Nursing Australia

A two-minute taste of our July episode ... the full episode is out now!
Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything
Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander 
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger

Enjoy this special episode of Nursing Australia, as producer Leith takes you on a winding journey. Leith follows nurse Alli through a baffling medical ordeal that forced her to trust her instincts and fight to be heard.
(Teased in last month's episode)
And Leith and Matt will see you at the APNA conference in Melbourne! Come and say hi! 
Handy Links: 
Australian Medicines Handbook
Australian Medicines Handbook on Linkedin
Check out the FESTIVAL OF NURSING 2026 
Discover Heath Cert   
Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything
Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger   
Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything
Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander 
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger

Aged and primary healthcare is under pressure, but what does quality care actually look like in practice? 
This episode, Nurse Practitioner Peter Cirocco joins us to discuss the realities facing aged care clinicians, from growing complexity and medication management to delivering person-centred care in a rapidly changing sector. 
PLUS + We also share a preview of an upcoming episode featuring a powerful first-hand story of missed symptoms, a rare diagnosis, and life on the other side of the healthcare system. 

The latest Nursing Australia News (05:50) Nurse safety concerns, AI hospital risk shift, diphtheria response 
Segment: (08:10) Safe Prescribing 
Healthcare is underpressure, but what does quality care actually look like in practice? 
This episode, Nurse Practitioner Peter Cirocco joins us to discuss the realities facing aged care clinicians, from growing complexity and medication management to delivering person-centred care in a rapidly changing sector. 
Handy Links: 
Australian Medicines Handbook
Australian Medicines Handbook on Linkedin
Check out the FESTIVAL OF NURSING 2026 
Discover Heath Cert   
Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything
Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander 
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of youth mental health, antidepressant prescribing, self-harm and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. Support is available via on 13 11 14, or call 000 in an emergency.
This month on the podcast:
🩺 The latest Nursing Australia News
Aged care workers score another pay boost, artificial intelligence continues its rapid expansion into healthcare settings, and new workforce pressures place fresh scrutiny on the future of Australian nursing.
🌏 Segment 1: Live from Women Deliver Melbourne
We take you inside — one of the world’s largest gender equity and global health conferences — as leaders, clinicians, advocates and policymakers gather in Melbourne to discuss the future of women’s health, reproductive rights, sex workers, leadership and healthcare equity.
🧠 Segment 2: Teen Mental Health & Antidepressants Under the Microscope
Rates of anxiety, depression and psychological distress among teenagers and young adults continue to rise — alongside increasing antidepressant prescribing in younger Australians. We explore the data, the debate, and the difficult questions facing clinicians, families and young people navigating mental healthcare today.
From global health diplomacy to deeply personal healthcare decisions, this episode examines the pressures shaping the next generation of care.
If this episode raises concerns for you or someone you know, support is available via (13 11 14), (1800 55 1800), or emergency services on 000.
QHUB 
Life changing tools beyond the script webinar  
Minding your Mental Wellbeing Decision Tool    
Quality Use of Medicines Alliance
 
FESTIVAL OF NURSING 2026 
Discover SERCO RTO   
Create Justice 
Scarlett Alliance 
Gender Equity Victoria 
Prof Cath Chamberlain, Melbourne School of Population & Global Health
The Fred Hollows Foundation 
Vision 2020
Guttmacher Institute
Sarah Corrigan, NATSIWA (National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Women's Alliance)
Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything
Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander 
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger

Ep. 99 Quit Smoking, start an NGO
Welcome to Nursing Australia Episode 99! Today we speak with Quit Centre about vaping and smoking and then we meet Kate Holliday, the founder & CEO of the Centre for Community-Driven Response (CCDR).  
The latest Nursing Australia News (02:05) Vaping cancer, healthcare affordability, measles alert, and Top-end ambulance crisis.
Segment 1: QUIT IT (04:35) Quit smoking campaigns have been running Australia-wide since the 80s. While smoking rates remain a concern, among Australians under 35, vaping has now overtaken smoking. Now, Quit Centre is reaching out to nurses to help join the fight against both. Cora Mayer and Stacey Ridley from Quit Centre say nurses, esp those in GP settings, can make a real difference when it comes to patients kicking the habit for good - even a brief advice conversation is known to be a trigger for prompting a person to make a quit attempt. 
Segment 2: Start an NGO (14:45)  Kate Holliday is an interesting type - she's a nurse-come-CEO of a large non-profit.  As she explains it, if she sees something that’s able to be done better, especially if it helps others, then she can't look the other way... she’s gotta do something about it. This is what led to her starting CCDR and it becoming the successful international NGO it is today. Kate’s idea was to develop more patient-centric research that would see patient experiences included in health policy. The Centre for Community-Driven Response started in 2012 and now has registered offices in Switzerland, the UK, and of course, Australia. 
HANDY LINKS: 
APPLY TO BE PART OF FESTIVAL OF NURSING 2026  
SERCO DEFENCE RTO 
QUITCENTRE
CCDR - Centre for Community Driven Response 

Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything
Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander 
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger