Hervey Bay Hospital Enrolled Nurse, Teryl Hodges couldn’t stand the sight of watching the surgical courtyard go unused any longer.
What started with a few plant cuttings has now, after much work turned into a quiet oasis including handmade pottery ornaments and a water feature.
Teryl said she was motivated by wanting to have a place for her colleges to decompress and be happy.
“Surgical ward can be such a full-on stressful place to be so I just started bringing cuttings and things from my garden and from there it just grew and grew and grew,” she said.
“The whole team has been really proactive and we have all benefitted from making it beautiful.
“It’s really bringing our team together and allowing us to focus on good things.”
Surgical Nurse Unit Manager, Diane van de Velde said the project powered by staff wellness has had a huge impact on morale.
“Now you can disconnect from what is happening in the workplace and certainly people are coming back refreshed from their break,” she said.
“Now when you come out here it gives you a moment to step away from clinical environment, which is really good.”