This week is Nurse Practitoner Week and we asked some of our BCHS Nurse Practitioners to reflect on their highlights of the role and tell us more about what it means to be a Nurse Practitioner.
Nurse Practitoners is a Registered Nurse with the experience, expertise and authority to diagnose and treat people of all ages with a variety of acute or chronic health conditions. Nurse Practitioners have completed additional university study at Master’s degree level and are the most senior and independent clinical nurses in our health care system.
Let's meet some our our Nurse Practitioners at Bendigo Community Health Services...
Nomusa Napier - Alcohol and Other Drugs/ Credentialed Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
"First, I would like to thank Orticare for awarding me the scholarship to purse my Journey as an Alcohol and Other Drugs Nurse Practitioner. Nurse Practitioners add value to our health system. We are not here to replace Doctors, we are here to close the gap and offer holistic care to our vulnerable patients."
"We also work in collaboration with other Multidisciplinary teams to offer the best care possible, which is pivotal for the best outcome for patient’s. I love my role as Nurse Practitioner and I feel privileged to be working in the Correctional system(Prison) and Bendigo Community Health Services as I am in a great position to offer ongoing support to patients released from prison and the community at large. I used to spend hours on the phone trying to find Opioid replacement therapy prescribers in the community for patients being released from the prison. There are very few prescribers in the community, especially in rural areas, which is very sad and potentially putting our communities at risk. We need more Nurse Practitioners in our community. Let’s keep our communities safe and reduce recidivism."
Louise Holland - Nurse Practitioner Sexual Health Nurse
“On reflection; the professional and personal satisfaction working as an endorsed Nurse Practitioner at Bendigo Community Health Services in Women’s and Sexual and Reproductive health, completely affirms the effort that I needed to undertake my Masters course, and I totally encourage all Nurses who wish to achieve this autonomy as a Nurse to consider this pathway"
