of nursing as well as reformer, policy shaper and founding member of both the nurses’ union and the
New South Wales College of Nursing (now part of
Australian College of Nursing. The others were
Muriel Knox Doherty, RRC,
Agnes Mary Lions, OBE, FCN (NSW), 1908-1992 and
Margaret Frances Guy (nee Looker), OBE. == Personal life ==