The Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network, through the Living Well, Your Way initiative and Collaborative Commissioning, is pioneering a nurse-led clinic model that is shaping the future of primary healthcare. Focused on chronic disease management and preventative health care, the initiative spans 18 general practices across the district, offering a broad spectrum of services tailored to the needs of the rural population identified through Health Needs Population data. These services include care for Chronic Respiratory Diseases, Chronic Heart Failure, Diabetes, First Nations preventive health, and Healthy Ageing in residential facilities.

At the core of this innovative model is the empowerment of practice nurses, who lead these clinics, delivering care that is both compassionate and patient-centred using health coaching skills. By harnessing the full scope of nursing practice, these clinics have improved patient outcomes and established the full potential when a Practice Nurse works to the top of scope. The clinics ranging from GP settings to community health hubs and residential aged care facilities, serve as a sustainable, financially viable healthcare solution that not only promotes faster access to care for patients but aims to decrease system pressures for General Practitioners allowing them to focus time on complex and acute cases.

With over 25 nurses actively leading these clinics and more than 54 clinic sessions held to date, this initiative has demonstrated the profound impact of nurse-led leadership. Nurses have developed innovative care pathways, providing culturally appropriate services for First Nations communities and promoting Healthy Ageing. These clinics represent the transformative power of clinical innovation, showing how compassion, connection, and collaboration empower nurses to drive positive change in healthcare.

Looking to the future, this model exemplifies the critical role of nurses in leading compassionate, connected care that meets the evolving needs of rural populations and exemplifies a sustainable approach to healthcare delivery.