Simone O’Brien | Nurse Practitioner
Bendigo, Victoria, Australia

Special Interests:

• Endocannabinoid Therapies

• Psychedelic Medicines
  
  Certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Therapies | 2022 | Mind Medicine Institute (Nigel Denning & Dr.Traill Dowie)
  Professional Diploma in Medical Cannabis (currently undertaking) | Health Cert Australia
  Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitoner) | 2009 | LaTrobe University, Bundoora
  Graduate Certificate of Forensic Nursing | 2007 (scholarship via Department of Justice) | Monash University & the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
  Graduate Diploma of Midwifery | 2000 | LaTrobe Univeristy, Bendigo
  Bachelor of Nursing | 1995 | Deakin Univeristy, Burwood
  
  Simone has spent 30 years working in rural health across acute, emergency, aged, palliative and community care. In 2009 she completed a Masters of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) and was endorsed in 2013. In 2014 she developed an innovative community/aged care outreach model that targets complex and vulnerable clients who have difficulty accessing care or have complex psychosocial, physical or pain needs. In 2016, this received pilot project funding and the model was successfully implemented. She has remained working in outreach with the elderly, disadvantaged and complex clients since across aged, acute and disability sectors.

In the last 5 years Simone has also worked in Women’s Health (sexual and reproductive), undertaken on-call locum work in Urgent Care Centres in Central Victoria and undertaken extensive studies in Palliative and Cannabis Medicine. Simone also does on call as a Forensic Nurse Examiner for the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, covering victims and perpetrators of crime and being called as an expert witness in criminal cases.

On a personal note, 2019 was a big year. Simone was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma and had surgery on her right leg. Six months later she had a slip and sustained a significant broken left leg, requiring two surgeries, bone grafts and 22 metal plates and bolts in her leg forever.

Simone spent a lot of her rehab time studying medicinal cannabis, how it works and what is happening around the world with legislation and access to it. She has since undertaken several courses in prescribing medicinal cannabis. In 2022 Simone was offered a scholarship with Mind Medicine Institute (Nigel Denning & Trail Downie) to study psychedelic medicines and the clinical application of them. This has since expanded into a love for plant and traditional based therapies.

In late 2022, Lucy Haslam, founder of United in Compassion invited Simone, Deb Ranson (Cannabis RN) and Jodie Davis (ANMF) to set up the Australian Cannabis Nurses Association, with a focus on professional standards, scope of practice and patient advocacy.

Postitions:

Australian Cannabis Nurses Association | Founding Member | Director of Clinical
Nurse Practitioner | Small Rural Health Services (multiple)
Forensic Nurse Examiner | Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine

Professional Memberships

Australian College of Nurse Practitioners
Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association
Australian Medicinal Cannabis Association
Society of Cannabis Clinicians
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation
Loddon Mallee Nurse Practitioner Mentor Program