About Us

From her humble beginnings as a volunteer, to completing a paramedicine degree at Whitireia and becoming a permanent staff member on Red Shift, Laura has not looked back once.

It was an opportunity Laura gave 100% right from the start.

Laura focused on progressing wherever she could; this eventually lead her to become an Extended Care Paramedic – upskilling so she could help treat and keep patients in their community without a trip to hospital.

Move forward to 2018, Laura stepped up again to become a relief Shift Manager. This meant she was now helping look after a group of 30 paramedics and the operational running of the ambulance service.

A year later Laura was given the opportunity to change what her job looked like. Leaving shift work for a Monday to Friday role, she was seconded as the Specialist Team Manager.

This complimented her lifestyle as she had just started training for her first IronMan New Zealand competition – taking place in Tāupo this weekend, March 7.

“As women, we have tendencies to convince ourselves we can’t do things. But you don’t grow if you don’t challenge yourself.”

“From when I started to now, things have definitely changed. I’ve never had anything bad said to me but I’ve definitely had people question or compare me because I’m young and a female.

“It’s unfortunate that people do have that stigma. I’ve just learnt to push comments back and usually if someone says I can’t do something, I go and prove that I can.”

Backing her staff is just as important as backing herself. Laura makes every effort to catch up with her team in person to make sure she is able to check in with them and see how they’re tracking.

When she’s not backing her staff, she’s advocating for her patients. Throughout her career, she’s constantly tried to refer patients out of the emergency department, involve family, and work hard to ensure the patient is fully involved in their own care. Doing what she can to provide equity of outcome at every opportunity.

Though she sometimes struggles to see herself as a role model, she explains that the positive feedback she received from her team means a lot.

“My biggest piece of advice is just try it. Take every opportunity you can. Most often you are capable and you can do it.”

We’re incredible grateful for Laura, one of many valued and dedicated women who work at Wellington Free. With 263 women in a variety of roles from volunteers to paramedics, right up to management, they make up 57% of the workforce.

International Women’s Day is Sunday 8 March.