Northtec nurses prepared and ready to fight COVID19
Northland District Health Board (DHB) and NorthTec staff are working closely together to develop a potential workforce for Northland which incorporates nursing tutors and students to support the healthcare frontline, if required.
NorthTec Bachelor of Nursing Coordinator, Jeanette Briscoe, says several tutors are ready to work in hospitals and in the community to help with patient care if healthcare services in Northland become overwhelmed.
“We really want to support our clinical colleagues during this incredibly tough time. Ultimately, all of us came into the nursing profession to care for people in need,” says Jeanette. “I have been liaising with the Northland DHB Director of Nursing around their emergency planning, organised access to online DHB orientation courses for NorthTec staff to work through, and we have all completed health screening. This means that if the situation deteriorates in Northland, we are prepared to help on the frontline.”
Many third-year nursing students have had their clinical placements cancelled and put on hold while New Zealand is at pandemic Alert Level 4. However, many students still want to help, says Jeanette. “Our students are putting their names forward to be Health Care Assistants for the Northland DHB, to support the call for more staff in the event that the situation in Northland worsens.”
Nursing tutor, Michael McGivern, is one of those who has put his hand up to help if needed. He says that it was important to remember that firstly he is a nurse and have an obligation to assist people when they are unwell.
“During this pandemic, those people who are affected require a high level of support, guidance and direct nursing care. Nurses are trained to provide a high level of holistic care and to address people’s needs regardless of the nature of the problem. It is essential that nurses and other members of the healthcare teams pull together and support each other in order to safely get through this difficult time.”
Kathleen Burson became a NorthTec nursing tutor only five weeks ago, she says, “Working at Northland DHB is like being part of one big nursing family and if the need arose that is where I would want to be, supporting my nursing family to care for the people of Northland.”
Dr Bev Mackay, Nursing Pathway Manager, says this pandemic coincides with the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, which highlights the importance of the nursing and the healthcare profession during this time.
She says: “Worldwide, nurses are showing resilience and sacrifice while helping to fight COVID-19 at the frontline of the pandemic. This is the significance of choosing nursing as a career option, you can really make a difference in times like this. This is why our nursing tutors and students have chosen their career path – to help those in need. We are proud of our students and tutors who are prepared and ready to fight COVID-19 together, if required
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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31.7% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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68.3% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Something we all seem to have forgotten
An Obituary to Common Sense printed in the London Times
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated valuable lessons like:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- And maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge)
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher
fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death;
-by his parents, Truth and Trust,
-by his wife, Discretion,
-by his daughter, Responsibility,
-and by his son, Reason
He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;
- I Know My Rights,
- I Want It Now,
- Someone Else Is To Blame,
- I'm A Victim,
- Pay me for Doing Nothing
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing…
This is a modified version of a text that is originally attributed to Lori Borgman. However, it is more true today than it was when first written. It is not the version I remember, but it still gets the point across. Enjoy and remember.
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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