THE North West's health service has been recognised state-wide for an initiative which tackles a shortage of doctors in rural areas.
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The nurse practitioner model, which was recognised last week in State Parliament, was developed as a hybrid role which allows nurses to perform beyond their traditional scope as registered nurses to provide higher duties in the absence of doctors.
North West Hospital and Health Service executive director of nursing Michelle Garner said the region had employed seven nurse practitioners, one of them being herself.
"(The nurse practitioner's) advanced and extended scope of practice allows them to fill some of the gaps created by a lack of doctors in rural and remote areas," she said.
"As such, they are well suited to work in rural and remote areas such as the North West, where there are fewer doctors available."
Ms Garner said as well as the seven currently qualified nurse practitioners, three more candidates were currently in training for the region.
Mount Isa Hospital Emergency Department nurse practitioner Andrew McCallum said he had been in the role almost four of his five years in the North West and enjoyed the autonomy of the position.
"As a nurse practitioner I'm able to do tasks like advanced history and assessments and can order tests like bloods and x-ray within an ED setting without a doctor," he said.
"It's an advanced clinical role so it's utilising skills you wouldn't normally be able to in a traditional registered nurse position."
Ms Garner said nurse practitioner candidate postgraduate training and clinical experience work within Queensland currently could be undertaken through James Cook University, the Queensland University of Technology or the University of Queensland, either on location or externally.
After a year full-time or two years part-time, the candidates come out as fully fledged Nurse Practitioners ready to take on tasks beyond the scope of traditional nurses, thereby allowing doctors to focus on more complex duties.
ON THE JOB: North West Hospital and Health Service nurse practitioners Michelle Garner and Andrew McCallum at one of the new emergency bays. - Picture: EMMA KENNEDY/7745
