Celebrating nurses who put their heart into our health

Celebrating nurses who put their heart into our health

Australian nurses, and the immense contribution they make to the health of our nation, were recognised recently as part of the Australian College of Nursing’s ‘Nursing in the Community Week’ campaign.

Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said as the nation and the world continue to navigate the COVID-19 health emergency, Australia’s nurses are at the forefront of health care.

“There are more than 124,500 nurses working in community health care including more than 40,000 working outside our cities,” Minister Hunt said.

“These highly trained and skilled nurses are working in GP practices, outpatient services, correctional facilities, Aboriginal health services, the Australian defence forces, schools and hospices.”

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) initiated Nursing in the Community Week to recognise and celebrate the impactful work of nurses in the community. 

This year Nursing in the Community Week aimed to raise awareness on how nurses can support you to stay safe at home, and their impact on the well-being of individuals and those in local communities.

CEO of ACN, Kylie Ward said “Nurses working in the community underpin the health outcomes of millions of Australians on a daily basis. The critical roles they play in direct care, education, mental health, chronic disease management and preventative health literally saves lives. Especially through the global pandemic I acknowledge their work, skill and expertise in all they do.” 

Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton said nurses are the lifeblood of rural communities, responding to complex health needs away from major hospitals in rural, regional and remote Australia.

“We are seeing highly skilled Nurse Practitioners work autonomously across health services, where they are often the only provider of health care in the region,” Minister Coulton said.

“Thank you to all nurses who continuously put their heart and soul into caring for regional and rural communities, especially this year as we face the challenges of COVID-19.”

“Our investment in community nursing includes more than $13 million over three years to CRANAplus to provide remote health professionals, including community nurses, with access to training, professional services and mental health support.

The Government has also provided the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association with $8 million over four years to deliver the Nursing in Primary Health Care Program. This program is helping to build the capacity of the primary health care nursing workforce by improving employment opportunities and the recruitment and retention of nurses in primary health care.

This article was originally published on the AUS Department of Health website on 14/9/2020.