Meet Nikki
Previous Role: Community/Practice Nurse at Ngati Toa Rangatira.
Current Role: Public Health Nurse in Schools
I am approaching my fifth anniversary working as a public health nurse. Over this time I have had various roles including, working in the immunisation team vaccinating year 7 and 8 students in a school, and working as a BCG nurse vaccinating babies (up to two years old) against tuberculosis. Currently, working within the schools my key responsibility, in a nutshell, is child protection. We receive referrals from a range of sources which may include, but is not limited to, the school, medical centre, paediatrics, parents or caregivers, Oranga Tamariki, vision and hearing technician, and the Bee Healthy dental team, to name a few. The referrals can cover a range of issues like physical health, mental health, child protection or developmental.
I enjoy working alongside the child and their families advocating on their behalf and supporting them to navigate the health system which ultimately leads to better health outcomes. A simple thank you from the child or family that I am working with is rewarding and means a lot.
Outside of work, I recently joined a 6 week crossfit challenge and although I have discovered muscles I forgot I had, I am really enjoying the variety of exercises and the encouraging team that I am now a part of.
