For Clinical Nurse (CN) Krissy, stepping into high pressure medical situations is all part of the job.
So, when a footballer collapsed during a senior match at the Helensvale Hornets Football Club recently, the Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) nurse instinctively moved into action.
Krissy, a permanent CN in the Medical Decisions Unit (MDU) at GCUH, was volunteering at the game in her capacity as club treasurer and junior team manager when a player from the opposing team suffered a severe head knock and went into an immediate seizure.
“As soon as I saw what happened, I grabbed the defibrillator,” Krissy said.
“With any medical resuscitation, you get it on as soon as possible, even if you don’t end up needing it. That’s just good standard practice.”
The player seized for about five minutes and remained unconscious for about 15 minutes as Krissy helped manage the scene by coordinating bystanders and supporting Queensland Ambulance Service officers once they arrived.
The footballer was later transported to GCUH and discharged the following day.
“It was one of the scariest situations I’ve ever been in,” she said.
“It was very confronting, but everyone was fantastic and receptive to instructions.
“It didn’t matter what team people were on – everyone just cared about that player’s safety.”
Krissy’s ability to lead in complex, fast moving situations has been shaped by more than a decade in nursing.
She began her career at the hospital 10 years ago as an enrolled nurse, before studying to become a registered nurse.
In her CN role, Krissy credits strong mentorship and support from her Nurse Unit Manager, Marie, as key to her career progression.
“I love coming to work. My job makes me happy – I love what I do and the team I work with,” Krissy said.
“You can have difficult days, but you know Marie has your back and she’ll advocate for us which makes you happy to work hard.”
MDU cares for patients with high levels of medical acuity, often stabilising those who are too unwell to be admitted directly to other wards.
“If patients are too unwell to go to a ward, they’ll come to us first to be stabilised,” Krissy said.
The team regularly manages patients with complex conditions such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and colitis.
“There’s a lot of problem solving, navigating between teams and forward planning to support a smoother discharge,” she said
“I love the responsibility and working across multidisciplinary teams. We’re very big on holistic care.”
Outside of work, Krissy gives just as much of herself to the Helensvale Hornets Football Club, where she is currently in her third year as volunteer treasurer.
Three of her children play for the club, and she also manages her eldest son’s team.
“I probably spend more time volunteering than I do here at work,” Krissy laughed.
Despite the intensity of the situation Krissy helped manage on the field recently, she’s quick to humbly play down her actions.
“I feel like I didn’t do anything special,” she said.
“I just did what was normal to me and applied what I do every day as a clinical nurse.”
For Krissy, the incident underscores the importance of clinical training and the value of community volunteering.
“It was a scary, serious medical event and I’m so grateful I was able to help,” she said.
