Community health nurse Louise Beer up for national award

HER tireless work with students has led to Macedon Ranges Health nurse Louise Beer being short-listed for a national award.

Macedon Ranges Health nurse Louise Beer has been nominated for a national award for her work establishing a health clinic for high school students in the region. Picture: Kylie Else

HER tireless work with students has led to Macedon Ranges Health nurse Louise Beer being short-listed for a national award.

Ms Beer is one of only five people nationwide to be in the running for the top gong at the HESTA Australian Nursing and Midwifery Awards, to be handed out in Brisbane on May 10.

The nomination comes
off the back of her helping to establish a health services program that attends secondary colleges to support youths with any health problem they have, physical or otherwise.

“We provide counselling and a mental health review
of students that are recommended to come see us in the clinic and we can then refer them on to further help within or outside their school,” Ms Beer said.

“They can also access counselling within the school setting so they don’t have to go and get an assessment elsewhere or visit their GP, potentially taking them out of school, so it’s all able to be provided in the same setting.”

Ms Beer, along with Dr Alison Bailey and a volunteer, has attended Gisborne Secondary College for 12 years and gradually branched out to other schools.