Normanton Nurse Navigator Jen Greenhorn has recruited 25 patients into the Nurse Navigator program, with the aim of providing them with a continuum of care, avoiding hospitalisation and guiding them along the best health pathway for them.
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“I have transitioned one patient into a nursing home, who had been in the hospital for four weeks, which is not ideal for the patient. It takes a lot of communicating, chasing up of referrals and making the most of resources.”
Fresh from Brisbane to Normanton only a few months ago, Jen has some funny patient stories to recount as she quickly adjusted to nursing in the Outback.
“Things are done very differently here, and you have to be flexible. You have to look at the patient, and look at the environment and work out the best solution for them. The Community Health Workers are a huge help,” Jen said.
“They know the patients. One of my young male patients went missing half way through his treatment. He just went bush.
“I drove around town looking for him and people were telling me he’d gone walkabout.
“Walkabout? I had heard the term but I didn’t really know it happened.
“Anyway, I got some help from the lovely aunties and uncles and eventually I found him and brought him in for attention.
“That probably prevented later hospitalisation, and that’s what Nurse Navigators do: get the right treatment for the patient, keep them out of hospital and keep them on their proper health pathway.”
