Outgoing nursing leader Taima Campbell says the resignation of chief executive Garry Smith helped tilt her towards her own resignation from the Auckland District Health Board after nearly 10 years in the job.
“We’ve enjoyed a very good partnership for the last decade.”
Campbell brought forward her departure from the DHB and stepped down from her role as executive director of nursing last Friday (March 30). This was also the last day for Garry Smith, who takes up his new position this week as CEO of Selwyn Trust.
Her last day on the job at ADHB will be at the end of April, but from this week, Margaret Dotchin, the nurse director for adult services, has stepped in as acting executive director of nursing.
Campbell said she was initially to leave at the end of June but brought it forward to start pursuing new opportunties which includes part-time university study from next week and launching her own consultancy business. She also didn’t rule out trying to find a new job “that feels right for me”.
About to become a grandmother for the second time at the end of the year, she said her husband and family were also looking forward to seeing more of her after a decade in a job where 12 hour days were often the norm.
Smith announced his resignation at end of December and Campbell said that influenced her decision to also resign after her summer break.
“With Garry going, that’s a huge change. We decided it was appropriate – the end of an era.”
The director of allied health Janice Mueller has also resigned in recent months.
The departure of the three ADHB leaders in quick succession and the sharing of a senior mental health management position with Waitemata DHB has prompted some speculation that a merger was imminent between the Auckland and Waitemata boards, which already share the same chair. However, this has been denied by joint chair Lester Levy, who has said there were no plans for a full merger.
Campbell said speculation about mergers was not a factor in her decision as she had been “pretty public” about believing that 20 DHBs were too many for four million people.
Asked if burnout contributed to her leaving, Campbell said, “No – it’s been a great job.”
Being in the job for just short of a decade was more of a factor in her decision.
“It’s been a great ride and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done a lot, but there are (other) things I ought to do now, and I need time to do that.”
Campbell started at ADHB in September 2001 as associate director of nursing (Maori), but within a year, she had stepped up into the executive director of nursing position.
She said the challenging parts of the role had been the usual health sector challenge of balancing supply and demand and sometimes needing to make tough decisions.
Her proudest achievements at ADHB include the investment into senior nurse education, the rise of nurse practitioner roles, and the board’s scholarships and Rangatahi programme, which mentors young Maori and Pacific secondary school students into a health career.
The next print issue of Nursing Review*** will feature more of Taima Campbell’s reflections.
