Meet the Murray Mallee’s new palliative care nurse

The Murray Mallee region now has a new palliative care nurse in the community.

Andrea Rivers-Thompson has started work for the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network at Murray Bridge Country Health Connect, as the state government recruits more specialist palliative care nurses in regional South Australia.

Ten additional full-time equivalent roles are now in place across the six regional local health networks.

This will help country-based South Australians get better palliative and end-of-life care closer to home.

Ms Rivers-Thompson works full time alongside two other nurses, who each work nine days a fortnight in the palliative care section.

Her current role is a nurse practitioner candidate, meaning she is still under training with just 18 months left to undertake. 

Ms Thompson has been studying for the past 15 years.

Her journey in health started as a care worker, then she transitioned to nursing before moving into the palliative care unit.

“I love, live and breathe palliative care … it’s my passion, I’ve worked in palliative care the last 13 years,” she said.

The region’s palliative care nurses travel between the Riverland, Mallee and Coorong – an area of more than 36,000 square kilometres – to help patients with their end-of-life journeys.

“For a palliative care journey, it’s not only that patient, it’s about their family, it’s about their loved ones that are surrounding them, it's about their community around them,” Ms Thompson said.

The state government had pledged to increase the number of specialist palliative care nurses in regional South Australia by 10 full-time equivalent positions, from 22 FTEs to 32 FTEs.

The $6.3 million investment in the new roles followed consultation with the state-wide Palliative Care Clinical Network and local health networks to determine the required nursing levels and geographical allocation that could best meet growing demand in the regions.