The vital role of Nurse Practitioners

RBWH Neurology and Stoke Nurse Practitioner Meaghan Osbourne

From 11-17 December 2023, hospitals across Metro North Health celebrated Nurse Practitioners Week to thank the many incredible nurse practitioners who contribute to patient care every day. The theme of the week this year is leading, shaping and strengthening healthcare.

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Neurology and Stroke Nurse Practitioner Meaghan Osborne has been working as a nurse practitioner at the hospital for the past seven years and loves the challenges, rewards and ongoing learning required in her role.

“From as long as I can remember I wanted to be a nurse so I could make a difference to those affecting by life-threatening diseases and provide support, compassion and patient-focused care,” Meaghan said.

“My favourite thing about working in the public health service is our ability to deliver care to all Queenslanders from a range of backgrounds. Knowing I can make a difference to an individual’s life makes all those years of study worthwhile.

“My role in neurology and stroke is centred around reducing hospital avoidance, keeping multiple sclerosis (MS) patients well and relapse-free, lifestyle modification and managing comorbidities for both stroke and MS patients, managing the complexities of immunosuppression and women’s health in the context of MS.

“I’m able to build rapport with patients and their families across the continuum and together with my colleagues, we are able to provide evidence-based patient-focused care.”

Meaghan’s extensive contribution to MS care has led to her being invited to both Government House Brisbane and Parliament House Canberra to acknowledge her work in the space.

“It was a surreal feeling being invited to these events,” Meaghan said.

“As the President of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses Australasia, I was again invited back to Parliament House, Canberra, this time being tasked to provide a speech to lobby government regarding the financial implication, disability impact and development of the MS Nurse role within Australia, which was published within the MS Nurse Report.

“I was honoured and humbled to be recognised and was able to shine a light on the great work MS nurses do every day across the country.”

Meaghan also works as part of the team that developed the RBWH Clot Retrieval Service alongside the Emergency and Trauma Centre. The service is designed to assess, scan and treat potential stroke patients as quickly as possible to provide the best possible outcomes.