Our first Nurse Practitioner

Introducing Nurse Practitioner Services and Our first Nurse Practitioner at Upper Hutt Health Centre.

Mātanga Tapuhi Nurse Practitioners are highly skilled health practitioners who have completed advanced clinical education and obtained a Master’s Degree in Nursing. They have demonstrated competency in providing advanced healthcare within a blended model of medical and nursing science.

Nurse Practitioners are autonomous practitioners and have the legal authority to practice beyond the level of a registered nurse. They work to the same capacity as a General Practitioner and are lead care providers that can manage your medical care. Nurse Practitioners have enrolled patients.

Nurse Practitioners provide care for people with common and complex conditions, run their own general practice clinics, diagnose, order and interpret tests, and prescribe treatments and medications for a range of patients across the lifespan.

What can a nurse practitioner help with?

• Diagnose, treat and monitor your healthcare
• Acute health problems such as infections and injuries
• Chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension
• Obtain health histories and perform physical examinations
• Order, perform and interpret diagnostic studies such as laboratory test results and X-rays
• Case manage clients with highly complex chronic conditions, assisting them to access services to keep them in their homes and family environment
• Collaborate with a range of specialists, refer to and accept referrals from other health professionals

Provide other health services like:

• Family planning and women’s health services
• Well-Child care, including screening and immunisations
• Health maintenance care for adults, including annual physical checks
• Education and counselling about self-care
• Culturally appropriate and specific for Māori

Louise Haddock

Nurse Practitioner

Louise has been with Upper Hutt Health Centre since 2012. She has worked as a Registered Nurse and Nurse Prescriber, and has now completed her clinical master’s degree at Massey University and has qualified as a Nurse Practitioner.

We are very proud to have Louise as our first Nurse Practitioner at Upper Hutt Health Centre. Louise is already well known by many of you and is now taking on enrolments of Upper Hutt Health Centre patients. If you would like to move to Louise for your health care please talk to our friendly enrolment team for assistance to enrol with Louise.