Meet Donna our Family Nurse Practitioner

Role? 
Family Nurse Practitioner

Career background?
My early nursing career was spent working in Adult Intensive Care. I left ICU to become a midwife and became a Remote Area Nurse on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands in Western Australia. Although the work was challenging and the hours long, I got to use all my skills and made lots of friends in the seven years I there. During that time I completed a Masters in Public Health and became a Nurse Practitioner.

Where are you from?
I was born in Bundaberg and spent my preschool years living in a caravan on the opal fields of Lightning Ridge (NSW) and Duck Creek (Qld). My parents moved to Brisbane when I started school, so this is where I grew up.

What prompted you to get into your field?
While I was working on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, I learned so much about the importance of preventative health care. My work is mainly in the areas of women’s health and child and family health. I feel strongly about working with families because it gives them the best opportunity for good health in the future.

What do you like most about your job?
I love being part of a fabulous team who provide the highest standard of primary health care services that I know.

What does a typical day look like for you?
As a Family Nurse Practitioner and an Endorsed Midwife, my day is anything but typical. But it could involve newborn baby checks, immunisations, women’s health checks, procedures, pregnancy care, child health checks or advising a couple as they prepare to start a family. I also have the opportunity to provide staff education.

Hobbies outside of work?
Camping, live music, dancing, anything vintage!