Student Highlights
Advancing Care: From Nurse to Nurse Practitioner

Living by the beach in Scarborough, WA – a place she and her two kids call home – Carrie has dedicated the past 25 years to her nursing career.

Completing a Bachelor of Science (Nursing) in 2000, Carrie consolidated her undergraduate education with a 12-month graduate program, followed by a 2^nd year graduate program within an inpatient psychiatric service. It was here Carrie unexpectedly discovered her passion for mental health nursing that has continued for over two decades and provided continual opportunities for professional development. The choice to specialise in Consultation Liaison and Emergency Mental Health Care, sub-specialities at the interface of medicine and mental health, reflects Carrie’s passion for holistic, whole-person care and her love of both general and mental health nursing.

Eager to deepen her expertise, Carrie completed a Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing, followed by a Master of Mental Health Nursing, with Distinction, through the University of Newcastle in 2022. These qualifications enabled Carrie to become a Credentialed Mental Health Nurse, opening doors to work across a range of advanced practice specialities including Emergency Departments, Consultation Liaison and Neuropsychiatry settings. As a member of the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing, Carrie is committed to contributing to education, clinical supervision and mentorship, essential to sustain a skilled future mental health workforce.

Carrie’s passion for clinical excellence and her enduring desire to broaden her impact drove her to pursue the role of Nurse Practitioner (NP). In 2024, she completed a Master of Nurse Practitioner through the University of Newcastle, graduating with Distinction. “I chose the University of Newcastle for its accessibility, supportive learning environment and its focus on producing effective clinicians of the future rather than just graduates,” Carrie said.

Carrie’s most recent postgraduate study was made possible by a full scholarship awarded by the WA Office of the Chief Nurse – an opportunity that helped her realise a long-held professional dream. “I have always been inspired by the Nurse Practitioner role, its potential to improve access to specialised mental health care, and have spent many years accumulating advanced practice experience, education and supervision, to ensure I held the competence and capability for autonomous practice,” Carrie said.

As a Nurse Practitioner, Carrie will transition from the hospital system into private practice – a move that offers flexibility, fulfilment, and the chance to provide specialised, timely assessment and care for patients with complex needs, including neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions. "With this qualification, I can now manage complete episodes of care independently and provide timely, specialised mental health support. There’s such a huge need for this in Australia, and I’m proud to be part of the solution."

As a member of the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing, Carrie is committed to helping shape the future of nursing through teaching, clinical supervision, and mentorship. Her studies at the University of Newcastle reinforced this ambition, particularly the teaching staff and the connections built within the virtual classroom. "The NP teaching team are phenomenal. The lecturers brought such depth of experience and passion to their teaching. Highlights for me were Dr Tadros and Keryn Jones’ incredible knowledge – capable of making complex pathophysiology simple and easy to grasp and apply to clinical practice. Honestly, I’d take their classes again in a heartbeat," she said.

Despite the online delivery mode, meaningful connections were made between staff and students from a range of specialty areas. “The opportunity to share perspectives from such different speciality fields was incredible. It helped me to understand that although we have focused on different fields, we ultimately care for the whole person, and our ability to work as health care teams is essential for delivering high value care and optimising patient outcomes,” Carrie said. Innovative tools like BodyInteract – a virtual patient simulation platform – also gave Carrie the chance to build practical skills from home.

Balancing full-time study, clinical placement, parenting, and work was not without its challenges, but Carrie reflects on the experience with immense pride. "It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done – but absolutely worth it and I’m proud of meeting that challenge. If I could do it again, I might go part-time just to enjoy the journey a little more."

Carrie is excited about the future as a Nurse Practitioner– combining years of frontline experience with fresh capabilities and a strong commitment to patient-centred care. “As a Nurse Practitioner, I can manage complete episodes of care autonomously, whilst choosing to practice alongside a group of incredible multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure optimal care of those referred to our service. I’m incredibly grateful – particularly for the support I’ve received from Psychiatrist and Nursing colleagues, for the peers and patients I have learned from along the way, and for where mental health nursing will take me next," Carrie said.

Carrie Merrick

Carrie’s passion for clinical excellence and her enduring desire to broaden her impact drove her to pursue the role of Nurse Practitioner (NP).

I chose the University of Newcastle for its accessibility, supportive learning environment and its focus on producing effective clinicians of the future rather than just graduates