Page 2436 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 30 July 2019
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Danielle also described the centre as being fantastic when she has had netball or sport injuries in conducting primary assessment of whether she needed to go to the hospital to get X-rays or not. She said:
I’d much rather go there in the first instance than accident and emergency.
This government is passionate about free public health care, and our walk-in centres offer just that. Visiting a walk-in centre is often the quickest way to see a health professional. You do not need to make an appointment and wait times are minimal.
Our nurses, including our nurses at the walk-in centres, are professional and committed. They have years of collective skills and experience, as you noted yourself, Madam Deputy Speaker. They also assess and treat a very wide range of issues. They offer empathy and they offer compassion, which are often just as important during distressing moments. The stories I have shared here today are just a handful of the community’s experiences right across the centres in our city—positive experiences that will continue to grow as the number of centres grows.
I want to thank the nurses at all of our walk-in centres, hospitals and health services. I would like to thank Mr Gupta for raising this very important matter today, on his first day—very auspicious. In particular, I say to the nurses: thank you for what you do. You have left an indelible impression on so many people and you are so valued.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety and Minister for Mental Health) (4.02): I am pleased to discuss the importance of the expertise, commitment and skill of nurses working in Canberra’s walk-in centres and hospitals. I congratulate Mr Gupta on bringing this important matter forward on his first sitting day. As the minister responsible for mental health and justice health I experience firsthand the hard work, compassion and know-how of nurses working across the sector. Nurses are at the heart of the health system, and we are pleased to be able to recognise their dedication and resilience in this discussion this afternoon.
Nurses studying and working in the ACT are increasingly being recognised for their hard work but also their excellence. Four nurses from Dhulwa mental health unit recently graduated with their master’s in mental health nursing. One nurse from the adult mental health unit recently graduated with a master’s in mental health nursing from Sydney university. A nurse from city mental health won the research poster award at the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners conference 2018 and will again be presenting a poster on the physical health project at the 2019 ACNP conference. The same nurse was recognised by her university for outstanding results in semester 1 2019 in studying for her nurse practitioner master’s.
A nurse from justice health services will graduate from his graduate diploma in forensic mental health nursing course in August. Seven RN1s completed the postgraduate diploma in mental health nursing through the University of Canberra in June 2018, and a further seven RN1s completed the postgraduate diploma in mental health nursing through the University of Canberra in December 2018.
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