Murrumbidgee Local Health District celebrates Nurse Practitioner Week

From smaller Riverina towns to Wagga itself, nurse practitioners are the leading experts in their field.

The role sees registered nurses equipped with the experience, expertise and authority to diagnose and treat people of all ages with a variety of acute or chronic health conditions.

They have a range of specialties including emergency, trauma, mental health, palliative care, wound care, aged care, renal, respiratory and diabetes. In the MLHD, they also travel to rural and remote communities with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

And this week, the spotlight is on them as the health industry celebrates Nurse Practitioner Week.

Wendy Swann is just one of the MLHD's nurse practitioners. But, she is better known as the "purple princess" after accidentally dying her hair the bright shade.

However, instead of seeing it as a disaster, Ms Swann added a tiara and some wings to create a character that would help sick kids and their families fight the hospital blues.

"I do it for the kids because emergency departments can be frightening places," she said.

"If a child sees someone dressed up as a purple fairy, it takes their minds off the pain they might be experiencing, and they can focus on something else."

As well as bringing a smile to children's faces, Ms Swann sees countless patients entering the emergency department.

"It's just about one foot after the other to make sure you see patients in a timely manner," she said.

Becoming a highly trained health professional did not "happen by magic", Ms Swann said. Earning her "wings" took countless hours of study and clinical hours.

"I was number four in the country to be authorised," she said. "It was a very new thing, and I was working remotely at the time and saw it as a way to progress."

Ms Swann said sometimes people would ask "Why didn't you just become a doctor?". A question she finds incredibly frustrating.

"We are grounded in nursing, and we are very focused on the person as a whole, rather than just the medical issue," she said. "That works to our advantage."

Ms Swann said the best part about her job is not only helping people but being able to bring a smile to their face in an extremely stressful time.

For Liz Obersteller, the best part about being a nurse practitioner specialising in diabetes care is seeing her patients improve.

She completed her training in the 1980s to become a nurse in Darwin and worked in the paediatrics and surgical wards.

After an extensive career in multiple fields, Ms Obersteller ended up choosing to work in the field of diabetes.

"I have been with the MLHD for five years," she said. "I chose to become a nurse practitioner because I still wanted to do something that had a clinical focus, to keep supporting people in a hands-on manner."

As part of their additional university study at master's degree level, nurses choose which area to specialise in.

For Ms Obersteller, diabetes was a natural choice, but it is not without its challenges.

"It's still a young profession in our country, so sometimes other health professionals and community members do not fully understand the scope of our role," she said. "We are not a substitute for going to the GP or the specialist."

Looking at each patient as a whole, rather than focusing on the diagnosis of diabetes, is how Ms Obersteller ensures she can deliver the best possible care.

Ms Obersteller travels throughout the region to support communities that are not able to access essential services.

From Hillston to Hay to Cootamundra and back to Wagga, Ms Obersteller said she meets so many different people as diabetes is not a condition that discriminates.

One of her patients based in Harden, an ex-truck driver, had never seen a health professional for his diabetes.

"I started seeing him, and we have reduced his insulin, he's lost weight, and he's got his life back," she said.

"That's been through enabling him to access newer medications and technology to help him.

"I really enjoy being able to support people."

Danielle Kennedy is a nurse practitioner specialising in aged care in what she describes as a career gone "full circle".

After working in the United Kingdom for a few years, Ms Kennedy moved to a rural town in Victoria where the options for career progression were limited.

"I had to re-evaluate, and I started working for the community with a residential out-reach, hospital in-home care and community nursing," she said.

"The opportunity came up to become a nurse practitioner candidate based in the community, so I went for that.

"Then a while later, a job came up here in the Murrumbidgee in 2017."

Ms Kennedy said when she first started studying to be a nurse she worked in aged care, and now her role in the MLHD is to work with senior patients throughout the region.

She added there is significant demand for the service due to the ageing population in Australia, coupled with the sheer size of the health district.

"Most of our consultations are in relation to a comprehensive geriatric assessment, so includes cognitive assessments and future planning assessments," Ms Kennedy said.

"The list is endless really in terms of what we do.

"The biggest challenge is explaining to some the reality that they can no longer live at home or telling the carers they can't do it all."

Ms Kennedy said the best part of her job is sitting down and getting to know the patients she works with.

"Our older generations have incredible stories, and I learn so much from them every day," she said. "I hope that I also am able to bring a bit of happiness to them by sitting there and listening."

Leanne Boase, the president of the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners, said the general public does not know enough about the profession.

"These are the most senior nurses," she said. "They also bring the nursing approach, so it is very person-centred rather than problem-centred.

"Our nurse practitioners also educate their patients to manage their own health."

Ms Boase said it is not an easy path to become the most experienced type of nurse. It involves a masters, choosing a specialty and 5000 hours of documented advanced practice.

She added the role of a nurse practitioner is still considered somewhat new as it was only formally introduced 20 years ago.

"The role was really born in regional Australia where nurses were already working in advanced capacities," Ms Boase said.

"I think it's wonderful it is formally recognised now and they have the support through the proper training."