International Women’s Day is an important day to recognise and celebrate the achievements of women around the world. Today we recognise Kelly Rogerson, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Palliative Care Southeast; a born nurse who has devoted her career to palliative care.
Palliative care is a vital part of healthcare, and Ms Rogerson’s advice and experience can help aspiring palliative care leaders have successful careers in the field. With the right guidance and support, these professionals can ensure that those living with a life-limiting illness are given the care and comfort they need.
Ms Rogerson has worked in the healthcare sector for 25 years and has held a variety of roles in both clinical nursing and leadership. She has a passion for end of life care and palliative care and finds it particularly meaningful to support families through grief.
“My passion for giving back to the community but also helping people at some of the most difficult times of their life is very fulfilling,” Ms Rogerson said.
“This is the first role I think I’ve had in my career where I really feel like I can make a difference every single day and that’s a really fulfilling place to be when you go home at the end of the day and you know you’ve worked really hard.”
Ms Rogerson has strong convictions about the importance of women supporting women.
The palliative care sector is heavily dominated by women, with 70% of individuals who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness being cared for by women.
“Women tend to take on naturally occurring care roles,” Ms Rogerson said.
“That doesn’t discount the wonderful men that support and boost them and are often the recipients of care. But within palliative care, there is a large percentage of women in the workforce and some amazing leaders.”
Despite this, leadership roles in the sector are still heavily unbalanced.
“When you look at the workforce, 70% of women are in the health workforce, but there’s not 70% of women in the senior role. So we’ve still got some work to do in that path about getting some gender balance in place,” Ms Rogerson stated.
This is something that Ms Rogerson is passionate about and hopes to help change, especially for the next generation of women who want to take on leadership roles
“It is important for women to be open to providing guidance and support to other women in the industry, while organisations should always make a concerted effort to be gender balanced, and actively promote men into the profession.”
Ms Rogerson encouraged anyone with a passion for palliative care to get involved and take advantage of the opportunities the sector provides.
