MY EXPERIENCE
A Registered Nurse by background, I bring over 20 years’ experience across clinical practice, leadership, and system-level roles in healthcare. I began my career as an Enrolled Nurse in community and aged care before moving into high-acuity practice in the Emergency Department at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
After deciding to further my qualifications, I completed a Bachelor of Nursing at Deakin University, where I discovered my passion for paediatrics. This led me to the Royal Children’s Hospital, where I continued my Emergency Department journey, and then ultimately moved into Paediatric Intensive Care. My passion for growth and learning deepened as I took on further studies to specialise in Critical Care Nursing. Working primarily in tertiary hospitals, I progressed through senior clinical and leadership roles, supporting patients, families, and teams during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
Over time, the cumulative demands of these environments led to burnout. This became a turning point in my career, prompting me to step back and reflect on what was needed to sustain both performance and wellbeing. I recognised a critical gap: the absence of a positive, psychologically safe safety culture.
Driven to understand this more, I shifted my focus to the intersection of employee wellbeing, leadership, and organisational systems. I went on to work as a Safety Culture Specialist at Safer Care Victoria, where I translated evidence into practical guidance for healthcare leaders to assess, monitor, and improve safety culture across health services and completed a Masters of Health Administration that focused on health promotion and how system design and leadership behaviours directly impact workforce wellbeing, engagement, and performance.
I remain clinically active, ensuring my practice and understanding of operational realities stay current, while supporting the education and development of the next generation of nurses through academic teaching at university.
I am passionate about sharing my experience to inspire reflection and action and have spoken at professional forums and events with audiences committed to creating safer, healthier, and more sustainable workplaces.
Through Be Well, Lead Well, I bring together my clinical, leadership, and system-level experience to support individuals, teams, and organisations to be well and to lead well.
My Approach
I bring:
- Professional experience spanning frontline clinician to operational and system-level leadership.
- Expertise in safety culture assessment and maturity, with a deep understanding of what strengthens and what erodes safety culture in the workplace.
- Lived experience of burnout recovery and self-development.
Everything I do is guided by three principles:
- Guidance: I help provide clarity and perspective, using evidence-based research and tools to navigate issues.
- Care: I am committed to creating space for reflection, support, and wellbeing so people can show up fully for themselves and others.
- Growth: My focus is on continuous learning and improvement for individuals, teams and the systems they work in.
