8 February 2024
Meet Deborah Sullivan, Clinical Care Manager at Regis Elermore Vale.
Deborah started with Regis in June 2023, bringing 20 years of nursing experience. Her career has been varied and covers specialised areas and topics, enabling her to offer a wealth of valuable knowledge to the Regis Elermore Vale team.
After completing her graduate program, Deborah moved to London and worked in major hospitals where she specialised in respiratory and cardiology care. In 2005 she was chosen to work with Active Health Partners which provides integrated solutions for the management of employee absence and occupational health for major government organisations.
On returning to Australia, Deborah spent the next decade working as a Registered Nurse in major hospitals and rural community health centres, focusing on cardiology, chronic disease management and palliative care.
In 2013 Deborah completed her advanced nursing specialty in diabetes which allowed her to work with non-government organisations and primary health and enabled her to create her own diabetes education practice.
Today Deborah has her sights set on helping Regis achieve the best possible performance against the regulatory standards.
“What drew me to aged care at this stage of my career was the challenge and privilege of implementing the reforms from the Royal Commission,” Deborah said. “I knew I had the skills, experience and drive to be able to support aged care make the shifts required.”
Deborah prioritises consistently identifying and addressing the unique needs of residents and families, recognising these vary.
“People’s needs and preferences change over time,” she said. “I use my clinical skills, including observation, to understand and predict where the resident’s overall health is along the trajectory.”
“This richness of data allows me to anticipate and prepare for what the physical, emotional and psychological narratives are and what supports they will need.”
Keeping families involved in the care process of their loved ones is also important to Deborah.
“Being able to spend time with members of the family and providing an opportunity to explore what this means both when their loved one is well and when they are not,” Deborah said. “Having patience and commitment is vital.”
Collaboration with the wider Regis team is crucial to ensure timely, holistic care for residents and clients.
“Looking after 120 residents you rely on the input and expertise of all department managers to ensure that every aspect of care is acknowledged and to discuss things that may be happening for a resident, wing or the entire Home.”
And for Deborah, her favourite aspect of working with her Regis colleagues: “The commitment to care, compassion and creating meaningful experiences every day.”
