I grew up in Mindaribba, near Maitland, but decided to go into nursing while living in Townsville, North Queensland, after reading a book on primary health care. I have always had a desire to enter a profession that involves caring, and as a young child I dreamed of joining an aid agency.

 How did you came up with the idea for Scrubit?

I was working in a hospital in Newcastle and was astonished at the inefficient way items were gathered for surgery. The lightbulb moment came when I was scrubbing for a surgeon I hadn’t worked with before who, in the middle of surgery, expressed how upset she was with consistently not having the right tools to safely complete her job. It was at this moment that I knew I had to fix the root of the problem and find a solution that ensures a smoother surgery set-up process.

How does Scrubit work?

Scrubit is a software application used in operating theatre suites by nurses and other staff that assists with and manages the theatre setup process. Currently, nurses setting up for surgeries flick through various printed word documents, then quickly try to find everything – which is an outdated process that is time-consuming, difficult for younger/newer staff, and can be riddled with errors. Scrubit fixes this process by placing all preference cards, setups, required equipment and item details, including the item location and a photo, in the hands of every staff member.

 How does it benefit doctors and nurses?

It assures consistently accurate setups that keep theatre processes moving. This improves surgeon and staff satisfaction while reducing stress and the risk of errors. Nurses can perform multiple setups at a time and will move through the storage areas in an ordered fashion, no back-tracking. No matter who does the setups, it is almost impossible to get them wrong. New staff are also able to search the location of any instrument, giving them the ability to locate an item as quickly as - if not quicker than - experienced nurses.

How has it assisted patients?

The patient experience is greatly improved with less cancellations and delays in surgery lists, as well as improved patient safety through better preparation.

And hospitals?

Outdated processes cost hospitals thousands in wasted time and money and add to patient’s safety risk. Scrubit means that hospitals have happier staff, improved surgeon satisfaction, reduced wastage which means increased profits, all while streamlining the theatre setup process.

What is the cost of downloading the app?

We offer Scrubit as Software as a Service (SAAS), charging a per month per theatre fee. This includes all cloud hosting costs, support, maintenance, product upgrades and new features with no contract or minimum term required. Basically, once a hospital purchases Scrubit plan, there are no additional or hidden costs. This model allows for pricing scalability across different hospitals from single theatre day surgeries to large public hospital theatre suites.

You teamed up with software designer Lloyd Davies and tech expert Paul Fisher to develop the product. How did you meet?

My mother developed a piece of software with Lloyd while working as 2iC at The Mai-Wel Group Hunter Valley Disability Service. She introduced me to Lloyd who was very keen to get involved. Lloyd then discussed the idea with Paul who was also surprised that this was such a huge issue in hospitals across the country (and world) and very interested in developing a solution.

How long did it take for the app to be developed?

The concept was thought of and discussed with software designer Lloyd Davies many years ago, but its active development phase took about 12 months.

Which hospitals use the app?

 Maitland Private Hospital is currently using Scrubit, with plans already in place to roll out to our next customers in the coming months. The implementation process has been smooth as we’ve been thinking about the concept for many years and made sure we worked closely with those who would be using it.

How did taking part in Slingshot's HFC Catalyst Program assist?

It gave us the kickstart we needed to reach our goals and provided world class mentorship and training. It provided opportunities to discuss our business and form relationships with large health companies who have a mutual desire to ignite change. 

And your plans now?

We have been in discussions with some of Australia's largest hospital groups who have shown great interest in Scrubit, and also been contacted by hospitals overseas who can also see the huge benefits that it would bring to the current processes. Our plan is to tackle Australia first, then we’ll happily begin to take on the rest of the world.