Meg Smith

Clinical Nurse Director, Counties Manukau Health
Doctor of Health Science

Dr Meg Smith had been working in nursing for more than 30 years when she decided to undertake the Doctor of Health Science, prompted by a period of reflection during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“I was trying to work out what I actually wanted to do with my career – something that would give me a sense of purpose and meaning. During that lockdown period, I had the space to think about that. My daughter has cerebral palsy, and somehow I ended up in a Zoom meeting with a mother that I met through the Cerebral Palsy Society. I’d never really been connected with other parents before. Suddenly my small world of CP became much bigger, and I realised there were a lot of challenges families living with CP were facing across New Zealand.”

That combination of personal experience and reflection led her to think about how she could contribute, and whether further study could be part of that.

“I started to look at how I could add value and also do something that fulfilled me personally. Research is something I enjoy, and after looking at different options, the Doctor of Health Science at AUT felt like the right fit. It allowed me to keep working and be a parent, and the structure helped ease me back into study in a way that was realistic.”

Giving voice to caregivers
Meg’s doctoral research explored the experiences of caregivers raising school-aged children with cerebral palsy in Aotearoa New Zealand, drawing directly on in-depth interviews.

“When I put the call out for participants, I ended up speaking only with mothers. Some of those interviews went for over two hours because once they started talking, they had so much to share. I felt a deep responsibility to do their stories justice, because there was so much richness in what people were telling me.”

Alongside capturing these lived experiences, she also examined the broader context of disability support services, connecting individual stories with system-level challenges.

“It was incredibly fulfilling. The research hadn’t been done before in New Zealand, and that sense of contributing something meaningful – highlighting the experiences of families – was really important to me. It also refined my interviewing and listening skills, which has carried over into my work.”

Opening doors through leadership
Undertaking the Doctor of Health Science had a clear impact on Meg’s career, opening up new opportunities while she was still studying and supporting her progression into a nurse director role.

“It actually opened doors for me while I was enrolled. I moved into a much better job with a stronger career pathway, and a lot of that was because of doing the doctorate. I think people saw my commitment to developing myself and wanting to make a difference, and it gave me more confidence as well.”

She also sees a direct impact in how she now works and leads, as well as in how her research continues beyond her role through writing and advocacy.

“My writing is much stronger, and I do a lot of reviewing of business cases and reports. I think more critically and I support a large workforce of nurses with their academic pathways and research. I've presented my findings at the Child Health Symposium at AUT and at the Paediatric Society Conference, and I’ve received a full scholarship to attend the Australasian CP Conference in Hobart. I’m working on publishing more, and I’d like to use my research findings for advocacy and change– creating a voice for parents. That sense of contribution is what matters most to me.”