Prue Hutchings
Papamoa,Tauranga
Summary
My nursing philosophy is holistic. I am a compassionate, empathetic, and dedicated registered nurse with extensive experience at District Nursing, Te Whatu Ora Tauranga Hospital, excelling in advanced wound care management and patient education. Proven ability to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, ensuring optimal patient outcomes and smooth transitions to home care. Committed to holistic, patient-centered care and continuous professional development.
Overview
2026
2026
years of professional experience
Work History
District Nurse + OPIVA (Outpatients IV antibiotics administration)
DISTRICT NURSING - Te Whatu Ora Tauranga Hospital
, Tauranga
01.2021 - Current
- Advanced assessment skills
- Extensive communication skills in educating clients, colleagues and Ability to work autonomously and as a team
- Advanced wound care management, including knowledge of latest technology for wound therapy
- Advanced continence assessment skills and certifications in male catheterisation and suprapubic catheterisation and experience in female catheterisation, intermittent self-catheterisation management
- Knowledge in continence products and urology procedures to enable ability to educate patients post operatively
- Extensive PICC line management, IV antibiotic administration and knowledge
- Acting as a resource nurse for other district nurses to contact with any issues that arise with our hospital in the home patients.
- Hospital in the Home Coordinator Liaising with ID consultants, GP, hospice, ward nurses and families, collaborating care with the interdisciplinary team to coordinate complex discharge planning - working alongside infectious diseases consultants, house officer's, registrars, hospital pharmacists and ward nurses to facilitate safe discharges planning and ensure smooth transition to Hospital in the Home services family/whanau support networks.
- Proficient Registered Nurse portfolio with focus on peer education.
- I produced a 'quick sheet' to support Hospital in the Home coordinator nurses who step into the role to relieve named 'Outside of the box OPIVA referrals' as I recognised a gap in education when there are requests for Hospital in the Home services from outside agencies such as hospice, rest homes, GP practices and transfers to or from other regions.
Clinical Placement
The Royal Plunket Society
Mount Maunganui
08.2020 - Current
- Undertaking systematic comprehensive assessments on children ranging from 5 weeks to 4 years old
- Extensive knowledge on ages and stages of infant, baby, toddler, and preschool development including breast feeding and nutrition
- Building trusting therapeutic relationships with people from all walks of life, in a variety of settings
Health Care Assistant
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
, Tauranga
07.2018 - 01.2020
- Flexibly engaged in multiple clinical areas of hospital, including surgical and paediatric wards.
- Employed effective communication and organizational skills to manage care priorities efficiently.
- Observed patients closely, providing timely updates on condition changes to Registered Nurse.
- Contributed to team efforts in delivering quality patient care, such as moving and handling.
Clinical Placement - Pediatrics Ward 4a
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
Tauranga, Tauranga
01.2020 - 2020
- Pediatric medication calculation knowledge and administration.
- Caring for complex pediatric patients ranging from 5 weeks to 18 years old, with an array of illnesses.
- Managing a patient load of up to three per shift under RN supervision.
Clinical Placement - Older Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
Tauranga
01.2020 - 2020
- Medication knowledge and administration, including administering injections such as B12.
- Caring for patients pre- and post-Electroconvulsive treatment, including supporting patients to and from treatments, and monitoring progress over a 4-week period.
- Caring for complex patients suffering from co-morbid mental health conditions, such as dementia with psychosis, depression, psychotic catatonia, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders, with compassion, empathy, and in partnership.
Clinical Placement
Tauranga District Nursing
Tauranga
03.2019 - 2019
- Comprehensive wound knowledge, including product knowledge and dressing complex wounds such as cleaning and dressing chronic venous leg ulcers, wounds requiring packing, and/or skin grafts that did not adhere.
- Building interpersonal relationships with people from all walks of life, and caring for clients in a variety of home and clinical settings, under the direct supervision of my preceptor.
Clinical Placement
Grace Private Orthopaedics Hospital
Tauranga
01.2019 - 2019
- Gaining knowledge of a full journey, including admitting patients, preparing for pre-op, accompanying them through the surgery, monitoring in PACU, and following up in the ward.
- Observing surgical procedures such as total hip joint replacement, total knee joint replacement, hiatus hernia repair, colonoscopy, and endoscopy.
