Title: Consultant Anesthetist
Company: Royal Perth Hospital
Location: Perth, Australia

Driven by her desire to help others, Nedra VandenDriesen has garnered 25 years of experience in anesthesiology and 20 years of experience as consultant anesthetist for Royal Perth Hospital. She is responsible for serving in a dual appointment with the hospital, managing recovery room incomes and outcomes, mentoring and training anesthesia, and managing trainees in clinical anesthesia. Ms. VandenDriesen must also perform preoperative medicine and pre-anesthesia assessment and optimization. She works with high-risk cases and patients with complex, multiple problems and mentors and trains anesthesia trainees, nursing and ambulance staff, ED physicians and paramedical staff. Additionally, she spends two days a week in the emergency room, and serves as the college representative on the Australian Council for Smoking and Health and the WA Audit of Surgical Mortality.

Thus far, Ms. VandenDriesen’s greatest achievement has been her three children. She has been fortunate enough to enjoy both the joys of parenthood and a rich and challenging professional life. Because of this, she has a real insight into the cares and concerns of her parents and the conflicts that arise in sustaining a high standard at work while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. One of the most rewarding moments of her career was when the hospital worked together at the time of the Bali Bombings. People appeared and did what had to be done, and it made her very proud to be part of the service.

Ms. VandenDriesen attributes her success to her good work ethic, good role models and a supportive work environment. She became involved in her profession because she wanted to contribute to the culture of the operating room and create a happy and harmonious collaborative workplace for the staff, patients, and the trainees passing through.

Looking ahead, Ms. VandenDreisen intends to continue growing and studying to build on her leadership skills, in the hopes of becoming a medical leader of the 21^st century. She is a member of the Australia New Zealand College of Anesthetics, the Royal College of Anesthetists, the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Society of Anesthetists.

Contact Nedra VandenDriesen: