I’ve always loved bones and anatomy
From the age of twelve Donna Napier knew she wanted to be a radiographer. During her schooling, she chose subjects that would help her achieve this goal. When Donna was a student radiographer she was introduced to the world of ultrasound.
“I made it my mission, then, to become a sonographer,” Donna said.
“As a child I loved bones and anatomy and when I saw sonographers in the workplace and how they interacted with patients and performed scans that provided a diagnosis for people, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Donna’s commitment and passion for her profession saw her nominated for three Excellence in Allied Health awards this year, winning both the Allied Health Professional of the Year and the Allied Health Educator of the Year.
Kathryn Watson, Acting Director, Integrated Care and Allied Health Services said the awards were a testament to Donna’s calibre as an Allied Health educator, researcher and overall professional.
“Donna is an inspiring radiographer and sonographer. She has a high generosity of spirit, dedicating her knowledge and time to both the sonography profession and the wider medical faculty,” Kathryn said.
“Donna’s contribution to clinical excellence is reflected in her mentorship of a Grafton obstetrician re-sitting their Diploma of Diagnostic Ultrasound (DDU) examinations. Although Donna had moved to Tweed Valley Hospital, she was dedicated to help with their exam preparation.
“Whilst she could have provided teleconference tutorials, Donna felt that in person tutoring was superior and she completed the four-hour round trip to Grafton on multiple occasions in her own time to meet with this doctor and simulate exam conditions under which to practice sonographic oral examination techniques.”
Reflected on what inspires her and brings her joy in the workplace, Donna’s passion for her patients is clear.
“I love making a difference and helping them on their journey – giving them a great diagnosis-based imaging service and altering their pathways.
“I also enjoy educating. I like to inspire and have a really nurturing environment for education.”
Donna’s work extends to national and international efforts, where she has presented globally on ocular ultrasound to health professionals in emerging nations as well as travelling to Alice Springs as a part of the UNITY initiative – a collaboration aimed at improving medical ultrasound access and healthcare to First Nations people.