Rosemary Diehl

Alumna Rosemary Diehl is a Registered Nurse providing mental health nursing care in Central Otago.

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing, 2005

Master of Arts (Applied), M, 2010

Registered Nurse, Central Otago community mental health service

Rosemary Diehl fell into a career in nursing, initially thinking it would fill the time until she was old enough to qualify for what she really wanted to do—become a policewoman.

“I left school after sixth form and I wasn’t sure what to do. I heard a radio ad for psychiatric nursing and I thought it would be a great three-year certification to help me qualify for police work. What’s funny is I never left the sector after that!” she says.

Rosemary’s career as a nurse began in an institution called Cherry Farm, just north of Dunedin. She worked there for 20 years as a registered nurse and a charge nurse. Following this, she worked at a rest home, and then finally started a role with the community mental health team based in Clyde, where she still is today.

Rosemary has completed two qualifications with Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington during her time as a nurse and says that her education has given her the confidence to believe in herself.

“I never thought I was a deep thinker; I felt like I often went with what the majority were saying or doing. The classes really challenged and motivated me, and my confidence just grew. I also really enjoyed the camaraderie with my classmates,” she says.

For Rosemary, the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife is about raising awareness of working conditions for nurses and helping people to understand what mental health nursing involves.

“Where I work in Clyde, the nearest hospital is 200kms away from our base so we frequently travel through the night with people, in areas with poor phone reception and difficult roads. There are towns in Central Otago where people have to travel for over an hour to see us” she says.

“Despite this, our team is really passionate about the work we do. Mental health nursing has taught me a lot about world and myself, and it has made me a better person.”