Moving, NP Advisory Group, Swine Flu

It has been a big month for us since my last blog. We have decided on new premises for the APNA office in Carlton, Victoria and are looking forward to moving in on October 9th at this stage. The office will allow us to have our own meeting room/s and will look a lot less transient than the current office. The building is a Victorian terrace and is being repainted inside and out and recarpeted etc for our moving in. The location is also close to public transport, beautiful gardens and the best coffee in Melbourne which is always important! We were asked to provide a nurse practitioner/GP combination to represent APNA on the Nurse Practitioner Advisory Group, which has been set up to implement the NP and Midwife Access to MBS and PBS legislation. APNA member Cassie Holland and Dr Robert Clarke are doing this and we really appreciate their commitment. They are being supported and advised by other members of the NP special interest group within APNA. If any of you want to join this, email me and I will add you to the email group.

Scholarships and Best Practice Awards have been released and as always mean the phones are running hot in here. I always enjoy the Best Practice Awards process as we get to hear so many inspirign stories which give meaning to what we do every day. I encourage all of you to have a go at these awards even you entered before as we have had a very hard time deciding each year.

Planning for next years conference are well underway and the 2010 conference committee is meeting face to face at the end of next week to decide on the final program for release. Any great ideas, email lucy.dear@apna.asn.au so we can incorporate them.

We continue to meet with the Chief Medical Officer on a weekly basis presently around teh rollout of the swine flu vaccine program and Karen Booth and Jenny Dandeaux are doing a marvellous job representing practice nurse concerns and issues - and the department really seems to be listening and responding to all concerns. If anyone wants to contact them, email me and I will forward it on.

I am working from home next week while looking after a teenager post-tonsillectomy (joys of balancing motherhood and work) which will be a great time to finalise the draft 2010-2015 strategic plan for members to look at.