Experienced remote area nurse John Wright has been appointed as the new Board Chair of CRANAplus.
Mr Wright has served as a Board Member since 2005 and as Deputy Chair alongside outgoing Chair Fiona Wake since 2019. He has been nursing in remote Australia for over 20 years and currently works at Tennant Creek Hospital as Nurse Education and Research Coordinator.
Fiona Wake will continue as a Board Member and Emma Barritt has taken on the role of Deputy Chair.
CRANAplus Chief Executive Officer Linda Kensington said that Mr Wright has shown incredible commitment to remote health and brings a wealth of governance experience to this role.
“John has been on the Board for nearly two decades of growth and transformation,” Ms Kensington said.
“During his tenure, we have diversified our Membership and grown our capacity to deliver education and mental health services to meet the needs of the remote health workforce.
“We are thrilled to retain Fiona as a Board Member and as we reflect on her contributions as Chair, the Board and I can think of no one better suited than John and Emma to step into their respective roles.
“They embody CRANAplus’ values, know the organisation in and out, and are great representatives of the organisation’s Members, because of their commitment to continuous professional development, supporting the emerging workforce, and giving back to the profession.”
At home in remote Australia, John began his working life as a farmer, shearer, fencing contractor, and grain handler before commencing a career in nursing. Since graduating in the 1990s, he has attained a Graduate Certificate in Emergency Nursing, a Masters Degree in Remote Health Practice (Nurse Practitioner), a Masters Degree in Remote Health Management, and a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Education. He said he feels privileged to take on this new leadership role.
“I’m honoured to be recognised by my colleagues and to be given an opportunity to lead the Board,” Mr Wright said.
“During the last 20 years, I’ve aimed to develop my governance and leadership skills, but what I feel has really prepared me for this role is my time nursing in the bush. The challenges I face alongside my peers in the remote health sector have always motivated me and now they’ll steer me in my role as Board Chair.
“CRANAplus has established itself as a remote health authority and a valued service provider that promotes the delivery of safe, high-quality healthcare in remote and isolated Australia. The organisation has worked hard to achieve what is has to date, and what an opportunity we have now to build on its successes and its capability to improve remote health.”
In John’s spare time, he is the main carer for his wife Anita who lives with a disability, volunteers as a facilitator for the CRANAplus Remote Emergency Care, Paediatric Emergency Care and Advanced Life Support courses, and holds the position of Unit Officer with the Tennant Creek Volunteer Unit, Northern Territory Emergency Services. He is also the Vice Chair of the Central Australian Rural Practitioners Association.
More about CRANAplus
CRANAplus (Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia +) is the peak professional body for the remote and isolated health workforce. Our not-for-profit, membership-based organisation provides education, mental health support, career support, and professional services to nurses, midwives, and other health professionals to ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality primary healthcare to remote and isolated areas of Australia.
Media contact
Sam Richards
Communications & Membership Manager
(07) 4047 6446
communications@crana.org.au
