RURAL MUSTER #7
Kate Stark – Nurse Practitioner
What a year for rural health and
for rural nursing we have seen
so far. It’s great to see Rural
Nurses New Zealand (RNNZ)
gaining momentum over the 6
months since our last Rural
Muster. RNNZ consists of nurses
working in varying degrees of
rurality across New Zealand in
both primary and secondary
care.
RNNZ has developed strong
working relationships amongst
its’ committee members, and
this was strengthened by their
very first face to face meeting in
April at the 2018 National Rural
Health Conference. Monthly
meetings have also been held
via zoom and the group is also
working collaboratively with the
Rural General Practice Network
(RGPN) with Chair Rhonda
Johnson
and
committee
member
Rhoena
Davis
representing the group at RGPN
Board level. Rural Nurses NZ has
recently appointed a student
representative,
Kristene
Bartlett and they are now
September 2018 L.O.G.I.C
seeking a nurse working in
secondary care to join the
group. Expressions of interest
are open until the end of August
and can be emailed to Rhonda
Johnson the RNNZ Chairperson
[email protected]
RNNZ has worked hard to
encourage connectivity for rural
nurses in all areas of rural health
care delivery since its inception
and with growing numbers now
has 360 members on its
Facebook page. We have also
seen media activity in the
Southern Rural Life, The NZ
Herald, RGPN Network News
and Nursing Review as well as
collaboration with Mobile
Health and a newly developed
webinar series specifically
targeting rural nurses. There is
also ongoing work in relation to
nursing research and time has
been dedicated to professional
development for rural nurses at
the annual National Rural
Health Conference.
The last 12 months for RNNZ has
seen a vision become reality.
The group is to be congratulated
on the progress they have made
in such a short time. It is safe to
say that rural nurses in Aotearoa
will benefit from the networking
that has already occurred and
that will occur going forward.
Establishing
RNNZ
has
facilitated the expansion of
previously created relationships
which are fundamental to
achieving connectivity amongst
rural nurses while supported by
key stakeholders such as RGPN.
There is still a lot of work going
on behind the scenes in relation
to PRIME. St John in partnership
with the National PRIME
Committee and RGPN have
made progress in addressing
some of the key issues, in
particular in relation to the
PRIME curriculum, shortage of
PRIME courses and refreshers,
PRIME safety equipment as well
as raising the profile of PRIME
8