Holistic Health: the Te Whare Tapa Whā model

 

 

I'm a Registered Nurse, innovator, entrepreneur, & visionary and I want to give you revolutionary answers that wake you up to the true value of yourself. 

I've held hands, consoled, assisted, respected, been present, shared good news and bad, advocated, coordinated, filled forms, coached, navigated, proof read, checked medications, requested second opinions, protected, prompted, promoted, supported, brokered, pointed, Nurse-splained (ensured you actually understand what we are talking about), and cared for so many people of all walks of life, all ages, around the world. I truly love what I do, and I'm here to help you navigate your health journey.

I'm known as a visionary health entrepreneur, and I have a seemingly endless supply of hope and options to share to support you along the way.

I've been a Registered Nurse for over 20 years, and I understand the challenges you face ~ and my role is to help you find the best solutions to your health challenges and issues, and provide solutions.  I am fine-tuned to intuit, and am on an eternal quest to improve, innovate and change the rules to help others, because I know what it's like to be stuck in the maze of healthcare, not knowing which way to turn.

(insert collage here)

Tell me more ...

Originally born and raised in the idyllic beachside town of Titahi Bay in New Zealand, I then lived in various part of the world before settling in another stunning beachside town - this time in Port Stephens, NSW, Australia.

Growing up within the kiwi culture (New Zealander) I have always valued equality, fairness, innovation and hard work.  Stepping into Nursing after leaving school, seemed like a good idea at the time, as I came from a family of nurses, and was equally fascinated with people and what made them tick and nature - including the human body.  

My interests are varied, from photography to spirituality, animals and nature to mechanics, plus history, cooking, music, business, economics, leadership, indoor plants, etc.. I'm endlessly inspired by life & nature around me. 

Throughout my career I've had the privilege of being there for patients/clients/consumers and their families/carers at so many times throughout their lives often the most vulnerable they will ever be, so I can honestly say, a career in Nursing is amazing! It's fulfilled me and continues to inspire me. 

Wherever people have engaged with the health service I have had the gift of being involved in their care.  From babies being born, 4-year-old health checks, serious mental health disorders, crisis situations, emergency treatment, palliative care, surgery and theatres, general hospital care, community care, general practice, oncology, private and public, rural and remote, inner city and regional. 

I have run wards in small hospitals, and held executive positions, so bring a wide range of expertise and skills to my role as a health navigator.  

Nursing training in New Zealand is integrated with Māori Health, my degree involved learning about science, nursing fundamentals, research, ethics, etc AND many more related to Māori Health, including the Māori Health model called Te Whare Tapa Whā.  This concept explains that good health and wellbeing is not just about the physical (Taha tinana) and mental (Taha hinengaro), that there is spiritual (Taha Wairua) and Family (Taha Whānau) too. Visually, imagine a house with four pillars: or Cornerstones, holding up the roof.  Should one of these pillars be damaged, the person or collective may become unwell. 

This expanded the traditional model of health and wellbeing and also introduced the need to look for and address cultural differences in healthcare and the effect of historical harm on populations.