What is your career background?

27 years’ experience in operating theatres, 20 of which have been in management roles. I started as an Operating Department Practitioner and this allowed me to practice in Anaesthetic Assisting, Scrub and Post Anaesthetic Recovery Care. Once I felt I had enough experience I went into management of operating theatres and have been in management ever since.

Please describe what you do in your role?

Strategically I am responsible for financial budget planning, budget implementation, workforce planning, recruitment, retention, and education.

Another huge aspect is governance of the hospital – quality, policies and procedures, Health and Safety, and to manage risk through audits. Operationally I am responsible for staff performance, facility performance, procurement, equipment, building facilities, and adverse event management.

What are you most excited about with being involved in establishing a new elective surgery facility?

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. I am incredibly passionate about building cohesive, productive, strong, fun teams and to be able to create an amazing environment for this team right from the start is amazing. People do not want to “just” go to work, they are at work for many hours of their life so they should be able to be in an environment that allows them to enjoy their time at work. There are so many companies we see that get this wrong on so many levels. If the team enjoy work, then the customer can only benefit.

Being involved right from the start allows us to be part of creating this incredible facility that will not only benefit our team but help thousands of our community get access to better health for many years to come.

What has been a highlight so far…

The whole experience. From our small team to watching the facility itself grow. I am learning new skills every single day. The whole process is incredibly inspiring.