Joanne Nicholson
North Albury,NSW
Summary
Professional Clinician with thorough experience in delivering high-quality client care and therapeutic services. Strong focus on team collaboration, adaptability to changing needs, and achieving impactful results. Skilled in client assessment, advocacy, planning, and evidence-based interventions. Reliable and goal-oriented, passionate about supporting clients' mental health and well-being.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Care and Recovery Clinician
Gateway Health
03.2018 - 09.2024
- Implemented crisis intervention strategies when needed, ensuring immediate safety measures were in place for at-risk clients.
- Delivered high-quality patient care by conducting thorough assessments, developing treatment plans, and providing ongoing therapeutic support.
- Advocated for clients within the healthcare system to ensure access to appropriate resources and services when needed.
- Improved client outcomes by implementing evidence-based clinical practices and interventions.
- Participated in case reviews with multidisciplinary teams to discuss complex cases and develop collaborative solutions for individualized care plans.
- Conducted group therapy sessions to facilitate skill development, coping strategies, and emotional processing among participants.
- Enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration for better patient care through effective communication and teamwork.
- Served as a mentor to new clinicians, providing guidance on techniques, documentation standards, and ethical considerations in practice.
- Reviewed outcome measures data regularly to identify trends and modify treatment approaches accordingly for improved clinical results.
Psychiatric Nurse (Casual employment)
Benambra Rehabilitation Unit
03.2011 - 09.2024
- Assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating client care whilst they are living in an extended care rehabilitation unit
- This step up step down community model allows the client to work closely with staff to plan and implement a rehabilitation model of care
- Supervise clients whilst they load dosettes and take their medications on a daily basis
- Work with clients on education in relation to drug and alcohol use, behavioural change, daily living skills, hygien and any other area that needs to be addressed and 'learnt' prior to living out in the community
- Help clients to work with employment agencies and workplaces gaining casual employment / volunteer work to hopefully lead onto some more permanent form of employment
- Monitor and assist clients whilst coming of substances and educate them to remain off substances whilst with our agency
- Do drug and alcohol screening when required and directed by Nurse Unit Manager
Case Manager Adult Mental Health
Albury Community Mental Health
03.2008 - 03.2011
- Assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating client care whilst living within the community after a period of time in an inpatient Psychiartric Unit
- Work with clients on a one on one basis to be able to integrate back into their home lives whilst living with a mental illness
- This can be dealing with workplaces, friends, family and any other person that has contact with the client
- Education of all is the best way to deal with this area
- Monitor medication regime and make sure GP and Psychiatrist appointments are made and attended on a regular basis
- Attend appointments with client and present to Medical Team for follow up
- Provide support when things are not smooth and work with the client to maintain their care outside the hopsital perimeter
- Support clients to engage with orgainisations such as Drug and Alcohol, HIV, Housing and Employment agencies that are specific to the clients current needs
Administration Officer AO3 (3 days a week) and Psychiatric Nurse (2-3 days a week)
Albury Base Hospital - Nolan House Psychiatric Unit
03.2005 - 03.2008
- Assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating client care whilst admitted to the inpatient Psychiatric ward at the Albury Base Hospital
- Accurately and clearly document all parts of the clients care so that continuity in care is maintained
- Counsel clients one a one to one basis as well as providing group activities
- All administration work involved in the admission, discharge and follow up care of inpatients in the Psychiatric unit
- Minute taking, typing, statistics and general administration duties for the Unit Manager (Stephen Seymour) and Nurse Unit Manager (Don Lappin)
- Compilation of unit Policies and Procedure in relation to the Mental Health Act of NSW and the Hospital's general Policies
Administration Officer
Wodonga Regional Health Service
06.2004 - 03.2005
- Answering phone enquiries, managing switchboard and general customer service
- Booking all appointments for clients with the Allied Health Professionals within the Community Rehabilitation Centre
- Taking phone referrals, sorting GP / Specialists referrals and placing all data into a 'single point of entry' referral system
- Managing compilation / filing and recording of all client documents
- Complete administration role in the Emergency Department
- First point of contact for all clients using the hospital system
- Data entry of all staff and client details on a daily basis
Administration Officer
Albury Base Hospital - Emergency Department
06.2003 - 06.2004
- First point of contact for all clients using the Emergency Department of the Base Hospital
- Collection of accurate and clear client information and then entering it into the computer system
- Attending to all admission paperwork for clients including work cover documents / TAC documents and death certificates
