Leading with Stories Workshop for Nurse Practitioners

My name is Gemma Hutton, I am a Nurse Practitioner in Twizel and continue to provide Telehealth/Locum support for the West Coast which was the area where I started my rural journey.

The majority of my career has been in rural health. I was a former board member of RGPN and I remain involved in advocating for rural health within my local area.

Shawna works primarily as a solo NP on Rakiura/Stewart Island and hones her emergency skills in the ED at Southland Hospital. She is passionate about improving rural and remote healthcare and finds tremendous fulfillment in the connections that rurality affords.

Mikaela Bohnenn is a new graduate Registered Nurse working in emergency care and alongside Mobile Health. She is passionate about rural health equity, improving access to care, and supporting Māori and Pacific communities. Mikaela is committed to delivering compassionate, community-focused healthcare across Aotearoa. She also serves as the Student Representative on the Hauora Taiwhenua Board, working towards systemic change and advocacy for rural communities.

Tracey Reid has been working rurally in Central Otago for the last 20 years. Tracey is passionate about rural nursing education and also works with the University of Otago’s, Centre of Rural Health, convening the Rural Interprofessional Simulation Course. Tracey is a Nurse Practitioner at Health Central and aims to provide the best care that she can to her local community. It’s a privilege to be on the Rural Nurses executive committee and represent Rural Nurses across the Motu.

I have over 20 years of experience in rural hospital nursing at Ashburton Hospital, primarily in acute assessment/rural ED settings. In recent years, I’ve also been working in a nurse educator role, driven by my passion for nursing education, particularly within the rural hospital generalist context.  This year, I’ve taken on an exciting new position with the University of Otago and begun my PhD research, exploring postgraduate pathways for rural generalist nurses. My goal is to highlight the incredible work rural nurses do across the country and to help develop a postgraduate pathway that is both meaningful and sustainable.

Stacy is a Rural District Nurse in the Queenstown-Lakes region, where she thrives on the unique challenges and independence of rural healthcare. With a special interest in supporting the wellbeing of rural nurses, Stacy is dedicated to promoting continuing education and professional development. Her work reflects a deep commitment to both her patients and her peers, ensuring that rural healthcare remains strong, resilient, and well-equipped to meet any challenge.

Empowering rural clinicians to provide confident, community-based care while reducing strain on secondary services. Orthopaedic cases are common in rural settings, and since 2018, I have been delivering limb radiography as a Rural Nurse Specialist within specific guidelines.