Celebrating 20 Years of Nurse Practitioners at Alfred Health

Luke Derriman has been a nurse at The Alfred for 22 years, beginning his journey in the nurse bank before advancing to a specialised nurse practitioner role in continence care, eventually expanding his practice to address critical gaps in urology services.

"When I started working more in the urology space, I noticed opportunities for innovation in patient care,” Luke said.

“Focusing on conditions like lower urinary tract symptoms, prostatism, voiding dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and continence issues, I slowly built my practice to provide solutions for patients who needed them most."

Luke’s outreach work exemplifies the patient-centered philosophy that defines the nurse practitioner role, with a focus on supporting patients with practical support after they leave the hospital.

"The question became, what happens to these patients when they leave? Where are the bottlenecks in their care? By addressing these gaps, we’ve reduced emergency department visits and outpatient presentations," Luke explained.

"Sometimes, it’s as simple as offering a phone call or providing a personal contact number. That small step reassures patients and their families, preventing unnecessary stress and complications."

“It’s a team effort and the collegiate and dynamic nature of The Alfred is something special; it’s a privilege to be part of a hospital where you see such diverse and complex cases.”