Deb Spry’s invaluable contribution to the development of paediatric services at Bundaberg Hospital has been praised by her colleagues as she farewelled her team after a 44-year career.
Bundaberg Hospital paediatrician Dr Christopher Edwards, whose connection to the team goes back to his time as a junior doctor in the unit, reflected on the influence and impact Deb had made on staff, children and their families.
“Deb has been an amazing role model to so many nurses and doctors over her time as NUM (nurse unit manager) of the paediatric ward,” Christopher said.
“She has always put the child at the centre of our mission and fostered a collegial environment ensuring nursing and medical staff worked hand-in-hand to provide the best outcomes for patients.
“And when Deb got an idea of how to improve the service in her head, she was virtually impossible to derail. She was able to recruit staff quickly to her cause and was inevitably correct in her opinions.”
Deb served as the NUM of the Bundaberg Hospital Paediatrics Unit from the mid-1990s until this year. While she had stops along the way in Alice Springs, Adelaide, Thursday Island, Cairns and Brisbane - her links to Bundaberg Hospital go back further.
“I did my basic nursing training at the Bundaberg Base Hospital. My grandmother and her sister were nurses there in the 1930s,” Deb said.
“After I finished training, I went to Alice Springs for 12 or 13 months and I worked in the paediatric unit there. After that I went to community up in Cairns where I was based out of Thursday Island and we had three islands that we travelled to.
“One of the islands was only about five kilometres from Papua New Guinea. We supplied the general clinical care, while anyone who needed something that was bit more dramatic got flown into Thursday Island, or Cairns if it was a retrieval.
“It was a lot of fun (working up there) and something that was pretty different. Then I went to Gayndah Hospital before coming back to Bundaberg Hospital to do my maternity in 1985.”
Following maternity training, Deb spent time in Adelaide undergoing paediatrics training and at Brisbane hospitals – including time undertaking special care nursery training. While she had these early stints in other areas of nursing, Deb was always particularly drawn to paediatrics.
“It was either paediatrics or emergency when I started training - I wanted hands on work - but I did midwifery and special care for that overall view with pregnancy, birthing and all the issues that go with that as well,” Deb said.
“After I'd been to Alice, I figured out that paediatrics was where I was wanting to head, but after I finished my training I had about 10 years where I wasn’t in Bundaberg much, except when I came back for midwifery, and I was just off travelling around Australia.
While back at Bundaberg Hospital early 1990s Deb was approached by a colleague to step into a position that she held for the best part of 30 years.
“I was back in the paediatric unit at Bundaberg Hospital when the ICU NUM, which was next door and running both ICU and paeds, asked if I wanted to take on the paediatric NUM position and I said yes,” Deb said.
While there have been many changes over the years in structures, policy and training, according to Deb the core focus of nursing and of paediatric care has remained the same.
“Change doesn’t really affect the staff on the floor with regards to your patients. As a nurse we do our job, which is looking after your patients, their families and your staff,” she said.
“You need to look after your staff, if you don’t have staff then you don’t have people to look after the families. Staff need to be trained about the important things in nursing which is communication, body language, empathy and how to look after all types of patients – oncology, palliative, respiratory.
“For us on the ground that’s our focus and we do our job to the best of our ability to provide the best possible care to our patients.”
Paediatric nursing colleague Narelle Hills said the imprint Deb had left was a lasting one thanks to her fierce advocacy for children, families and staff of all professional streams.
“She always has strongly believed that we had to deliver the best possible care. To achieve this Deb supported staff with their educational needs and was a great supporter succession planning,” Narelle said.
“Deb was very passionate about delivering care which was sustainable and ensuring as much care as possible was delivered locally - hence she saw the introduction of close observation beds within the unit which enabled very ill patients to stay closer to home rather than be transferred to Brisbane.
“The introduction of the regional manager for paediatric oncology, haematology, palliative service and the connected care service were supported by Deb. These two services have streamlined the service with the Queensland Children’s Hospital teams and patients, decreasing the amount of travel times to Brisbane and allowing more treatments to be given in Bundaberg.”
Narelle added that Deb was well known for her distraction techniques during procedures which included “delighting the children with her kookaburra and rooster call impersonations.
Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Debbie Carroll praised Deb for her significant contribution to Bundaberg Hospital, focus on patient safety and leadership of the paediatric team.
“Throughout her 44 years of service to the hospital, Deb has always focused on improving paediatric services for the community. Deb has constantly strived towards improving patient safety and quality and building a strong team of dedicated staff,” Ms Carroll said.
“Deb has truly been the shining light in delivering quality paediatric care to our communities. We will miss Deb, but we wish her all the best for her well-deserved retirement.”
Colleagues describe the Deb and former long-serving clinical director Dr Judy Williams as a formidable duo whose joint leadership would remain an influence on the team for many years to come. Deb also reflected on that partnership when speaking to the Wave.
“The communication link is always strong with the doctors. When we train our nurses we empower them so they’re the child and the family’s advocate and if they don't feel that it's right they’re empowered to tell the doctor (junior) and if needed to call a paediatrician,” she said.
“That communication and working partnership between nurses, patients, families, doctors, paediatricians works really well. That's something that Judy and I pushed early on and we maintained it throughout the whole period of time that we've been there.”
Another highlight of Deb’s career was the ongoing contribution she and her colleagues make to the lives of local families.
“I have people who I have nursed their babies back in special care who still come up to me in shopping centres and they say that baby I nursed is 20 now or that she’s now got so many kids,” Deb said.
“That’s rewarding in itself that you know - you don't need the hospital to give you feedback as the patient’s family will give you feedback.”
Deb now plans to enjoy her retirement including time with family and travel. The Wave and the entire Wide Bay HHS team wish her the very best.