Registered Nurse Courtney Richardson has been recognised with QEII Hospital's quarterly Partnering with Consumers Award for her commitment to improving person-centred care through the ongoing What Matters Most? research project.
The project focuses on enhancing dialogue between patients and healthcare teams by encouraging clinicians to ask a simple but powerful question: What matters most to you?
"I think it is helping patients be involved in their care through meaningful conversations," she said.
"It's helping centre them in their own care, encouraging them to think about their health and wellbeing and focus on getting better. It's a great conversation starter for most patients, and when patients are unable to respond, family members can also be involved, which is brilliant."
Courtney said she became involved in the project after responding to a call for participants from her Nurse Unit Manager.
"I had already started a similar quality improvement project related to patient bedside boards and thought it would be a great initiative to get behind and be involved with on behalf of our ward," she said.
She said one patient interaction in particular highlighted the value of the initiative.
"I had a patient who was experiencing a lot of pain and told me that having their pain relief on time was what mattered most to them," Courtney said.
"It led to a great conversation about their care and recovery. I was able to hand this information over and speak with the treating team, as it hadn't come up previously because the patient had been admitted overnight. The patient later thanked me for asking the question."
Courtney joined QEII Hospital in January 2023, bringing with her a decade of experience as a GP and community nurse.
Her passion for nursing began at a young age while helping care for her grandfather, who was living with a chronic leg wound.
"I cared for my grandfather when I was about nine years old and the nurses were all really great," Courtney said.
"I wanted to be like them and care for people. Nursing also offers great flexibility and a diversity of roles that can adapt throughout your working life."
Courtney said the supportive culture on Ward 4A is one of the things she enjoys most about working at QEII.
"Working with our wonderful nurses and our NUM Nick is the best part of my job," she said.
"We have a diverse team across all age groups and we all get along so well. We support each other, which helps us provide the best possible care for our patients."
She also acknowledged the support of the What Matters Most? research team.
"It's a pleasure working with Ruth Cox, Jayne Hewitt and Emma Molesworth on the project," Courtney said.
"I'm hoping it continues to spread because it's a great initiative."