The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) is the peak body and professional membership association for all nurses working outside of a hospital setting in Australia. APNA champions the role of primary healthcare and together with paramedics who have experience working in primary health will discuss the evolving role of paramedics in this environment.

Through this webinar, paramedics will learn what working in primary health entails.

Presenters: Rebecca Cox, Lisa Collison, Alecka Miles & Shell Piercy

Hosted by: Julie Johnson

Target audience: Student paramedics, Paramedic early career, Paramedics senior, Intensive care paramedics, Clinical educators, Allied health/nursing

Biographies

Rebekah Cox Rebekah started her PHC nursing career in NZ as a grad nurse in a busy General Practice (GP). After completing a postgraduate certificate in primary health care, she moved to Melbourne and continued to work in GP land before moving to APNA in 2014. Rebekah is currently completing a Master of Public Health while managing APNA’s Transition to Practice Programs. Rebekah loves her floofie dog, food, coffee, tattoos, and pickleball!

Lisa Collison Lisa is an experienced registered nurse who has worked for more than 25 years across multiple primary health care settings, in a variety of management, clinical, leadership and project roles. She has worked in both rural and urban locations and experienced a variety of culturally diverse demographics in practice settings which have influenced her career.Lisa has been involved with APNA as a member and national representative since 2004 and joined APNA as an employee in 2014. Since then she has continued her strong commitment to supporting and raising the profile of nurses working in the primary health care sector.As Program Manager – Nursing Support she is a member of the APNA Executive, leading a high performing professional team delivering programs and support that build capacity and promote reform and innovation amongst Australia’s primary health care nursing workforce, which aims to see primary health care services better equipped to address the health needs of Australian communities.

Alecka Miles Alecka is the Course Coordinator of the Master of Paramedic Practitioner course at Edith Cowan University and works as a Paramedic at a GP clinic in Perth, Western Australia. She is a long-suffering Melbourne Demons fan and proud ‘Mumma’ to Poppy (5 years) and Hamish (3 years), a career highlight and her greatest achievement so far. Despite expressing her concerns about research being a ‘waste of time’ as a M.A.S. graduate paramedic, she has since changed her tune and developed research interests in paramedic education and the roles for paramedics in primary health care in Australia/New Zealand. She has a Masters degree in Emergency Health and is currently undertaking her PhD and looks forward to dressing like a professor from Harry Potter when she graduates.

Shell Piercy Shell is a Nurse Practitioner Intern and Community Paramedic working in a rural General Practice in the eastern Waikato of New Zealand. Her role is to provide an urgent and acute care stream for within practice hours and on call after hours for the wider region. Shell is part of the (insert ACP community Paramedicine working group name) and she is a member of the professional practice committee of the New Zealand college of primary health care nurses, she is the nursing advisor to the royal new Zealand college of urgent care and the founder and facilitator of the urgent care nurses network. She advocates for nurses working at the top of their scopes in primary healthcare and for community paramedics working outside of Ambulance services to improve access and equity of primary healthcare services.

Julie Johnson Julie is the College Manager of Education and is a Registered Paramedic, nurse and clinical educator. She has worked across many sectors in paramedics and nursing including state ambulance service, primary health care, emergency, non-emergency, and private paramedic practice in Vic and NSW. She has been working in the fields of health and education for 25 years, 17 of those in paramedicine. Julie has a special interest in education and holds Postgraduate qualifications in tertiary and higher education. She is currently undertaking Higher Degree Research (HDR) in paramedic education, investigating pathways to higher education and career extension. Julie began working in primary health as a nurse, realising very quickly that her paramedic skill set provided a unique experience that added to the quality of care she could provide to patients. She has worked in primary healthcare for many years, taking lead roles in patient and clinical practice management. The acute emergency and trauma skills learned in the paramedic environment led to her working alongside specialist physicians assisting with surgical procedures and coordinating recovery and post surgical care. Julie is a strong advocate for collaborative healthcare and can see through her experience the contributions paramedics can make to multidisciplinary care.

Please note - This webinar will be delivered by APNA and cofacilitated by the College.