Amazing Nurse Stories | Nursing Australia Summer Series 2026

This summer, the Nursing Australia Podcast presents a special three-part Summer Series: Amazing Nurse Stories — profiling some of the most inspiring nurses of 2025 and the real-world impact they’re making across Australian healthcare.

Suzanne Blackeby is back too! She co-hosts with Matt throughout the all Summer Series eps - yay!! 🎉🏄🏼‍♀️🍸

We've saved the best 'til last.

Episode three features Matthew Fox, winner of the 2025 APNA Graduate Nurse of the Year Award. Matt transitioned to nursing in his late 20s after a life-changing event.

Five years ago, he could never have imagined himself working as a practice nurse in regional NSW and being the winner of an APNA award.

Today, that’s exactly where he is. Along the way, Matt has tapped into a deep passion for nursing and primary healthcare that’s opened up a new sense of direction. In this episode, he reflects on small-town ideals, the tunnel-vision that helped him stay focused through change, and the goals still pulling him forward.

Help - the Matts are taking over!

Southern Cross University Post-Graduate Courses in lifestyle medicine courses

Primary Healthcare Nurses Day - Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026

Festival of Nursing

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

Amazing Nurse Stories | Nursing Australia Summer Series 2026

This summer, the Nursing Australia Podcast presents a special three-part Summer Series: Amazing Nurse Stories — profiling some of the most inspiring nurses of 2025 and the real-world impact they’re making across Australian healthcare.

Suzanne Blackeby is back too! She co-hosts with Matt throughout the all Summer Series eps - yay!! 🎉🏄🏼‍♀️🍸

Episode two features Bel Davis, winner of the 2025 APNA Pursue Excellence Award. Bel is an ADHD Co-Management Co-ordinator in Northern NSW. She enables access to ADHD care through GPs in order to reduce long wait times needed to see specialists. The new model is the first of its kind and promises to change the way people with ADHD and neurodivergence can access diagnoses and care. To find out more about Bel's work, visit hnc.org.au

Hosted by Matthew St Ledger, Suzanne Blackeby, and Leith Alexander, and produced by Leith Alexander and Matthew St Ledger, this bite-sized Summer Series is designed for nurses, health professionals, and anyone interested in primary care, rural health, advanced nursing practice, and healthcare innovation.

🎓 Proudly brought to you by Southern Cross University (SCU).

Short, inspiring, and easy to listen to — Amazing Nurse Stories is your summer soundtrack for nursing leadership and the future of healthcare.

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

Amazing Nurse Stories | Nursing Australia Summer Series 2026

This summer, the Nursing Australia Podcast presents a special three-part Summer Series: Amazing Nurse Stories — profiling some of the most inspiring nurses of 2025 and the real-world impact they’re making across Australian healthcare.

Episode one features Haley Hodgson, winner of the 2025 APNA Positive Disruptor Award. An advanced practice nurse and rural health innovator, Haley is leading bold, nurse-led primary care models that improve access, strengthen rural health services, and shows what’s possible when nurses work to their full scope. To find out more about Haley’s work and the community health services she’s part of, visit macleanmedical.com.au

Hosted by Matthew St Ledger, Suzanne Blackeby, and Leith Alexander, and produced by Leith Alexander and Matthew St Ledger, this bite-sized Summer Series is designed for nurses, health professionals, and anyone interested in primary care, rural health, advanced nursing practice, and healthcare innovation.

🎓 Proudly brought to you by Southern Cross University (SCU).

Short, inspiring, and easy to listen to — Amazing Nurse Stories is your summer soundtrack for nursing leadership and the future of healthcare.

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

Welcome to our SEPTIC special. In Part One, THE MOTHER, Mary Steele shares her life-changing encounter with sepsis. In Part Two, THE CLINICIAN, Brett Abbenbroek guides us through the vital knowledge that can help save lives from sepsis.

The latest Nursing Australia News (04:10) Dangerous age bias, Queensland’s workforce crumble, and Florida’s very own fake nurse fiasco.

Segment 1: THE MOTHER (06:25)

Mary Steele tragically lost her young son to organ failure as a result of infection - or so she thought. It wasnt til years later, that a doctor told her the organ failure was actually due to sepsis, and that her son’s death was preventable. Mary shares her story with us.

Sepsis Australia @steelemaclaire

Segment 2: THE CLINICIAN (21:40)

In part 2 of our septic special, Brett Abbenbroek gets into the nitty gritty – the facts, the stats and the steps we can take when faced with sepsis.

Sepsis Australia

Handy Links:

DISCOVER SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY (SCU)

APPLY TO BE PART OF FESTIVAL OF NURSING 2026

HOST A NURSING STUDENT AT YOUR WORKPLACE

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

From loss and resilience to literary triumph — nurse and author Rhonda McCoy opens up about her life and debut novel Crow. Plus, we peer into the world of cyber and financial security — and why nurses could be the next big targets.

