Community nurses — Waikato
District nursing
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waikato district nurses provide a wide range of services in their local communities, often visiting people in their home. We work closely with allied health staff such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
Services we provide
District nurses provide expert assessment, management, support and education for:
- wound care
- IV (intravenous) management
- palliative (end of life) care
- ostomy care
- continence assessment and catheter management
- assessment for acute personal care and home help assessment (non-ACC)
- support with home oxygen
- health education
- liaison with other health professionals.
District nurse teams work across 16 bases in Waikato, including:
- Hamilton and surrounding small urban towns and rural areas
- Hauraki/Thames/Coromandel — based at Thames Hospital with smaller bases distributed around that area
- three southern rural teams at Te Kuiti Hospital, Taumaranui Hospital and Tokoroa Hospital.
Referral information
A referral for this service must come from a healthcare provider.
Public health nursing
Public health nurses are registered nurses who work with their local communities in Waikato to promote health, prevent disease and maintain wellness. They work in partnership to assist and support families and whānau towards self-reliance in health.
Contact us
To contact public health nurses in Waikato:
- phone: 07 838 3565
Hours: 8am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
Services we provide
Public health nurses provide the following services in Waikato:
- school-based immunisations
- Well Child | Tamariki Ora in Kawhia, Tahāroa, Meremere
- self-referral clinics in some schools
- Healthy Homes | Whare Ora assessments
- education and information (for staff and students) in preschools and schools
- assessment and referral to other services, health or social
- B4 School checks
- continence assessment — bed wetting, soiling
- communicable disease — contact tracing, screening and follow-up of cases
- health promotion and awareness
- individual health referral
- referrals for 'Did Not Attend' appointment follow up...
Public health nurses work with:
- schools and preschools
- whānau and communities
- agencies, community organisations and government departments.
Most schools have an allocated public health nurse who makes regular visits to the school — providing support, advice and referrals on health matters.
Referral information
Referrals for public health nurses can be made by healthcare providers such as hospital staff, health professionals and social agencies, as well as school staff and self-referral.
Community specialist nurses
Community specialist nurses provide expert advice and support to other health professionals to manage complex cases in the community and to improve processes and practices.
These nurses provides services for:
- continence
- wound care
- older adults in the community
- heart failure.