Sarah Rose, Health & Safety Representative – Perioperative department, Queensland Health

Sarah Rose is the Health and Safety Representative for the Perioperative Department in a Queensland Hospital.
She has undergone rigorous training and support provided by Queensland Health to ensure she is equipped with the necessary skills to maintain a safe and secure working environment.

Committed to prioritizing safety, Sarah diligently conducts regular workplace inspections and audits to identify potential hazards. Her proactive approach includes promptly reporting any safety concerns and keeping the team informed with essential safety updates from the Director of Workplace Safety and Wellbeing.

Her determination and focus on creating a safe workplace make her an invaluable asset to Queensland Health. Congratulations, Sarah!

Pauline Kennedy, Workplace Health and Safety Representative, Perioperative Unit Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA

Pauline’s unwavering dedication to enhancing safety for both patients and the Perioperative team has been truly exceptional. From the outset, she has consistently strived to elevate safety standards within the department.

Her accomplishments are wide-ranging. Pauline has been instrumental in refining safe patient handling techniques and introducing innovative products to bolster patient safety in the operating theatres. As a WHS representative, she successfully addressed critical safety concerns, such as surgical spills and fires.

Pauline’s commitment to continuous improvement is evident in her proactive approach to education and training. She meticulously develops well-structured educational programs to ensure adherence to ACORN and WHS standards. A prime example of her dedication is her work in managing bariatric care. Through collaboration with a Workfit consultant, she created a comprehensive procedure to address the unique safety considerations for bariatric patients, from pre-surgery planning to the procurement of specialized equipment like Hoovermats, slide sheets, and safe weight limit chairs.

Pauline’s passion, drive, and unwavering commitment to safety make her an exemplary role model for her team. Congratulations, Pauline!

Kerry Knights, Senior Clinician

Kerry Knights has selflessly took on the role of safety officer in their workplace and has also provided the team with an abundance of safety education programs. She has always been welcoming when it comes to discussing workplace safety and is open to any improvements or changes. Because of this, there has been significant improvements to the safety of their staff.

Madeleine Cronin, Clinical Nurse Educator 

Madeleine Cronin has demonstrated outstanding commitment and support to both Medline staff and customers alike to champion the new safety standards around sharps in the theatre space. In the last 12 months Madeleine has been able to drive change in several key hospitals around Victoria and Tasmania including the Austin. She has provided education and training programs for the Tasmanian Health Service to assist them in transitioning to safer practices across their sites.

Sherri-Lee Harris, Clinical Nurse Specialist

Sherri-Lee has been working as a team leader in a very busy medical ward. She has recently completed several quality improvement projects within the unit to improve the standard of care. One example of these projects has included the support and education for staff in an effort to reduce the risk of needlestick injury to healthcare workers, organised education resources and support, facilitated targeted education across the medical specialty involving multiple wards, and conducted audits to gauge how successful the projects are.

Dr. Amber Hogan Mitchell, DrPH, MPH, CPH. Dr. Mitchell’s career has been focused on public health and occupational safety and health related to preventing infectious disease. She is the President and Executive Director of the International Safety Center – a women-run non-profit.

Penny J. Smalley, RN, CMLSO, MACORN, is a perioperative nurse consultant and certified medical laser safety officer. Her work includes education and training for healthcare facilities, safety audits for compliance with standards, regulatory support, and development of risk assessment based safety programs in perioperative practice settings.

Mary Seely is a CST and surgical technology program director, who has implemented Qlicksmart sharps safety devices in the surgical technology labs at Monroe Community College. Learrning about safety procedures in Operating Rooms is an important part of training for surgical technology students. Mary has helped students learn how to perform corrective actions to decrease the risk of sharps sticks and cuts while in the lab and in the clinical setting.

Mark Krkobabic RN, was a student at Queensland University of Technology and was the 2021 QUT Society of Undergraduate Nurses (SUN) President. He has volunteered many hours of his own time to actively involve himself in the participation and planning of professional events which focus on patient and staff safety. He continues to advocate for safety and has effectively mitigated clinical errors within clinical practice procedures.