The latest Nursing Australia News (04:35) Aussie CDC, Nursing Emergency, Lung screens, and Festival of Nursing 2026

Segment 1: THE CROW (06:55)

Segment 2: STOLEN: Understanding Financial Crime (41:30)

Handy Links:

KEEPING SAFE ONLINE!

GRAB A COPY of Rhonda McCoy's novel CROW

APNA Workforce Survey - Have YOUR SAY!

APPLY TO BE PART OF FESTIVAL OF NURSING 2026

HOST A NURSING STUDENT AT YOUR WORKPLACE

Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything

Higher Ground is an essential guide for healthcare leaders, providing practical...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger

A content note for Australian listeners: this episode discusses suicide and domestic violence. If you need support at any time, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. For international listeners: Please see links below for global crisis support services, or Google ‘crisis support’ in your area.

The latest Nursing Australia News (00:00) Chronic gaps, tackling health challenges in Berlin, and Trump pharma tariffs.

Segment 1: DV (00:00) Domestic violence remains a pervasive issue in our communities, with incidents occurring at increasingly alarming rates. As health professionals, how do we recognise the signs—and what referral pathways exist for our patients, and for ourselves?

Segment 2: Suicide Prevention (00:00) Health professionals are not only on the frontline of suicide prevention for patients — they’re also part of a higher-risk group themselves when it comes to suicide and suicidal ideation. This is everybody’s business. So, what do we still need to learn, improve and do better in this space? RN Esther Sole joins us to explore exactly that.

Handy Links:

Nurse Midwife Health Program Australia

APNA Workforce Survey - Have YOUR SAY!

DV Alert Australia

FLORENCE App by APNA

Subscribe to The Connect (our weekly newsletter)

Global Crisis Support Contacts:

AUS: https://www.lifeline.org.au/131114/

AUS: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

USA: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

UK: https://www.samaritans.org/

NZ: https://www.samaritans.org.nz/

SOUTH KOREA: http://www.counsel24.com/

INDIA: https://icallhelpline.org/

PHILIPPINES: https://doh.gov.ph/NCMH-Crisis-H

Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything

Higher Ground is an essential guide for healthcare leaders, providing practical...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger

Episode 90: Breathing New Futures

The latest Nursing Australia News (03:00) Global nurse equity, Aussie prescribing breakthrough, and tap water fentanyl scandal.

Happy Birthday Matthew! (04:30)

Lung Cancer Screening (05:55) Lung cancer is still Australia’s leading cause of cancer death, but a new national screening program promises to shift the landscape. So, what does this mean for practice, and how can nurses prepare to support patients through it? Matt speaks with Mel Laan, the Lung Cancer Nurse Consultant from Royal Adelaide Hospital, to find out.

Sam - the APNA Nurse Scholar (16:15) APNA Nurse Scholar Sam takes us inside her journey — from the wards of Australia to a global classroom in London. We’ll hear what she learned, what inspired her, and how the experience is shaping her nursing practice.

This episode is sponsored by Health Professionals Bank. It takes passion and dedication to be a healthcare professional. Every day you go above and beyond to treat, care for and help others in their time of need. That’s why at Health Professionals Bank, we believe you deserve a bank that cares about you and helps keep your finances healthy throughout your life.

(Membership, responsible lending criteria and Terms and Conditions apply. Health Professionals Bank is a division of Teachers Mutual Bank Limited ABN 30 087 650 459 AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 238981.)

National Nursing Clinical Placements Program Campaign

APNA Workforce Survey - Have YOUR SAY!

Health Professionals Bank

✨ Give Matt a birthday gift! Like & follow in Insta @saintmedaesthetics SAINT Medical Aesthetics Facebook; LinkedIn;

National Lung Cancer Screening Program | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

National Lung Cancer Screening Program – Healthcare provider toolkit | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Lung cancer screening resources | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything

Higher Ground is an essential guide for healthcare leaders, providing practical...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger

Meet the Chief, Part Three of Three

She's Australia's most senior nurse and in this instalment, Matt St. Ledger talks to adjunct professor, Alison McMillan about the the changes that could redefine nursing as we know it...

We're casting our eyes forward - beyond the day-to-day, to what's next for the profession.

From the growing influence of Nurse Practitioners and expanded scope of practice, to how we stay connected as a workforce in a system under pressure.

What will it take to future proof nursing? And how do we make sure nurses are at the centre of change and not just reacting to it?

Its the final episode of this bonus series, but the conversation doesn't end here — nurses are driving innovation, shaping policy and redefining what healthcare policy looks like.

Stay informed, stay connected and keep leading from the front. And stay tuned for more healthcare news.

This highly anticipated special series has been produced by Leith Alexander.

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

Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything

Higher Ground is an essential guide for healthcare leaders, providing practical...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger