Gemma Hallbrook
Mangapai,New Zealand
Summary
I am a passionate and dedicated Registered Nurse with 16 years of diverse clinical experience across both hospital and community settings. I am committed to continual learning, patient advocacy, and the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care. I am a collaborative and supportive team member with the ability to adapt quickly to challenging situations, learn new skills, and apply a broad knowledge base across various clinical areas. I am enthusiastic about professional development, teaching, and contributing to a positive healthcare environment.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
Work History
Cardiac rehabilitation CNS
Northland DHB
Northland, Whangarei
09.2022 - Current
- Specialize in support of patients following cardiac interventions or surgeries, ACS, and heart failure
- Delivery of care to diverse patient populations across extensive geographical regions, encompassing urban and rural settings.
- Provision of patient education through nurse-led clinics, home visits, phone interactions, and face-to-face group sessions.
- Facilitation of a supervised gym program.
- Conduct comprehensive patient assessments post-surgery or intervention and at point of contact.
- Assessment and evaluation for individuals awaiting surgery via telecommunication.
- This current role has allowed me to develop elements of referral, process, and collaboration between primary and secondary care.
- There is a heavy reliance on patient engagement, effective communication, and collaboration for successful outcomes.
- I have driven several processes while in this role. Collaboratively, we have facilitated improvements in service operations through resource optimization.
Improved documentation clarity and structure for staff and patient use.
Utilized patient feedback to guide service modifications and ensure responsiveness. - I have been involved in data collection and audits, which have been used to formulate a business plan, leading to the employment of another nurse in the mid and far north, striving towards equity.
- I have attended the annual CSANZ conference for the last three years.
Duty Nurse Manager
Northland DHB
, Whangarei
01.2021 - 06.2023
- The primary function within this role was bed and resource management for a 230-bedded hospital and four outer rural hospitals. This required excellent communication with a variety of health professionals across a range of services, patients, and families.
- During weekday hours, the role involved liaising with service managers, allocation of resources, and planning for out-of-hours service.
- After hours, the role involves coordination and management of operational systems, processes, and resources to enable the hospital to function effectively, meeting the needs of staff, patients, families, and the community.
- This role had multiple, varied, complex challenges, and it has enabled me to learn and develop functional and effective relationships, enhancing communication skills hugely every day while working with people to negotiate plans and effectively resolve conflict.
- On a daily basis, I was involved in patient admission, flow, and discharge coordination across the district, assisted with medical and security emergencies across the hospital, and adhered to a range of policies and procedures.
- Within this role, I have also gained experience in leadership and management skills, improved my ability to problem-solve, and have confidence in decision-making.
- While in this position, I have completed my basic life support facilitator training and assess all staff within the Integrated Operations Centre.
Registered Nurse-CCU
Whangarei Hospital Northland DHB
05.2020 - 01.2021
- Delivery of nursing care to cardiac patients in a 5-bedded coronary care unit.
- Telemetry monitoring of 15 units across the hospital and in rural hospitals.
- Coordinated escort transfers, predominantly for cardiac patients, and sometimes for other medical and surgical patients.
- This role involved medication administration, monitoring, patient assessment, critical thinking, collaboration on planned care, education, emergency procedures, and documentation.
- While in this role, I undertook a leadership and management paper to complete my postgraduate diploma.
- The opportunity arose while I was here to apply for a duty nurse manager role, which I decided to take to develop my leadership skills, organizational thinking, and planning.
Registered Nurse-ICU
Whangarei Hospital Northland DHB
10.2013 - 05.2020
- Part-time ICU nurse and shift coordinator at Whangarei Hospital, this was a joint HDU/ICU with a total capacity of 10 patients, with a helimed transfer service.
- Within these roles, I performed nursing duties for clinically unstable patients, managed the shift, ensured unit safety for both staff and patients, and organized inter-hospital flight transfers and retrievals.
- While working here, I started my postgraduate education, completing the critical care course.
- I was one of four group leaders within the unit, and I organized our in-house study days and annual training.
- Here, I completed my preceptor training, oriented new staff, and taught and assessed students on placement.
- I have completed my Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatrics Advanced Life Support training.
Registered Nurse-ICU
Shrewsbury Hospital, SATH NHS Trust
10.2011 - 09.2013
- Worked as a RN on a six bedded HDU and a seven bedded ICU; this was a busy unit and was always full to capacity.
