School nurse rewarded for efforts

John Paul College school nurse Cathy Flavell has won the Enrolled Nurse of the Year award. Photo / Ben Fraser

John Paul College's school nurse is stoked after being recognised for a job she adores going to every day.

Cathy Flavell has been announced the recipient of the Enrolled Nurse of the Year award. The award was part of this year's Nursing and Midwifery Awards for the Lakes DHB area with a ceremony last week at Rotorua Hospital.

Ms Flavell goes beyond the call of duty in her role as the school nurse and is an integral part of the Wellness Centre at John Paul College.

She has a high profile within the school and the community and has a great knowledge base utilised by students, staff and parents.

Ms Flavell told the Rotorua Daily Post she was stoked about the award.

"It wasn't something I was expecting - I wasn't even expecting someone to nominate me so to actually win was a huge surprise."

She has worked at John Paul College for the past eight years and said she did not consider it to be a job "because I love doing it".

"We have a great environment at the school and the kids are wonderful."

Ms Flavell said she loved the variety that came with the job, with no two days the same. "It's great having to think on the spot and watching the students grow. I cannot stress enough how lucky I feel to have this job and to be able to help young people and their families every day."

Lakes DHB director of nursing and midwifery Gary Lees said it was exciting to see the stories of nurses and midwives doing wonderful work in community, primary and hospital settings.

"The awards are a great means of recognising the work of all nurses and midwives across the Lakes district. It's always a highlight to come together in May to appreciate our colleagues and remind ourselves of why it was that we entered the profession in the first place."