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Member Spotlight: Meet Ellen, PCQ’s Newest Life Member

Fifty Years of Caring, Learning and Making a Difference 

This year marks a remarkable milestone for Ellen. Fifty years after first registering as a nurse following her training at Princess Alexandra Hospital, she has renewed her nursing registration for what will likely be the final time, bringing to a close an extraordinary career dedicated to caring for others. 

In recognition of her longstanding contribution to palliative care and her many years as a member of Palliative Care Queensland, Ellen has been awarded PCQ Lifetime Membership. 

Reflecting on her career, Ellen is struck by how much has changed since she completed her three-year nursing training at Princess Alexandra Hospital in 1976, saying: 

“My first registration was in 1976, at the end of my three-year training at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, and now, at the end of a long career, I’ve just renewed for the 50th time.” 

Over the decades that followed, she witnessed enormous changes in palliative care practice. She remembers attending education sessions at Mt Olivet during the 1980s, when new approaches to pain management were transforming care, and clinicians were learning how to apply emerging treatments and technologies. 

For Ellen, those years were filled with learning and mentorship. She speaks warmly of pioneers and educators who helped shape the profession. 

“Dr John Cavenagh was a wonderful mentor who helped us embrace evolving best practice and new approaches to treatment, especially syringe drivers.” she recalled. 

Ellen immersed herself in education and knowledge-sharing at a time when the field was rapidly evolving.

She noted, “The UK was leading the way, thanks to St Christopher’s Hospice and the teachings of Dame Cicely Saunders, who was considered the pioneer of modern palliative care. It was a wonderful time for learning and teaching others about pain management.” 

One of the most significant chapters of Ellen’s career was her work with St Luke’s Nursing Service, which provided home-based nursing, wound management, hygiene support and palliative care. The service played an important role in supporting people and families in the community, often helping patients remain at home during difficult times. 

Among her many experiences at St Luke’s, the early HIV/AIDS epidemic remains particularly memorable. At a time when fear and stigma were widespread, Ellen remembers supporting patients and families through a period of uncertainty and helping respond to community concerns as public awareness of the disease grew. 

Looking back, she remains grateful for the opportunity to stand alongside patients and their loved ones during such a challenging chapter in Queensland’s healthcare history. 

Throughout her career, Ellen never stopped learning. She completed a master’s degree in Oncology through Queensland University of Technology, focusing on palliative care at a time when Professor Patsy Yates was helping shape the field through research, education and leadership. Ellen fondly remembers the many hours spent attending pain management education sessions and studying in “the wonderful library in the Cancer Council building”, developing knowledge she would later share with colleagues and patients alike. 

A Cancer Council bursary also gave her the opportunity to spend time learning across a range of hospital departments and specialties, broadening her understanding of patient care and strengthening her clinical practice. 

Her commitment to care continued alongside the demands of family life. While raising her children, Ellen spent 16 years working night shifts in aged care and stayed connected to palliative care through ongoing education, professional reading and programs offered through the Centre for Palliative Care Research and Education. Later, she brought her wealth of experience to 13 Health (Telehealth), continuing to support Queenslanders seeking information, guidance and reassurance. 

Now recognised as a PCQ Lifetime Member, Ellen looks back on five decades of nursing with gratitude and pride. Her story reflects the growth of palliative care in Queensland and the contribution of the many clinicians who helped shape it through their willingness to learn, share knowledge and advocate for better care. 

As we celebrate Ellen’s remarkable milestone, we thank her for 50 years of support, service and commitment to palliative care, and for the lasting difference she has made to patients, families and colleagues along the way.