A lifetime dedicated to caring for others
Katrina Kalmar retires after 42 years as a nurse
After 42 years of nursing, Katrina Kalmar is retiring, ending a remarkable career spent entirely within Metro North Health.
Now Nursing Director Patient Access and Clinical Effectiveness at Caboolture Hospital, Katrina’s journey into nursing began long before she put on a uniform.
Growing up, she was often found helping care for family members, whether it was removing splinters from her carpenter father’s hands after a long day at work or assisting her grandfather around the house when cataracts affected his vision.
“My mum always knew I was destined to be a nurse,” Katrina said.
In fact, it was her mother who took the first step, applying on Katrina’s behalf for hospital-based nurse training.
“She only told me when I had an interview date,” Katrina said with a laugh.
Katrina began her nursing career in 1984 as a student nurse at Royal Brisbane Hospital, where she spent the next 28 years developing her clinical and leadership expertise.
Her first role as a registered nurse was on the Plastics and Maxillofacial Ward, where Katrina quickly gained invaluable experience caring for patients with complex wounds, major head and neck surgeries, trauma injuries and reconstructive procedures.
“For the first year of my nursing life, I was the dressings nurse,” she said.
“Every day I moved from patient to patient caring for wounds, muscle flaps and skin grafts. It taught me so much about patient care and attention to detail.”
Her passion for the specialty saw her eventually become Nurse Unit Manager of the ward, a role she describes as her first love in nursing.
As her career progressed, Katrina’s focus shifted towards patient flow and access, an area that defined the next 25 years of her professional life.
Following the birth of her children, she became the first Surgical Bed Manager at Royal Brisbane Hospital, pioneering a role that would shape her future career pathway.
Katrina went on to hold several senior leadership positions, including Assistant Nursing Director at Royal Brisbane Hospital, Nursing Director at Metro North Patient Access Coordination Hub and, most recently, Nursing Director Patient Access and Clinical Effectiveness at Caboolture, Kilcoy and Woodford.
Katrina has witnessed significant change over four decades.
“Nursing has grown into a much more professional career with far more opportunities for advancement and professional growth,” she said.
“At the same time, the demands and complexity of our roles have increased enormously.”
Throughout her career, Katrina has remained committed to ensuring patients receive timely access to the care they need, while supporting teams to navigate the ever-changing demands of the health system.
As retirement approaches, Katrina is looking forward to a slower pace of life, no longer kept awake puzzling out patient flow.
Instead, she plans to spend her time travelling, decluttering the house and enjoying more time with her beloved dogs.
Katrina leaves behind a lasting legacy of leadership, innovation and dedication to patient care.
The Caboolture, Kilcoy and Woodford community thanks Katrina for her extraordinary contribution to Metro North Health and wishes her all the best for a well-earned retirement.