Pressure Injury Advisory Group (PIAG) Terms of Reference

Purpose

The PIAG's purpose is to provide national leadership specific to New Zealand settings incorporating Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is consistent with International Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Injury Guidelines.

Accountability / Reports To

The PIAG is accountable to the NZWCS National Committee while maintaining professional links with national and international organisations.

PIAG Membership

NZWCS Administrator will provide a secretarial role.
The PIAG consists of NZWCS members with expertise and/or special interest in the prevention and treatment of pressure injuries.
A maximum of Eight (8) NZWCS members are required and if possible access to a Consumer Representative.
The Guideline Governance Group (GGG) representative must be a member of the PIAG group.
Expressions of Interest to be received and reviewed by PIAG – approval by National Committee.
The PIAG can co-opt NZWCS members and external stakeholders if other specialist knowledge is required.
Quorum

Minimum of six members (excluding Administrator/Educator) to conduct the business of the meeting.

Agenda

An agenda will be prepared by the Chairperson and sent to the secretary to be circulated to the group via email, along with any supplementary materials (e.g. minutes of the previous meeting) within a sufficient time frame before each meeting

Chairperson Role:

The Chairperson will ensure time-frames are managed and relevant information is forwarded to group members. The Chairperson or group representative will present a report at the bi-monthly national NZWCS Committee meetings. A formal report for the NZWCS Annual Report will be completed annually. This position will operate on a six-month rotation with every member of the PIAG contributing, with the exception of the GGG representative. The list of chairperson rotations will form part of the Action Points of the PIAG minutes.

Meetings

Use of Zoom and annual face-to-face meetings as approved by the NZWCS Committee.
Meeting frequency will be the 3rd Wednesday of each month or as determined by the requirements of the PIAG.
Associated Documents: NZWCS Strategic Plan

Published Date: Agreed 11th November 2022

Approved by: PIAG unanimously.

Chair Rotations:

2024 1. Emil Schmidt

2024 2. Wendy/Sharryn

Updated 11 November 2022

Pressure Injury Advisory Group

The New Zealand Pressure Injury Advisory Group (NZPIAG) was established in 2006 under the auspices of the NZWCS, as an advisory group to provide expert advice on pressure injuries and undertake projects in relation to the prevention and management of pressure injuries. Collaboration with the Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance (PPPIA) resulted in the publication of the Pan-Pacific Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Pressure Injury in August 2011. The PPPIA was then invited in 2012 to review the North American (NPUAP) and European (EPUAP) pressure ulcer guidelines. This work cumulated in 2014 with the publication of the International Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers. It was agreed that the term pressure ulcer stands for pressure injury.

Nationally, the group has engaged with the Accident Compensation Corporation, ACC, Health Quality and Safety Commission, HQSC and the Ministry of Health, MoH around the Global STOP Pressure Injury Day every year since 2013. This collaboration has enhanced awareness, investment and national programmes across the care continuum, culminating in the launch of the ‘Guiding Principles for Pressure Injury Prevention and Management in New Zealand’.

PIAG Strategic Plan

Objectives

• To promote an interdisciplinary approach to the prevention and treatment of pressure injuries and provide a consultative role on the current evidence for best practice in New Zealand.
• To align the implementation of guidelines with health and disability service structures.
• To provide evidence-based guidelines that reflect a fiscally responsible delivery of services for pressure injuries.
• To provide a working relationship with New Zealand Aotearoa health and disability services that observes the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi of protection, partnership and participation within a multicultural society.
• To work in collaboration with our national and international partners.

Goals

• Implementation of nationally approved guidelines and best practice in collaboration with stakeholders, professional bodies and educational institutions
• Support research for collaborative research activities
• Promote consumer and family/whānau knowledge and self-management to enhance quality of life
• Promote the knowledge and expertise of health professionals on the topic of pressure injuries
• To represent the views of NZWCS on matters of pressure injury policy

PIAG Members

Name: Shannan Miller

Job title: Wound Nurse

Employer: Te Whatu Ora - Southern

Professional qualifications:   BN, PG Dip

Bio:  Shannan joined the PIAG in 2024 and is also the NZWCS Area Coordinator for Southland. Shannan has experience in collaborating across Aged Residential Care facilities, community, and hospital settings to promote pressure injury prevention and management while using evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes. Shannan is continuing her studies, currently working toward her Masters in Nursing Science. 

Name: Emil Schmidt

Job title: Wound Care Specialist

Employer: Southern DHB

Professional qualifications: WCNS, MNZCA, BN Hon, PG cert. wound care

Bio:  Emil Schmidt has been working as the Wound Care Specialist for the Southern DHB for the last ten years. He is running nurse-led clinics in the city and rural hospitals throughout the Otago region. He loves teaching either at the bedside, in clinics or in more formal settings. He was the lead investigator for several national and international research projects in wound care. He has published several articles in nursing and medical journals and has presented at national and international conferences. Emil is a longstanding committee member of the NZWCS where he held the Treasurer portfolio from 2008 – 2013 and was elected as president of the Society in 2013.

