Five years since soft-launching her nursing career in the QEII Hospital graduate nursing program, Clinical Nurse General Surgery Sandra Petrovic is well on her way to blazing a trail that is uniquely her own.
The first in her family to take up a career in healthcare, Sandra says it was her passion for biology and problem-solving that led her to study exercise science and ultimately find her calling in nursing.
“Nursing called to me because I could be a part of helping care for people and also lean into my passion for science,” said Sandra.
“When I moved over to nursing, I felt like I really found my people and where I want to spend my career.”
Embracing the wealth of opportunity on offer at QEII, Sandra trekked her way through a variety of roles including forays into instrument/circulating nursing, anaesthetics, recovery, day surgery and ICU. Before long, Sandra was forging new paths through a number of clinical roles and secondments before returning to perioperative nursing where she found her tribe.
“Having been a graduate in this team, they have seen me be brand new. I have felt their instinct to support and foster me all the way through. It’s a really well-supported and dynamic team,” she said.
“I discovered theatre people are very much A-type personalities like me. I love being surrounded by people who have a lot of attention to detail and are really passionate about what they do.”
While she thrives on the supportive and vibrant team culture in theatre, Sandra says her greatest fulfilment comes from her patients.
“I love being part of what is for many people a memorable moment in their life, and being on that journey with them and working in a team to make the process easier for them. My favourite aspect of perioperative nursing is giving someone more time with their family or improving their quality of life.”
Cited for her natural leadership aptitude, adaptability under pressure, and her excellent communication and time-management skills, Sandra claimed the QEII Staff Values Award last month.
Inspired by her team and the unique culture of the QEII community, Sandra champions nursing pathways at QEII and looks forward to contributing more to the hospital where she first found her passion.
“Given the ongoing expansion of QEII, I love how much opportunity there is to cross-skill, and there’s always something new and different to explore.
“The more I do this, the more I realise how many different directions you can go within nursing. I’ve done a lot, but I’d like to do much more, so I would like to continue to work in the leadership space, transition through different roles and experience different things until I find what’s just right for me.”