ANZBA lost a great friend and contributor when Tina Ackland died peacefully on Saturday 21 April 2012 having lost her battle with acute myeloid leukaemia. Tina trained at Whanganui Hospital but spent her working life at Hutt Hospital – the majority in the Plastic Surgery operating theatres where she was the Charge nurse. It was a huge role as the Hutt Hospital is the regional burns and plastic surgery centre for the lower half of the North Island and the top half of the South Island.
Just before she became unwell she had celebrated 40 years at Hutt Hospital. Tina had a special focus on Burn care and perhaps did more than anyone else in Australasia to promote the role of the theatre nurse as a core member of the multidisciplinary burn team. She officially joined ANZBA in 1995 but had already been involved as part of the organising committee for the 1992 Wellington conference. She was elected as NZ National Representative on the Board in September 2008 and held that position until her death. She was a member of the EMSB faculty since 2008 – and was one of only two key co-ordinators in New Zealand for the EMSB course.
She was made an honorary life member of ANZBA at the 2011 AGM. She received the notification in hospital and was extremely proud of the recognition. Tina is survived by her husband of 43 years Bill, and children James and Jane to whom she devoted the other half of her life. Tina was a caring, compassionate, and committed nurse who was an expert in her field.
She will be sorely missed as a colleague, friend – and ANZBA stalwart.