Ward Administration Service Professional Tina Balfour is proud to work at RBWH!

On 6 May, RBWH celebrated our incredible administration staff who play a vital role in the day-to-day running of the hospital for Administrative Professionals Day.

Admin staff were treated to a sweet treat to say thank you for their hard work, as well as some fun facts about the importance of administrative roles.

Ward Administration Service Professional Tina Balfour has been working in the administration team at RBWH for 44 years and is proud of the important role she plays.

“I finished grade 12 in 1977 – a time of high interest rates and wide-spread unemployment. I was looking for a full-time administration role – it was a very competitive environment and every job I applied for had hundreds of applicants,” Tina said.

“Through hard work and a stroke of luck, I managed to secure a job at the Royal Brisbane Hospital (now RBWH) as a ward clerical assistant.

“I received just one day of training before commencing my role in a busy ward. It was like being in an alien world where everyone spoke a whole new language.

“Luckily for me, the sister in charge took me under her wing and taught me everything she knew. Most of the staff were friendly, but as it was a new role, there were some staff who thought a clinical area was no place for an admin officer.”

Things have changed significantly since then, with admin officers now playing a central role in the running of all RBWH wards!

Tina said the introduction of computers was a big learning curve for admin officers and the hospital as a whole.

“We had to move everything from being paper-based to a digital format when HIBISCUS was introduced in 1989.

“It was a huge process, but I picked it up relatively quickly and eventually became a ‘train the trainer’. I even demonstrated the system to the Queensland Premier at the time, Wayne Goss.”

Overall, Tina says she has thoroughly enjoyed her time working in administration at RBWH.

“Whenever someone asks me what I do for work, I’m so proud to say I work at RBWH as an admin officer,” she said.

“I would encourage anyone thinking about an admin career to go for it! The opportunities are immense and the diversity of the roles available makes it a great career move.

“What we do is very, very important.”