David Barber

David began working in health as a donor technician for the New Zealand Blood service in 2001, and during that time trained and qualified as a Registered Nurse at WINTEC & Waikato hospital. (2005).

David began as a Graduate Nurse at The Royal Melbourne Hospital where he worked in General Surgery, General Medicine, and Emergency. During this time, David also worked part time at the Royal Children’s Hospital, in the Emergency Department. In 2008, while in Melbourne, he completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing, specialising in Emergency and Trauma.

Upon returning to New Zealand in 2009, David joined the Waikato ICU where he still works now. His roles spanned working with trauma patients, cardiothoracic/neurosurgical, medical, surgical, haemodialysis, advanced hemodynamic monitoring, paediatrics and as an ICU flight nurse.

Between 2011 and 2015, David completed a Diploma, and then a Master of Nursing Science from the Victoria University of Wellington. In addition, he completed a Diploma of Psychology from the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand during this time.

In 2013, David re-joined the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) as a Nursing Officer – his present role is that of an Army Major. Up until recently he was full time, but he remains a member of the Reserve Forces.

David's current role with the NZDF is that of a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Critical Care. Additional roles have included being a Flight Nursing Officer with the Royal New Zealand Airforce, where one of his core responsibilities was to train NZDF personnel in aeromedical evacuation (AE). Currently, he is posted to the NZDF deployable surgical services.

This year, David joined and work part time as a clinical advisor for ACC. he also works as a casual Flight Nurse for the Waikato Air Ambulance.

Operational deployments that David has been a part of include:

Fiji, 2016, (Humanitarian aid & Disaster Relief); Iraq, 2017, (Operations), Vanuatu, 2018 (Health Support), New Zealand Economic Zone (Navy, Fisheries Patrol), Samoa, 2019, (ICU Relief Team, Measles Crisis), Manager Isolation Facility 2020-21 (New Zealand, COVID-19), Clinical Lead OP Vaccinate (COVID-19), Antarctica, 2021, (Aeromedical Evacuation), Afghanistan Evacuation 2021.