Researcher Summary
My main Research interests are integrative health care, especially aromatic medicine and massage therapy. This evolved from earlier interest in pain management and intensive care psychosis. I have recently explored the chemical diversity of kanuka and manuka essential oils and raising the benefits of understanding this within a clinical/therapeutic context. This recent work has followed on from doctoral studies where I conducted the first clinical trial evaluating the use of manuka and kanuka oil to reduce the side effects from radiation treatment for cancer of the head and neck area.
The second main area I am interested in how military medicine is taught and knowledge retained and applied to different contexts to optimise learning. I am currently exploring the way airway management is taught for use within a tactical setting by non medically trained personnel.
most recently conducted a qualitative study on how reflective practice was used as an assessment tool by NZDF medics.
I am also interested in nursing history having attended two international study tours following the steps of the ANZAC nurses in WWI. This has highlighted there is still so much information about the role nurses have played alongside key events of national significance. I am also interested in recording the history of hospital based nursing nursing. I was one of last groups of nurses trained in the 'old' apprentice model of hospital based nursing at Palmerston North Hospital and am currently researching in more depth the history of this school of nursing, with the intent to publish a book.
