Careers

Tell us a bit about your background and how you ended up working at St George’s?

I am a registered nurse in the operating theatre, and have worked at St George’s for six months as a recent graduate on the NETP programme. I was a student at the Canterbury-based Ara Institute before this, and I had the good fortune to secure a placement at St. George's Hospital, which gave me the chance to land a permanent job there.

What does a normal day look like for you?

My day begins by assisting my co-workers in preparing the operating room for procedures that will be performed there that I have been assigned to. Once we have the proper equipment, we divide up roles for each of us, such as scrub nurse, circulating nurse, and patient nurse.

What are some of the most interesting things you do in your role?

The most interesting aspect of my job is scrubbing in for surgeries and learning about anatomy, surgical techniques, and patient diagnosis from senior colleagues and surgeons.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about a similar role?

Take advantage of the opportunities that arise and use the support that’s offered to you.

What do you like most about working at St Georges?

I enjoy the people I get to interact with daily, including the perioperative team and the patients.

Tell us a bit about your background and how you ended up working at St George’s?

Prior to joining St George’s Hospital, I owned a boarding kennel and cattery for around six years. I eventually sold the seven-day-a-week business and jumped back into the healthcare industry – a line of work I have always enjoyed being part of.

What does a normal day look like for you?

Fairly full on! A lot of emails, phone calls, inputting of theatre lists in the patient management system, coordination of bed placements, and working closely with the clinicians’ rooms and those within the hospital.

What are some of the most interesting things you do in your role?

The booking office is like a jigsaw puzzle, and you put all the parts together. It is satisfying and tangible to see the completed theatre lists and bed placements ready for the hospital to use.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about a similar role?

When a role is advertised saying “attention to detail” - they mean it.

What do you like most about working at St George’s?

It’s cliché I know, but it is the people. I enjoy working alongside all of the teams throughout the hospital to achieve good outcomes.

Photo: Amber is on the right

What is your background and how did you end up working at St George’s?

I had worked here as an instrument technician for 15 years, and when my colleague stepped down from the role I decided to take it up, because I was looking for a challenge.

What does a normal day look like for you?

A normal day for me is ensuring the smooth running of the department and making sure that all the surgeons requirements are met.

What are some of the most interesting things you do in your role?

I find my training courses are quite interesting. I also enjoy learning about new sets and seeing the huge amount of loan sets that come in for procedures.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about a similar role?

If you love to be busy, this is a great career choice. My colleagues are awesome and you can get a great cup of coffee in the café!

Tell us a bit about your background and how you ended up working at St Georges?

I was an Emergency/Trauma Nurse back in the Philippines. I’ve also worked in other areas such as Community, Practice, OT, DR, NICU and PACU while overseas. I was with Southern Cross Auckland (ASC) prior to moving to Christchurch and joining St George’s Hospital.

What does a normal day look like for you?

It tends to be busy in the theatre, but it’s really fulfilling knowing you are making a difference in someone’s life. We rotate on scrubbing, circulating and patient nursing - so no day is the same.

What are some of the most interesting things you do in your role?

I rotate in different specialties which keeps things quite interesting. We do some really big surgeries which interest me and it challenges me to continue learning and developing my skills.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about a similar role?

The operating theatre is a highly specialised area and nothing beats your level of satisfaction knowing that you’ve done a good job helping the surgeons. It’s good to know that you’ve upskilled and learned something new, as well as making a difference in someone’s life.

What do you like most about working at St Georges?

St George’s is a big hospital doing varying cases (surgeries) and that gives me the opportunity to hone my skills and gain more knowledge. There’s a lot of options as to which specialties you can go to so pretty much, it’s a good hospital to be a part of. There’s also a lot of experienced nurses to help you along the way.

What is your background and how did you end up working at St George’s?

I studied cookery at Christchurch Polytechnic when I was 18, and from there I have worked in a few different establishments in New Zealand and Western Australia. I applied to St George’s because I wanted a better work/life balance, and I was ready for a new challenge.

What does a normal day look like for you?

I start at my day at 6:30am and I cook breakfast and lunch for patients and surgeons. It’s usually all go until the last trolley leaves the kitchen around midday. After lunch I collect menus and count the meals we need for the following day.

What are some of the most interesting things you do in your role?

We see a lot of different allergies and special diets, and we cater to those needs. I also speak to patients about their special dietary requirements, and we get some really great feedback.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about a similar role?

Go for it! It’s a very rewarding place to work and everyone is very helpful and supportive.

What do you like most about working at St George’s? 

No day is the same, and I get to meet so many different people.