John Card

“The first involvement I had with St Andrew’s Toowoomba Hospital was in 1980, at ten years of age visiting my father who was ill. I clearly remember his private room, the door labeled ‘Chronicle Ward’, with a single hand basin, a large mirror and large metal louvres that opened onto a small porch.

“At age ten, many aspects of life pass us by, but during this period I was captivated byt the caring nature of the staff. I would follow Don the wardsman and some of the nurses around, emptying the linen and rubbish bags, mopping floors and helping to push trolleys, trying to find out why they cared so much and did the things they did for others. I can see some 35 years later that the special professional, caring and commitment aspects of St Andrew’s staff have not altered.

“I went on to train as a nurse myself. After completing my enrolled nurse training at St Vincent’s Hospital Toowoomba, I gained work at St Andrew’s. I was the only male nurse on the wards at the time and I continued to look up to the sisters and nurses I worked with, who taught me many things. I then completed my registered nurse training and USQ, but continued to work at St Andrew’s during my holiday breaks. I returned to St Andrew’s as a novice registered nurse, and my colleagues continually supported me to attempt clinical tasks and develop my skills. In the earlier years I was drawn deeply into palliative care nursing, but my focus drifted when I was allocated shifts in the high dependency unit.

“When the intensive care unit opened here at St Andrew’s in 2000, my speciality really began to flourish. As the current nurse unit manager of the ICA and the cardiac monitoring unit, I look forward each day to coming to work and being a part of this wonderful team.’