Prior to arriving in Aotearoa in 2006, I had thirty years nursing experience working in acute teaching hospitals in London and Liverpool, England. After forty years as a nurse working in acute teaching hospitals both in Tauranga New Zealand and in various Cities and towns in England, I felt as the focus became more on targets for discharge dates and less about patient care and safe discharges, it was time to leave. I retired in 2016 from Tauranga Hospital. I took about eighteen months out contemplating ‘what next?’ With my experience being forty years in nursing, I didn’t have experience in anything else to enable me to apply for any non nursing jobs. During this time I enrolled at Te Wananga o Aotearoa completing a Money Management course, Small Business Management course, and three computer courses Eg Level 3, Level 4 & Level 3 Business and Administration Technology. This enabled me to support (& work alongside) my wife and her Interior Design business “iNZspire” . I later worked with my wife as marketing and accounts manager for iNZspire. Fast forward to 2020 when the Government put out a call for ex nurses to return to nursing to help on the Covid front line. I was one of those many ex nurses who answered that call. I re registered, signed up with Geneva Health Care and began MIQ work as a nurse in the Covid Response Team. I did this work for approximately five to six months, starting in an Auckland MIQ facility but then transferring to Rotorua, closer to home. I left this work for no other reason than the DHB’s took over the contract and agency nurses were becoming surplus to requirements. Since returning to Tauranga, I registered with Nova Health Care and have been doing agency nursing at a local rest home. I have a four week contract coming up at Waipuna Hospice, Palliative Care is a particular interest of mine.
