Anna Renwick

Social Worker – Critical Care (Intensive Care Unit)

Wellington Regional Hospital | Te Whatu Ora Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley
August 2023 – Current

Wellington Regional Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a regional tertiary service providing advanced intensive care for patients across the lower North Island and upper South Island. Patients admitted to ICU frequently present with life-threatening illnesses, significant trauma, complex surgical complications, neurological injuries, multi-organ failure, and critical medical conditions requiring highly specialized treatment and multidisciplinary intervention.

As the Critical Care Social Worker, I provided specialist psychosocial assessment, intervention, advocacy, crisis support, and care coordination to critically ill patients and their whānau. My practice was grounded in trauma-informed, strengths-based, culturally responsive, and family-centered approaches, supporting individuals and families through some of the most challenging and life-changing experiences of their lives.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertook comprehensive psychosocial assessments of patients and their families experiencing critical illness, traumatic injury, sudden health crisis, complex surgical intervention, neurological impairment, and end-of-life care.
• Provided crisis intervention, psychological first aid, emotional support, and therapeutic counselling to patients and whānau facing acute distress, grief, trauma, and uncertainty.
• Supported families through end-of-life decision-making, withdrawal of treatment discussions, organ donation processes, palliative care transitions, and bereavement.
• Worked collaboratively with intensivists, nurses, allied health clinicians, Māori Health Services, Pacific Health Services, community agencies, and regional hospitals to coordinate care and discharge planning.
• Conducted assessments relating to family violence, elder abuse, vulnerability, decision-making capacity, guardianship, enduring powers of attorney, and care and protection concerns.
• Advocated for equitable access to services and resources for Māori, Pacific peoples, rural communities, and populations facing social disadvantage, ensuring their needs were prioritized.
• Provided culturally safe and responsive social work practice, informed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles of Partnership, Participation, and Protection.
• Managed high levels of complexity and risk while maintaining effective patient flow and contributing to timely and safe discharge planning.
• Participated in service development, quality improvement initiatives, staff education, peer consultation, and professional supervision.

Key Areas of Clinical Practice

• Critical Care and Intensive Care
• Trauma and Major Injury
• Neurological and Neurosurgical Conditions
• Sudden Catastrophic Illness
• Complex Medical and Surgical Presentations
• End-of-Life Care and Palliative Care
• Bereavement and Grief Support
• Family Conflict and Complex Family Dynamics
• Mental Health and Psychological Distress
• Elder Abuse and Vulnerable Adults
• Capacity, Competency and Guardianship
• Ethical Decision-Making
• Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health

Key Achievements

• Developed trusted therapeutic relationships with patients and whānau during periods of significant trauma, uncertainty, and life-altering change.
• Successfully supported families through complex end-of-life, organ donation, and treatment limitation discussions while ensuring dignity, cultural responsiveness, and informed decision-making.
• Strengthened collaboration between ICU, regional referral hospitals, community services, Māori Health, Pacific Health and allied health teams to improve continuity of care.
• Provided specialist social work leadership in managing highly complex psychosocial presentations within a fast-paced critical care environment.
• Recognised by multidisciplinary colleagues for compassionate, patient-centred, and trauma-informed practice that improved patient and family experiences within ICU.
• Supported equitable outcomes through advocacy and the reduction of barriers affecting access to health, disability, and community support services.

Core Skills

• Advanced Psychosocial Assessment
• Trauma-Informed Practice
• Crisis Intervention
• Critical Care Social Work
• Grief, Loss and Bereavement Support
• End-of-Life Care
• Family Support and Mediation
• Ethical Decision-Making
• Capacity and Guardianship Processes
• Multidisciplinary Collaboration
• Discharge Planning and Care Coordination
• Māori and Pacific Responsiveness
• Cultural Safety
• Advocacy and Systems Navigation
• Clinical Documentation and Risk Assessment

• Conducted complex assessments for clients with multiple medical and social issues, ensuring a client-led approach.
• Facilitated navigation of client-led solutions within complex health and social sector systems to enhance client outcomes.
• Provided therapeutic interventions to support clients and whanau to make changes such as loss of independence, grief, alcohol and drug.
• Engaged with clients to assess needs and provide support as a social worker in the medical ward.
• Cultivated relationships with community partners to enhance service delivery. and managed effective relationships with key stakeholders within and outside CCDHB to support client care.
• Developed critical expertise with factors affecting clients and whanau such as dementia, elder abuse, grief, legal, and entitlements.