- Caring for patients post-op in the day stay department, including immediate post-op monitoring, patient education, and patient discharge.
Clinical Placement - Orthopedic Ward 4b
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
Tauranga
2019 - 2019
- Medication knowledge and administration.
- Caring for patients' post-complex surgical procedures, such as fractures requiring external fixation devices and fractured neck of femur.
- Managing up to four patients per shift under RN supervision.
Clinical Placement
Cedar Manor Rest Home
Tauranga
01.2018 - 2018
- Undertaking comprehensive, holistic assessments with clients, including objective and subjective data gathering, and in partnership, creating client-centered short-term care plans.
- Time spent caring for patients in both rest home and hospital-level care, as well as in a dementia unit.
- Developing therapeutic relationships with clients and being involved in their daily routines, such as exercise classes and occupational therapy sessions.
Clinical Placement - Medical Ward 2b
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
Tauranga
01.2018 - 2018
- Establishing therapeutic relationships with patients, using effective communication tools, observing procedures such as ECG and stoma bag changes, and using reflection cycles to articulate reflective practice.
Education
Post Graduate Certificate - Health Science specializing in Advanced Nursing
University of Auckland
Auckland, NZ01.2023
Bachelor of Nursing -
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
Tauranga, NZ01.2020
Comprehensive First Aid Certificate -
Red Cross
Tauranga, NZ01.2019
Level 4 Health Care - with strands in assisting and advocacy
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
Tauranga, NZ01.2017
Skills
- CVL and PICC line management
- Adult suprapubic catheterization
- Male, female and Intermittent catheterization
- Hospital in the home IV infusers and infusions
- Wound care management
- Post-op advanced skin surgery management
- Nephrostomy management
- Skin grafts
- Cavity wounds requiring VAC therapy
- Drain management
- Fungating tumor care
- Tracheostomy care
- Chronic venous ulcer treatment
- Chronic arterial ulcer treatment
- Diabetic ulcer treatment
- Compression therapy
- Post op wound care
- Clinical reasoning
- Observation and assessment skills
- Commitment to best practice
- Awareness of holistic needs
- Patient-centered care
- Ethics
- Confidentiality
- Effective time management
- Interpersonal communication skills
- Knowledge of the Treaty and Waitangi
- Knowledge in continence products
- Knowledge in urology procedures
- Patient education
- PICC line management
- IV antibiotic administration
- Resource nurse
References
Beth Langdon, District Nurse Tauranga, Beth.Langton@bopdhb.govt.nz, 021 973 600
Additional Work Experience
Health Care Assistant, Tauranga District Health Board Bureau, 07/18 - 05/20, An ability to be flexible and adapt to varied clinical throughout the hospital. Role responsibilities require ability to work within all clinical settings as required, for example: ED, admissions and planning unit, medical and renal wards, gynaecology, surgical and paediatric wards, Good interpersonal communication and time management skills with ability to prioritize care as needed, Observational skills and ability to report any changes in patient condition to the supervising Registered Nurse, Ability to work within a team to provide patient care including moving and handling, walking, showering, pressure area care
Timeline
District Nurse + OPIVA (Outpatients IV antibiotics administration)
DISTRICT NURSING - Te Whatu Ora Tauranga Hospital
01.2021 - Current
Clinical Placement
The Royal Plunket Society
08.2020 - Current
Clinical Placement - Pediatrics Ward 4a
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
01.2020 - 2020
Clinical Placement - Older Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
01.2020 - 2020
Clinical Placement
Tauranga District Nursing
03.2019 - 2019
Clinical Placement
Grace Private Orthopaedics Hospital
01.2019 - 2019
Health Care Assistant
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
07.2018 - 01.2020
Clinical Placement
Cedar Manor Rest Home
01.2018 - 2018
Clinical Placement - Medical Ward 2b
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
01.2018 - 2018
Clinical Placement - Orthopedic Ward 4b
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
2019 - 2019
Post Graduate Certificate - Health Science specializing in Advanced Nursing
University of Auckland
Bachelor of Nursing -
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
Comprehensive First Aid Certificate -
Red Cross
Level 4 Health Care - with strands in assisting and advocacy
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology