50 years for RBWH PSO Keith Griffin

It’s the year 1975. While many of his future team members are yet to be born, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Patient Support Officer (PSO) Keith Griffin is busy earning his stripes as a ‘wardie’ at the tender age of 19.

Today, Keith is being celebrated for his 50-year dedication to the hospital and the wealth of knowledge and experience he provides to his team and patients.

PSOs are a vital piece of the RBWH puzzle, providing non-clinical support to patients and staff, transporting patients to their various appointments throughout the hospital, and helping with patient care tasks.

“My father worked as a wardsman at RBWH in his days, and I was working on the railway lines. He said to me ‘why work outside in the sun when you could be indoors?’. So, I applied for a job at the Royal and have never looked back,” Keith said.

“Over the years I’ve worked in a range of different areas including emergency, theatre, and orthopaedics.

“The orthopaedics area was particularly interesting because there are many different kinds of patients, and they often like to chat to you about the accident that brought them to hospital. It’s good being able to offer a listening ear.

“Some of our patients are regulars so you really get to know them. I’ve seen some patients so many times that I know their coffee order off by heart!”

Over the past 50 years, Keith has seen many changes across the hospital.

“Back in the day, there was no lifting equipment to help us move patients around, so we had to be very strong to manually lift them. Now, the equipment helps make our jobs easier and more efficient, and more comfortable for the patients,” he said.

“We used to have to wear these khaki uniforms that were always full of starch when you got them back from the laundry. The present-day uniforms are much better.

“The PSO team has also grown a lot since I started and there are many new faces.”

RBWH Manager Patient Support Services Kate Kneubuhler said Keith’s 50 years of service is nothing short of extraordinary.

“It’s a rare and remarkable milestone and it really speaks to Keith’s loyalty, work ethic and pride in what he does,” Kate said.

“Keith has an enormous amount of knowledge — not just about how things are done, but why they’re done a certain way. He’s the kind of person people turn to when they’ve got questions or need help navigating something tricky. That kind of quiet leadership is so valuable, especially for newer staff.

“He also really understands the impact PSOs have on patients and the rest of the team, and he takes that responsibility seriously.

“It’s a real privilege to have him on the team — he brings a sense of history and heart to the place. We’re lucky to have him.”

When reflecting on the sliding doors moment when he chose between continuing to work on the railway or working as a PSO at RBWH, Keith is very happy he made the decision he did.

“The air conditioning is a real perk of the job,” he said.