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Liz Read is nominated for her work as a stalwart champion of public health from her career outset – while at the same time wearing a number of leadership hats.

NAME: Liz Read
DHB: Hawke’s Bay
JOB: Nurse manager for public health nurses

Some nurses want the buzz of ED, others the precision of theatre or the hustle and bustle of wards but from the outset Liz Read has always wanted to nurse in the community.

Even when she started her nursing career, more than 30 years ago in Napier Hospital’s paediatric ward, she already had her heart set on working beyond the hospital walls.

“I saw it as a stepping stone to public health which has always been my passion,” says the nurse who for the past four years has been the district health board’s nurse manager for public health nurses and also wears several other community health leadership hats.

“Our team is involved with traditional nursing but from a public health perspective – child health such as skin infections, immunisation, managing communicable diseases like TB, measles, mumps, meningitis and hepatitis, and adolescent health,” she says.

“We’re focused on health promotion, prevention and early intervention, and work predominantly in communities disadvantaged by lack of income, poor housing and unemployment,” says Liz. “Trying to influence the distribution of resources and improve health-related policy is a key objective of public health nursing, whether this be canteen or nutrition policy in schools, smokefree areas, child safety legislation, or supporting teachers in their delivery of the health curriculum.”

Liz also manages the sexual health service and is proud of the closer relationship forged between primary and secondary care over the last four years that has led to an improved service and increased access to free services. The establishment of a dedicated sexual assault service has also made a big difference, she says.

After four years in her public health leadership role Liz says she now has the confidence to put a public health perspective firmly on the agenda at management meetings, which are often focused on hospital services.
“As resources get tighter and demand on services greater, I’ve become more passionate about making sure we’re efficiently delivering services where the highest need is, while never losing our public health focus.”

Recently seconded to the role of acting manager at Napier Health, she says the extra workload is made easier by her great multi-disciplinary team of 45.

The married mother of three children – two boys and a girl aged between 14 and 20 – is also coordinator of the child and youth mortality review group for Hawke’s Bay.

“It’s a no-blame review process to improve systems and prevent further deaths – things like our suicide prevention strategy, and safe sleeping action plan have come out of it,” she says.

HBDHB chief nursing officer Chris McKenna says, “Liz is a proactive, pro-nursing leader. She leads many projects and initiatives, but is always looking at ways in which nursing practice can be advanced to deliver better care to the community.”