Newsmaker: Bridget Wilson
This week's Newsmaker is Bridget Wilson, children's unit clinical nurse manager at Rotorua Hospital and The Warehouse's regional community hero.
Tell us about yourself?
I am originally from Tauranga, working at Lakes District Health Board for four years as clinical nurse manager, a role I really love.
Prior to that I had been working for 12 years in the United Kingdom, managing children's wards in London hospitals.
I decided to come back to New Zealand for family and lifestyle reasons. From a career point of view the move back here has allowed me to utilise my experience nursing in the UK, back home. The makeup of our population means that our families and children face many of the same issues as the children in our wards in the UK.
What is your role at the Children's Unit?
My day starts off with checking in with the nurses who have been working overnight and early in the morning, to see how the children are in the unit.
Early discharge planning is key, as children and their families really want to be back at home as soon as possible.
Prior to seeing the families I am involved with the operational plan for the hospital, that details the flow of patients around the different wards and services in the hospital e.g. from presentation at ED through to placement in our Children's Unit.
I am also involved with the planning around improving the care of our children in our hospital and in the community, across the Lakes district, which includes Taupo and Turangi.
I have 27 staff whose professional development I oversee, along with keeping regular contact with them as they work across our children's services.
What do you love about your job?
I love that no day is the same - there is always variety. I am passionate about being a children's nurse, and in my role as a children's nurse leader I get to advise, and mentor and help shape the future development of nursing in the paediatric area.
Children and young people are not little adults and as such they require care specific to their health needs and their growth and development.
What I like most is designing a service that children and families feel safe in and where we meet all needs and exceed all expectations of our families and children.
What motivated you to get into nursing?
I think it was that I wanted to care for people and I really liked that it was a career that offered continuing change - having to keep up to date with advancements in medicine, and the variety offered.
There are so many different areas in which you can work, and I also liked that it offered the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world and get work.
How do you feel about winning the award?
I was overwhelmed to win the regional Community Hero award from The Warehouse, and personally really chuffed.
I also see it as an accolade for our whole Woman, Child and Family Service at Lakes DHB, and the commitment that all our staff bring to work every single day.
I also think it says something really great about the personal commitment of The Warehouse staff as to what goes on in their communities.
What do you love about Rotorua?
I really love the friendliness of the people. People are very approachable and I love that we have the lakes and the mountains so close, such a variety of activities going on etc.
You can come as a tourist to Rotorua and you see everything, and our healthcare service is a really good one.
Tell us three things about yourself most people wouldn't know?
I have done the Inca Trail in South America - it was amazing and a real achievement. I'm a rugby aficionado - "Go the All Blacks!" Photography is something I would love more time to pursue.