Character and clinical leadership are two attributes of the well revered Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) (retired) and avid West Coast Eagles supporter Margaret Rogers, who is now a casual part-time motor neurone disease (MND) support nurse in the MND multidisciplinary team (MDT) clinic at the Perron Institute.
Margaret works alongside Perron Institute Consultant Neurologist Dr Dev Nathani, who in 2021 succeeded Dr Robert Edis, who retired from the clinic at the end of 2020.
For 20 years, Margaret supervised the Outpatient clinics at Royal Perth Rehabilitation Hospital (RPRH) in Shenton Park, including the MND MDT clinic started in 1994 by Dr Edis with allied health colleagues. She is known for her efficiency, cheeky sense of humour, and for the excellent relationships with patients, their families, and carers.
“I don’t talk at patients, I let them talk to me. I enjoy hearing what they say and then guiding them as best as possible depending on where they are in their journey.
“I support patient’s wishes, including if they choose voluntary assisted dying. For decades, to have seen what they go through, finally often having difficulty swallowing and breathing, is tough going.
“Our RPRH MND clinic was leading the way in best practices in breaking this bad news diagnosis to patients in WA, and then providing a comprehensive supportive care pathway through regular expert MDT periodic follow-up to maximise their quality of life over the course of the disease.”
In 2008, Margaret completed her Master’s thesis at Curtin University, titled: ‘Clinical Nurse Consultant role in managing patients with motor neurone disease’.
It advocated for a CNC/nurse coordinator role in WA to ‘walk alongside’ people with motor neurone disease in WA, based on the WA Health Department’s 2008 Model of MDT Care of MND, inclusive of the crucial support from the Motor Neurone Disease Association of WA.
Margaret transferred with Dr Edis in 2015 when the RPH MDT MND clinic was relocated to the Perron Institute to care for referred MND patients in the NMHS catchment area complementing the other MDT MND clinics at Fiona Stanley Hospital and Midland SJOG.
Margaret acknowledges the support of Dr Carol Piercy, a senior lecturer in nursing at Notre Dame University, for encouraging her to complete her goal of her Master’s thesis.
She is grateful to Dr Edis for his leadership, friendship and the frequent shared clinic humour with MND patients, and to her family including her late parents, husband, and children, for their help and support.
Dr Edis was able to meet up with Margaret at the Perron Institute recently to convey his gratitude to Margaret for her many years of support for him.
Margaret’s advice for young people and students is: “I’ve experienced many highs and lows in my life, so you just have to get on with it and keep going.”
In her leisure time, Margaret enjoys visiting friends and walking around her local area, keeping up her 10,000 steps a day.
