ANMF Staff Profile – Welcome Jane Pond

From an early age Jane wanted to be a nurse. When asked she couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason for this – “I’m not sure why? No one in my family has been a nurse or had a medical background. I have memories of having my tonsils out aged 4 and getting jabbed with a big needle but I don’t think that was where the drive came from!”

Jane began her nursing career in London. Her work experience included medical and surgical wards, rehabilitation, nursing homes, day surgery, and theatres in a variety of public and private workplaces. “I completed my Cert IV Workplace Training and Assessment at one of my workplaces and was preceptor to Enrolled Nurses undertaking their medication endorsement. This was a great experience for me and my first experience of clinical teaching.” 

Jane also has a Perioperative Post Graduate Certificate which she completed through Deakin University whilst working in the Operating Theatre at Monash Health in Melbourne. “I undertook this when my son was completing year 12. This was an interesting time for us both as I had my own deadlines to meet whilst trying to keep him on track with his! My previous position before joining the ANMF was working as a Theatre Nurse at The Royal Hobart Hospital.”

Since arriving in Australia Jane has been an active ANMF member, and in 2011 she became an ANMF Workplace Representative (Rep). “I wanted to be more involved in maintaining and improving nurses’ rights and working conditions. Being a Rep gave me a clear insight into how hard the ANMF strive to advocate for members. You might not always see what’s going on, but the team is always doing something somewhere to represent nurses, midwives, and care workers, as well as to improve health outcomes for patients and the community.”

“When I moved to Tasmania in 2017, I found myself involved in the public sector campaign. Joining the ANMF and members on the street to get public support for the cause was amazing. It created unity between co-workers as we worked together for the rights of nurses and midwives.”

“I truly valued my time as an ANMF Rep, it gave me the opportunity to work closely with ANMF Organisers and the wider team, to advocate for members and support my colleagues. I’m sure Southern Organiser, James King thought of me like a little terrier with a bone with all the emails and texts I sent him! For any members out there thinking of becoming a Rep, I encourage you to do it. It gives other members someone to talk over matters with in the first instance but does not mean you are there to solve all their issues.”

In 2019, Jane’s active involvement saw her awarded runner up in the ANMF’s Rep of the Year awards. Following this Jane was elected to the ANMF Tasmanian Branch Council from November 2019 to December 2020. “Being on Branch Council was a great opportunity to see further inside the ANMF and have some input into some of the decision making. But doing all of this still made me want to know more about what goes on in the ANMF (ok, maybe I am like a terrier!). So, when an opportunity came up to become an Organiser I jumped at the chance.”

 “I am excited to be in a position where I can assist and guide members more and I’m looking forward to my new role and meeting you all.”