About Allied Health Scientific & Technical careers

The Allied Health Scientific & Technical (AHST) services in Nelson Marlborough provide specialised clinical and technical support to patients, multidisciplinary teams and the wider community

The opportunities here are numerous with AHST staff working across the full spectrum of health services from primary care, and ED (Emergency Department), at both our main hospital sites and onto the community. We are big enough to offer a diverse and varied work experience while being small enough for you to truly feel part of a team and community.

If you want to work somewhere that you can make a difference, Nelson Marlborough could be the place for you. Our leaders are energetic, passionate advocates for their staff, patients and the communities we serve. We love new ideas and the chance to do things differently.

AudiologyWe are committed to the values of Teamwork, Innovation, Integrity and Respect. Whether you are just starting out on your AHST career or are an experienced professional we value what you bring to us. You will be supported with ongoing professional development and supervision opportunities.

Te Tauihu (Top of the south) is a great place to work and live, offering fantastic opportunities for interesting, meaningful work, while at the same time providing a great work-life balance in a region that showcases the best that Aotearoa has to offer.


If you want to know more about the career opportunities within the different AHST services, check out the information below and click here to view our current vacancies.

 

Learn more about Allied Health Scientific and Technical Careers

Anaesthetic Tech at Nelson Public Hospital

As a registered anaesthetic technician working in Nelson, you would be part of a small but dedicated team. We offer a safe and positive learning environment for students as well as a supportive environment for those looking to further their careers. To work as an anaesthetic technician, you will attend AUT and complete the Bachelor of Health Science in Perioperative Practice. For those already qualified we offer simulation training in situ as well as encourage our team to attend courses and conferences across New Zealand.

Registered anaesthetic technicians are highly trained in the wide range of technology used for the induction, maintenance, emergence, and monitoring of anaesthesia. We work across the whole hospital providing a high level of care.

Being a registered anaesthetic technician is a diverse role. It changes depending on the needs of the patient, the anaesthetist, the surgeon, the type of surgery and the situations that can occur throughout an operation. The role of the registered anaesthetic technician is a mixture of routine and quick, flexible thinking. Every day, registered anaesthetic technicians are responsible for ensuring any equipment needed for a patient, including the anaesthetic machine, is safe, functional, and available. 

On occasions, Registered Anaesthetic Technicians must act quickly and knowledgeably to react to unexpected life-threatening events that can occur suddenly. Registered Anaesthetic Technicians must also react to anticipated events. In these situations, the role diversifies according to what the anaesthetist and situation require to help save a patient’s life.


The registered anaesthetic technician interacts with patients before surgery offering support and reassurance. The role involves empathy and sympathy in acting as the patient advocate. Registered anaesthetic technicians care for patients from a wide range of ages, cultures, and medical statuses, from a baby needing minor ear surgery, to a 90-year-old requiring major hip surgery.


The registered anaesthetic technician is an important part of the operating team, working closely with Anaesthetists and the intraoperative team to create a safe environment for every patient as well as colleagues. The diversity of the role and the people you meet and work with make this an exciting and rewarding career

 

Hear what the role is like from some of our Nelson Hospital ATs:

We are a small and friendly team of audiologists/kaimātai ororongo based at Nelson and Wairau hospital. We work mostly with tamariki, rangitahi and their whānau to provide a full range of hearing testing and hearing (re)habilitation, including fitting of hearing devices. We work closely with Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists, paediatricians, Ministry of Education specialists and vision and hearing screeners.

Our team offers ongoing professional development opportunities, support and training required for the New Zealand Audiological Society (NZAS) certification of clinical competency and paediatric sub-specialties, so you can work independently, as well as collaboratively as a member of our team.

Audiology/Mātai Ororongo is an incredibly rewarding profession for those who enjoy working with technology and are passionate in making a difference in someone’s quality of life.

For further information, please contact [email protected]

Our Occupational Therapy teams are a dynamic group of dedicated and skilled clinicians, supported by our skilled and experienced kaiāwhina / Allied Health Assistants. We work from both our hospital sites at Nelson and Wairau as well as community-based services across the region.

The services we provide, range from the acute medical and surgical wards, inpatient & community rehabilitation, burns and scar management through to community based physical services, child development, wheelchair-seating and vocational rehabilitation interventions. We currently provide input into the local Palliative care services.

