After four decades in nursing, Mary Weglowski has marked a major milestone at Princess Alexandra Hospital, reflecting on a career that’s taken her from midwifery to intensive care, and eventually to finding her passion in cardiac care.
Mary, who is now a Clinical Nurse in the Heart, Lung, Critical Care Heart Recovery team, began her training in the 80s and has worked across a wide range of clinical areas including surgical and medical wards, Pulmonary Hypertension service, Smoking Cessation clinic, neonatal intensive care, ICU, coronary care and community nursing.
For the past 16 years she’s been a key part of the Heart Recovery Service which is a nurse-led, multidisciplinary team supporting patients with chronic and complex cardiac conditions.
“I love nursing. I find it a privilege that patients open up to you and trust you with their health,” Mary said.
The Heart Recovery Service offers tailored, holistic support for patients through in-person and telephone assessments, medication optimisation, and exercise programs. The team also provides home visits, psychosocial assessments, and links to community care.
“It’s not just about giving patients information; it’s about assessing whether they’re able to self-manage their health conditions. We look at the whole person; their mental health, emotional support, and financial situation,” she said.
Reducing unplanned hospital re-admissions is a major focus of the service, particularly for patients with chronic heart failure. Mary said the team tracks monthly data and consistently outperforms national benchmarks.
“It’s rewarding to know we’re making a real difference, that what we’re doing is working.”
Earlier in her role in Heart Recovery Service, Mary also delivered outreach education to nurses in rural and remote communities including Roma, Chinchilla and Cherbourg.
“We’d visit and run workshops to educate nurses in those areas on how to assess and manage chronic heart failure. It was a great opportunity to share knowledge and build relationships,” she said.
Although she’s worked in most public hospitals across Brisbane, Mary said the PAH has always stood out for its positive culture and strong focus on professional development.
“There’s so much more opportunity to grow here. That’s something I didn’t experience in the private sector. I always came back to PAH.”
Mary said the introduction of the Magnet Recognition Program® had also strengthened the hospital’s culture, particularly around flexibility and staff retention.
“I was here before and after Magnet, and the change was noticeable. It helped the hospital focus on supporting staff, especially for people like me returning to work after having children.”
As she reflects on 40 years in nursing, Mary said it's the connection to patients and her team that continues to inspire her.
“I’ve done a lot, but I still love it. This is a great team, and the culture here is so supportive. That’s what’s kept me going.”