Debbie at the forefront of helping Norfolk Island community access care

Clinical Nurse Consultant Debbie Jones has shown a knack for solutions to complex logistical challenges caused by distance and isolation to help the Norfolk Island residents access care.

Debbie, who is part of the Norfolk Island Support Program (NISP) team, is actively ensuring that distance, technical challenges and/or service availability doesn’t limit the care provided to around 2,500 residents.

“It’s about working with the patient and seeing what works for them, sorting out the resources needed and ensuring safe access to care,” she said.

“We have been working closely with the community, Queensland Health and Metro North clinicians and broader teams around the models of care, but always have the patient at the forefront of what we do.

“My role is to identify enablers and the barriers to health care for residents.

“As a team we face challenges around information technology systems, health processes, and the limits of, travel, communication and even mail.

“Norfolk Island is an external territory and sometimes what we do here in Metro North Health doesn’t align to their service design, model of care or policies, procedures and services.”

Debbie is well-suited to the role as she has a background working across rural and emergency care in Australia and New Zealand including The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH), Caboolture and Kilcoy Hospitals, and Auckland Hospital.

“It has been helpful that I have worked in a rural location like Kilcoy, a busy emergency department, in safety and quality, as a Nurse Unit Manager and been through many accreditations.

“All these experiences have helped me to work effectively on clinical pathways, helping Norfolk Island residents and health care providers access care and plan models of care for residents.”

Significantly, since NISP was established around 3,700 outpatient appointments have been made with health providers in Metro North, with around 46 per cent of those delivered through telehealth.

“It has been a great opportunity and such a different CNC role,” Debbie said.

“I’m working across the whole of Metro North Health and Queensland Health, and coordinating care through hospitals, the Community Based Rehabilitation Team, Oral Health, TPCH and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.”