Kutu catcher or comprehensive nurse? My PhD research explores the role of school nurses, the bridge between health and education. 

This doctoral research, which is in its final stages, combines qualitative interviews with school nurses and a nationwide survey, developed in collaboration with Te Whatu Ora and Deloitte, to examine the current and potential scope of school-based nursing in supporting youth wellbeing.

I have presented my PhD research at both national and international conferences, having previously won 'Best Paper' at the University of Waikato Postgraduate Conference. I am grateful to have been invited as a keynote speaker in the field of youth health.

I am currently co-chair of Te Kāhui Korowai Rangatahi Youth Health Aotearoa (formerly the Society of Youth Health Professionals Aotearoa New Zealand), and contribute to academic governance as the Division of Health representative on the University Scholarships Committee, and as a member of the Division of Health Research and Postgraduate Committee. I am also part of the university’s Women in Leadership Programme, reflecting my commitment to academic leadership and mentorship.

I supervise Honours and Masters students, with my own Honours research in 2018 focusing on “The monitoring of newborns in the PACU who were delivered by caesarean-section." This research triggered the initiation of a nation-wide, standardised newborn early warning system. This demonstrates my long-standing commitment to evidence-based nursing and improving outcomes across the lifespan.

I am a Lecturer in Nursing with a research interest in youth health, health equity, health education, differential diagnosis and school-based health services. In my academic role, I convene the postgraduate paper in Health Assessment and Clinical Decision Making and have taught first-year Assessment and Practicum papers in both the Master of Nursing Practice programme and Bachelor of Nursing. My contributions to teaching have been recognised with a Divisional Teaching Excellence Award in 2023.

My clinical background includes experience in post-anaesthetic care, private peri-operative care, and kaupapa Māori community nursing, which informs my teaching and research with a practice-based and equity-oriented lens.