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Nurse in the spotlight: Lee Alexander

In continuing to celebrate our incredible nurses, we shine the spotlight on Lee Alexander.


Celebrating our incredible nurses

In our continued celebration of our nurses for the World Health Organisation's 2020 international year of the nurse and midwife, here we profile Breast Care Nurse / Clinic Manager Lee Alexander.

Nurse in the spotlight: Lee Alexander

A nurse of 41 years with 21 of those years at Mulgrave Private Hospital, Lee is a cherished part of the Mulgrave Private family.

As a Breast Care Nurse, Lee describes how she feels about the work she does;

I feel very honoured and humble to be able to work in the field of oncology, knowing you've been able to make a difference to a patient and their families life is a pretty amazing feeling.
  • What does being a nurse mean to you?
    Everything really - I think I've got the best job in the world! Prioritising patient care above everything else from the beginning of their journey through the struggles of treatments and moving on in their lives, and also helping where possible at end stages of life. Ensuring patients are comfortable with me and the rest of their medical team and being the person that patients can come to with any problem or question, big or small.

    I feel very honoured and humble to be able to work in the field of oncology, knowing you've been able to make a difference to a patient and their families life is a pretty amazing feeling.

    Just the other day I had a patient call that I haven't seen for 15 years and she had a question and thought of myself as the person to contact after all this time, that made me feel pretty good.
  • What inspired you to be a nurse?
    My Beautiful Mother inspired me;she was a nurse. She was the only nurse in a growing country town and I use to see how she cared for people that would just drop by our house. And how she would attend accidents and emergencies with my father who was the only Policeman in town. I loved listening to her stories of helping people through all there ups and downs, helping people get well again and supporting those who were at the end stages of life.


  • What do you enjoy most about your job? My patients and being able to watch them grow with courage and strength to be able to move on from their diagnosis and knowing I've helped to make a difference is rewarding. I also enjoy working closely with an incredible team of surgeons and oncologists who welcome your knowledge and input. I also enjoy consistently learning new and amazing things, especially all the advancements in medicine.
  • Tell us about your nursing journey and experiences: After obtaining my Registration I worked out in central Queensland for a period of time which then my first shift ended up taking X-rays and suturing a young child's head and assisting with bur holes on a head injury, as we often didn't have a doctor on site.

    I was then accepted to do midwifery which I loved. Back when I commenced at Mulgrave Private Hospital (which was then The Valley Private) I did continue with midwifery along with delivering antenatal classes as an educator, until I became too busy with breast cancer patients.

    I spent a lot of my training years in theatre and returned when starting at Mulgrave. I also worked in the emergency department and as an Associate Nurse Unit Manager (ANUM) on a surgical and paediatric ward with midwifery over flow. I completed my Bachelor of Applied Health Science (Nursing) through Queensland University and my Breast Care Nurses course through Latrobe University.
  • What are your proudest nursing achievements? Some of my proudest achievements have included winning a "Local Hero" award through Knox Council and having research grants in my name through fundraising; because knowing you are helping to find a cure and improve treatments and care is a pretty special feeling.

    Also, while it is not related to my current role, some of my past experiences in delivering many babies over the time I worked as a midwife and working in central Queensland when the town was cut off by floods assisting the flying doctor in theatre after he flew in, in a helicopter, are standout memories.

Mulgrave Private Hospital is lucky to have the talented and experienced Lee in the role of breast care nurse and clinic manager. Over the years, Lee has been providing outstanding care to many patients, often through very difficult stages of their lives in battling breast cancer. Having been a part of the Mulgrave Private community for 21 years, Lee is an integral and valuable asset to the hospital community.