Primary Health Care Nurses Day Celebrations with Rachel Herrity

​Each year, on the first Wednesday in February, Primary Health Care Nurses Day is celebrated, recognising the essential work that nurses do in primary healthcare settings. This includes their roles in aged care, community health, general practice, custodial services, schools, and other primary health care settings.

Primary Health Care Nurses Day provides an opportunity to highlight the significant contributions of over 98,000 primary health care nurses across the country. Their work plays a crucial role in improving the health and well-being of every Australian.

One such nurse is Rachel Herrity, a Nurse Practitioner whom we assisted with her placement at ATSICHS Mackay, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service. Having previously visited North Queensland, Rachel was drawn to Mackay for its ideal location, offering easy access to both Brisbane and Cairns. Around nine months ago, Rachel moved from the United Kingdom with her family to settle in Mackay after her husband secured a role at the Mackay Base Hospital.

To mark Primary Health Care Nurses Day, we caught up with Rachel to learn about her career path, her current role, and her experience settling into the area.

“I’m a nurse practitioner with 11 years of experience. I hold a diploma in Adult Nursing, a BSc (Hons) in Healthcare Practice, and an MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice. I’m ITU qualified, with a background in Emergency Department and Critical Care. For the last 5 years, I have worked in primary care with a focus on palliative care and hospital avoidance for acute presentations,” Rachel explained.

The most rewarding aspect of her role, Rachel shared, is “providing healthcare to individuals who, due to their location or financial situation, would otherwise have limited or no access to services.”

However, working in regional healthcare presents some challenges. Rachel noted that one of the main difficulties is “navigating the public and private sectors, particularly billing and health insurance." Other challenges include, “Medicare billing issues, limited access to specialist services, staff skills mix and training needs within the main hospital, restricted choice of treatment for some presentations, and people unable to afford investigations.”

Despite the challenges, Rachel offered valuable advice for nurses starting their careers, those considering work in rural or regional areas, and those thinking of relocating to Australia. “If it’s something you are serious about, just do it! Give yourself a year to settle into things and have a plan. Travel as much as your time and funding allows; central and northern Queensland is a beautiful part of the world. Start your education into sub/tropical disease now, there is much to learn! Know your Australian history, particularly if working in rural areas. It helps when listening to peoples’ stories if you can engage with them and empathise with their experiences”.

Although Rachel and her family are still settling in, they’ve already managed to enjoy a visit to beautiful Airlie Beach.

Thank you, Rachel, and all the Primary Health Care Nurses in Queensland’s remote and rural communities, for your dedication and care.

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