The first Nurse Practitioner to be appointed in the Northern Territory will commence at Royal Darwin Hospital today, International Nurses Day 2009.
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a Registered Nurse who has completed advanced nursing education (usually a master's degree or doctorate) and has undergone training in the diagnosis and management of common as well as complex medical conditions. They are licensed to order certain diagnostic testing or medications that must otherwise be authorised by a doctor.
Jennifer Byrnes, who has been Royal Darwin Hospital's stomal therapist* and wound management consultant for eight years, was the 2008 NT Nurse of the Year.
In addition to her extensive clinical experience, Ms Byrnes has successfully completed her Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) over three years through Flinders University.
She has also completed a 12 month Graduate Diploma in wound care and stomal therapy and holds leadership positions in several professional organisation.
Ms Byrnes received her registration as a Nurse Practitioner from the NT Nursing and Midwifery Board in 2008.
In her new role as a Nurse Practitioner, Ms Byrnes will undertake comprehensive assessment of outpatients requiring wound management without them waiting to see a doctor, order diagnostic tests, write prescriptions and refer patients to other health practitioners, including medical specialists.
"My main work will be focused on preventative health care, however I will also have the capability to assess patients and refer to the surgeon when necessary. This will reduce the waiting times for some patients when they require diagnostic procedures such as x-ray and ultrasound," Ms Byrnes said.
Ms Byrnes started work at Royal Darwin Hospital as a general nurse 10 years ago.
She then stepped into the newly formed role at Royal Darwin as stomal therapist and Wound Management Clinical Nurse Consultant. For more than eight years she has developed this role to a proactive and well-utilised position within RDH, with demonstrated improvements to service provision within this field.
Royal Darwin Hospital General Manager, Dr Len Notaras, AM, said with the implementation of the Nurse Practitioner role there is an opportunity to ensure improved practices and better patient outcomes.
"The role of Nurse Practitioner is designed to complement existing medical roles and with the NP's extended scope of practice, this has been demonstrated repeatedly throughout Australia since 2001," Dr Notaras said.
"I am very pleased that Royal Darwin Hospital is leading the way with the introduction of the first Nurse Practitioner registered in the NT."
There are currently 336 authorised practising Nurse Practitioners in Australia and the numbers continue to grow.
The 2009 NT Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards will be held this Friday evening at Parliament House.
* A stoma is a surgically-created, artificial opening of an internal organ on the surface of the body, e.g. for a colostomy or tracheostomy.
Media contact: Michelle Foster 0419 818 414; Cameron Jackson 0401 116 144
Release date: 12 May 2009
