After 55 remarkable years in health, PA Hospital nurse and researcher Dr Letitia Burridge Ph.D. is exchanging research for retirement, leaving a legacy of person-centred care and an inspired career journey in the PAH tapestry.
Letitia’s passion for health first bloomed in 1970, when she entered the PA hospital-based training program as a student nurse.
“Over the three-year training program, we gradually climbed our way up to being fluids nurse, treatment nurse, and finally the senior nurse on duty who dispensed medications,” she explained.
By 1974, Letitia had completed midwife training in Melbourne, before returning to Brisbane where she would flourish as a post-anaesthetic nurse for the next two decades and claim her degree.
“Around 1990, opportunities emerged for RNs to upgrade their hospital certificate to a university degree. In 1994, I completed a Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) degree,” she said.
Her deep craving for understanding the patient journey soon led Letitia to a Masters in Public Health (1999), and by 2009 she had claimed her Ph.D.
Advancing from Research Assistant to Research Fellow, Letitia thrived at The Hopkins Centre, where her prior frontline expertise informed a keen interest in understanding the patient experience within the context of chronic health, long-term disability, and end-of-life care, inspiring over 40 peer-reviewed journal papers, reports and blogs.
Underpinning her practise over the years was Letitia’s deep desire to advance patient-centred healthcare for vulnerable patients.
“The most fulfilling part of any research I've been involved in, is the people. Whether they’re people with a disability, or people with a nursing qualification or some other discipline, they’re all precious and valuable to me. If you have the opportunity, why not try and make a difference for people?
“To me, the partnership with The Hopkins Centre is about partnering with health professionals and with people with disability to change the world. It’s necessary to have partnerships like that,” she said.
After more than half a century, Letitia's remarkable contributions to developing clinical care, research, and learning materials have laid milestones toward advancing meaningful change to person-centred healthcare.
As she said goodbye to her PAH colleagues this June, Letitia reflected fondly on the hospital where her career journey came full circle.
“In retiring from PAH campus, I now close the chapter on my 55-year health career in the place where it began. Nursing skills have been a great asset in my 15+ years as a researcher, and exercising a desire for professional excellence has been immensely satisfying.”
Thank you for your lifelong commitment to supporting the patient journey, Letitia, and we wish you a happy retirement.