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Nurse trailblazer recognised
Ipswich nurse gets Health Minister gong .
An Ipswich nurse committed to
managing chronic diseases in her community has taken out the Health Minister ’ s Award for Nursing Trailblazers .
Shannon Wallis was recognised for her work on MeCare ( Mobile enabled Care ), in which she developed a virtual nursing framework and education package to onboard nurses to the new mode of working .
It included tips and tools to help nurses complete an environmental assessment virtually by guiding the patients in the use of their home tablet .
MeCare now supports over 500 patients who experience one or more chronic illnesses and aims to deliver early intervention to prevent admission to hospital .
Australian College of Nursing chief executive Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward said Wallis ’ work reflected the innovative and insightful ways nurses continue to advance the delivery of primary health care services .
“ Work such as Shannon ’ s , which can support high-risk patients in isolating and treating their conditions from home , is crucial to ensuring those with co-morbidities are not exposed to the risk of infection from COVID-19 ,” Ward said .
Minister for Health Greg Hunt congratulated Wallis and all Australian nurses for their work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ As with many things in 2020 , the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated rapid change to models of care and how health professionals deliver care ,” Hunt said .
“ Measures such as the introduction of telehealth have been a revolution in the delivery of primary care .
“ Nurses like Ms Wallis continue to put the needs of their patients first , while creating safe , effective practices to help our whole healthcare system .”
Wallis took the win as an opportunity to highlight the work being done in West Moreton .
“ The collaboration that occurs from the executive sponsors through to the virtual care multidisciplinary teams and even our health partners and auxiliary staff continually work together to build a culture of continuous learning and overcoming barriers for adoption of digital health ,” Wallis said .
“ I am blessed to be part of a wonderful team .” ■
Your organisation may be eligible for Australian Government-funded support to help alleviate the pressure of finding a temporary replacement when you or your colleagues go on leave .
You will be given all the support needed to recruit , screen and place highly experienced health professionals that can hit the ground running from the moment they arrive .
For more information visit www . rurallap . com . au nursingreview . com . au | 7