The purpose of the Education Advisory Group (EAG) is to provide expert advice on wound-related education and facilitate projects in relation to the education for members of the NZWCS and their stakeholders.
Education Advisory Group (EAG) Terms of Reference
Purpose
The purpose of the Education Advisory Group (EAG) is to provide expert advice on wound-related education and facilitate projects in relation to the education for members of the NZWCS and their stakeholders including oversight of scholarships/awards provided by the Society.
Accountability / Reports To
The EAG is accountable to the NZWCS National Committee while maintaining professional links with national and international organisations. An annual report shall be presented to the AGM.
EAG Membership
The Education Advisory group is made up of current financial members of the NZWCS, with expertise and a special interest in education. A minimum of four and a maximum of six NZWCS members is required. Membership is decided from a formal process by way of EAG communicating in writing to the NZWCS Committee for expressions of interest. The EAG will review submissions and collectively decide membership by majority vote. The EAG can co-opt others with specialist knowledge, external to the NZWCS membership, as required for projects.
When available the NZWCS Administrator will provide a secretary role. Otherwise, members will share the secretary role.
Members will provide continuous membership for no longer than 3 years after which time the member will need to stand down from the group for at least a 6-month sabbatical before being nominated or submitting an EOI to re-join the group, however, if the integrity of the group cannot be maintained in their absence, they can remain on the group until such time as a coherent group is formed. (This will be monitored by the NZWCS Administrator).
Agenda
An agenda and supplementary materials (e.g. minutes of the previous meeting) are prepared by the secretary and/or members and will be e-mailed to members within a sufficient time frame before each meeting.
Quorum
Two less than the membership will be (excluding the secretary) required to conduct the business of the meeting.
Chairperson Role:
Meetings
Meeting frequency shall be determined by the requirements of the EAG, usually monthly via Zoom. An annual face-to-face meeting as approved by the NZWCS Committee. Travel expenses to the annual meeting are covered by the Society.
Education Advisory Group (EAG) Expression of Interest
We are excited to be advertising for a new member to join our group. Do you have a passion for providing current expert advice on wound-related education and participating in education-related projects for the NZWCS members and stakeholders? Would you like to be involved in a supportive working group, learn, and contribute to wound education for its members?
Role Description and Commitment
• Attend EAG EVENING ZOOM meetings (approximately 9 per year of 1-hour duration).
• Identify current issues and initiatives in wound care management and education.
• Work collaboratively to provide recommendations to the National Committee.
• 2025 Education Project - developing and reviewing modules of an existing online wound education website.
Attributes
• Be a current full independent member or a corporate member of the NZWCS (not a commercial member).
• Be a Registered Nurse or Podiatrist, or practice in another Allied Health or Health Care role working in the areas of Aged Care, Rehabilitation, Hospital or Community practice (all submissions will be considered).
• Hold an interest in or have experience in wound care educational programmes or educational communication media.
• Utilise your experience and knowledge to actively contribute to team discussions and projects.
Application
Please include the following information in your EOI:
- Name
- Preferred Address
- Phone Number: Mobile
- Professional Qualifications
- Place of Employment
- Position
- List any potential or competing conflicts of interest to this role. If any, please explain how you will manage these.
- Tell us why you would like to apply for this role (max 250 words)
- Attach a brief resume.
Email to the
There are six members of the EAG (with one on sabbatical)
Name: Maria ten Hove
Job title: Plastics Surgical Unit Nurse Educator/Wound Nurse Consultant
Professional Qualifications: RN, BN, PGCert Wound Care, PGCert Tertiary teaching, MSc Skin Integrity and Skills management.
Bio: I am currently employed as Nurse Educator in the Plastics Surgical Unit/ Plastics Outpatient Dept. with CDHB which is also a Regional Burns Unit. With over 40 years of experience, I have occupied senior positions both in New Zealand and in the Middle East. My current role is to facilitate teaching and provide In-service and clinical coaching. I support staff in Wound Assessment and management across a wide spectrum of wounds, trauma and burns.
