Lara Wall - The University of Waikato

Tēnā koutou katoa, ko Lara Wall tōku ingoa, nō Taranaki ahau, E mahi ana au hei nēhi otirā, e whai tohu kairangi pia ki The University of Waikato.

Hello everyone! My name is Lara Wall and I am a Registered Nurse, māmā and PhD student at The University of Waikato and I am so pleased to be a part of this School Nursing Research Committee. I have had prior experience in peri-operative nursing and primary care nursing where I worked for a Māori-based healthcare organisation in the community and clinic. I have found my passion in primary healthcare with the belief that health promotion and early intervention should be a major focus. I started my doctorate journey at the beginning of 2021 and my research is around the exploration of the role of school nurses and the enhancement of rangatahi wellbeing. I am working alongside Pinnacle Midlands Health Network, who work with decile 1-5 schools in the Waikato region. My research aims to increase the recognition of the amazing mahi that school nurses do and the knowledge, skill and potential that they hold. It also aims to best utilise school nurse’s skills and attributes to enhance rangatahi wellbeing.

Sarah Williams - Auckland University of Technology

Kia ora! I live in Auckland and have many years of experience in paediatric community nursing as a clinician, senior nurse, educator and researcher. I have a particular interest in the relationship between the health and education sectors. I am currently employed in the role of Nurse Educator for Starship Community at Auckland District Health Board. I was born in the UK, and completed my Registered Nurse training at St Thomas Hospital in London, and my post graduate paediatric specialty training at Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital. I arrived in New Zealand in 1994 and have worked in the community for most of this time. 

I am in the final year of my doctoral research at Auckland University of Technology, which examines the relationship between health services and education in the context of New Zealand primary schools. This multi case-study of three urban primary schools focused on the experiences and perspectives of school staff in working with health services. Data were collected through semi-structured interviewing, observations of special needs meetings, and reviews of school staff; professional development and learning opportunities. I was very fortunate to be the successful recipient of the Auckland University Department of Paediatrics Wilson Sweet Fellowship in 2020 for this study.

Brooke Jay - The University of Otago

Kia Ora! I originally come from Bluff in Southland but live in Christchurch. I am currently in my NETP year of nursing in Primary Health, I work between Tangata Atumotu Trust, a Pasifika NGO and Eastcare Health, a GP clinic. I have completed a bachelor of science in Neuroscience and Psychology in 2019 at the University of Otago and then went on to complete a Master of Nursing Science at the University of Otago in 2021. My goal is to become a nurse practitioner in primary health. I am at the very beginning of my nursing and research career and have completed a research project looking at the role of a school nurse during my masters degree. I look forward to where this may take me in the future. 
 

Sue Grant- Chairperson

Tēnā koutou kātoa. Ko Sue Grant tōku ingoa. Nō Onewhero ahau.

Greetings Everyone! I live in a beautiful area just south of Tuakau. We are surrounded by regenerating bush, and the Waikato River is an ever-present feature in our lives. We take seriously our role as Kaitiaki of this unique whenua and spend a great deal of time trapping pests, planting trees and enhancing the lives of the birds and other native creatures who share their space with us.

I was introduced to the term ‘kaitiaki’ when I graduated as one of the first ‘tech-trained nurses’ from the then, Waikato Technical Institute. The nursing badge we received depicted a ‘Kaitiaki’, an acknowledgment of the guardians of the many bends of the Waikato awa. Over the years since then I have frequently been reminded of the significance of Kaitiakitanga in my personal and professional roles.

I have been fortunate to work in a wide range of roles spanning both health and education. Perhaps the most fulfilling have been those positions that required me to draw on my knowledge and experience from both disciplines. One such position was my role as Project Lead of the Youth 2007 series. From there, I continued at the University of Auckland as a learning facilitator. The post-graduate course I facilitated sought to provide school nurses in particular, with learning opportunities to develop not only their knowledge of how to work as a health professional in an education setting, but also how to maximise their performance as members of a multi-disciplinary team.

Currently I continue my passion for writing and editing, while keeping my hand in as a maker of bread and barrista at a remote rural cafe. The real bonus of this job is that I get to work alongside and mentor some amazing rangatahi. And finally, it’s a privilidge to continue learning and discovering new dimensions of Kaitiakitanga in my governance role as a Director of NZSN and facilitator of this innovative research group.

Christine Cammell - Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland 

Kia Ora! I live in Tamaki Makaurau and work at the University of Auckland as a Post Graduate Teaching Fellow. I have long been passionate about all things school nursing and have worked in the health and education sectors for over 15 years. My current research is focused on understanding the complex variations of school nursing services across Aotearoa and the impacts of these variations on the workforce. 

Its a privilege to be apart of this NZSNRG kaupapa where nurses are in the drivers seat, creating a basis of research evidence from which to inform and transform School Nursing as a specialty. I especially love that this group welcomes nurses from all stages of their careers and provides a supportive and collaborative forum to advance School Nursing; School Nurses are an aging workforce - it gives me great delight when I see new, passionate and enthusiastic nurses stepping up into school nursing research and leadership roles; our future workforce is in good hands!