Strengthening hauora in our rural communities

• Published date: 29 September 2022

Hailing from Hokianga, Broodkorn has seen first-hand how restricted specialised healthcare services can be, especially concerning mental health, and how this impacts vulnerable communities

“Growing up in rural Northland, you learn there are limits to what access you have to specialised services, and it’s even harder for certain groups like our elderly,” Broodkorn said.

“Seeing how this impacted my own community is what influenced me to advance my practice to help address areas of need and provide services that are currently unavailable.”

With a family background in healthcare, Broodkorn said she always knew she’d find herself helping people.

She received her Bachelor of Nursing from Northland Polytechnic and following graduation started her career in general nursing at Auckland City Hospital before moving into specialised nursing working with the elderly.

After moving back to Northland, Broodkorn entered adult and older aged mental health care, which inspired her nurse practitioner pathway. This was strengthened when she moved to Rodney and began working in a multidisciplinary community mental health team, focusing on adults and acute services.

During this time, Broodkorn completed a postgraduate diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and a Master of Nursing with Massey University.

She said her practical and theoretical learning helped define the type of care she wanted to provide and in what areas.

“I realised I wanted to work in adult and aged mental health services, specifically with Māori clients in rural areas and providing holistic care to meet all their needs,” Broodkorn said.

“As a nurse practitioner, I will have the autonomy to provide a comprehensive assessment alongside diagnosis and a closely monitored treatment plan that focuses on all areas that are influencing their current presentation.”

Broodkorn said a significant way nurse practitioners could strengthen healthcare was through bringing both a nursing and medical focus, and by facilitating collaborative practices between...