Last year we ran a series of profiles celebrating our nurses and midwives in recognition of the International year of the Nurse & Midwife. We've still got some awesome profiles to share:
UK-born Pam Winfield was at work in 1985 flicking through a nursing gazette when an advertisement asking for qualified nurses in New Zealand drew her eye. She went home, asked her husband if he thought it was a good idea and starting applying for jobs located near to beaches.
“We settled on Hastings and seven months later were on a plane to New Zealand.”
Pam joined a group of 30 UK-based nurses hired by Hastings Hospital that year. She was one of the first hired from abroad to arrive and be accommodated on campus in the nurses home (now Cashmore House) where staff had converted rooms into a small flat for the couple until they found permanent accommodation.
“We were delighted with the Hawke’s Bay location and lifestyle and have called it home ever since.”
A specialist in mental health nursing, Pam’s skills were in demand and her career with Hawke’s Bay DHB spanned many years as a Charge Nurse in mental health. She later branched out to other specialties such as with the Special Care Baby Unit and orthopaedics before falling in love with a specialist role working within the DHB’s former seven-day paediatric home support nursing service.
“That role holds a special place, I just loved it so much. It was so special because we didn’t just reach out and help with the care of the child, it was holistic for the whole family.”
This year marks an incredible 50 years of nursing for Pam, the year she has decided to retire, smell the roses, play some bowls and hopefully travel often. The past ten years have been “intense, challenging yet rewarding” as Duty Manager – a member of a small team who are vital cogs within the DHB managing 24-hour staff and patient flow, clinical leadership and coordination of hospital services, as well as patient transfers.
“It’s an amazing role, but you have to be solution focussed when addressing issues and a great multi-tasker because every shift is so busy and there’s always something different.
“I can honestly say that even after 50 years of nursing, I’ve never had a boring day in my whole career.
“As a nurse you are continually learning, it’s been a privilege caring for people and I feel my life has been enriched because of them.”
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