It was a milestone moment at Ward 4A as the team celebrated their first birthday on 27 November, but a peek inside the unit’s first year tells a much bigger story of resilience, teamwork, and exceptional patient care.
The brand new 28-bed General Medicine Unit officially welcomed its first patient on Monday 27 November 2023, marking the dawn of a new era of care at QEII ahead of major expansion works set to nearly double the hospital’s capacity by 2027.
The historical opening brought more than just a new clinical space to QEII – it also welcomed an entirely fresh team of nurses to its quarters, with inaugural Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) Nick Delaney at the helm.
Balancing infectious diseases, a days-long ward lockdown and some of the hospital’s most complex cases, the new team braved every challenge the year could throw at them with a united front while providing exceptional care to a remarkable 1,281 patients.
Through thick and thin, Nick says it was the team’s exemplary commitment to their patients and each other that heralds their success as a unit.
“Today gives the team a great sense of achievement after a challenging and rewarding year,” he said.
“I’m a big believer in our staff being our greatest asset. If we have happy staff who love what they do, feel empowered and valued and enjoy coming to work, this filters down to great patient care and ultimately achieves great patient outcomes.”
While they celebrate the year that was, the team look forward to a new year of learning and growing together.
“4A is now one of the leading units in many of our National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards across the organisation, with a positive team culture that staff love to be a part of.
“I’m really proud of this team and how far we’ve come in just twelve months,” said Nick.
Clinical Nurse Joshua Simmons-Bliss echoed the sentiment on behalf of the nursing team.
“I cannot overstate what a positive ward culture we have. Nick has been a very supportive manager of not just myself but the other nurses on this ward as well, and it's made a world of difference to me and my colleagues,” he said.
Congratulations to the 4A team and thank you for your dedication to supporting the QEII community.