Charlotte Lyden

After qualifying as a registered nurse in 2006, Charlotte completed a new graduate year at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. She worked in two busy areas – firstly, a surgical placement working with chronic liver failure patients, vascular and urology cases, as well as a medical placement in the respiratory ward and step-down ICU wing for BIPAP and CPAP reliant patients.

After this full year of advanced learning, Charlotte returned to New Zealand and worked as an agency nurse. Her roles spanned most areas, including work in oncology, orthopaedics, paediatrics, cardiac, renal, neurosurgical, general medical and surgical wards.

Following this, Charlotte carried on her travels and spent 18 months in the UK, working at the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother hospital in Margate, Kent. As a hospital serving a large population, this work gave her daily exposure to chronic illnesses and presentations that New Zealand doesn’t have. During her time here, she worked within the Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) – a medical emergency department.

Following this, Charlotte returned to New Zealand and began working at Waikato ICU in 2010. Since then, she has had a family – but keeps returning to the ICU as it continues to create challenges regularly.

In addition, Charlotte has also been a part of the Critical Care flight nursing team and worked as an acting associate charge nurse.

Charlotte completed her post graduate diploma in critical care nursing, and remains passionate about implementing best practice skills and maintaining a keen interest in worldwide up to date nursing practices that can be implemented at her current workplace.

Charlotte is looking forward to adding education to her belt of experience and sharing her knowledge to help others become more confident in their own nursing practice in an emergency setting.