Deanna Shephard embarked on her nursing career two decades ago and to this day finds it a privilege to care for people in their most vulnerable state.
Now a Clinical Nurse, Deanna has spent more than half of her career with Logan Hospital’s Kidney Services, dedicated to enhancing patient care.
Deanna joined the Peritoneal Dialysis Unit when it first opened in 2011 and was recently recognised for her 20-years of service with Queensland Health.
Her dedication to improving patient care was acknowledged at the March staff awards, where her passion for the patient experience in healthcare was also celebrated.
Deanna said she had worked hard in the unit to implement a routine 'Quality of Life and Patient Goals Assessment' that emphasised patient-centred care and reflected the patients' values, preferences, and overall wellbeing.
“This helps our patients to communicate what is important to them as individuals and allows for shared decision-making between patients and clinicians for their dialysis treatment,” she said.
Deanna’s commitment to improving patient care has extended to her latest project - creating an educational resource to further assist patients and their families in dialysis management at home.
Recently, Deanna achieved some other significant milestones by completing her Master's degree and publishing her first paper in a peer-reviewed journal.
Deanna’s journey highlights her caring nature and her genuine desire to positively impact patients’ lives and she is an asset to Logan Hospital.