Ms Lua, who started at Panch Day Surgery Centre as a casual nurse when Covid hit, says Vision Hospital Group has offered her a wonderful work-life balance, while being incredibly supportive of her career development.
‘We used to have a lot of agency nurses when I first started. As our team became more stable, no one wanted to leave – including me! After a stint as Panch’s first ANUM, I was encouraged to step outside my comfort zone and progress to a leadership role.
‘The level of support and coaching in non-clinical areas – finance, quality, HR, leadership, marketing – is more than I could ever imagine. When I wanted to run a second ophthalmic theatre, they purchased another microscope and Centurion phaco machine for me. Their confidence in me spoke volumes, and it wasn’t long before both theatres were humming along.’
Now, Kila gets to show the same support and guidance for her own team at Panch every day.
‘Everyone loves coming to Panch – staff, surgeons and patients. VMOs operate here to have their own dedicated specialist ophthalmic theatre team. For them, it’s simply walk in, gown up, scrub up and start their list. In the meantime, we’re having a laugh with the patients.’
Earlier this year, Ms Lua discovered All Health Training – a registered training organisation based in the same complex as Panch Day Surgery.
‘With Vision Hospital Group’s support, we organised a partnership where students can complete their mandatory industry placement with us before they graduate as healthcare assistants. It’s a great way to give back to the local community and profession, while the extra set of hands takes pressure off our nurses. Many of our patients are elderly and enjoy chatting with the students.
‘In keeping with our culture of collaboration and learning, I’ll be speaking about the value of healthcare assistants in an ophthalmic setting at the upcoming 2023 Australian Ophthalmic Nurses’ Association Conference – an event that Vision Hospital Group is also sponsoring. We will then look to roll this across our sister day surgeries.’
‘Leadership begins with creating a positive, supportive workplace culture for your team to thrive in.’
