Sally Fitzgerald

Sally Fitzgerald has worked in the acute hospital setting for over twenty years. Her career in pain management began in 2012 where she joined the Acute Pain Management Service at Christchurch Hospital. Sally became a Clinical Nurse Specialist in 2015 after finishing her Masters in Health Science, and completed her Nurse Practitioner training in December 2024. Sally believes in a holistic approach to people experiencing complex pain, with consideration of comorbidities, psychological/social influences, and spiritual distress. Particular areas of interest include improving pain management within vulnerable/disadvantaged populations, and reducing opioid-related harm both within the community and hospital setting. In 2021 Sally co-founded the Transitional Pain Service with Dr Julia Singhal, providing ongoing pain management in the community for identified at-risk patients, with an aim to improve functional outcomes and prevent persistent opioid use post-discharge. Providing pain management education to other health care providers is also a key role of this service. As well as being a long-time member of the NZPS, Sally has been active in the Nursing Special Interest Group [NSIG], as the secretary 2016-2022, and co-chair in 2022-2023. She stepped down in March 2024 to concentrate on her studies, but is keen to re-engage with the NZPS and NSIG in 2025.