Meet Clinical Nurse Manager of the Wesley Emergency Department, Fiona Frew who has been working at the Wesley Hospital since she moved here from Melbourne in 1997.

“When I first came to Brisbane I had two small children and my husband worked away so I picked up shifts at The Wesley Hospital through agency work,” Fiona said.

“The Wesley was a nice place to work and was very family friendly so I took on casual shifts and then had my third child, by the time they started school I was able to take on a permanent position.

“I worked all around the hospital in the critical care areas including emergency, coronary care, IV cannulation, intensive care unit and critical care which I really enjoyed.”

Fiona explains in nursing each day is exciting and different and she enjoys taking care of a diverse range of patients from all walks of life.  

“I have been managing the Wesley Emergency Centre for the past four years and it has been an incredible experience, the staff here are so supportive of each other,” Fiona said.

“One of the highlights of my time in the Emergency Centre was last year when we won the Full Circle Award for our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was fantastic to be recognised in this way.

“I really enjoy working here, we have access to Executive Leaders when we need to and they are always out the floors with us, we feel supported.”

Director of Clinical Services Cheryl Clayton said that Fiona was an exceptional nurse who had led her team through the most challenging times over the past three years of the pandemic.

“Her leadership and dedication are truly inspiring, I am in awe of her ability to remain calm and focused in the face of such unprecedented challenges that she has faced in her career here at The Wesley,” Cheryl said.

“Not only is she an exceptional nurse who provides top quality care to her patients each and every day but she is an amazing leader who goes above and beyond to support her team to navigate difficult situations.

“I feel incredibly lucky to have her work in our hospital and I know I speak for our entire hospital team when I say that we are grateful for her hard work and unwavering commitment to patient care.”