Meet Our Mornington Practice Manager & Surgical Nurse – Stacie Lewis

I have managed the Mornington location for a bit over 2 years now. I first joined Southpaws 5 and a half years ago from GP. Today I am taking on management of both Malvern and Mornington. Mornington is strictly a surgery department. Malvern being a multidisciplinary hospital, and what I see as being the next step in my career. I also manage the social media/marketing for Southpaws. I keep a nursing day or two in there, on the floor, with the team to keep in touch with them and have a brain break from admin life!

I enjoy spending time with the team and getting amongst it, those relationships are super important to me. I love that I get to do a bit of everything and challenge myself in many different ways.

What I love most about working in a surgical hospital environment is the combination of complexity, teamwork, and the ability to make a real difference in a patient’s outcome. No two days are ever the same. Every case brings its own challenges, whether it’s coordinating perioperative care, supporting a critical patient through recovery, or seeing a complex surgery give an animal a second chance at a better quality of life. I also love the collaborative nature of a multidisciplinary hospital. Working alongside surgeons, anaesthetists, emergency clinicians, and nurses who are all focused on achieving the best possible outcome creates a fast-paced and incredibly rewarding environment.

One thing people might not realise is just how much collaboration happens behind the scenes to keep a busy hospital running smoothly. Every patient involves a huge team effort. From reception and client care to nurses, specialists, anaesthetists, and support staff, everyone plays a role in ensuring each pet receives the highest standard of care. There are constant discussions, planning, and coordination happening throughout the day to make sure every patient’s needs are met. Every decision, handover, checklist, and conversation is focused on achieving the best possible outcome for the animals in our care and supporting their families through the process.

The Mornington team is like a family. The culture is BEAUTIFUL and the level of respect and care we have for each other is like something I have never experience before in a work place. Each and every person goes above and beyond for their patients and for each other. Humour, our bond with each other and the want to help as many patients as possible, and do it well, is what really aligns us as a team. We have something super special at Mornington.

I am super passionate about ensuring every patient receives compassionate, individualised care throughout their entire journey in hospital. While the surgical procedure is obviously important, the experience surrounding it is just as critical. Effective pain management, minimising stress, close monitoring, and attentive nursing care all play a huge role in a patient’s recovery and overall outcome. I’m also passionate about making sure each patient is treated as if they were my own pet.

I think at the centre of it all is respect for each other. Trust is another big one. Sharing the same commitment to patient care. The way in which people communicate to each other, particularly from a management or coordinator perspective, you really set the tone and set an example for the rest of the team. Looking out for each other and having a good laugh together is VITAL.

We had a total hip replacement the other day, which was super routine, until it wasn’t. A heart rate of 80 throughout which suddenly dropped to 20. The GA nurse called out for help to which myself and another nurse came running. What followed was support from the surgeon, a video call to GA specs and ECC specialists at Malvern and a whole team effort in person and virtually, from multiple Southpaws departments, supporting each other and essentially saving the life of this patient. Our receptionist jumped in the car immediately and ran to the emergency clinic down the road to get medications needed to help the patient. Ready Vet Go (Pet Ambulance Service) were contacted when the patient was in recovery and safely transported her up to ECC in Malvern where she was monitored by the team there and discharged home to her family two days later. The way the team worked together and the resources we had to assist us in getting that ‘routine’ patient out of surgery and eventually home to her family was something super special. It’s not something Mornington encounter very often being a routine surgery department and what we were able to do was very impressive. I couldn’t have been prouder of our entire team and the collaboration between Malvern and Mornington, all the departments and specialists and Mornington.

I am proud of my own personal growth throughout my Southpaws journey. In nursing skills, in management of one location and now two. The team and the structure Mornington have now, to where I can manage a second location and have Mornington stand strong with what has been set up there, is something I am incredibly proud of.

I love the respect we all have for each other and the support we all show each other, across all teams at Southpaws.

We are always looking to improve patient care and patient outcomes. Our standards are super high, but things are always changing in our world, new research, new equipment and so on. So, keeping everything up to date and ensuring we stay at the top of our game, for our patients.

Gym. Daily. Pilates and weighs keep me sane. My entourage of animals at home keeps my heart full. My soul needs sunshine, time at the beach and traveling when Melbourne does not provide the vitamin D that I need.

Caramel lates, more often that I should. Savery S&V anything.

⚡ Quick Fire Round

• Surgery days or admin days?
  Admin
• Early starts or late finishes?
  Early starts – i am an early bird all the way.
• Favourite breed to nurse?
  Anything brachy – Give me the Frenchie or the Staffy.
• Checklist queen or organised chaos?
  CHECKLIST QUEEN.
• Go-to comfort food after a long day?
  Burrito bowls – YUM.
• One word to describe the Mornington team?
  FAMILY