Melissa Brown

Department of Health

I commenced working for NT Health as a second year registered nurse at Alice Springs Hospital (ASH) in May 1992. I only ever intended to stay in the Northern Territory for 5 years but ended up staying in Alice Springs for 30 years. I loved living in Alice Springs and was always proud to identify as a nurse from ASH.

I’ve worked with many wonderful people and I’ve been fortunate to have had many professional development opportunities; every time I thought that it was time to move on another opportunity presented itself.

Within ASH I held the roles of registered nurse, nurse resource coordinator, nursing director Information Management, nursing director Clinical and Recruitment, safety and quality manager, patient flow manager, nursing director Preventable Chronic Disease and Ambulatory Services, nursing director Critical Care, Perioperative Services and Patient Flow, and finally executive director of Nursing and Midwifery. In 2022 I relocated to Darwin to take up the role of senior nursing advisor in the Office of the Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer.

I wanted to be a nurse from a very young age and can’t remember ever wanting to do anything else. I like helping people and it is a privilege to care for people when they are at their most vulnerable. I don’t work clinically anymore, which I do miss at times, but my passion now is making sure our systems and processes support staff deliver safe quality care.