Paola Mercuri

Recovery at work coordinator 

South Eastern Sydney Local Health District

“Part of my role as a Recovery at Work Coordinator is to assist staff members to get back to work after an injury or illness. It could be a workers compensation case or a personal medical problem. We develop plans, in consultation with the employee, the treating practitioner, their manager, and all stakeholders involved. There is extensive research over many years that supports the quicker you get a person back to work, whilst they are recovering from an illness or injury, it actually speeds up the person's rate of recovery and enables them to get their life back to a normal routine.

Our goal is to try and minimise their time off work whilst assisting to promote their wellbeing. For example, if they are registered nurses, they may be able to do some aspects of their role within their limitations such as take blood pressures, hand out patient medications, data entry, as well as other duties. We develop plans in consultation with all treating practitioners and in line with the job description and demands of their role.

I am truly lucky to be able to perform a job that I love and extremely lucky to work at SESLHD with wonderful professionals.”