Meet Our Staff: Lil Barrie, College Nurse
- May 26, 2020

How long have you worked at Santa Maria.
This is my 12th year at Santa Maria as a College nurse. I work two days per week, on Thursdays and Fridays.
What is your role at the College and what does it entail.
The role is quite varied. I look after the health and wellbeing of students. That includes:
- Offering assistance for a variety of needs from cuts, sprains, bruises and occasional broken bone
- Dealing with illness of girls presenting at the health centre
- Assisting girls with chronic health issuesÂ
- Managing health issues arising from boarders
- Looking after boarders in sickbay if they are unwell and unable to attend school
- Providing emotional support
- Ensuring medical plans are in place with students with medical conditions
- Attending swimming and sporting events.Â
- Attending school camps when required.Â
How did you get into Nursing?
I come from a family of nurses. My mum and my aunt were nurses, so for as long as I can remember, I was going to be a nurse. I also have two sisters who are nurses.Â
When I started nursing it was a hospital training program. It was an adventure moving out of home at 17 and living in the nurses’ quarters. That was a very attractive proposition. I have no regrets and made lifelong friends from my training days.Â
What is the best part of the job?
There are many good aspects to this job. I love interacting with the girls and seeing them mature into young adults. I also love working with the staff at Santa Maria.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
I am an avid windsurfer. In summer I spend most afternoons windsurfing and go on at least one windsurfing holiday a year. I cycle with a small group twice a week. I also like bushwalking. In winter I try to fit in a couple of three to five-day walks on the Bibbulmun Track. In my spare time I enjoy painting, reading, cooking, photography, and doing cryptic crosswords.Â
- Featured, Staff profile

Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders. Our goal is to assist students to become self-directed and independent learners. Santa Maria College consistently performs well and ranks in the top 10 schools in Perth in terms of median ATAR.