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31 minutes ago

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading,"

For Annette, a Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) at Kilcoy Hospital, these words - often attributed to Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu - align with her philosophy that destiny is not a matter of choice, but something we actively work towards.

It's now almost 15-years since Annette made the decision to change course and start her rural healthcare journey at Kilcoy Hospital. Over the years, she has been a Nurse Educator before taking up a permanent NUM role.

"Ours is a community hospital, with different flows of work," Annette said.

"This means that clinicians need to cover all the bases from treating patients with minor illnesses to those with life-threatening conditions."

Annette and her husband have called Kilcoy home since they met in 1987 and their family has grown significantly since then, with the addition of 8 grandchildren, including a set of twins.

"Outside of work, I care for the family as well as our farm and animals," Annette said.

"I have also recently taken up adult gymnastics, which is a hoot - I love doing handstands!" 🤸‍♀️
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If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading,

For Annette, a Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) at Kilcoy Hospital, these words - often attributed to Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu - align with her philosophy that destiny is not a matter of choice, but something we actively work towards. 

Its now almost 15-years since Annette made the decision to change course and start her rural healthcare journey at Kilcoy Hospital. Over the years, she has been a Nurse Educator before taking up a permanent NUM role.

Ours is a community hospital, with different flows of work, Annette said.

This means that clinicians need to cover all the bases from treating patients with minor illnesses to those with life-threatening conditions.

Annette and her husband have called Kilcoy home since they met in 1987 and their family has grown significantly since then, with the addition of 8 grandchildren, including a set of twins.

Outside of work, I care for the family as well as our farm and animals, Annette said.

I have also recently taken up adult gymnastics, which is a hoot - I love doing handstands! 🤸‍♀️
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/ metronorthhealth
Bathrooms with more bench space, additional hooks and a disposable bin in every cubicle. These may sound like small adjustments, but for people living with a stoma, they can make a big difference. 

To coincide with Stomal Therapy Awareness Week, RBWH this week opened its first stoma-friendly toilet to provide personal space and dignity for patients who would otherwise just 'make do'.

Patient Mel is one of more than 50,000 Australians living with a stoma - a surgically created opening in the abdomen that allows waste to be eliminated effectively.

"This is the first time I've seen a public toilet truly set up for people like me." she says.

"Changing or emptying a bag can be stressful. Regular cubicles just don't give you the space of surfaces needed to do this hygienically."

"I hope this is the start of a wider shift towards more inclusive and thoughtful design in public facilities."

The RBWH Stomal Therapy Team perform around 200 procedures each year for patients with various conditions including bowel cancer and diverticulitis.

More bathrooms at RBWH will be modified to make life easier for patients with a stoma soon.

Bathrooms with more bench space, additional hooks and a disposable bin in every cubicle. These may sound like small adjustments, but for people living with a stoma, they can make a big difference.

To coincide with Stomal Therapy Awareness Week, RBWH this week opened its first stoma-friendly toilet to provide personal space and dignity for patients who would otherwise just `make do`.

Patient Mel is one of more than 50,000 Australians living with a stoma - a surgically created opening in the abdomen that allows waste to be eliminated effectively.

"This is the first time I`ve seen a public toilet truly set up for people like me." she says.

"Changing or emptying a bag can be stressful. Regular cubicles just don`t give you the space of surfaces needed to do this hygienically."

"I hope this is the start of a wider shift towards more inclusive and thoughtful design in public facilities."

The RBWH Stomal Therapy Team perform around 200 procedures each year for patients with various conditions including bowel cancer and diverticulitis.

More bathrooms at RBWH will be modified to make life easier for patients with a stoma soon.
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