Dr Nola Ng
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Specialist Anaesthetist, Te Toka Tumai Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, NZ
Dr Nola Ng is a Specialist Anaesthetist at Te Toka Tumai Auckland City Hospital specializing in ORL and vascular anaesthesia. Nola returned to Auckland 12 years ago following overseas fellowship training at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London. Her subsequent eight-year tenure as an ANZCA Supervisor of Training sparked a deep interest in workforce optimization and system change to improve clinician wellbeing. To further support her work in shaping healthier workplace structures, she has completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Education and a Graduate Diploma in Science, specializing in Psychology.
Nola has currently been seconded to the Wellbeing Lead for the Resident Doctors Support Service of Health New Zealand and works closely with Chief Wellbeing Officer Dr Jo Sinclair to advocate for and support resident doctors across Health NZ. In this role, Nola connects local kaimahi health and wellbeing services with clinicians responsible for RMOs, acting as a vital link for the RMO health and safety forum to ensure national policies are relevant, practical, and fit for purpose. Beyond her professional commitments, Nola considers her three young children to be her most important achievement to date - as they regularly and rigorously test her personal coping strategies. |
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Thriving at Work: Evidence-Based Insights from Organisational Psychology for Career Fulfilment
Burnout in healthcare is due to systemic failure rather than an individual shortcoming, driven by chronic mismatches between high job demands and insufficient support. Moving away from a reactive "hero culture," sustainable workforce wellbeing requires a paradigm shift toward organizational responsibility and intentional job design.
Drawing on Super's Life Span Theory, Tait Shanafelt's burnout framework, and the New Economics Foundation's 5 Ways to Wellbeing, this presentation examines how psychological needs evolve across key career stages:
Ultimately, optimizing human capital requires transitioning from teaching endurance to building healthy systems. By adopting a "People First" framework, healthcare organizations can cultivate a resilient, fulfilled, and sustainable workforce at every stage of professional life.
Drawing on Super's Life Span Theory, Tait Shanafelt's burnout framework, and the New Economics Foundation's 5 Ways to Wellbeing, this presentation examines how psychological needs evolve across key career stages:
- Early Career (Establishment): Focuses on fostering competence, belonging, and psychological safety through structured mentorship and constructive feedback.
- Mid-Career (Maintenance): Addresses the "arrival fallacy" and peak burnout zone by prioritizing autonomy, flexible working, administrative burden reduction, and professional coaching.
- Late Career (Generativity): Prevents "cliff-edge" disengagement by supporting legacy creation, mentorship roles, and phased retirement options.
Ultimately, optimizing human capital requires transitioning from teaching endurance to building healthy systems. By adopting a "People First" framework, healthcare organizations can cultivate a resilient, fulfilled, and sustainable workforce at every stage of professional life.
