For Kaylene Chetham, dignity has been more than a principle—it’s been the cornerstone of a 25-year nursing career devoted to compassionate care and improving the patient journey.
As a clinical nurse consultant in Patient Flow and Access Services at Mackay Base Hospital, Kaylene’s path into nursing was anything but conventional.
A self-described "late bloomer", she didn’t find her calling until after she had children, when she began working in Toowoomba as a diversional therapist.
“I started in aged care while my kids were little and I found it incredibly rewarding,” Kaylene said.
She went on to earn her Certificate IV in Diversional Therapy and took on a role at Laidley Nursing Home, organising meaningful activities for residents, particularly those with dementia.
“It was very rewarding and I developed a lot of knowledge about aged care and the importance of dignity and quality of life.”
Moving to Mackay in 2003 and with no diversional therapy roles available, Kaylene took a job as a cleaner at Mackay Base Hospital. But it proved transformative.
“Walking the wards here and talking to nurses, I realised that nursing is what I wanted to do; to truly help people,” she said.
She studied nursing while working full-time in the Mental Health Unit as a recreational officer and graduated in 2008, taking on a post-grad position in the Emergency Department at Mackay Base Hospital, where she stayed for a decade.
“I loved working in the ED for the fact that you always had to think on your feet,” she said.
“You see patients at the most vulnerable time of their lives when they really need your support.
“It takes a lot of skill, knowledge and time to separate yourself from the presentation of the patient, especially in a trauma, to then implement and provide the right care and treatment.
“No two days are ever the same.”
Kaylene then took on a project role as nurse manager for Rural Step Down, originally a six-month role which turned into a nine-year tenure building pathways for rural patients to receive care closer to home.
“I developed the role to ensure rural patients had a voice about their care, that we provide them with correct health literature and support and to ensure that I could be that necessary bridge in their patient journey between the Mackay Base Hospital and our rural sites,” she said.
“This also helped free up hospital beds in Mackay and utilised rural beds for rural patients.”
Her dedicated care was recognised when she was presented with the Mackay HHS Chief Executive’s Award in 2021, honouring her work in improving the rural patient journey and building vital partnerships across disciplines.
Earlier this year, Kaylene took on a challenge of a 90-day “No Delay” project with Patient Flow to streamline discharge processes. This work also helped ensure patients had a safe, supported transition out of the hospital and improved access to the Transit Care Hub.
Now, in another natural career progression, she’s leading a new initiative that speaks to the heart of her career-long mission: restoring dignity in the patient journey.
As the project clinical nurse consultant for End PJ Paralysis, Kaylene is spearheading the local campaign to help patients get up, get dressed and get moving. It aims to encourage patients to get out of bed and dressed in their clothes and where able, start walking.
“End PJ Paralysis is about restoring a patient’s independence and dignity; patients should still feel independent and nurses can help support that by encouraging day clothes instead of pyjamas, as well as movement and interaction,” she said.
“End PJ Paralysis is a mindset change – hospital doesn’t have to mean stuck in bed. We want the opposite, for those suitable patients to get up and take charge of their health.”
The project involves ongoing staff, patient and visitor education as well as roadshows to rural sites. The ultimate goal is reduced length of stay, preventing falls and improved patient morale.
Outcomes will be tracked through data, mobility observations and patient feedback, both before and after admission, Kaylene said.
After two recent staff workshops, the initiative will also be presented at Grand Rounds and the upcoming Clinical Advisory Panel meeting in August.
With additional support from ‘champions’ in wards and at rural sites, Kaylene hopes the program will help embed dignity and independence back into the patient journey.
“It’s back to basics nursing—getting patients out of bed, out of hospital gowns and back to feeling more like themselves,” she said.
“We want to take the ‘sick’ out of the hospital. Dignity can be the first step in healing.”