Bass Coast Health (BCH) has been thrilled to welcome a senior nursing leader to the pivotal role of Operations Director for our Emergency, Short Stay Unit, Perioperative Services and Maternity services.
Fiona Christensen brings extensive nursing skills to this important senior role, and her international experience in managing the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and larger healthcare services has been embraced by all her new colleagues.
She also brings a huge smile, a kind and compassionate soul, and a lovely Irish accent and wit.
Born in Ireland, Fiona qualified as a nurse in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and specialised in general and breast surgery before moving to Australia in 2006.
She worked at Alice Springs Hospital for 12 years, predominantly in Perioperative Services and Patient Flow Management and was most recently an Assistant Director of Nursing at Letterkenny University Hospital in County Donegal in Ireland – a hospital that treated patients with COVID-19 in the early days of the Pandemic.
“Everything I learnt there I’ve brought to Bass Coast Health. In Ireland, we unfortunately didn’t have vaccination rollout until December 2020 so our initial and subsequent outbreaks of COVID-19 in 2019 put immense pressure on the Irish healthcare system,” she said.
“We had a lot of COVID-19 presentations and we were the main receiving hospital. Our nearest tertiary facility was 3.5 hours away. Surgery stopped and we had significant pressure on our Acute services including the Intensive Care Unit. We are in a much better position at BCH with our vaccination levels both at BCH and in the community.
“With COVID, plans change on a daily basis. Being able to communicate to our treating teams is vitally important and so is the ability to be agile.”
Whilst Fiona is playing an important role in Bass Coast Health’s ongoing preparation for the Pandemic, she is most excited about the new Emergency Department and Operating Theatres that are being built within the Wonthaggi Hospital Expansion project.
“We will go from 6 cubicles in the current Emergency Department and 4 Short Stay beds, to 22 beds in the new Emergency Department and Short Stay Unit, plus a fast-track area and procedure room,” she said.
“Theatre and recovery space will grow from our current two theatres to four. We won’t know ourselves!”
Fiona has been off to a busy start, not just with the Pandemic, but in working through the tender processes for the furniture and fittings inside the new Emergency Department and Theatre Suite.
The teams have been reviewing models of care and developing robust policies and procedures to help them transition smoothly to the new facility.
Along with her Australian husband and three children, Fiona has relocated to South Gippsland to be close to her husband’s family.
“I am really pleased to be working as part of the BCH team as we increase the services we offer to our local community,” she said.
“Bass Coast Health is at a really exciting time of development, and more than that, is truly committed to providing kind, excellent care. This is definitely something that aligns with me personally; it’s what I thrive on,” she said.
The Wonthaggi Hospital Expansion is progressing on time, and on budget, and our current Emergency Department is busier than ever.