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About Us
Our members
Our beginnings
Our beginnings
Our members are primarily past nursing graduates of the Royal Melbourne Hospital but, recently, we've extended our membership to include RMH nurses who have contributed to making RMH a special place to work, learn and thrive.
Our beginnings
Our beginnings
Our beginnings
We began as an association in 1917 to keep our Royal Melbourne nurses connected and to advance the best interests of nursing through education, research and community.
Our commitment
Our beginnings
Our commitment
We are committed to being a place for past and present RMH nurses to connect, find guidance and just enjoy meeting each other. Come join us today.....
Welcome to our new committee members for 2026-27
Jocelyn Collie
Following completion of her training Jocelyn remained at the Royal Melbourne Hospital specialising in renal nursing. Completing a postgraduate diploma in advanced clinical nursing through the University of Melbourne and Post graduate diploma of health services management through La Trobe University. She went on to hold the roles of Nurse Unit Manager, Nurse Co-ordinator, Operations Co-ordinator and project officer within the Nephrology unit. \
In 2007 she moved to Western Health as the project manager for the development of renal services which saw the establishment of a non-transplanting Hub and saw the expansion and establishment of acute, chronic and home dialysis services.
Following a move to southern NSW in 2012 she has gone on to hold roles in clinical governance, patient safety and consumer experience, facility management and teaching in the Diploma of nurse course.
Cherylynn McGurgan
Cherylynn McGurgan is an Emergency Department Clinical Nurse Specialist and Equipment Nurse at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH). She has extensive experience in emergency nursing, trauma care, disaster response and healthcare preparedness.
Cherylynn is the Regional Coordinator for the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Program across Victoria and Tasmania, a role she has held for more than 20 years. She is passionate about trauma systems, multidisciplinary education and developing workforce capability to improve outcomes for critically injured patients across metropolitan, regional and remote health services.
As a member of the Victorian Medical Assistance Team (VMAT) and Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT), Cherylynn has contributed to national and international disaster responses, including four deployments to Timor-Leste, the COVID-19 response in Wuhan, China, the Samoa tsunami response, the Victorian Black Saturday bushfires and the Euroa flood response. Her commitment to humanitarian healthcare has been recognised with a Humanitarian Award.
Cherylynn is an experienced Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) and Viral Haemorrhagic Fever (VHF) trainer, with a strong interest in simulation, emergency preparedness, patient safety and building resilient healthcare teams. Through her work at RMH, she contributes to quality improvement and the development of safer clinical environments.
Lynda Tivendale
Lynda is a cardiac and emergency nurse with over three decades of clinical, management, and research experience. She currently works as the Clinical Trial Manager / Research Nurse Coordinator for the TA Trial, a diverse role encompassing research and clinical trial management across The Royal Melbourne Hospital and national and international sites.
Lynda is passionate about evidence-based practice and its role in achieving better outcomes for patients. This passion led to the development and facilitation, in conjunction with The University of Melbourne, of a multimodal learning program for the Lung and Sternal Ultrasound Course for nurses and physiotherapists working in the cardiothoracic setting.
In 2019, Lynda was the proud recipient of the Jane Bell Scholarship, which provided an opportunity to showcase innovative nursing practice at The Royal Melbourne Hospital to hospitals across Australia and England. Her work focused on the use of lung and sternal ultrasound at the bedside as a nursing assessment tool, highlighting the role of innovation and education in advancing clinical practice.
Outside of work, Lynda is a keen hockey player and enjoys hiking and outdoor adventures.
Meinir Griffiths
Hello my name is Meinir Griffiths and I was elected onto the RMGNA Committee at the last AGM....it was again time to make a contribution to the Association.
I am a graduate of the Royal Melbourne School of Nursing (1975!). It was the best time and I had lots of fun, experienced a lot and made great friendships. And the staffing year....well, that was another experience of learning where you had to very quickly find your feet.
I travelled for a short time after this, then returned to do the First Line Management course. After this I was recruited as part of a group of nurses to work at the Repatriation General Hospital, setting up the University of Melbourne Department of Surgery ward....this was a completely different environment to RMH. After about 18 months I moved to the Orthopaedic ward at the Repatriation General Hospital.
That was the start. I found my path.
In 1982, I was lured back to the Royal Melbourne when I was interviewed for, and was successful in gaining, the position of Charge Nurse of the Elective Orthopaedic ward, 7 East. So from 1982 to 2022 that was my role. We moved wards several times, from 7E to 7W, back to 7E after renovations , to 9W then lastly to 7SE.
Apart from Orthopaedics, my professional life was entwined in supporting the staff and this obviously required supporting and being involved in the ANF/ANMF activities. I have no regrets.
Since my retirement my activities are varied. I am passionate about Kieser resistance training to maintain some level of fitness. I love the Arts, particularly music, and attend MSO concerts and Corpus Medicorum of course! Melbourne Opera performances are a new thing for me, love musical theatre and enjoy going to the movies.
Being Welsh I support the performances of the Choirs in Melbourne and Perth and also assist in classes to help people learn Welsh. Travelling is a passion and I am always planning my next trip.
I look forward to whatever contribution I can make to support the Committee.
So, what do we do?
Meetings, luncheons & reunions
Meetings, luncheons & reunions
Meetings, luncheons & reunions
We have regular meetings and social events throughout the year. And after a highly successful Reunion Lunch in 2025 we will be hosting these annually. Click the button below to go to our events diary for more information....
Newsletter
Meetings, luncheons & reunions
Meetings, luncheons & reunions
We send you regular newsletters to stay in touch, catch up with member stories and remember those we have lost
Always looking for more content, so please email through any photos, stories or questions to rmhgna@outlook.com
Furthering the profession of nursing
We provide a number of awards and scholarships to recognise nursing innovation, research and achievements at RMH.
Membership
We are always looking for new members, whether a new graduate, you currently work at the RMH or trained or worked at the RMH in past and should've joined before this....become a member today!
1 year free membership for current RMH graduates & fees waived if > 70 years old...go to membership page for more information