Lynette is helping restore vision in rural and remote Indigenous communities

Lynette has been a theatre nurse at STARS since the facility opened in 2019. She brings her wealth of experience to the theatre team at STARS, including in ophthalmology.

“I love the friendship and professionalism in our STARS operating theatre staff, it really makes for a great working environment,” she said.

In addition to her role at STARS, Lynette has also been a long-term employee at the Brisbane Day Surgery, formerly the Queensland Eye Hospital, working there for the past 26 years.

“Eye health is a long-term passion of mine. To know you have played some part in restoring a patient’s eyesight is very rewarding.

“For a patient to be able to see again properly makes such a difference to their life.”

Lynette also works in improving eye health both nationally and internationally, by providing nursing support to a number of eye health initiatives across the globe.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be involved as a clinical consultant and an ophthalmic nurse in Australia and abroad, including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Kenya,” she said.

Lynette has recently returned from assisting as a theatre nurse for an indigenous eye clinic in Weipa, run by Vanguard Health as part of the Indigenous and Remote Eye Health Service (IRIS). IRIS delivers eye care and eye surgery directly to communities in remote and rural Australia to help address preventable vision loss caused by cataracts.

“The April Weipa clinic completed 22 cataract surgeries for patients who travelled from Aurukun and the Cooktown region.”

“One of the patients, an artist, shared how having the surgery will allow her to continue her creative work. She was so grateful for the difference the surgery has made to her independence and quality of life.

“Being part of the eye clinics is my way of giving back to the community and is an expression of my faith. Working in these remote communities also makes you appreciate what you have.”

Lynette’s amazing work in improving people’s eye health was recognised with a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2019 Australia Day Honours List.
“Receiving the award was a huge privilege and I was very proud to be recognised.”

When Lynette is not working at STARS or in a remote eye clinic, she likes walking, gardening and kayaking.