August 2022 – August 2023 , Worked at Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) on a permanent contract within Neurosciences ward 7SW and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Wellington Regional Hospital.

· Provided specialist care in neurosurgery and neurology for patients admitted acutely due to traumatic brain injury, aneurysms, vascular issues, spine problems, and brain tumours; also supported patients with strokes and neurological conditions such as MS, Parkinson's, and MND.

· Delivered advanced intensive care for patients across lower North and upper South islands in Intensive Care Unit at Wellington Regional Hospital.

• Established regional social work service as Senior Social Worker at Torres & Cape HHS to address community needs.
• Created remote social work service to improve client accessibility and engagement.
• Designed and developed indigenous responsive clinical social work practice to facilitate integrated care pathways.

• Implemented Social Work framework aligned with Australian Association of Social Workers to enhance service delivery.
• Collaborated with MDTs to communicate and coordinate client interventions, ensuring cohesive support for clients.
• Provided counseling to individuals and families facing complex social issues.
• Collaborated with healthcare teams to develop comprehensive patient care plans.
• Conducted assessments to identify client needs and appropriate resources.

• Focused on supporting clients and whanau with mental health and alcohol and drug addiction issues; led initiatives enhancing service delivery and client engagement.
• Provision of client-centred therapeutic evidence-based practice which included motivational interviewing, brief intervention, grief and loss counselling, domestic violence, trauma and recovery.
• Delivered culturally appropriate, client-centred alcohol and drug outreach service to discrete aboriginal communities and within Weipa Hospital.
• Facilitated health promotion activities related to alcohol and drug education, mental health, and social and emotional wellbeing.

• The Social Worker role focused on working with clients and whanau within the ICU, Neurology and Neurosurgical ward. Managed:
• Conducted psychosocial assessments and implemented interventions for patients and whanau, enhancing client support during hospital stay and post discharge.
• Collaborated with multiple services and wards to coordinate comprehensive support and services for patients during hospital stay and post discharge.
• Delivered social work support and general cover to medical, surgical, and vascular surgery wards, ensuring continuity of care for patients.

• Supported clients and whanau in Orthopaedics, Urology and Surgical Wards through targeted social work assessments and interventions. Provided social work assessments and interventions to support patients and their whanau.
• Conducted social work assessments and interventions for patients and collaborated with their whanau to support clients during hospitalization and after discharge.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to coordinate comprehensive support and services for patients during hospitalization and post-discharge.

• The Social Worker role was a short term role of 4 months with the Hutt Valley DHB where I focused on working with clients and whanau within the Orthopedic, Rheumatology and Urology wards. I was responsible for:
• Conducted social work assessments and interventions for patients, collaborating with whanau to enhance support during hospital stays and post-discharge.
• Coordinated with services and wards to streamline support and services for patients throughout hospital stays and post-discharge.

• Earned Bachelor of Social Work (Hons) degree, gaining foundational knowledge in social work principles and practices. Engaged in clinical placements with Barnardos "Great Start" in Taita/Pomare and Child, Adolescent and Families Service with CCDHB, applying theoretical knowledge to support diverse populations.
• Assisted in conducting assessments for client needs and resources.
• Collaborated with peers on community outreach programs and initiatives.
• Participated in workshops to enhance social work knowledge and skills.

• Taught and supervised children in diverse Childhood Education facilities, fostering a supportive learning environment.
• Designed engaging lesson plans for diverse age groups and learning styles.
• Facilitated daily activities that promote social, emotional, and cognitive development.
• Collaborated with parents to support children's growth and address concerns.