- Compiling daily hospital statistical reports that validate all clients entering and leaving the hospital within the 24-hour period
- Compilation / filing / recording and archiving of client information within the Medical Records Department
- Also providing information to GP / Specialist staying within the Privacy Act
- Managing the main hospital switchboard
- Booking all appointments / transfers of clients to other health facilities within the area
Division 2 Psychiatric Nurse
Albury Base Hospital - Nolan House
11.2002 - 06.2003
- Assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating client care whilst admitted to the inpatient Psychiatric ward at the Albury Base Hospital
- Accurately and clearly document all parts of the clients care so that changing of medical staff so that continuity in care is maintained
- Counsel clients one a one to one basis as well as providing group activities
- Advocate for clients when accessing and dealing with external agencies such as Ceterlink, Telecom, Housing Department and Legal Services
Patient Administrator / Defence Injury Prevention Officer
Albury Wodonga Medical Centre
01.2001 - 12.2002
- Organise and book all referral appointments for soldiers within the Defence Community
- Book transport to and from the appointments, and organize all follow up appointments
- Liase with Community hospitals for the transfer and treatment of soldiers that could not be treated at the Medical Centre due to the nature of their injury / illness
- Provide all paperwork associated with transfers / referrals of the soldiers and maintain accurate and clear statistics of such
- Contact soldiers' next of kin members and make sure they were aware of any transfers that were occurring
- Maintain contact with these family members if the soldiers were seriously ill / injured
- Data inputting of all daily statistics within the medical centre and producing and supplying all staff with relevant paperwork required for hospital admissions
- Involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Defence Injury Prevention Program within the Albury / Wodonga Military area
- This included developing and maintaining all paperwork used in the program, inputting of all data once obtained from defence personal, providing courses on the program as well as helping to design the most effective and user friendly computer program in which all data was entered
- Once a month, statistical data reports were prepared and presented to high ranking officers within the Defence Force outlining the nature and amount of injuries occurring within the Albury / Wodonga military area
Medical Assistant
Royal Australian Air Force
01.1996 - 12.1999
- Medical assistant within the Royal Australian Air Force divisional hospitals
- Able to provide holistic medical support as well as high levels of administrative support to both inpatient and outpatients within defence medical facilities
- General living skills obtained through doing extensive physical training and group activities
- Work within a multidisciplinary health care environment both civilian and defence orientated
Education
Diploma in Alcohol And Other Drugs - Alcohol And Other Drugs
Chisholm Institute
Melbourne, VIC08-2024
Diploma in Mental Health - Mental Health
Chisholm Institute
Melbourne, VIC02-2024
No Degree - Medic in The Airforce
1 Recruit Training Unit
Edithburgh, SA09-1996
No Degree - Enrolled Nurse
Melbourne School of Enrolled Nurses
Toorak, VIC09-1991
Associate Diploma of Social Science - Child Care
Wodonga Institure of TAFE
Wodonga, VIC12-1990
Skills
- Clinical documentation
- Clinical assessment
- Multidisciplinary approach
- Therapeutic techniques
- Ethical practice
- Clinical quality improvement
- Technology proficiency
- Maintaining quality assurance standards
- Evidence-based practice
- Maintaining privacy
- Health risk assessments
- Quality improvement
- Interdisciplinary team coordination
- Emergency management
- Care quality initiatives
- Documentation skills
- Decision-making
Accomplishments
- Group dynamics and effective Teams
- Working with Government
- Community Engagement
- Social Media
- Governance and Committee essentials
- Community Project Management
Learnt skills in:
2024 Fischer Community Leadership Program - Greater Hume
After completing the Fisher Community Leadership Program, I extended all the learning and knowledge by engaging in and completing the Alpine Valleys Community Leadership Program (12 month course) in 2024.
Timeline
Care and Recovery Clinician
Gateway Health
03.2018 - 09.2024
Psychiatric Nurse (Casual employment)
Benambra Rehabilitation Unit
03.2011 - 09.2024
Case Manager Adult Mental Health
Albury Community Mental Health
03.2008 - 03.2011
Administration Officer AO3 (3 days a week) and Psychiatric Nurse (2-3 days a week)
Albury Base Hospital - Nolan House Psychiatric Unit
03.2005 - 03.2008
Administration Officer
Wodonga Regional Health Service
06.2004 - 03.2005
Administration Officer
Albury Base Hospital - Emergency Department
06.2003 - 06.2004
Division 2 Psychiatric Nurse
Albury Base Hospital - Nolan House
11.2002 - 06.2003
Patient Administrator / Defence Injury Prevention Officer
Albury Wodonga Medical Centre
01.2001 - 12.2002
Medical Assistant
Royal Australian Air Force
01.1996 - 12.1999
Diploma in Alcohol And Other Drugs - Alcohol And Other Drugs
Chisholm Institute
Diploma in Mental Health - Mental Health
Chisholm Institute
No Degree - Medic in The Airforce
1 Recruit Training Unit
No Degree - Enrolled Nurse
Melbourne School of Enrolled Nurses
Associate Diploma of Social Science - Child Care
Wodonga Institure of TAFE
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