Te Hiku Hauora GP Clinic are proud to congratulate two of their nursing staff who recently received nationally recognised nursing awards.
Alison Mills and Melissa Peterson were awarded the Strategic Leadership and the Leading Innovations in Population Health awards respectively at the recently held NZ College of Primary Health Care Nurses Conference 2015 in Wellington.
The Strategic Leadership Award is for a Primary Health Care Nurse who has demonstrated commitment and passion in strategic leadership advancing the work of primary health care nursing in New Zealand with the Leading Innovation Population Health awarded to a Primary Health Care Nurse who has led an innovation that significantly and demonstrably improves health outcomes in population health.
This is the first time either ladies have won their respective awards.
“I am absolutely stoked, surprised and humbled to have won this award,” says Alison. “I just see myself as one of the team, plodding along, doing the job, taking delight in coming to work each day and being able to do what I do with such wonderful colleagues and patients.”
“It is a great sense of acknowledgement of all of the work we do” adds Melissa.
“Not only for us individually but as a team. Our achievements are because we all strive for the same outcome.”
Alison first did her enrolled nurse training in the 1980’s before leaving to have a family. She returned to nursing in 2001 as a single parent to three children, studying for her Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) in Kaitaia. She graduated as a registered nurse in 2003 and began her career with Te Hiku Hauora in 2007. She is currently working on her masters in nursing, with a view to becoming a diabetes nurse specialist with prescribing. Melissa has worked at Te Hiku Hauora for the past three years, after becoming an enrolled nurse in 2007 in Australia before moving to Kaitaia.
“Nursing has its own challenges and rewards” says Alison. “I love that in my role, you get to know your patients, you share their health journey with them, their triumphs, their disappointments, their tears and their laughter.”
Both nurses would like to thank all of their colleagues, and Medical Director Norma Nehren, for their support and continual knowledge.
“We have amazing Primary Health Care Nurses in the Far North and they all work tirelessly at providing the best possible care for our community” says Melissa.
Alison agrees, adding “we have the best Practice Manager (Cheryl Britton). Her support and encouragement has been instrumental in our growth. And of course all the members of the team we work with, we could never do what we do without their support.”
