Isabella has worked within the aged care sector for more than 20 years and is currently undertaking a Master of Health Practice (Nurse Practitioner pathway, with prescribing rights) at Auckland University of Technology, where she is being mentored by New Zealand’s first gerontology NP, Dr Michal Boyd. 

 

Having originally trained and practised as a registered nurse in Australia, she holds a Diploma of Applied Science (Nursing), a Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) and a Master of Public Health. She has previously worked in a number of senior management roles in rest home and hospital-level geriatric care facilities both in Australia and New Zealand. 

 

An experienced Aged Care Quality Assessor, Isabella has also been responsible for co-ordinating and conducting certification audits, as well as for training lead auditors, and has audited in excess of 400 aged care facilities in New Zealand. She joins the Foundation from St Andrew’s Village in Glendowie, Auckland, where she was Clinical Nurse Advisor.

 

Commenting on Isabella’s appointment, Hilda Johnson-Bogaerts, General Manager (Residential Services) at The Selwyn Foundation, said:

 

 

“The position of Clinical Nurse Specialist is a new role that we have created to provide clinical leadership and nurse consultancy to our managers and clinical coordinators of our residential care facilities, who are seeing increasingly higher acuity levels and managing complex clinical issues. Isabella will also lead the professional development programme for our nurses and will implement a range of quality improvement projects, focussed on improving the quality of life of our residents.”

 

Isabella said: “I'm very happy to be given the privilege of working for The Selwyn Foundation and to be part of such a dynamic team.”

 

Referring to her decision to embark on the Master of Health Practice course, for which she has received Clinical Training Agency funding from Auckland DHB and the Ministry of Health, she commented:

 

 

Isabella will be based at The Selwyn Foundation’s national office at Selwyn Village, Point Chevalier, Auckland.