Private Practice

Thought I might blog about my change in work to doing some private practice. I have always been a bit reluctant, as nursing is never a service that people pay for, and is not rebate-able under health funds. But I decided to start in February and so dropped down to a 4 day week at the Kids.
I chose to stop on Fridays as my friend Anne has a consulting room in their new house, and they are not there on Friday. They have a business called AWAKE DRY, a bed wetting treatment service.
It is a good size room (the master bedroom on the new house plans, so has an en suite next door as well with the house hall being a good waiting area.)
I started by getting some business cards and flyers done and letting the paediatrician at work know, they were very supportive and enthusiastic (2 in particular have become a source of referrals.)
My first referral came form the Paed at RCH and since then I have had a steady referral of about 1-2 new ones a week.
I was also invited by Helen Stevens who runs Safe Sleep Space to join them in some sponsored talks to Regional MCH nurses. I presented there about Fussy Feeding and that has also garnered some referrals, as well as an invitation to do a talk to the Southern region.
I also built in the option of doing some of the work as home visits and that has worked out well for some families.
I sent some material to a Pediatric clinic in Camberwell, handy to North Balwyn where to room is,and I was invited to a network meeting. From this I have had referrals from the clinic of one paed. who was at the meeting.
A true network result!
I am away for all of July so I expect things will slow down after being unavailable, but when I return from Europe (27th June to 30th July) I am dropping to a 5 day fortnight at RCH .That will mean Mon, Tues, and alt. Wednesdays.
That will give me time to do sessions in the room as well as home visits, and not be dashing from one to the other; Friday week ago was exhausting. I also hope to contact all the private health funds who do pay for some nursing work but you need to be registered with them, and that means ringing them all individually!
More about the actual work next time.