Murrumbidgee Local Health District's Prue Duncan has been recognised by the Queensland University of Technology.
The Rural Generalist Transitional Nurse Practitioner has received a Dean's Award for the results she achieved in her first semester of study for a Masters of Nurse Practitioner, which she began in March this year.
Prue, who is juggling study with full-time work, said the award was an unexpected honour, but one of which she is very proud.
"This is a lot of hard work, but doing this role makes me so happy and I can see the difference I am making for my communities," she said.
For Prue, studying for her Master's degree is the latest chapter in an evolving career.
"I started my nursing career in Gundagai MPS as a new grad in 2015 and fell in love with rural nursing," she said.
"I enjoyed the variety of patients and residents I could care for and always wanted to make their experiences in hospital as positive as possible.
"I really loved being a jack-of-all-trades and being in the rural space, where there is the need for vast range of skills and knowledge.
"After a few years of working on the floor and learning everything I could get my hands onto, including ALS and FLEC, I became the Clinical Nurse Educator. I was in this position for five years.
"I loved educating staff and ensuring that we were practising with the most up-to-date practices. I became an assessor for FLEC and other courses we provided within MLHD and shared my knowledge and skills."
In 2022, Prue took maternity leave for the birth of her daughter and afterwards felt the pull towards not only new professional challenges, but also something that brought her closer to her home town of Junee.
"The Transitional Nurse Practitioner role came up and I applied for it, not thinking I would get it. I saw this as the first step to becoming a NP and that it would put me on the right track to eventually get into the role. I was ecstatic to find out I had secured the role and was nervous to start," she said.
"I started the Rural Generalist TNP role in September 2023 and, at first, felt overwhelmed and way out of my league. With some reassurance from other nurse practitioners and my mentor Stacey Casley, I was reassured that this was a completely normal response and realised 'I can do this'.
"Since starting my Master's, it's been a rollercoaster, but I have been so supported by other NPs, other Transitional NPs, my GP mentor and the staff at my sites in Junee, Temora, Coolamon and Cootamundra.
"I love my job and am looking forward to where the next challenge takes me."
