BlueCross Aged Care’s Executive General Manager, Clinical Governance, Risk and Innovation, Penelope Marshall, has been appointed as the first representative of aged care nurses on Australia’s Nursing and Midwifery Board.
Ms Marshall brings over 25 years of experience in healthcare, including the role of Director of Nursing at a major metropolitan hospital, and is passionate about advocating for the aged care sector, BlueCross said in a statement announcing her appointment.
“I experienced the full effect of Covid-19 in residential aged care and saw the incredible work that the nurses and care teams did to support residents during this time,” Ms Marshall said.
“When the opportunity came up at BlueCross, and knowing their good reputation in the industry, I jumped at the chance to move into aged care.”
Ms Marshall’s experience in clinical governance and risk management has helped BlueCross Aged Care maintain high standards of care and safety for its residents. She is committed to giving back to her community and is looking forward to sharing her insights with the nursing and midwifery profession.
As the Victorian Practitioner representative on the Nurses Board, Ms Marshall is excited to provide an aged care focus to the discussions.
“A lot of my focus at the board will be on speeding up the pathway to work. For aged care, that might look like nursing students working in aged care, but with work hours and clinical hours coming off their university requirements for example,” she said.
“I am also passionate about the value more Nurse Practitioners could add – especially with prescribing authority in aged care. And I am keen to advocate for wellbeing and support services for nurses and midwives, especially those that are reported to the Board for impairment or code of conduct concerns.”
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia has a remit of registering nursing and midwifery practitioners developing standards, codes, and guidelines for the nursing and midwifery profession, handling complaints, investigations and disciplinary hearings, assessing overseas trained practitioners who wish to practice in Australia, and approving accreditation standards and accredited courses of study.
Penelope Marshall’s appointment to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia is a significant step forward in ensuring the aged care sector is represented in the governing body of the nursing and midwifery profession.
