CAREERS AT ST VINCENT’S PRIVATE HOSPITAL

Hospitals are big employers and while we typically think of ‘clinical’ staff — nurses, doctors and allied health professionals — hospitals also employ a wide range of ‘non-clinical’ support service staff.

St Vincent’s Private Hospital was first established in 1922 and since then, the clinical teams have become increasingly more specialised.

Today, St Vincent’s patient wards (units) include maternity, paediatrics, medical, surgical, orthopaedics, cardiac, close observation, intensive care and rehabilitation and emergency.

Each unit is run by an experienced nurse unit manager (NUM), who leads a highly trained nursing team with specialised skills to care for their specific cohort of patients.

Similarly, theatre and day surgery staff are skilled in highly specialised areas to support an increasingly complex mix of surgical procedures performed at the hospital, including cardiology, orthopaedics, general surgery, ENT, urology, ophthalmology, endoscopy and obstetrics and gynaecology.

Theatre and recovery teams support the surgeon as well as care for the patient as they undergo and recover from their procedure.

While clinical staff are essential to the delivery of hospital services, the hospital could not function without the support of the non-clinical support service teams — administration, food and environmental services, stores, maintenance and engineering, CSSD (sterilising), medical records, HR, Workplace Health and safety, marketing and communications, security, linen, orderlies and pastoral care.

These staff provide essential behind the scenes services to ensure the ongoing operations of the hospital run smoothly.

Common to both areas, regardless of the area of work, is that there are endless opportunities for employment and career advancement at St Vincent’s.

Will’s story

Will Mundt began his nursing career in 2006, working as an assistant in nursing (AIN) while studying nursing at USQ.

Twelve years later he is the assistant director of nursing (ADOCS) at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, a senior leadership role that manages the operational aspects of the clinical services.

Will oversees several teams and works closely alongside the nurse unit managers (NUMs) and other heads of department to ensure the organisation, operation and daily management of the hospital’s clinical services are efficient and streamlined.

Will says his responsibilities give him an opportunity to effect change to ensure St Vincent’s continues to meet the growing healthcare needs of the community in which he was born and raised.

Suzanne’s story

Suzanne Waldron is the St Vincent’s administration services manager. She manages approximately 50 staff in administrative roles in the hospital main admissions, emergency department, inpatient wards, day surgery, theatre and patient accounts areas.

Raised and educated in Toowoomba, Suzanne began her career as a trainee with the pharmacy guild where she advanced to become a dispensary technician.

Her career at SVPHT began in 2003 when she worked on the main reception desk, and later in other administration areas including theatre and day surgery as a ward clerk.

After a hiatus of four years, she rejoined the hospital in 2014, as part of the patient accounts team.

Here she learnt more about the administrative and financial aspects of the facility, which saw her successfully apply for the administration services manager – a position she still holds.

Suzanne’s positive attitude towards her work and personal life is fundamental to her success.

She strives each day to perform better than the day before.

She cares about people and enjoys leading her team as they perform their vital roles.

St Vincent’s Private Hospital currently has vacancies in clinical and non-clinical areas.