Hello! My name is Anita, and I’m a Nurse Educator with Te Puna Manawa, working within the School Based Health Services to support registered nurses in secondary schools. With nearly 40 years of experience as a registered nurse, my career has spanned diverse clinical settings, including an exciting period as a midwife. My passion for youth health ignited when I had the privilege of caring for a number of young mums during their pregnancies, births, and early motherhood.
This rewarding experience led me to explore working more comprehensively with tamariki and rangatahi. I achieved this when I stepped into a school nursing role, working clinically with our amazing youth for 13 years. During this time, I pursued postgraduate studies in youth health to enhance my expertise and continue providing the best care and support for our young people.
Over time, I found myself becoming more involved in and enjoying supporting nurses who work with our youth. This prompted me to move into the nurse educator space, where I could share my knowledge and experience to help other nurses working in schools. I now have the privilege of working alongside some exceptional youth health nurses, whose dedication and expertise is truly inspiring and making a difference in our rangatahis’ lives and health.