Te Whatu Ora Southern now has six newly qualified nurse practitioners with four based in Dunedin and two in Invercargill.
Narissa Weber (Child, Adolescent and Family Service) and Melinda Prekopa (Older Persons Health) are both based at Southland Hospital, while Matt Kendrick (OIder Person’s Mental Health) is at Dunedin Hospital.
To become a nurse practitioner, a registered nurse must complete Masters education and advanced clinical practice requirements in a specific area of practice.
Melinda says being a nurse practitioner means she can now provide holistic care within the community, tailoring her services, and involving whānau in a patient's health journey.
"I became a nurse practitioner to overcome the constant challenges of a fragmented system and assist patients to receive timely care when and where they need it," says Melinda.
For Matt and Narissa, being able to diagnose and prescribe completes the holistic circle of health. "We feel we can now look after the whole patient, and all of their needs.
We see our role as not only for our patients, but also educating and building relationships within the community," says Narissa
The trio say they couldn't have completed the course without the support of their workplace. As well as regular check-ins by their managers and colleagues, they had the support of the well-established nurse practitioner group in Southern.
The other newly qualified practitioners include Christine Ho (Gastroenterology, Dunedin), Trudy Galer (Women’s Health/Gynaecology, Dunedin) and Toni Johnston (Critical Care, Dunedin).
Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Jane Wilson says becoming a nurse practitioner is not always an easy pathway, but is delighted to see so many new nurse practitioners in Southern recently.
“We now have 22 Te Whatu Ora employed nurse practitioners and many also working in other settings in the community."
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