Lincoln Medical Centre Grows Its Nursing Future

At Lincoln Medical Centre, a small but busy practice just outside Christchurch, the nursing team has been trialling new approaches to workforce development that could hold important lessons for general practice across Canterbury. 

For the first time, the team welcomed a graduate nurse, Gemma, into their practice. Head of Nursing, Nicola Johnston, admits they weren’t sure how the role would fit. 

“We were a bit dubious. Didn’t know how it would fit but thought we’d take a punt,” Nicola said. “We have an older nursing workforce. We liked the idea of someone younger and enthusiastic as we have so much knowledge to pass on.” 

The experience has been overwhelmingly positive. The team quickly realised that a Supportive First Year of Practice (SFYP) nurse is not “just a student” but a qualified professional with their own perspective and energy. 

“She’s been fantastic. We’ve learned just as much from her as she has from us. We would definitely look at having more graduate nurses,” Nicola said. 

Pegasus Health Nurse Educator Paula Bruce provided support throughout the process, regularly visiting the practice and ensuring Gemma was well backed. 

“Paula’s been a nice link into Pegasus. She’s been very helpful and available. She doesn’t hesitate to come out and see us. She’s been so supportive of Gemma. I couldn’t speak higher of the whole process,” Nicola said. 

Like many practices, Lincoln Medical has been grappling with workforce shortages. Their solution has been to invest in their nurses, enabling them to work to the top of their scope. Two registered nurses are training as nurse prescribers, which will allow them to manage more patients directly and free up general practitioner time for complex cases. 

The practice has also introduced a healthcare assistant role, filled by a former receptionist now completing a Level 4 Health and Wellbeing apprenticeship. 

“We’re really able to see how much she is helping the nursing team. They are able to do real nursing now. We can start to develop clinics so we’re not just the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff,” Nicola said. 

Nurse practitioners are also playing an important role in community engagement. Nurse Practitioner Vicky Eastwood has been invited to speak to the local community about her role, helping patients better understand how nursing contributes to primary care. 

Behind the scenes, Pegasus Health’s nursing team has been key in supporting Lincoln’s initiatives. 

• Paula Bruce (Nurse Educator) has guided the SFYP process and provided support for the graduate nurse. 

• Joanne Butfield (Nursing Advisor) has provided professional support and been a sounding board for scope of practice and education opportunities. 

• Karry Carter (Immunisation Coordinator) has supported the practice to strengthen their immunisation recalls, ensuring children and families don’t miss out. 

“We’ve done all this over the past year. We have a real village out here in Lincoln and we want to make sure we’re caring for our community. The support from Pegasus makes a huge difference,” Nicola said.