On International Nurses Day 2025, MS Australia’s focus is the important role of MS nursing as outlined in our new Report: Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for MS Nurses.

What are MS Nurses and MS Nurse Practitioners and how do they work together with neurologists? How can we better support and improve community access to MS Nurses? What are the recent improvements to prescribing for MS Nurse Practitioners?

In this episode, Raw Nerve guest host Dr Fiona McKay, Senior Research Coordinator at MS Australia speaks with experts Belinda Bardsley and Tim O’Maley about MS Nurses who provide key support, education, advice, and care for people with MS and their family and carers. Access to MS nurse care brings a range of health benefits and is a highly cost-effective model of care. However, despite this, there is no consistent allocation of MS nurses across Australia including no agreed nurse/patient ratio, challenging employment conditions, no formalised education pathway and a declining number of MS nurses.

The panel explore options to reverse this trend and the recent changes made by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee that will allow MS nurse practitioners to prescribe certain MS treatments under the PBS in consultation with a physician. This change is set to dramatically improve access to care for people living with MS, especially in regional and remote areas.

Belinda Bardsley

MS Nurse, Manager Neuro-Immunology Clinical Research, Education and Support Service (N-CRESS) at Austin Health in Melbourne, Chair of the MS Australia MS Nurses Working Group and co-author of the MS Nurse Care in Australia report.

Tim O’Maley

MS Nurse Practitioner, Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Queensland Health and member of the MS Australia MS Nurses Working Group

Hear from those caring for the MS community in a candid and insightful episode spotlighting MS nursing.

Useful links:

• International Council of Nurses | International Nurses Day 2025 Report
• MS Nurses Australasia