The well-deserved finalist in the Hesta Australian Nursing Awards joined the team in 2008 as The Michael Project Nurse (Medibeat Nurse). He is co-employed by St Vincent’s Hospital and Mission Australia to provide frontline medical care for the many men and women who sleep rough in the city’s streets.
Paul works alongside Missionbeat’s Community Service Workers to help meet the medical, social, mental health and housing needs of homeless people – some who have been living on the streets for decades. The Missionbeat team patrols the streets from 7am to 11pm daily.
“If the Missionbeat workers are worried about someone’s health I drive out to see them,” he said. “It can be any from a very simple thing to a complex health matter.
“I’m very privileged to work with Missionbeat and Mission Australia – it’s a great organisation and the Missionbeat team does an extraordinary job in very difficult circumstances. I’m just another outreach nurse doing their bit.
“Of course, it’s a huge privilege to be nominated – but it also reflects the importance of The Michael Project.”
The Michael Project was a three-year initiative working that provided a comprehensive network of support for homeless men across Sydney and enabled Mission Australia to identify programs, services and policies to overcome homelessness.
For Missionbeat Manager Daniel Petsalis, having Paul on the team has provided the perfect opportunity to engage with the city’s rough sleepers.
“Paul has had a huge affect on the health and wellbeing of Sydney’s rough sleepers,” Daniel said. “The fact that he can address their health needs on the spot – whether it’s by dressing a wound or organising a vitamin B or flu shot – has made such a difference.
“Crucially, he’s assisting those people who may not get to a doctor or hospital, and getting patched up on the street can mean the difference between stopping an infection from spreading or saving a leg from being lost to gangrene.”
The Hesta Nursing Awards, now in their fifth year, acknowledge outstanding nurses, midwives, personal care attendants and assistants in nursing. As a finalist, Paul will be judged on his exceptional contribution to improving care and outcomes for patients.
He will find out if he is Nurse of the Year at a gala dinner in Melbourne on 12 May.
For Missionbeat information and video footage visit www.missionbeat.com.au
Missionbeat in the news
Missionbeat Manager Daniel Petsalis’s use of Twitter to assist Sydney’s homeless has made the pages of this week’s Woman’s Day. Daniel, who now has over 1,000 followers on Twitter, spoke of how he uses technology to raise not only raise awareness of the service but also reach out to those in need:
“One lady was thinking about taking her own life and sent me a message via Twitter,” he told Woman’s Day. “I was in the right place at the right time. It meant I could send someone to help her.”
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