North Shore (09) 486 8900
Waitakere (09) 839 0000

Primary Health care (PHC) Nursing Development Team

Nau Mai, Haere mai

 

We are a small and effective team that works across Waitematā and Auckland DHB regions to support the learning, development and training needs of nurses working in primary health care. By primary health care, we are referring to general practice nurses, aged residential care nurses, hospice-based nurses, nurses working in Māori health and iwi providers and public health nurses to name a few.

 

Vision and priorities

Our team vision is ‘to inspire learning, grow potential and strengthen health in our communities’. We have 3 priorities which include 1. Growing cultural skill and knowledge; 2. Growing our PHC nursing workforce; 3. Accessible, flexible adult learning. What matters to the team is servicing the needs of our DHB communities through partnership care, building whanaungatanga and ensuring compassionate, holistic nursing care is delivered.

 

New entrant to practice (NETP)

Since 2008, we have delivered a new entrant to practice (NETP) programme via a hub and spoke model, expanding to service the Auckland DHB region in 2014. We work closely with primary health care providers across the regions, the ACE process for recruitment and our tertiary provider colleagues to ensure all nurses entering our year-long programme experience a worthwhile and practice-enhancing experience.

Over the last few years, we have been working more closely with Aged Residential Care (ARC) providers and a number of our new graduates have successfully completed their new graduate year in ARC, and continued to work on extending their practice capability in this context.

 

"He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people."

 

Clinical nursing education (CNE)

Alongside our NETP programme, our team delivers a mix of other knowledge and skills-based learning and development programmes to support the PHC nursing workforce pipeline and ensure nurses have opportunity to upskill and remain current with the latest evidence and guideline-based knowledge. Our programmes enhance the capability of nurses from novice to expert level care and include support for ongoing study via management of postgraduate funding for role expansion and extension. Many of our programmes are delivered with an eLearning component and are provided via a blended model. Examples of some of our trainings include;

  • PHC IV Cannulation
  • PHC Preceptor Programme
  • Influential Nurse Leader Programme
  • RN prescribing in Community Health
  • PHC Ageing adult (gastro)
  • PHC OPIVA
  • PHC Wound care
  • PHC Clinical skills

Meet the Team

Jean McQueen

Jean McQueen

Primary Health Care Nursing Director

Primary Health Care Nursing Director -  RN RM (UK) MN Hon

I have worked as a Registered Nurse for 35 years in Paediatrics and Primary Health Care in both New Zealand and Great Britain. I completed my Masters in Nursing at Massey University in 2006

I am currently the Primary Health Care Nursing Director across Auckland and Waitematā DHB’s (2011 onwards) and Nursing Director for Auckland Regional Public Health Service. I previously worked for five years as a nurse leader and practice coordinator and self-management facilitator for East Health Trust Primary Health Organisation (PHO) based in South East Auckland (2005 to 2010).

In 2018, I completed Lean Six Sigma Green Belt quality improvement training, working on improvement in the return of consent forms for the MMR secondary school catch up project in response to the mumps outbreak.

I'm currently a member of the Alliance Leadership Team for the Auckland and Waitematā Alliance between DHBs and PHOs and a member of Nurse Executives New Zealand.

Rachael Evans

Rachael Evans

Assoc Primary Health Care Nursing Director

Associate Primary Health Care Nursing Director -  RN BHSC (Hons) MPhil (nursing)

I am a UK-trained Registered Nurse. I have a background in ICU and coronary artery bypass nursing, followed by over 20 years in primary health care in NZ, 10 working in clinical general practice, 10 servicing education and leadership roles locally, regionally and nationally.

I completed my Master’s thesis with an exploration of nursing leadership in primary health care and now enjoy working with others utilising servant and distributed leadership models to improve comprehensive health outcomes and support people in reaching their potential (both patients and staff). I enjoy strategic planning, project leadership, driving new workforce directions and framing change pathways to enable improved service delivery. In 2013 and 2014, I was privileged to receive the New Zealand Nursing Organisation (NZNO) National Service Award and the NZNO Strategic Leadership Award. I am a passionate advocate for primary and community nursing at all levels and very keen to see equitable health outcome improvements for people and their whānau delivered by skilled, compassionate nurses.

