When Registered Nurse Toni Green walks through the doors of Logan Hospital’s refurbished Mental Health Ward 2C, she feels a sense of pride in being part of the project team that supported the refurbishment to help strengthen the alignment between clinical needs and infrastructure delivery.
As an Enrolled Nurse in the Mental Health Unit at the time, Toni was invited to join the Logan Hospital Expansion Operational Commissioning team as a Clinical Liaison Officer. Her role provided lived experience and frontline insights to working in the mental health wards, directly informing and guiding the construction approach in a live clinical environment.
“It’s not every day someone gets to say they had input into a brand-new mental health ward as a floor nurse,” Toni said. “It’s been such a rewarding experience to be part of both the Logan Expansion Team and now, as a Registered Nurse, part of the team working in the finished space.”
Working on a live ward presented unique challenges, namely balancing construction with ongoing patient care, but Toni said the collaborative approach made it work.
“My role was to advocate for both staff and patients,” she explained.
“Building within a live ward environment can be tricky and difficult at the best of times. The liaison position was incredibly important for safety, communication, and ensuring the works were as minimally disruptive as possible.”
Through this experience, Toni gained insight into the project process and discovered a new appreciation for hospital design.
“This role was an eye-opener into how major projects come together,” she said.
“It required an incredible amount of planning and organisation, but it all paid off when we saw the new spaces come to life.”
Now that the refurbished wards are open, Toni said the changes were already making a difference for both patients and staff.
“The new spaces are calm and welcoming with the natural light that filters through the bedrooms, the soft wood furnishings, the spacious staff station — it all helps create a sense of safety and comfort,” she said.
“These purpose-built mental health environments make a real difference. They help patients feel respected and supported in their recovery, while also giving staff a much better space to work in. It’s uplifting for everyone.”
The completion of the refurbished 2C Mental Health Ward marks a major milestone — the official completion of the Logan Hospital Expansion Stage 1 (LHEX1) program.
Commencing in 2018, LHEX1 has delivered transformative improvements across the campus, including new and refurbished inpatient wards, a vertical expansion above the Emergency Department, and upgraded clinical and support facilities. In total, the program has added more than 200 new beds and treatment spaces, significantly boosting capacity for the growing Logan community.
“It’s amazing to see how far Logan Hospital has come and it is special to know I played a small part in helping create a space that will make a difference for so many.”