Why Nurse-Led NDIS Support Matters
Most NDIS providers in Brisbane don't have nurses on staff. We do. Our AHPRA-registered nurses lead every complex-care plan, and that clinical leadership changes what's possible at home.
A nurse on staff changes everything.
A great many NDIS providers deliver support-worker services only. That works perfectly well for everyday daily living, but when a participant has complex health needs, a support worker alone isn't enough. Clinical procedures like tube feeding, wound management, catheter care and complex medication regimes sit outside a support worker's scope of practice.
First Priority Care is different. We employ AHPRA-registered nurses (RN1 or above) with community health or disability experience as part of our permanent team. We do not use agency staff for clinical care. Our nurses build long-term relationships with participants and lead the clinical side of every complex care plan. The result is care that's clinically sound, joined-up and far less likely to end in an avoidable hospital trip.
Nurse vs support worker, who does what.
Both roles matter. The point is having the right person doing the right task, with clinical oversight where it counts.
Registered nurse (RN)
- Clinical assessment and ongoing health monitoring
- Medication administration: oral, topical, inhaled and injectable
- Wound care assessment, dressing changes and monitoring
- PEG and enteral feeding setup, administration and site care
- Urinary catheter and tracheostomy management
- Bowel and continence management plans
- Building and signing off support-worker competency for clinical tasks
Support worker
- Personal care: showering, dressing, grooming and hygiene
- Meal preparation and assistance at mealtimes
- Domestic assistance and household tasks
- Community access and transport
- Mobility, transfers and manual handling
- Clinical tasks only where trained and assessed as competent for that specific participant, with nurse oversight
Trained, assessed, signed off.
Some clinical tasks can be safely delegated to a support worker, but only after the worker has been formally trained and assessed as competent for that specific participant. Where complex clinical procedures are required, we ensure every support worker involved in your care has been trained and assessed as competent to assist, and that a registered nurse is available for oversight and escalation.
Our clinical team provides competency training and sign-off for support workers in high-intensity skills including PEG management, suctioning, oral hygiene for ventilated participants and other clinical procedures. Training is tailored to the participant, not generic, so the worker who assists you has been signed off on your equipment, your plan and your needs.
Clear escalation, around the clock.
Complex care lives or dies on what happens when something changes. Before services begin, our nurses complete a clinical intake assessment and build a nursing care plan in consultation with you, your support coordinator and any allied health professionals involved in your care.
From there, support workers always have a registered nurse available for oversight and escalation. Our 24/7 complex care service is built around clear emergency and escalation protocols, shift handovers that keep continuity between workers, and incident management aligned with NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission requirements. Care plans are formally reviewed at least every six months, or whenever needs change.
Built for complex needs.
Nurse-led support matters most for participants whose health needs go beyond everyday personal care, including those with:
- Complex physical health conditions requiring regular clinical monitoring
- Enteral feeding requirements (PEG or NG tubes)
- Tracheostomy or ventilator dependence
- Chronic wound management needs
- Catheter or complex continence needs
- High medication complexity
- Acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury or neurodegenerative conditions
The services nurse-led care makes possible.
Looking for our broader clinical offering? See our nursing overview.
Nurse-led NDIS support, your questions.
Let's build a care plan that works for you.
Speak with our care team about your NDIS plan, your goals, and how we can help.