Jill Woods

Jill Woods works as a Pain Management Nurse Practitioner at Western Health in Melbourne alongside a dynamic team of pain specialists and pain nurses. Jill has been working as a pain nurse for 14 years. She developed her passion for pain management whilst working as a perioperative nurse. Jill has a Master of Science in Medicine (Pain Management) through Sydney University. She has noticed many changes over the years: patients are much more complex, often presenting with multiple co-morbidities, multiple medications, opioid dependence and some with a history of substance use disorder. This can make managing their pain very challenging. Helping patients safely and effectively ‘turn down the volume’ of their pain and be able to function better is the highlight of her role. Working in acute, persistent and palliative pain management has bought diversity in her role. Being able to spend time interacting with these often delightful and sometimes challenging patients can be rewarding. Jill enjoys educating nurses, realizing as she gets older herself, one day one of these nurses may be looking after her. Outside of work, Jill cherishes time with family and friends, her three delightful grandchildren and time doing patchwork and needlework.