Community nurses play a vital role in the Australian healthcare system. Community nurses play an essential role in helping participants within the NDIS to live more fulfilling lives.
Why is Community Nursing Needed?
If a patient requires more health-related support, then the NDIS may include community nursing in their NDIS plans to meet their healthcare needs and ensure they’re being properly cared for in the community. Community nursing acts as a bridge in the NDIS system, meeting the medical support needs of the person, when and where they need it.
Situations, where a community nurse may be required, are many and varied. These can include people in rural or remote locations, elderly people who require regular checkups in the community, and people with disabilities who need more dedicated or specialist care.
What Does a Community Nurse Do?
Given that many people have never dealt with the NDIS, it’s natural to ask what do community nurses do? Community nurses offer a wide range of services and support to their patients as part of each individualised community nursing plan. They will usually provide a level of specialised medical care, including helping people manage their medication dosage and timing, stoma care, enteral feeding, monitoring and controlling diabetes and complex wound management.
They also provide more generalised care which can include frequently checking and monitoring vital signs (ie. blood pressure), providing health literacy, assisting with general fitness activities/specific rehabilitation exercises, and general observation of a patient’s condition on a long-term basis.
The services that a community nurse provides are different for every patient and adjust as the relationship and the patient’s needs evolve over time.
What to Look For in a Community Nurse
If you’re looking for a community nurse for yourself or someone close to you, it can feel daunting trying to find the perfect person for the job. There are a few qualities that you should look for in potential nurses that will give you the best chance of finding the right fit.
The role of a community nurse is one that self-selects for extremely empathetic people passionate about their work and the opportunities they have to help others. Great community nurses will also be excellent communicators, a vital skill as they will often be the chief liaison between their clients, the client’s family and the various government agencies, such as the NDIS.
They will also be well-organised and efficient with the many roles and responsibilities of a community nurse, as well as being physically fit enough to perform these duties.
Find a Community Nursing Plan That’s Right For You
At Scarlet Homecare, our team of compassionate and highly qualified staff are here to help meet your healthcare needs. We work closely with our participants to develop an NDIS community nursing plan that will help promote their independence, enhancing their lives with the respect and care they deserve.
If you think that you or somebody in your life could benefit from a community nursing plan, or you just have more questions about accessing the NDIS, get in touch with our amazing staff today at 08 8120 4069, or fill in our online contact form.
