Young Alumnus of the Year

However, beneath her unassuming demeanour is a passionate drive to help usher in the bright future of mental health care — one where prevention, early intervention and care that understands the patient’s journey are common practices. 

After completing a Bachelor of Nursing in 2012 at Southern Cross University’s Coffs Harbour campus, Jessica began her career at Coffs Harbour Health Campus as a graduate nurse. While she started in medical and surgical nursing, she soon found a deep connection with mental health care.  

“I liked the focus on really connecting with patients and understanding their journey,” Jessica says. “And I recognised how much mental health care can progress. It looked like an exciting future to me.”  

Quickly becoming known for delivering high-quality patient care, Jessica took on the role of Nurse Unit Manager Level 1 in 2017. Over the following two years she completed an NSW Health Clinical Leadership program during which she found her passion for change management, implementing a project called Making the Statistics Falls which reduced falls by 70 per cent in the unit and was a finalist for the MNCLHD Innovation Awards in 2021. 

It was then Jessica saw what a difference she could make not just to individual patients, but to many — now and in the future — through effective leadership.  

“It was really exciting to me to see that you can make change through engaging with and empowering staff, and that this change can remain embedded if everyone understands what you’re doing and is able to embrace it,” Jessica says. “We have so many staff doing amazing things every day, and to help support them to make positive change in mental health care is so rewarding.”

In 2021, Jessica became Nurse Unit Manger Level 3 and continued to inspire her vision of providing a trauma-informed, recovery-orientated and patient-centered service. She also began her Masters of Health Care Leadership with Southern Cross University, which she recently completed.

“It was nerve-racking going back to study at first,” Jessica admits, “but SCU helped me re-learn those skills again and were so supportive. The teachers were amazing, and really helped me accelerate my learning and connect with my qualities and values as a leader.”

In 2022 Jessica was recognised as the Southern Cross University Coffs Coast Women's Day scholarship recipient, presenting a speech on the importance of education and the power of knowledge as a woman to lead change. Her dedication to her studies has now influenced other staff to undertake postgraduate studies, giving them the confidence that they too can excel.

“I will always support my staff to embrace future studies,” Jessica says. “I think it gives you such a diverse and beneficial view of what’s happening in the world, in terms of health and society in general.”

Jessica is currently the Nurse Unit Manager of the Coffs Harbour Acute Mental Health Unit, a proud 2024 Australian College of Nursing Bullwinkel Scholar, and is completing her Bachelor of Innovation with Honours and a Masters of Mental Health Nursing with Southern Cross University — all while continuing to inspire her staff and helping redefine how mental health care is delivered. The focus of her studies is to reduce and, where possible, eliminate seclusion and restraint practices, providing more compassionate and innovative care to patients.

At just 33, what Jessica has achieved in her field is astounding — and the future is bright for both her and the industry she will continue to help lead. Ever-humble, however, she is quick to highlight the incredible support she has had along the way.

“I’ve had so many amazing role models in the Mid North Coast Local Health District that have really enabled my growth, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them,” Jessica says. “For someone to excel in leadership they need people in higher leadership positions to support them, and that’s what I’ve had.”