Name:  Sharryn Cook

Job title: Clinical Nurse Specialist for Wound and Stomal therapy

Employer: Te Whara Ora Nelson Marlborough

Professional qualifications: RN. PGCert. in Health Science. PGDip in Health Science, Masters in Health Science

Bio:  I am the Area Coordinator and National Committee member for the Nelson Marlborough region and have been a member of the Pressure Injury Advisory Group since August 2018. I'm passionate about education to prevent and manage pressure injuries. I feel privileged to be part of the PIAG team with the experience and knowledge that is shared as part of the New Zealand wound care society.

Name:  Jan Johnstone

Job title:  Community District Nurse 

Employer:  Southern DHB

Professional qualifications: RN Grad cert Wound Management

Bio: I am an active member of the New Zealand Wound Care Society, I am on the NZWCS National Committee, joined the Pressure Injury Advisory Group in 2019 and was the Area Coordinator for the Otago region (2017-2022).
Pressure injuries are of strong interest to me, especially in the community setting, and in imparting knowledge to colleagues and clinicians in patient care. Implementing appropriate evidence-based interventions is essential to reduce the incidence of pressure injuries to improve patient and whanau outcomes. I have 30 years of community experience,

Name:  Paula McKinnel

Job title: Nurse Practitioner Tissue Viability

Employer: Health NZ Capital Coast Hutt Valley

Professional qualifications: Diploma in Nursing,  BSc Hons Tissue Viability,  Masters in Nursing

Bio:  Paula started as a Nurse Practitioner Tissue Viability in January 2025 at Health NZ Capital Coast Hutt Valley. She has worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist Wound Care for nearly 20 years in London and here in NZ. In her new role as NP, she will provide care for people in hospital and clinic settings with complex wounds or skin integrity issues. Paula is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through evidence-based practice, patient centred care and implementing practice changes involving multi-disciplinary teams and relevant non-clinical services. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge with healthcare professionals on best practices in tissue viability, delivering in-house education, at the bedside and symposium/conferences. She is committed to promoting high standards of wound care and skin integrity prevention across healthcare settings, ensuring patients receive optimal treatment to enhance healing and quality of life.

Name: Dr Althea Page-Carruth

Job title: Podiatrist

Professional qualifications: PhD, MBA, BSc (Hons), DPod M

Bio: I am currently working in Central Otago and have a podiatry practice in Cromwell and Alexandra.

I have a background in education and ran the podiatry course in Wellington many years ago when I first arrived from London, where I was teaching. My time in Wellington was focused on developing the podiatry degree course and the end of degree course for those podiatrists who had previously gained a diploma in Podiatry and needed to upgrade.

My specialised interests were in diabetic foot care and therefore pressure injuries – their treatment and prevention. I also ran the biomechanics and orthotics lab at the University of Westminster where my interests lay in the treatment and prevention of foot pathologies in those with neurological conditions, autoimmune disorders and also children.

My area of research more recently was in Diabetes and the experiences of people with diabetes, particularly in rural areas. This combined a passion of mine which is the delivery of equitable health care across all environments and the reduction of barriers to that care either from institutional biases or from personal barriers to care.

I have been a member of the New Zealand Wound Care Society (NZWCS) since 2019. I am currently a member of the Education Advisory Group, the Pressure Injury Advisory Group and the Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance. I shall be representing the NZWCS on the Guideline Development Group for the 4th Edition of the International Guidelines following the footsteps of Pam Mitchel.

Name: Anj Dickson

Job Title: Wound care Clinical Nurse Specialist for Pressure injury prevention and management

Employer: Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand – Counties Manukau

Professional qualifications: BN; PGCert, PG Dip, Masters in Nursing

Contact details: Counties Manukau, | Private Bag 93311, Auckland 1640

Bio: Anj has been working at Counties for 17 years and has been part of the wound care team for seven, specialising in pressure injury prevention and management. This role sees her providing wound care support and recommendations within the inpatient setting, as well as providing virtual support to patients in ARRC facilities with pressure injuries. She completed her Master’s on the impact of skin tone on the development of pressure injuries and is focused on reducing the inequities that exist within this pressure injury space in New Zealand. Anj is passionate about sharing her knowledge and contributes to webinars, education sessions New Zealand wide and she is also part of the International Learning Collaborative focused on improving the fundamentals of care within nursing. 
Anj has been a member of the PIAG since 2019. Bio updated Jan 2025