Fallon Nash is a Registered Nurse with many years of experience. She worked with ENT surgeon Dr Thomas Kertesz as his scrub nurse in the operating room for over 15 years. He is a leader in the field of otology and whilst working with him Fallon saw a multitude of patients with many different ear conditions. She built an excellent knowledge base in ear conditions and treatments whilst working with these patients both during their operations and in the specialist rooms before and after.

“I also gained hands-on skills in micro suction, removing wax, infective debris and foreign bodies from ears,” she remarks. Given her skills and backed by her extensive knowledge Fallon decided that she was uniquely placed to offer this service to her local community. It took “some guts, some research, a period of one step forward, two steps back, a lot of persistence and a lot of support,” and Fallon was able to open her clinic ‘Micro Ear Care’ this year.

It came about due to a chance meeting with Stacey from Hearing Sound Solutions which solved one of her biggest challenges in finding a suitable space for the clinic. There are not many nurse-run clinics like this and whilst she is not a pioneer, Fallon is certainly breaking some ground in providing a new model of ear care for the community.

The method of treatment used is micro suction, a very gentle, very safe as there is direct visualisation of the ear with a microscope, and it is also very well tolerated. It is the treatment of choice for ENT specialists and is very effective.

Usually, a patient would visit their GP and get a referral to an ENT, and it can take time to get an appointment. They may also have to travel some distance to see the ENT and then pay upwards of $230 for this same service.

The benefit for Micro Ear Care clients is the ability for them to receive a service that is safe and effective, but not have to go to an ENT specialist. Fallon can provide a middle ground where people can see someone locally, freeing up time for our amazing local GPs and not having to make patients wait to see, and travel to, an ENT specialist.

House calls are possible: Fallon will travel to local nursing homes to treat the elderly. This will be of great interest to many locals who are unable to get to her clinic. Just recently, Fallon helped an elderly lady with hearing aids, who had blocked ears after a recent ear infection and couldn’t hear very well. This affects quality of life and can be very isolating for people, not to mention uncomfortable. Fallon visited with her equipment and was able to successful clear both her ears while she was sitting in her chair. Fallon said, “The effect was instant and remarkable! She was able to hear both myself and her daughter easily and we were able to turn down the volume on the TV! What a privilege it was to be able to help in a small way to reconnect her with the world around her.”