- My role was to perform nursing duties for clinically unstable medical and surgical patients requiring post-operative support, ventilation, and both haemodialysis and haemofiltration.
- Part of my role here was as an organ donation link nurse; I would undertake study days and provide feedback on changes and updates to the rest of the team.
- I was also involved in a deceased donation simulation course, which involved various health care professionals and family members of donors.
- While I was here, I completed my mentorship course at Staffordshire University, signing off on nursing students during their clinical placements.
- I enjoyed my job and team here but sadly left to follow my dream of emigrating to New Zealand.
Registered Nurse-Ward 6 (Cardiology/CCU)
Princess Royal Hospital, SATH NHS Trust
10.2009 - 10.2011
- Registered nurse on a 20-bedded medical ward comprising cardiac and endocrine patients.
- While here, I developed my role and became a scrub nurse in the cardiac catheterization lab, whilst continuing to work on the ward.
- This role involved assisting the consultant with various procedures, including elective cardioversions, TOEs, PPM insertions, Reveal devices, ICDs, and diagnostic angiograms, and running the angiogram suite for outpatients.
- I enjoyed my role here, as I have always had an interest in cardiology; however, to further my development, I transferred to the ICU.
Community care worker
Diamond life, Alexandra House
Ludlow, Worcestershire
09.2006 - 09.2009
- Worked in community care alongside my nursing degree.
- Attended to patients in the community providing help with activities of daily living, medication and food preparation and transportation.
- Documented cares and reported concerns as required.
Laboratory Technician
Propath UK
Hereford, Herefordshire
07.2002 - 07.2006
- Research laboratory that involved tissue sampling, cutting, and processing for drug companies.
- This work introduced me to procedures and protocols, documentation and compliance, regulations, and quality control.
Education
Master of Nursing Honours -with First Class Honours -
University of Auckland
Auckland, NZ07.2025
PG Diploma in Health Science- With Merit -
University of Auckland
Auckland, NZ09-2020
PG Certificate in Health Sciences -
University of Auckland
Auckland, NZ10.2018
BSc (hons) - Nursing RN Adult
BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY (BCU)
Birmingham, UK09.2009
A Levels - Sociology, Physical Education, Business Studies, Human Biology
Worcestershire 6th Form College
Worcestershire06.2003
GCSE - 11 GCSE's including Maths, English and Science
Haybridge High School
Worcestershire07.2000
Skills
- Effective communication
- Team collaboration
- Patient assessment
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Resource management
- Patient education
- Mentorship and preceptorship
- Adaptability and time management
- Transferable clinical skills
Activities
I have played sport at international level and through this have learnt a lot about myself; how to push my boundaries to achieve, work within teams and how to react positively in a pressured environment both physically and mentally. I was part of the netball England U21 squad and have previously coached both adult and child teams and umpired netball, achieving qualifications in both.
In my spare time I like to paddleboard, exercise, read, socialize and go tramping.
I hold a full driving Licence
Timeline
Cardiac rehabilitation CNS
Northland DHB
09.2022 - Current
Duty Nurse Manager
Northland DHB
01.2021 - 06.2023
Registered Nurse-CCU
Whangarei Hospital Northland DHB
05.2020 - 01.2021
Registered Nurse-ICU
Whangarei Hospital Northland DHB
10.2013 - 05.2020
Registered Nurse-ICU
Shrewsbury Hospital, SATH NHS Trust
10.2011 - 09.2013
Registered Nurse-Ward 6 (Cardiology/CCU)
Princess Royal Hospital, SATH NHS Trust
10.2009 - 10.2011
Community care worker
Diamond life, Alexandra House
09.2006 - 09.2009
Laboratory Technician
Propath UK
07.2002 - 07.2006
Master of Nursing Honours -with First Class Honours -
University of Auckland
PG Diploma in Health Science- With Merit -
University of Auckland
PG Certificate in Health Sciences -
University of Auckland
BSc (hons) - Nursing RN Adult
BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY (BCU)
A Levels - Sociology, Physical Education, Business Studies, Human Biology
Worcestershire 6th Form College
GCSE - 11 GCSE's including Maths, English and Science
Haybridge High School
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