They’re not the people you see when you walk into a hospital. They’re not at the bedside or in the operating theatre. But they’re always there.
Behind every smooth hospital admission, timely transfer and safe discharge is a team working tirelessly, often unseen, to make it happen.
They’re the Patient Flow Team: a dedicated group of nurses, administrators and coordinators from across the District who ensure our patients receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place.
The Patient Flow Unit’s work spans our 12 hospitals and Multi-Purpose Service (MPS) sites and includes everything from coordinating newborn transfers to arranging end-of-life care closer to home.
Rachel Dunstan, District Nurse Manager – Access, Patient Flow and Virtual Care, said a fascination with healthcare logistics drew her to the job.
“Patient flow is a big puzzle of making sure people are where they should be and when they should be there,” she said.
“It’s like a big game of Tetris, and that fascinates me. I’m a puzzle person.”
While patient flow is about logistics, Rachel is mindful the unit’s job is about people, with every transfer, call and decision made based on patient advocacy.
“There are patients who live in far parts of our region who don’t necessarily understand that when they present to a hospital, the services they need aren’t there,” she said.
“Somebody might present to Bonalbo MPS, for example, and need care in Lismore and then the Gold Coast.
“Their journey is made more seamless by the work done in the background.
“Trying to make that as coordinated an experience as possible creates great patient outcomes.”
The Patient Flow Unit has 10 nurses and four administrative staff, who will soon be supported by a discharge transition team led by a health disabilities manager.
While every team member brings a unique skill set, they all share a commitment to problem-solving, decision-making and relationship-building.
“There are lots of problems to be solved every day with capacity, transport and planning,” Rachel said. “Yet our work is all about relationships.
“We negotiate with people kindly and respectfully every day to create plans for patients. We don’t tick a box and move on.”
One of the unit’s members is Administrative Support Officer Virginia Black. To Virginia, what matters most is the trust they build with clinicians and the seamless care they help deliver.
“Once a doctor experiences the reliability, effectiveness and support of the Patient Flow Unit firsthand and builds trust in the team, they begin to truly appreciate the unit’s role and value in patient care,” Virginia said.
“That trust is built on relationships created by the nurse coordinators and admin staff on the phones here.”
From managing emergency transfers to supporting winter strategies, the Patient Flow Unit is constantly evolving. Despite the team’s impact, most patients never know the Patient Flow Unit exists.
“They don’t need to know the big picture, but just to understand there are multiple cogs in this wheel,” Rachel said.
“Everybody’s running in the hamster wheel behind the scenes to make sure everything’s okay for them.”
Pictured:
From left: Rachel Dunstan, Ash Duffy and Virginia Black of the Patient Flow Unit