In mental health occupational therapists are part of the multi-disciplinary teams working right across the service including addictions, child and adolescent mental health, adult community and inpatient services, as well as our specialist service for older adults

Our teams are supported with a regular programme of in-services and supervision. There are opportunities to move between services and apply for fixed term projects such as those listed below.

Some of the exciting work we are involved with includes:

  • Using the Calderdale framework to enable skill sharing in the hospital and community settings – becoming accredited to carry out some of the mobility tasks usually allocated to physiotherapy. We have been able to use the same Calderdale framework to delegate tasks with safety and confidence to our kaiāwhina (Allied Health assistants)
  • Supporting occupation-based strategies for healthy lifestyles, building resilience and managing distress. (mental health)
  • Supporting the rollout of sensory modulation strategies across the service. (mental health)
  • Numerous quality improvement projects including; reducing seclusion and restraint, learning from adverse events and consumer, family and whānau experience, MDT Improvement Project, Advanced Directive project, etc (mental health)
  • Co-lead on ACC funded fixed term project to reduce pressure injuries across hospital and community settings
  • One year project providing assessment & early intervention services for new neurology patients.
  • NASC Educator Role – Workforce Development

For further information, please contact:

Our physiotherapy teams are based at Nelson and Wairau hospitals, the Richmond Health Hub and community settings across the region. Working across the continuum of patient care, from ED, inpatient settings, and outpatient clinics to supporting our people in the communities within which they live. This is a great place to hone your generalist skills while building your passion in a particular clinical area. We pride ourselves on our friendly, supportive and valued contribution to the multidisciplinary teams across primary and secondary health services. We are helped in our work by a group of empathetic, enthusiastic and experienced kaiāwhina (Allied Health Assistants).

 

We are a quality and innovation-focused service, striving at all times to ensure our patients are at the centre of all we do. The team are supported to engage in service improvements and initiatives. Recent submissions to the NMH Health Innovation Awards have been for a project introducing allied health practitioners in ED, showcasing the introduction of skill sharing in the Medical Admission and Planning unit. This was followed in 2020 with the NMH Healthy Communities award for the work done by our in-home falls prevention team. Other examples of quality improvement projects we have been a part of in recent years include:

  • The introduction and use of digital technology for our clinical documentation, patient interactions, including telehealth, and alternative communication methods

  • The development and integration of kaiāwhina workforce opportunities across all clinical areas such as community rehab teams and inpatient units

  • Development of pathways for elective surgeries

  • Expanding upon the working relationships with aligned groups at Hospice and NASC (Needs Assessment and Coordination)

Whether you are just starting out or have many years of experience, the physiotherapy teams at NMH offer varied and interesting work backed by regular in-service training, supervision and a wide range of professional development opportunities.

 

For more information about physiotherapy careers at NMH, check out the video below or contact:

The range of social work practice opportunities at NMH spans the continuum from ED, acute hospital care, rehabilitation services, community work and mental health and addiction services. We have a team of experienced social workers supported by allied health assistants based at both our hospitals (Nelson and Wairau), the community health hub in Richmond and social workers working across the districts’ various mental health and addiction services. Working here means you will have the opportunity to experience a diverse client group, and our “just right” size means your days will be varied as you work across a range of services. Wherever you work, regular supervision is provided to support you in the work you do.

NMH is supportive of your ongoing personal and professional development. We encourage you to take advantage of the regular in-services and other professional development activities available here. From new graduates to emerging leaders, we have programmes designed to support, stimulate and grow your career. Because your wellbeing is important to us, we have a range of supports designed to help you look after yourself.

For more information, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]

We are a small, friendly team of experienced speech-language therapists supported by an energetic and experienced kaiāwhina workforce. Based at Nelson and Wairau hospitals plus our community health hub in Richmond, we provide a full range of communication and swallowing assessments, interventions and advice across inpatient, outpatient and community settings. The Child Development Team also includes paediatric speech-language therapists.

We provide regular in-service training and supervision opportunities with our team and the wider allied health services. As part of our team you will work across the range of clinical services, enjoying a varied caseload and mix of inpatient, outpatient and community work. We have videofluoroscopy services at Nelson Hospital, and we are currently working towards introducing a FEES (fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing) service to our hospitals.

For further information, please contact [email protected]