#WeAreNorthern

Meet Nina Colon, who is completing a six-month placement for the Health Management Internship Program at Bundoora Centre today.

Q: Let’s start with your coffee order?

Long black🙂

Q: What are you studying, and what inspired you to pursue this field?

I’m fortunate to be studying a Master’s of Health Services Management at Griffith University through the Health Management Internship Program run by the Australasian College of Health Service Management. Previous to the program I was working as a research assistant in a microbiology and immunology lab. There I was performing experiments and managing our lab group. I realised that I was more drawn to the management aspects of my role – mentoring and training students, coordinating with other labs, and resource and equipment management. I decided to apply for the internship program to further develop my skills in these areas in an environment where I could continue to do meaningful work.

Q: What attracted you to Northern Health as a place to intern at?

Northern Health has been my first placement (of four) I’ll complete in total over the two-year program. I’ve been working at Bundoora in the subacute and hospital without walls division, and it’s been a great introduction to the intricacies of aged care programs and services, especially with the implementation of the new Aged Care Act. The team are extremely passionate about what they do and have been so kind in teaching and mentoring me through my work and projects. They’ve set the bar high for my future placements!

Q: What does a typical day look like for you?

How I spent my days really varied during my placement – I spent some days shadowing others in different roles, including clinical roles which was great since I don’t have a clinical background. Other days I was deep diving into legislation like the new Aged Care Act and Aged Care Rules. No matter what kind of day I have, I’m always learning something new.

Q: What are some of the key projects and/or tasks you worked on during your internship?

I spent a lot of time learning about and understanding the new aged care registration renewal process, knowing Northern Health will have to go through this new auditing process sometime in the future. I worked with aged care program and residential care facility leaders as well as the quality team to start developing a new aged care evidence site. It was challenging, since it’s a completely new process as well as discovering the sheer volume of information Northern Health will need to provide across all of the programs – but getting started early will definitely be worth it!

Q: What’s the most valuable skill you have gained during your internship?

I’ve prepared a few documents during my placement, and it’s been valuable to be able to practice writing in a different context – I’ve had to get used to writing in a different style to my usual scientific and technical style, especially when developing scripts for a promotional video aimed for consumers. I also got to chair a few quality meetings and observe and participate in recruitment activities. All of these have helped me build not just on my skills but confidence, too!

Q: What are your future plans post-internship?

Being at the start of my journey working in health services, I’m still keeping an open mind as to what I might like to do after the internship. That being said, currently my main interests are in project management, digital health, change management, and clinical trials. I’m excited to continue learning and see what happens next.

Q: Tell us a quick, fun fact about yourself that not many people would know.

I like to listen to metal music!