Celebrating Tony Boschman’s 50-year mental health nursing career milestone
From pizza shop owner to supermarket Santa, Tony Boschman has worn many hats – but a 50-year career in mental health nursing is his greatest professional achievement.
Starting as a Nursing Aid, Tony has worked his way up to become Clinical Nurse Manager of Mental Health Patient Flow at WA Country Health Service, inspiring countless colleagues along the way.
It was only fitting, then, that after half a century of service, his teammates at the WA Country Health Service Command Centre threw a surprise party to celebrate the monumental milestone.
Yet as Tony recalled on the day, his life could easily have turned out very different.
“Nursing was not what I was planning to do; I was 17 and my goal was to do an apprenticeship as a car mechanic,” he said.
“In 1975, to get an apprenticeship you had to be 15, and I would’ve been looked at as ‘mature aged’. It was my mother who saw an ad in the paper for the mental health nursing course at Graylands – that’s how it all started.”
Tony soon realised nursing was his true calling and, after more than a decade at Graylands Hospital, he took on a Registered Nurse position at Heathcote Hospital.
When Heathcote closed in 1994, he transferred to Fremantle Hospital in the role of Clinical Nurse.
Twenty years later he made the move to Fiona Stanley Hospital’s new Mental Health Unit, where he served as After-Hours Nurse Manager before transferring to WA Country Health Service in 2019.
“Working in mental health for all these years, I’ve found it very rewarding, and it’s brought me a lot of joy,” Tony said.
“Sometimes it’s hard being a manager, but you’re there as a team, and to have a good team, you need to look after the team and be a part of that team.
“It’s not about dictating what goes on but ensuring that everybody gets a clear say in how things function.”
Through all the career progression, Tony – who married wife Stefanie in 1978 – said he always put family first.
“It’s serendipitous how life progresses and what we do,” he said.
“No matter what, I always endeavoured to make sure that as much as possible I could be there for our kids for all their important days. I still do with my grandkids – it hasn’t stopped.”
Executive Director Mental Health Paula Chatfield said Tony was an asset to the organisation.
“I had the privilege of working with Tony at Fiona Stanley Hospital and now in WA Country Health Service, and have valued so much his expertise, knowledge and advice around patient flow and care,” Paula said.
Director Operations Liam Avery said Tony never failed to set a positive example through his unwavering commitment to patient-centred care.
“Fifty years is a considerable amount of time in any career, and Tony has remained dedicated to ensuring patient-centred care over that time” Liam said.
“When I started, I recall Tony’s mentorship for clinicians beginning their careers with him; instilling the foundations of patient safety and quality across the whole journey, making sure it went beyond acute care to recovery, beyond the patient to their familial supports and networks. Tony has remained true to those principles all these years and continues to advocate tirelessly for such equity and access to care.”
Coordinator Nursing Patient Flow Paula Jolly also paid tribute to Tony, describing him as a “dedicated professional but also a great family man”.
She said Tony always made time for others, put people first, and led with kindness.
“Tony continues to serve with the passion and dedication that’s defined his entire career,” Paula said.
“Along with nursing, though, Tony and his wife owned a pizza shop and family stories are filled with dough, sauce, and chaos.
“Tony’s career even had a festive side — he moonlighted as a shopping centre Santa, complete with a tailor-made suit that he still owns.
“It’s just another example of how he’s always been willing to step up, help, and bring joy wherever he goes.”