Falelua and Caitlin

Luana is undertaking a Masters of Nursing at the Queensland University of Technology. She has worked for the past five years as a registered nurse with the Samoan National Health Service, where she also served as an executive member of the Samoa Nursing Association.

Luana is excited to be connected with an Australia woman mentor, and with other Women's Leadership Initiative participants, and to develop her own leadership networks and capabilities. Upon her return to Samoa, Luana plans to use her newfound technical and leadership skills to implement a formal training program for operating theatre nurses. At present there is no formal theatre nursing education available in Samoa, with nurses instead relying on informal peer-to-peer training to learn these critical skills.

Luana is also actively involved in her community, and sees great opportunities for her to exercise leadership and support positive change amongst the LGBTI and other disadvantaged groups upon her return.

Internship

In November 2018, Luana undertook a month-long nursing placement at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. This experience has given her the opportunity to observe day-to-day clinical and operational functions of an Australian hospital's perioperative services department, and include a practical component to her Australian tertiary education.

Caitlin is a registered nurse. She has extensive hands-on experience working in operating theatres, and brings an in- depth understanding of the Australian College of Operating Room Nursing standards to her mentoring role.

Caitlin has been employed at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital for the past decade, undertaking a wide range of duties including formally supporting new staff members and student nurses in the theatre space. In addition to her practice-based position, Caitlin has worked as Clinical Facilitator supporting undergraduate student nurses as part of the Queensland University of Technology's Career Mentoring Scheme.