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New heads for Massey and Auckland universities' nursing schools and Kiwi midwife to head Dutch-based International Confederation of Midwives. Read on for details of some recent job appointments.

Former chief nurse Dr Mark Jones stepped up this month into the role of head of Massey University's School of Nursing.The English-trained nurse came to New Zealand in 2005 to take up the post of Chief Nurse, which he held until 2010.  Prior to coming to New Zealand he completed a doctorate in health care decision-making and worked for the Royal College of Nursing as a primary care policy advisor. After his Chief Nurse post he spent several years in Western Australia where he was Professor for Transcultural Health Improvement at Curtin University.  After returning to New Zealand he completed a diploma in theology and late last year became associate head of the nursing school, based at Massey's Albany campus. Head of school, Professor Annette Huntington, will continue on at the nursing school as professor and researcher.  Huntington, a former chair of the Nursing Council of New Zealand, was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2012 for her services to nursing research.

Also announced this month was that another New Zealander is heading to Europe to lead an international health professional organisation with the appointment of  Dr Sally Pairman as the new chief executive of the International Confederation of Midwives.  The former chair of the Midwifery Council of New Zealand and president of the New Zealand College of Midwives has most recently been Professor of Midwifery and director of learning and teaching at Otago Polytechnic. Already chair of the ICM's Regulation Standing Committee she will be starting the role in January 2016. Dr Frances Hughes, another former Chief Nurse of New Zealand who now heads the Geneva-based International Council of Nurses said it was "great news" that there were now two Kiwis heading up two international groups.

Meanwhile in late November the University of Auckland announced that Professor Alexandra (Sandie) McCarthy from Queensland University of Technology will start early next year as its new head of school.  The expert in acute cancer nursing care and cancer research will take over from Associate Professor Judy Kilpatrick who has been head of the school since it was founded in 2000. Professor McCarthy is a registered nurse, holds a PhD from Queensland University of Technology and has lead many multidisciplinary cancer research projects.. She has held a joint appointment between QUT and Princess Alexandra Hospital since 2008, culminating in her appointment as Chair of Cancer Nursing from 2013 in Australia.Earlier this year she was appointed as Co-Director for the Women’s Wellness after Cancer Programme at Menzies Health Institute, Queensland.

Another Australian nursing academic taking up a post in New Zealand in the New Year is Professor Jane Mills who will start on January 16 as the new head of Massey University's College of Health replacing Professor Paul McDonald who was the first head of the college since it was created in 2013.  Mills is currently Professor of Clinical Sciences (Nursing) and the nursing discipline leader in the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences at RMIT University in Melbourne. Her PhD thesis was on rural nurses; experiences of mentoring. She has held a variety of clinical, management and academic/research roles in Queensland, Victoria and Britain.

Also taking up a post in the New Year is former New Zealand Nurses Organisation nursing policy advisor and researcher Dr Jill Clendon who has been appointed as chief advisor for the Office of the Chief Nursing Officer (OCNO) at the Ministry of Health. Clendon had been in her NZNO role since 2010 and NZNO nursing and professional services manager Jane McGeorge said she had "contributed hugely" to NZNO's policy and research agenda. Her new role is to work in partnership with the Chief Nursing Officer Dr Jane O'Malley and OCNO senior advisors to provide strategic advice particularly across primary and community-based services. In other movements at the OCNO senior advisor Alison Hussey left the Ministry at the end of October after four years working on removing barriers to innovation and as nursing advisor for child health.  Also joining the office in January is Carolyn Jones who has a fixed term appointment as a senior advisor and comes to the Ministry from Te Tai Tokelau PHO.