Burgess, Marie

Marie Burgess

Miss Marie Burgess, daughter of Mr and Mrs R. A. Burgess, was born 14 October 1944 in Gisborne.  She attended school in Patutahi and Havelock North. She prepared as a nurse at Waikato Hospital 1963 to 1966. She then travelled overseas to gain experience as a nurse on Skerries Shetland, in Canada, United Kingdom and South Africa. She returned to New Zealand to work as a Public Health Nurse in Gisborne from 1970-1974, before undertaking midwifery training at St Helens Wellington 1973 to 1974. She worked as a senior tutor at Wellington Polytech from 1974 to 1983, also commencing post graduate education at Victoria University of Wellington during this time. In 1983 she was appointed as tutor at Waikato Technical Institute and in the Inservice Education Department at Cook Hospital, Gisborne. During this time see coordinated the NERF Oral History Project 1982-1984.

Miss Burgess has held a significant number of national professional positions: as a third year nurse at the Waikato Public Hospital she was elected president of the New Zealand Student Nurses' 1965-1966, was a member of the Professional Services Committee NZNA 1974 to 1976 and chair 1978-1980. She was appointed vice President 1977-1980 and national President 1980-1982.  She was an advisor on a number of national working parties, including being chair of Board of Trustees of NERF 1980-1983 and chair of the subcommittee of History of Nursing from 1983.  She has represented New Zealand in Australia meetings in Melbourne 1979, 1980, ICN 1981. She was a recipient of the Winston Churchill Fellowship in 1977.

Miss Burgess has published a number of articles, position papers and books. She contributed to articles in NZNJ Nursing Education Today; The nurse in the community history of community health nursing; The shape of the nursing world to come through the nursing process’ in Health Care for All, Challenge for Nursing 1983.

In June 2013 she received a Queen’s Service Medal [QSM] for her services to the nursing and the community.

In 2001 Miss Burgess was appointed as a Board member of Hauora Tairawhiti District Health Board and re-elected in 2004 and 2007. She has recently accepted the request to be the Patron for NERF.

Links and Publications

Burgess, M.E. (1984). Nursing in New Zealand Society. Longman Paul. ISBN 10:0582718031-ISBN 13:9780582718036

Burgess, M.E. (1993). A guide to the Law for Nurses and Midwives. Longman Paul. ISBN 0-582-86011-3. 4th Edition published 2008

Burgess, M.E. (2009). New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation.

Burgess, M.E. (2010). Nursing Remembered. 2010. Te Rau Design & Print, Gisborne., NZ. Cook Hospital Nurses Reunion Committee