The long-time teletriage nurse and clinical coach started working at Healthline’s Manukau call centre in 2005.
Meek worked across a range of roles in that time, including preceptor, resource nurse and clinical support lead.
‘Books were shared among staff and callers were put on hold as you sprinted across the office to grab one.’
Healthline shared offices with PlunketLine nurses and she recalls the “tugs of war” they used to have over reference books as they tried to diagnose callers.
“At the start of each shift there was a rush to grab a desk with a bookcase containing the most reference books – especially MIMS [medicine reference book] formulary and the book of common rashes,” she recalled.
“Books were shared among staff and callers were put on hold as you sprinted across the office to grab one – there were many tugs of war over those books!”
In her role, over the years Meek experienced numerous health and community crises. The pertussis epidemic hit as soon as she started, and she also worked through swine flu, Zika virus, a measles epidemic, avian influenza — as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Ears take on the role of all these senses, and of course you use critical thinking skills . . . not forgetting plain old common sense’.
She has also supported many callers during significant events like the Christchurch earthquake in 2011, the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, the 2019 Whakaari White Island eruption and Christchurch mosque attacks, as well as Cyclone Gabrielle last year.
Then, in 2022 the first cases of Mpox began emerging.
“Touch wood, that’ll be the last for a while!”
Meek, who continued telenursing from home after moving from Pukekohe back to Hawke’s Bay in 2008, said it was very different to face-to-face nursing “where you can see, touch and smell”.
“Ears take on the role of all these senses, and of course you use critical thinking skills, hand-in-hand with our software, in decision making — not forgetting plain old common sense,” she said. “It’s also good to not be standing on concrete floors getting varicose veins!”
Making a positive difference to people’s lives
One of Meek’s most memorable moments was when a caller inquired about the side effects of nicotine patches. “I ended up calling an ambulance for him as it turned out he had chest pain. He later contacted Healthline to say thank you as he had three stents put in that same day,” she recalled.
She said it felt great when you were able to support a caller in distress, “whether it be a mum with a baby that won’t stop crying in the middle of the night, or an anxious teenager who feels they have no one to turn to, through to the elderly person who is in pain”.
Meek says she will miss knowing she has made a positive difference in people’s lives at times of pain and distress – and being the voice they need to hear.
Thanks also to her role training many incoming staff over the years, she has met many kaimahi in person — something rare in a work-from-home telehealth nurse.
She has formed lasting friendships through the organisation and says she stayed so long as there were always new challenges.
However, she now has big plans for travel and painting, and wants to leave while she’s still fit and healthy.
- Healthline has been run by Whakarongorau Aotearoa since 2015.
— Robyn Bern is Whakarongorau Aotearoa’s director of external communications