Celeste Gillmer

Celeste Gillmer

Project Lead - RN

Project Lead - RN, BSC (Hons), BCur, PG Cert (Emergency Nursing), PG Dip Health Science (Youth Health), MN

I completed my nursing degree as general, psychiatric, community nurse and midwife in South Africa and continued with post-graduate studies in Trauma and Emergency Care.  In 2008, we moved to New Zealand and I started a nursing career in Primary Health Care. I worked as a practice nurse, school-based youth health nurse and nurse educator. 

Currently, I am the chair and the publisher for the NZNO College of PHC nurses, LOGIC magazine. I have recently opened a new nurse-led general practice in Glen Innes.

Fiona Murray

Fiona Murray

Nurse Educator

Nurse Educator - NZRGON, UK RN, Grad Cert PICU, PG Cert HSc, MN

I completed my nursing training in 1986. After I registered, I worked in a medical/endocrinology ward and A&E before heading on my big OE. In the UK, I worked in a mixed medical/surgical/ENT ward. On return to NZ, I was fortunate to be part of the new paediatric medical ward at MMH which then precipitated my move to PICU in Starship for the next 12 years. With a short stint in SCBU, I then moved to general practice where I worked in a general practice role, until 2019. I joined the nursing development team in 2014 as a nurse educator in primary health care.

Teresa Shapleski

Teresa Shapleski

Nurse Consultant

Nurse Consultant

My passion for working in Primary Health Care has not wavered during my nursing career, which included roles as a Health Visitor (UK), Plunket and Public Health Nursing. After completing my Masters in Nursing at Massey University in 2006, I became the Nurse Consultant for the Professional Development Programme (PDRP). I worked across both hospital and community settings. My focus was to expand the programme and make it accessible to all nurses, instilling confidence in their ability to progress through the levels of practice. Nurses have huge potential often not recognising their skills and capabilities. I see my role as helping to maximise their potential and develop leadership roles. This in turn will enhance patient outcomes and reduce the burden of disease and ill-health.

I am actively involved in the development of online learning programmes, including the development of ePDRP (electronic portfolio submissions).

Sarah Tailby

Sarah Tailby

Nurse Educator - RN

Nurse Educator - RN, BHSc (Nursing), PG cert (Primary Health Care), MA (applied) Nursing

I graduated from AUT as an RN in 2003 and I am a graduate of Waitematā DHB’s New Graduate Program.

Prior to this role, I worked in primary health care as a Tamariki Ora/ Well Child Nurse, Lactation Consultant and as nurse lead for a Child Health Whanau Ora team.

I have always loved primary health care nursing and see huge potential for patient care outcomes within this sector. I believe primary health has the flexibility and ingenuity to make the difference in the current health inequities within our communities. I really enjoy my current work supporting nurses and their community-based teams as they undertake their transition in practice through NETP.

Sasha Drennan

Sasha Drennan

Nurse Educator - RN

Nurse Educator - RN (UK) ADV Dip Nursing Studies. Grad cert Theatre nursing, Cardiology and Palliative care. PG diploma in nursing (NZ)

I completed my nursing studies in Sheffield UK in 1998.

After registration, I worked in a variety of settings and developed a passion for wound care and palliation. I moved to NZ in 2010 and continued my nursing career with a role as a district nurse in the West Auckland area.

My varied experience helps me to provide a holistic understanding of the integral role a primary health care nurse provides and the importance of the need to support those in this unique setting.

Informing our work

Government strategy provides us working within the business of healthcare with a framework and a direction to address the needs of our people and improve their outcomes. It forms a blueprint to help us set goals and mobilise our resources to activate sound evidence-based and safe care.

Alongside our Waitematā DHB promise of Best Care for Everyone, directly and indirectly our team works tirelessly to make an essential contribution to the region's PHC services. In addition, we seek to support PHC nurses every step of the way to ensure every interaction they have with a patient and their whānau is one that counts and makes a difference.

Other support

Peer support and supervision

5 ways to wellbeing training

Yearly application guidance for postgraduate study via Health Workforce New Zealand

Professional Development Recognition Programme (PDRP) support (including ePDRP)

 

Contact us

We would love to hear from you: PHCNursing@waitematadhb.govt.nz