New lounge wows junior medical officers
Light, bright, comfortable, “so much better than what we had before” and “wow” was the reaction of junior medical officers (JMOs) at Blacktown Hospital when the new JMO Lounge opened this week.
The 24/7 lounge is conveniently located on level 4, close to clinical services building wards, and within easy reach of the new acute services building when it opens in 2020.
It includes a main lounge with kitchen facilities, dining area and lounges, and a separate meeting room with features including a smartboard, and workspaces.
“The life of a junior doctor is a busy and demanding one so hopefully this lovely space will provide opportunities for time-out and relaxation, as well as collaboration,” said A/General Manager Jude Constable.
Deputy Director Medical Services Dr Elizabeth West said the space was important to have a positive and welcoming environment for our dedicated and hard-working JMOs.
“It feels like yesterday that I was working here as a trainee doing night shifts, evening shifts and hanging out in the old common room when we had a few minutes before running off to the next emergency,” Elizabeth said.
“It’s a great achievement to have this amazing space with all the modern features. Everyone came together to plan what was needed to help our JMOs work well and to rest and socialise when they have the opportunity.”
She also thanked the project team, hospital staff and JMOs for their input into the planning and design.
The new lounge is part of the BMDH expansion project, and will be critical to attracting and retaining medical staff as the facility expands into a major tertiary hospital for western Sydney.
