Mount Isa Hospital’s cancer care Nurse Unit Manager, Nicole Williams has recently completed her master’s degree and is to become the first qualified nurse practitioner in the state for adult cancer care patients.

Committed to rural and remote healthcare and wanting to see the best possible services available for the region, Nicole committed to the 2.5 year endeavour which included more than 300 hours of supervised practice during the course along with assessments and exams across eight subjects.

Nicole said for Mount Isa to be a leader in the field of oncology is a fantastic achievement for the North West Hospital and Health Service (HHS).

“As a satellite service to Townsville cancer centre, we have never had on-site access to the oncologists and would need to utilise the already overloaded medical team to assist cancer care patients. A former EDMS suggested that a nurse-led model would be the perfect solution to address the issues,” she said.

“I resisted at first knowing how much work it would be, but with the support from my work colleagues I decided to go for it. The benefits to the patients and staff of the cancer care unit would far outweigh any fear I had.”

Following a 50-page application and a minimum of five years of advanced level nursing practice, Nicole was eligible to apply and began her journey to become a nurse practitioner.

One year into her studies, while still juggling work in her role as nurse unit manager for the cancer care unit, she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.

“I knew I would need to make a choice whether to continue studying or not and I wondered if I would be able to get it finished.

“To be honest, after working in oncology for so long, I was sick of cancer taking things – people, family, opportunities, and I saw completing my studies as a small way that I could fight back. I decided to keep going and see how I went.”

Navigating both her studies and cancer diagnosis, Nicole continued down the path she had set out for herself and is now proudly a nurse practitioner in oncology and cancer-free.

“I have a special interest in breast cancer survivorship and supportive care and believe it is a privilege to have a job that allows me to make a discernible difference in the lives of people living with cancer.”

Nicole is able to provide patient-centred care locally through patient assessment and chemotherapy toxicity management. It is also hoped that the nurse practitioner model will reduce hospital admissions for patients undergoing chemotherapy and provide much needed continuity of care. 

North West HHS Director of Nursing Troy Lane said this achievement was certainly one to be recognised.

“This has been years in the making for Nicole. She is an amazing manager and leader of the cancer care unit and the completion of her studies will bring continued quality and excellence to the care she provides to the North West HHS community,” he said.

Nicole also expressed her gratitude for her family, friends and colleagues for their ongoing support and giving her the courage to keep going.

North West HHS congratulates Nicole on this phenomenal achievement!