I have sat on various wound care committees and boards, one of which is the Education Advisory Group.
Name: Sasha Drennan
Professional Qualifications: Postgraduate diploma nursing science. Masters in Health Science
Employer: Charge Nurse Manager district nursing
Sasha has 20 + years of clinical experience in both the UK and NZ in several areas of nursing, including perioperative care, plastics, general, breast and ENT surgery, district nursing and clinical education.
She has a Master’s in Digital Health and has a passion for nursing development that encourages best patient care and is vocal in her belief of how digital education and innovation can create care equity.
Having gained post-graduate qualifications in nurse education, perioperative care and palliation in the UK and emigrating to NZ in 2010, she has continued her post-graduate journey to ensure evidence-based care.
Name: Katie Cunard
Job Title: Registered Nurse
Professional Qualifications: RN, BN
Bio: I have 10+ years clinical experience as a nurse, I have worked in several areas including plastics and ENT surgery, District Nursing, community care and education.
I am currently employed by a medical device company as a clinical educator and training lead. In my day-to-day role I provide education to aged residential care facilities across New Zealand about pressure injuries and how our equipment can help with prevention and treatment of pressure injuries. My wound care experience and passion begun in plastic surgery and community nursing.
Currently on Sabbatical
Name: Dr Althea Page-Carruth
Job title: Podiatrist
Professional qualifications: PhD, MBA, BSc (Hons), DPod M
Bio: I am currently working in Central Otago and have a podiatry practice in Cromwell and Alexandra.
I have a background in education and ran the podiatry course in Wellington many years ago when I first arrived from London, where I was teaching. My time in Wellington was focused on developing the podiatry degree course and the end on degree course for those podiatrists who had previously gained a diploma in Podiatry and needed to upgrade.
My specialised interests were in diabetic foot care and therefore pressure injuries – their treatment and prevention. I also ran the biomechanics and orthotics lab at the University of Westminster where my interests lay in the treatment and prevention of foot pathologies in those with neurological conditions, autoimmune disorders and also children.
My area of research more recently was in Diabetes and the experiences of people with diabetes, particularly in rural areas. This combined a passion of mine which is the delivery of equitable health care across all environments and the reduction of barriers to that care either from institutional biases or from personal barriers to care.
I have been a member of the New Zealand Wound Care Society (NZWCS) since 2019. I am currently a member of the Education Advisory Group, the Pressure Injury Advisory Group and the Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance. I shall be representing the NZWCS on the Guideline Development Group for the 4th Edition of the International Guidelines following the footsteps of Pam Mitchel.
Name: Dr Lea Whittington
Job title: Clinical Lead High Risk Foot Service for the Midcentral Region
Professional Qualifications: PhD MSc BSc DPodM PGCE-PCET
Bio: Lea is a highly qualified and experienced educator and clinician with a career spanning over 25 years, in a number of countries, comprising clinical, academic, research and leadership roles. She has maintained a passion and commitment to managing the high risk foot throughout her career completing a Doctorate (PhD) at Canterbury University UK - complex wound healing, and a period at the McIndoe unit-regional treatment centre for burns in the UK - if you want complex this is a good place to start. Before this spent a period of residency as a surgical registrar in a Podiatric surgery unit She is a qualified podiatry prescriber POMs UK & experienced in joint and soft tissue injection therapy UK.
Currently, she is the Clinical Lead for the High Risk Foot Service for the Midcentral Region, combining this with sessional lecturing and independent consultancy. She has contributed to the International Pressure Injury Guidelines 2019, (Infection and Biofilms as she also has a Masters majoring in Microbiology/Parasitology) and is currently working on the 2025 guideline (heel pressure injuries). She served as Chair of Podiatry Medical Practitioners CPD Network 2018-2023 and is a member of the Advanced Practicing Podiatrist Group in Australia and the Educational Advisory Group -NZWCS.
