It’s smiles all round for 2B Registered Nurse Lyn Pittman, as she celebrates a milestone 25-year QEII tenure and 43 remarkable years of nursing.
It was 1981 when Lyn first joined a hospital-based training program in her South Australia hometown and launched her nursing career.
Amassing more than four decades of experience in surgical nursing, plastics, and burns units, Lyn’s passage to QEII is one that transcends borders and specialties.
Today, Lyn’s exemplary commitment to patient-centred care shines throughout her work, from managing the daily discharge schedule, coordinating early discharge planning for complex patients, and ad hoc clinical work.
Responsible for the safe discharge of surgical patients at 2B, keeping people safe and informed from admission to recovery is Lyn’s top priority.
“As the Discharge Facilitator, my role is about being able to get patients home and giving them the necessary information to go home. I let them know what to expect post-operatively, what things are normal, what things are not normal, and make sure they know how to look after their wounds,” she explained.
“Whether our patients are relatively well when they come here, or they have a number of comorbidities, it's very satisfying to see them come in, have surgery, progress and go home again.”
Reflecting on a quarter-century at QEII, Lyn says it’s the unit’s supportive culture and team spirit that keeps her coming back for more.
“This is a very, very busy unit. We have a high turnover, but the staff that you work with certainly make a huge difference to your working day. They’re the reason I've been here for so long, and I think it's the reason why a lot of other people stay as well.”
“The fact that we work together as a team is our greatest strength. We’re like a family, and we’re all there to support each other,” she said.
Acknowledged for consistently upholding a high standard of patient-centred care and enhancing efficiency at 2B, Lyn was awarded QEII’s 2024 International Nurses Day Accountability Award.
Congratulations, Lyn!