Julie Westaway

Julie has extensive nursing experience as a registered nurse, midwife, child, and adolescent health nurse, and an urogynaecology nurse practitioner. Julie completed post graduate qualifications at Flinders University and the Australian College of Nursing. Graduating with a Master of Nursing, Master of Nurse Practitioner and Graduate Certificates in child and adolescent health, continence, and advanced continence. 

Julie has strong mentoring and leadership attributes, contributing to National webinars, forums, conferences, and content writing for the Australian College of Nursing, Continence Foundation of Australia and Benchmarque.

Julie developed the first Continence Specialist Nurse role across the Darling Downs. Her tireless work provided specialist continence care for adults, children, and adolescents with associated chronic health conditions in acute and community sectors. 

As a strong advocate and pioneer for women’s health, she identified significant gaps in accessibility to rural services in Australia. Julie embraced her passion developing a unique model of care, she now provides assessment, diagnosis, and health care to women with bladder, bowel, pelvic floor, and sexual dysfunction to improve the overall quality if their lives. 

Currently, she is Australia’s sole Nurse Practitioner Urogynaecology and Continence 

Julie’s peers and patients recognised her professionalism, resulting in the 2017 award for patient dignity. In 2021 Julie’s dedication to women’s health was recognised becoming a finalist for the Australian Health Minister’s Award for Nursing Trailblazers and the Women’s Healthcare Medal of Distinction.

She recently applied to the Churchill Trust for a scholarship to investigate the advanced practice of urogynaecology nursing in the United Kingdom. This will enable future development of training programs for nurses in Australia and extend the accessibility of care for women across rural and regional areas.