Kelly Lienesch is a proud Malyangapa woman who grew up in Wanaaring and lives in Bourke. Kelly has been an Enrolled Nurse for 32 years and is now also a qualified Aboriginal Health Practitioner (AHP).
Kelly wants to inspire others to follow in her footsteps to help her community.
Kelly Lienesch is on a mission to inspire Aboriginal people, “You can make it happen if you really want to”.
Kelly is a proud Malyangapa woman who grew up in Wanaaring and lives in Bourke, and she is living her life as an example for her own three children about what they too can achieve.
Kelly has been an Enrolled Nurse for 32 years, and at the end of last year she became a qualified Aboriginal Health Practitioner (AHP).
“I am the only one out of all of my cousins to finish year 12 and I was the first in my family to go to university”, Kelly said.
“My parents always encouraged me to chase my dreams and said that education was an important tool which would allow me to help our people and communities. This has stayed with me through life and helped my complete my AHP training”.
Although Kelly has spent most of her working life in Bourke, she also spent six years serving in the Royal Australian Airforce in East Timor.
Kelly is the Aboriginal health worker in the Aboriginal Maternity and Infant Health Service (AMIHS) at the Bourke Health Service. After the COVID-19 pandemic and having to take on a more clinical load, she decided to complete her AHP training to expand her knowledge but also give her more weight and experience when working with her community.
“I want to be a role model for other Aboriginal people and staff across the Local Health District. If I can do it, there is no reason they can’t do it too”.
“It is extremely rewarding being able to give back and provide care to our community”. Kelly said.
Aboriginal Health Practitioners work collaboratively within multidisciplinary healthcare teams to achieve better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. The AHP plays a key role in facilitating relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and other health practitioners.
The Western NSW Local Health District has a number of job opportunities avilable, if you are looking for a career change or even a change of scenery, the Western NSW LHD might have something for you. Find your new career here.
