Karyn WHITE

Currently working rural & remote nursing contracts 4wks to 3mths in all states of Australia

• Working as RN mainly in ED/Acutes settings with Medical & Surgical & Aged Care facilities. Accessing hospital protocols. Attending too ECG’s, POCT, IV cannulation/fluids, Treatments for chronic & acute respiratory conditions e.g. exacerbation of COPD, Asthmatics, cardiac events, diabetic treatments, patients with long-standing co-morbidities and other complex needs.
• 3 years of ED experience: (Triage, ALS & PALS certificates.)

• Company Overview: Rural Island Nursing
• Waiheke Island population 10,000 winter & 30,000 in summer, or more as tourist island. Sole RN / Emergency/Acute Nurse during weekends & after hrs during the week, with one Doctor normally covering the after-hours for both medical centres on the island. Also working during weekdays in the medical centre as an acute nurse attending to walk in’s, TRIAGING patients, treating them under ‘standing orders’ or getting Acute Dr to review when necessary. Walk-in’s with chest pain, accidents/injuries, asthmatics, infections, lots of co-morbidities requiring further investigations & transfers to city hospital.
• Main Duties include: Acute/emergency nursing, triaging, of chest pains, potential strokes, TIA’s, taking blood off & doing PROCT ‘point of care testing’ (Troponin, D-Dimer, Chem 8, INR, FBC, HCG etc.) ECG’s, IM injects, IV cannulation, IV antibiotic/infusions, wound dressings, urinary catheterisations, vaccinations, phlebotomy, medication administration (as per ‘standing orders’ for RN’s), recording observations, Resus./CPR management if & when necessary. All emergencies evacuations to Auckland City Hospital via Helicopter.
• Help stabilise patients prior to evacuations/transfers out to Auckland City Hospital via local ambulance services. (Helicopter, police boat, etc.)
• Worked in lots of remote ED’s while working on midwifery contracts for four years - prior to pandemic outbreak & COVID-19.
• Recently attended PALS course with Doctors from North Shore in Auckland.

• Covered maternity relief for “Well Child Nurse” for 8mths & also worked part-time as a “Specialist Community Nurse” on island for a year. Specialist Community Nurse attended to primary care health in the home. Mainly attending too - wound care, PICC line dressing changes & care for CHEMO patients or IV ABx admin., Port-a-cath line maintenance/admin meds, IV antibiotic administration at home, catheter care & catheterisations done at home, as well as ‘palliative analgesia/NIKI T34 Syringe Driver & administration s/c morphine through sub.cut lines/pump. (Palliative/End Stage of life care).

• Joined Mediserve and worked as registered midwife/nurse in rural and country areas/hospitals throughout rural Australia on contract basis. Worked in Tasmania, NSW and Queensland mainly in small rural towns sometimes as sole midwife in maternity unit with GP backup. Assisting in wards & ED mainly when needed and maternity not busy. Mainly worked in obstetrics - doing deliveries, assisting with emergency caesarean sections, pre & post natal care, assessments etc. Also helped in Emergency Departments triaging patients and attending to treatment and patient care in ED., ECG’s, IV’s, trauma cases, assist plastering, suturing, wound dressings etc.
• [20th March 2020: Returned to NZ (‘Covid 19’ pandemic) from Western Australia.]

• Recently returned to Australia to live and work. Working as registered midwife in Post Natal Antenatal ward and Special Care Nursery/NGT feeding premature babies. Assistance with Breastfeeding and routine post natal obs, care of LSCS patients (IV fluids/Antibiotics/PCA infusions/IDC cares), breastfeeding concerns/needs, daily cares for post natal mothers. Neonatal cares-NBST/O2 sats/observations/immunisations/IV antibiotics etc.

• Working mainly in Delivery Unit doing deliveries, intrapartum midwifery care, assisting with instrumental deliveries in OT, Caeseran section women and care of newborn immediate post delivery. Also working the odd shift in other areas of hospital, antenatal and postnatal wards.

• Worked for Medibank Health Solutions Australia through Healthline NZ which is a free 24/7 service for the public throughout New Zealand, triaging callers via telephone/computer systems based at home. Assessing the callers health needs, triaging, providing accurate information/advice/accessing emergency services when necessary by transferring to ambulances using telecommunications systems and computer & IT technology as well as doing “Ambulance Secondary Triaging” for ambulance base in Wellington. Giving health advice or referrals to doctors, hospitals whatever the appropriate level of care may be after full telephone assessments are done. Undertaking monthly audits and call reviews with Team Leaders to ensure high standards and working within the scope of professional standards for telenursing practice in NZ. Left Medibank to return to Australia to work as midwife.

• Operated a Boarding House with homestays from abroad in central Auckland when i returned home from Australia for family reasons. Also looked after unwell daughter during this time.

• Working as a telephone referral nurse giving advice to health professionals & public when they ring in - referral to various services provided in area.