ABOUT AONA

Dr Heather Machin – RN, MBA, PhD.
President

Dr Machin works predominantly in eye banking and international development. She is the Senior Project Manager and Lions Fellow at the Centre for Eye Research Australia – University of Melbourne; PI for the CERA Biobank; Member of the Australian Organ and Tissue Authorities Eye and Tissue Advisory Committee; a co-developer of the WHO’s Global Action Framework for Tissue in Transplantation; and project lead supporting the development of new corneal surgical therapies. She has received numerous awards, nominations, and grants, and an NHMRC scholarship for her PhD into corneal exportation. She has published widely and has worked in over 30 countries, previously with ORBIS International’s Flying Eye Hospital and currently Fred Hollows Foundation NZ. She represents AONA to external groups including Vision 2020 Australia and she is the global lead for the International Ophthalmic Nurses Association, alongside national ophthalmic groups from 13 nations. She is passionate about working towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and IAPB’s in-Sight 2030 targets through the promotion of eye care within nursing, welcoming nurses into the field, and mentoring future leaders.

Rhea Ortega – B. Sc Occupational Therapy, B.Sc Nursing, Post Grad Diploma Health Sciences Advanced Nursing
Vice President

I am a dedicated healthcare professional, currently working as After-Hours Coordinator at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. With nearly two decades of nursing experience, I've spent 13 years as an ophthalmic nurse and I have also worked in medical wards and a stroke unit. Additionally, I was functioning as an academic and clinical instructor in specialised areas overseas. I'm committed to enhancing patient care and fostering learning in the healthcare field.

Clare Hafner – RN BN GCertOphthNurs
Membership Secretary

Clare is passionate about ophthalmology and the Ophthalmic Nursing profession, having worked in both public and private sectors. Her current position is Clinical Nurse Specialist. She joined AONA in 2017 and has served as the association’s Membership Secretary since 2019. Clare considers it a wonderful privilege to be a part of AONA and on its committee, to see Ophthalmic Nursing in Australia recognised, celebrated, and advanced. She loves being able to give back to an association that has enabled her to connect into a passionate and exciting Ophthalmic Nursing community.

Roseanna-Zoe Knowles: Conference Convener

Photo & bio coming soon

Lesley McDowell – RN
NSW Representative

Lesley has worked in the field of ophthalmic nursing since 2009. She’s worked in ophthalmic emergency, ward, and outpatient settings, both on the floor at the coal face, in education and now, management. Her current role is Nurse Unit Manager of the Sydney Eye Hospital Outpatient Department, where she works with a large group of ophthalmic nurses, orthoptists, ophthalmologists, registrars, fellows and residents. As a nurse manager, Lesley is passionate about the importance of allowing time and opportunity for ophthalmic nurses to concentrate on their professional development and attend educational opportunities wherever possible. As an AONA committee member since 2018, Lesley is excited to assist in providing these opportunities, but also to be given the opportunity to promote ophthalmic nursing, both within her workplace, and the wider ophthalmology community in Australia.

Outside of her career in nursing, Lesley loves to have girl-time with her daughter, Isla, and spend time in the kitchen, cooking and sipping wine.

Gabriela Kalofonos – RN
Industry Liaison

Gabriela completed her Bachelor of Nursing in 2000 at the University of Sydney, and has been a Registered Nurse for 22 years. She has worked in Ophthalmic day surgeries for the past 15 years in all areas of the day surgery, but her main interest and experience is as a scrub/scout nurse. She completed the Graduate Certificate in Ophthalmic Nursing in 2018 through the University of Notre Dame and Sydney Eye Hospital. Gabriela is currently the Director of Nursing at Forest Road Day Surgery in Hurstville, NSW. She has been a member of the AONA Committee since 2018, and is our Industry Liaison person and monitors the AONA Facebook page as well.

Pat Usher – B App Science Nursing, B Informatics, Post Grad Ophthalmic Certificate X 2
Communications/Newsletter Editor

Pat worked as an ophthalmic nurse for 35 of her 49 years as a registered nurse. Now retired, she spent 20 years in the emergency department of the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and 10 years in the outpatient department. She is an invaluable member of the AONA team, volunteering behind the scenes. Pat appreciates that working with AONA exposes her to the diversity of ophthalmic nursing, both locally and internationally, and provides her with the opportunity to contribute to the development of the specialty.

Peter Mitchell: NT Representative

I am an ophthalmic scrub nurse at Royal Darwin Hospital and Darwin Private Hospital, the Vanguard Health Program Manager for the Indigenous Remote Eye Service (IRIS) in the Northern Territory, and the Torres and Cape Ophthalmic Program on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland. These programs deliver cataract surgical services to Australians living in rural and remote areas of the country.

I hold a Bachelor of Nursing, a Graduate Certificate in Perioperative Nursing, and a Professional Honours degree in Perioperative Nursing.

I am a regular volunteer with Cambodia Vision and travel to Kampong Cham once a year to deliver free ophthalmic surgery to people living in rural Cambodia.

I have a passion for providing healthcare in rural and remote locations and have extensive experience delivering services in Australia including in Nhulunbuy, Katherine, Alice Springs, Weipa, Groote Eylandt, Binjari, the Tanami Desert, and internationally including in Nepal, Timor-Leste, and Cambodia.

BERNIE HANRATTY – RN
NSW Representative

Bernie has been an RN since 1982 and has worked in Ophthalmology since 1990. She completed her eye training at Moorfields, London, and has worked as a CNS/CNC acting NUM on the Wards and as a Community Nurse in Australia and overseas. She is now a part-time RN in the Outpatients Department at the Sydney Eye Hospital.

Claudia Shelton:  S.A. Representative

I completed my Bachelor of Nursing in 2014 and worked in a number of specialities in both public and private practice before finding my passion in Ophthalmic Nursing within the private sector. I went on to complete my Post Graduate Certificate in Ophthalmic Nursing in 2019 through the University of Notre Dame and the Sydney Eye Hospital. I work primarily as a scrub/scout nurse in the ophthalmic theatre and assist with laser refractive eye surgery lists.

I joined AONA in 2019 as a member and this is the first year serving as the South Australian representative committee member.

Heidi Kern: Tasmania Representative

Photo & bio coming soon

Colleen Flanders – RN
VIC Representative

Colleen has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from RMIT and has more than 20 years of surgical experience, specialising in ophthalmics and gynaecology. She has broad practice experience, including Ophthalmics, Ocular-Plastics, ENT, General Surgery, Urology, Gynaecology, IVF, Obstetrics, Dental, Endoscopy and 9 years of administration experience prior to her career as a nurse. Colleen  has been an AONA committee member since 2003 and has served on several boards, including the Nursing Board of Australia (from 2009 to 2012) and the Nursing Board of Victoria (from 2001 to 2009). Married with two teenaged boys, Colleen loves to read, bake and sew as well as travelling with her boys.

Kerry Potts:  VIC Representative/Conference Support

Kerry Potts - RN:I completed my Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1992 at Monash University and followed that with a grad year at Frankston Hospital. There, I experienced the operating theatres as my final rotation and this defined the rest of my nursing career. My main area of interest and experience is as a scrub/scout nurse and I have worked across many areas of surgery including specialising in vascular for several years.

I have been working in ophthalmic surgery since 2011 and completed The Principles of Ophthalmic Nursing Certificate through Queensland University in 2016.I also have 7 years experience in nursing administration where I was responsible for nursing allocations across a wide variety of Melbourne Metropolitan healthcare settings.

I am married with 2 adult daughters and I love getting out in nature, be that walking, hiking or running