Mrs Tania Green

2022 marks 30 years since Mrs Tania Green commenced her Bachelor of Nursing studies at Monash University, Churchill Campus. Graduating in 1994, Mrs Green has worked her way from Churchill, Gippsland to Victoria’s largest public health service, Monash Health.

Mrs Green was recognised in 2020 receiving HESTA Australian Nurse of the Year for her work to improve care for patients with cleft and craniofacial conditions and their families, supporting more than 500 patients as the Clinical Nurse Coordinator for Monash Children’s Cleft and Craniofacial Unit.

Mrs Green is a passionate advocate for her patients and their families. She was instrumental in setting up antenatal consultations for parents expecting a baby with a cleft lip and/or palate, lessening their anxiety, and has worked to reduce the number of hospital visits families needed, saving them time and easing financial pressures for those who need to travel from afar. She has also fostered strong, collaborative relationships with other health organisations to improve the delivery of care, particularly through her volunteer work with CleftPALS, a not-for-profit organisation that provides support for cleft-affected people and their families.

Mrs Green is incredibly committed to her work and her patients. She frequently goes above and beyond to ensure families get the care and support they need, from providing comfort to anxious parents as they wait for their child to come out of theatre, to travelling across the state in her own time to educate other healthcare professionals and ensure they are up-to-date on best-practice care. Her enthusiasm and warm, empathetic nature has been praised and welcomed by patients, families and colleagues alike.

Mrs Green dreams to explore other national and international cleft services in order to establish networking, create educational opportunities and benchmark Monash Health’s cleft care to further improve service delivery and awareness for families, and eventually inspire a team of nurses working in cleft care.