Linda Doherty awarded WNSWLHD Nurse Practitioner of the Year

Linda works in Orange within Alcohol and other Drug Services to support people managing their addictions across the local health district, and Director of Mental Health Drug and Alcohol, Jason Crisp, said that Linda was extremely deserving of the award.

"There were a number of nominations received for Linda, all of them highlighted her approach to patient centred cared," he said.

"She is an innovator who is always looking to improve the health outcomes for people within the community.

"Linda is a great mentor to staff, an educator, compassionate, caring nurse and professional."

Having just celebrated the 20th anniversary of Nurse Practitioner Day, Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) Executive Director Quality, Clinical Safety and Nursing, Adrian Fahy, said that it was important to celebrate and acknowledge the Nurse Practitioners who work across the district.

"We are very grateful and proud of all the Nurse Practitioners working across our region," he said.

"This week not only highlights the fantastic work they do, but also recognises the significant contribution they bring to our patients and our workforce.

"This year we had 10 finalists for the Western NSW Local Health District Nurse Practitioner of the Year Award and all of the nominations are outstanding Nurse Practitioners in our region.

"It was a difficult choice only selecting one winner."

The theme for Nurse Practitioner Week in 2020 is "Nurse Practitioners: Writing Our Own Story. Helping You with Yours", and Mr Fahy said it was an important story to tell.

"Our Nurse Practitioners are an invaluable asset to our workforce, they provide care and support to all of our staff right across the Local Health District and beyond," he said.

"They are highly skilled advanced practice registered nurses who are trained to independently assess patients, order diagnostic tests, interpret the results of these tests, form working patient diagnoses and prescribe certain medications to treat illness.

"They are a fantastic asset across a variety of clinical settings working in strong partnership with our medical and clinical teams."

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