Nurse practitioners have the expertise to treat people with highly complex and chronic health conditions – working alongside medical, nursing and allied health colleagues to improve patient outcomes.
Our new nurse practitioners spent two days in Tamworth last week, familiarising themselves with procedures and teams across Aboriginal health, pharmacy services, imaging, education and training, research and more.
Elizabeth Grist, Executive Director Clinical Services and Nursing and Midwifery, met the new recruits last week and said they will provide huge value to the communities of Bingara, Gunnedah and Glen Innes.
“The nurse practitioner model-of-care is so important as it enables nurses to work both autonomously and collaboratively to perform advanced clinical care and treatment.
“As they’re able to request diagnostic investigations, prescribe medicines and initiate and receive referrals, they will address identified health gaps in some of our smaller communities.”
Susan Mack has worked as the Health Service Manager at Bingara Multipurpose Service for a number of years, while still working clinical and also studying her master’s degree.
She said she recognised the need for nurse practitioners in the District, and especially in her home of Bingara, “as much as I loved working as a manager, I always wanted to go back to full-time frontline clinical care.”
“Being a nurse practitioner is my dream – it allows me to combine my two passions, direct clinical care and rural nursing.” Susan Mack, Adele Goody, Nicole Gee and Sarah Jane Williscroft join 55 nurse practitioners already employed in the Hunter New England Local Health District.
The employment of nurse practitioners across rural health facilities is an emerging model in NSW, to improve access to health services. NSW Health employs more than 280 nurse practitioners across the state.