Public health nurses
Our Public health nurses work towards improving the health of communities and reducing inequalities in health status for Whanganui region residents.
On this page
Contact us
Contact the Public health nurses by:
- Phone: 06 348 1282
- Email: referral.centre@wdhb.org.nz or communityadmin@wdhb.org.nz
Where to find us
8am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.
Whanganui Hospital
- Ground Floor Lambie Building
- 100 Heads Road
- Whanganui
- Ground Floor Ward and Administration Block
- 100 Heads Road
- Whanganui
Rangitikei Health Centre
- 7 Blackwell Street
- Marton
Waimarino Health Centre
- 22 Seddon Street
- Raetihi
Services we provide
Youth health services
Our public health nurses visit schools in the region to help improve the health and wellness of our youth.
Youth across the region can see our public health nurses free of charge and confidentially for help and advice on:
- vision or hearing concerns
- skin conditions and managing chronic illnesses
- contraception or sexual personal health issues
- health information
- support
- smoking cessation
- referrals to other services and agencies.
For more information about these services and when the nurse for your school is holding a clinic contact either:
- the Public Health Centre on 06 348 1775
- your school's student centre or office.
Other youth services include:
- social work
- school-based nursing
- dental services
- National Immunisation Schedule (internal link)
- Well Child Tamariki Ora (internal link)
- The B4 School Check (internal link)
Clinics
Nurse-led clinics for mobile patients are provided Monday-Friday in Lambie Building at Whanganui Hospital.
Te Whatu Ora Whanganui Community Health Service focuses on supporting patients to safely remain in their homes while experiencing health challenges.
District nurses
Our district nurses provide a range of quality, patient-focused, professional and holistic nursing services. These services are home-based where possible.
Our nurses address healthcare needs which cannot be met by a general medical or nursing service alone. The District nurse service is for those patients who could be at risk of further health deterioration without advanced nursing care and for those in which providing care in their normal living environment would not further compromise their health status.
District nurses have specialised nursing knowledge, assessment skills, professional judgement and an excellent knowledge of community resources. They collaborate with other health professionals and work in partnership with people, throughout their care, in their own home, community or hospital setting. District nurses function independently and interdependently in assessing needs, planning, delivering and evaluating care.
Clinical nurse specialists
Our clinical nurse specialists are essential members of the health team. They carry a caseload of patients requiring complex care while providing advice and support to other staff on all aspects of care from assessment to treatment, and management of outcomes.
Clinical nurse specialists are required to research, evaluate, develop and implement standards of nursing practice, as well as lead the development of pathways, protocols and guidelines in specific area of practice
Specialities include the following.
Oncology
Includes providing care before, during and after cancer treatment; consultation with other healthcare providers, assessment, evaluation and planning of treatment; monitoring of patients, and linking in supportive care.
Stomal therapy
Includes providing inpatient and community care to support and educate people living with a stoma, such as colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy), and the provision of stomal supplies.
Continence
Includes providing assessment and treatment for continence patients, as well as consultation and services in collaboration with other healthcare professionals.
Cardiac
Includes providing support and education to cardiac patients throughout the community through cardiac rehabilitation, case management, pathway development, and liaison with services in secondary and primary care.
Wound care
Includes assessment, evaluation, planning of treatment and monitoring of complex and chronic wounds as well as consultation with other healthcare providers.
Respiratory
Includes assessment, management and education for patients with respiratory conditions, assisting people living with long-term respiratory conditions to develop skills for self-care thereby improving quality of life, and providing consultation services to medical and nursing colleagues.
Diabetes
Includes diabetes management and education for people living with Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes — services are provided for inpatients, outpatients, in the community, at general practice surgeries and rural clinics.