SWH nurse named university’s best
An Associate Unit Manager at our Warrnambool Base Hospital’s operating theatres, Joel’s been honoured as the highest achiever of the 80 students studying the Intra Operative stream of Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Nursing Practice (Perioperative).
Not having written an academic paper since completing his Critical Care Postgraduate Diploma at Melbourne University 10 years ago, he’s attributed part of his success to the guidance and support from his partner SWH theatre nurse Shona Chadwick and his mentor SWH Perioperative Education Facilitator Paula Foran. He says he’s thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will definitely do more study down the track.
During Deakin’s O Week, Joel says he and his class mates were warned they’d be in for a stressful year. He can’t quite believe he’s duxed it - given he also moved house, welcomed a baby and had some surgery of his own.
‘It’s an outstanding achievement and testament to his personal commitment and efforts’, SWH Director of Nursing Sue Morrison says. ‘Credit needs to go to Joel and the rest of our incredibly hard working staff that choose to commit to developing themselves in this way.’
Each year South West Healthcare supports a considerable number of staff to further develop by undertaking post graduate studies through paid and unpaid study leave, and by providing clinical facilitators in many specialist areas to assist and guide staff through the clinical aspects of their extra studies.