• Case in point 1Primary care nursing in practice

    No need to fly solo: a lateral approach to navigating general practice

    Thirteen years ago, Dr Andrew Kirwan recognised that his busy one-man general practice, servicing the Woori Yallock region on the outskirts of Melbourne, needed to expand. He initially searched for another GP but eventually turned to Ellen Rowatt, a nurse at an aged-care facility housing a number of his patients, to take on the role of primary care nurse. The duo have not looked back since.

  • Case in point 2Primary care nursing in practice

    Realising their potential: a strategic approach to primary care nursing

    Being directly responsible for a team of 18 people across four sites is no mean feat. But that’s not all that experienced registered nurse Kathy Godwin relishes about her role as Strategic Manager for Shoalhaven Family Medical Centres. She also ensures that the nursing team collaborates with the other practice staff, including 16 GPs, in servicing 25,000 patients in the local area.

  • Case in point 3Primary care nursing in practice

    Graduating to the frontline of healthcare – general practice

    When Jennifer Willis finally decided to pursue a long-held dream of becoming a nurse, she raised a few eyebrows. But after graduating five years later with a Bachelor of Nursing degree at age 51, no one was left doubting her commitment. There was also no question in Jennifer’s mind about where to begin her career – at the forefront of primary care, general practice.

  • Case in point 4Primary care nursing in practice

    Seeing the light: why it pays to employ a primary care nurse

    In the words of Dr Gary Kilov, ‘a general practice without nurses is unimaginable to me’. So when Gary returned to Tasmania to establish The Seaport Practice in Launceston with colleague Dr Maxine Manifold, he placed as much importance on finding the right nurses as he did on finding the right doctors. Nurse Suzanne Marshall was specifically sought out for one of the positions.

  • Case in point 5Primary care nursing in practice

    Enrolling for additional practice support

    Situated in Tamworth, Peel Health Care has adopted an innovative general practice model offering comprehensive medical and allied health services to patients and a collaborative work environment for staff. So when the non-profit organisation first opened its doors, a team of nurses was ready not only to work with the GPs, but also to lead specific services within the practice. Enrolled nurse (EN) Ros Dart brought 25 years’ experience with her when she joined in 2009.

  • Case in point 6Primary care nursing in practice

    All roads lead to primary healthcare

    After 30 years of nursing, Alison Logan is constantly amazed by the range of opportunities that her chosen career has afforded her – hospital nurse, paediatric nurse, midwife, district nurse, aged-care nurse, practice nurse and, for the last 2 years, Senior Chronic Disease Care Coordinator for the Western NSW Medicare Local. She leads a team of ten care coordinators across the Bathurst and Orange regions in ensuring that indigenous patients with complex health requirements receive essential care.

  • Case in point 7Primary care nursing in practice

    Community healthcare: the
    co-operative way

    As the only indigenous student at the Australian Catholic University’s Ballarat campus in Victoria, Faye Clarke sometimes felt isolated. However, the determined mature-age student didn’t let this interfere with her nursing studies, which she completed in 2003. Faye has maintained close links with the local indigenous population through her current role as Community Health Nurse at the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative (BADAC).