Staff profiles
Emma Jordan
Deteriorating Patient and Resuscitation Nurse Educator
As a student Emma Jordan was mentored by a strong advocate for the potential of nursing within healthcare. The nurse professor urged Emma to always seek answers, be proactive with her own learning and knowledge, and always stand up and be the voice for our community’s most vulnerable.
Since then Emma has been lucky enough to have had role models here at Taranaki DHB who encouraged her to be brave, pursue evidence based practice and uphold best practice at all times.
“For me nursing isn’t really a job, it becomes who you are as well. I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Emma says.
Emma is now in her sixth year of nursing, having moved to Taranaki for her new graduate year from Massey University. She has since gone on to gain a post graduate diploma in Health Science, and a Masters in Advanced Nursing, with first class honours, through the University of Auckland.
“Although the graduation was cancelled due to COVID-19, undertaking my masters was one of the most challenging and rewarding times of my life and I’m so pleased it’s done!”
Emma had always wanted to be a nurse. She worked as a volunteer at the Hospice and a rest home through school and university and those experiences cemented the direction she wanted to take.
Today Emma works all over Taranaki Base Hospital supporting nurses and doctors with deteriorating patients and resuscitation situations. She also oversees teaching of resuscitation and deteriorating patient education and quality improvement in these areas.
“For me it’s all about caring for those at their most vulnerable, making sure they’re heard, and taking time to listen to peoples’ stories. I’ve loved nursing more and more every day that I do it and I’m consistently inspired by being able to make a positive difference to the system that cares for our community.”
A highlight of Emma’s career is a recent one, working with the team to establish smooth running of the COVID-19 testing centres.
“It was an incredibly rewarding experience to work with a team of nurses who were building the boat while sailing it (sometimes into sideways Taranaki rain), all for the safety of our community. Plus I think my mum was pretty chuffed to see me described in the newspaper as a ‘magical fixing fairy’.”
Emma says there are so many amazing parts to being a nurse. “But I’m especially proud to work within the teams that I do with the resuscitation and nurse educator aspects of my role. The best part is how nurses, doctors, and allied all work together toward a common goal.”