Hospital matrons were re-introduced to the NHS in 2001 after an absence of over 30 years. It formed part of the government's drive up to further improve standards in hospitals and prevent hospital infections.
Tanya is quick to point out, however, that the stereotype of 'matron' as a fearsome administrative figure is out-of-date: "It's much more about supporting the ward sisters, encouraging them, and helping them to do their job.
"As a sister, you tend to be focused on your ward and your team and that's how it should be. But you don't necessarily have the time to be aware of all the wider Trust issues.
Matrons help communicate information and guidance down to the sisters, as well as feeding any issues, advice or suggestions they have back up the organisation.
"For example, matrons help sisters with things like infection control audits, the recruitment and retention of staff, and ward finances. Some of the role is also about explaining how ward staff can use specific policies and procedures to help them."
Tanya joined the St Helier NHS Trust in 1995 as an enrolled nurse, having completed her training at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn in Norfolk.
She started working on ward B5 at St Helier and has climbed through the ranks, first becoming a junior sister on B5, then sister on B6 in 2005 and a matron in June 2008.
As specialty medicine matron, Tanya is one of 34 matrons employed acroos the Trust. She is responsible for wards B6 (the respiratory unit), C6 (the cardiac unit), C5 (an escalation ward) and C3 (the stroke unit).
When she's not walking around the hospital, she enjoys walking around the countryside with her husband, Carl. She told me: "We both have a real love of the outdoor life and adventuring. We often go camping in the Yorkshire Dales, and we spent our honeymoon in the Lake District. We've just bought a puppy - a Spanish Water Dog - who's six months old, so we're getting her out as much as possible too!"
In the future, Tanya wants to keep doing the best job she can: "I want to continue developing myself," she said. "For me it's about looking at the experience patients have in our hospitals and helping make that as good as it can be. I've got a lot of time for common courtesy.
"Thanking people when things go right tends to work better than complaining when things go wrong."
