Janine Bignell
Eat Walk Engage Multi Professional Assistant
How long have you been with WBHHS?
4 years
How do you describe what you do?
My job is to encourage patients to eat, walk, and engage while on the Med 3 ward. The program aims to help prevent delirium and functional decline by providing meaningful engagement and by educating patients about everyday practices like sitting out of bed for all meals, mobilising as able and exercising their brain. This can shorten their recovery time (and get them home sooner!)
What’s best about your job?
I get to make meaningful connections with my patients and spend time with them to see and value them as more than a sum of their diagnosis but as someone who’s lived and had experiences, and that is communicated via EWE tools to staff interacting with patient to help that patient feel like a person.
What was your path into health care?
I began as a Physiotherapy Assistant following 7 years as a specialist teachers aid at a local primary school.
What does being part of a team mean to you?
It’s a major reason I come to work. I enjoy having a sense of belonging. It’s very important.
When you’re not at work, you are…
Taking time out for me. That can look like watching the kids play sport, socialising, reading a good book or enjoying our coastline
What do you enjoy about living in Wide Bay?
The coastal areas and opportunity for fun and adventure
Tell us a fun fact about you.
I can make balloon animals... the patients love them, so do the staff. Haha!
What song are you listening to most right now?
Anything that motivates me to exercise.