Rate My Professor Rachel Sanders

Rachel Sanders serves as a Clinical Research Nurse in the Department of Medicine at the University of Otago, Christchurch campus, contributing to the research staff in the Christchurch Heart Institute. The institute focuses on investigating neurohumoral aspects of common cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, through participation in multi-centre clinical trials of experimental treatments.

Her academic background includes an internship in diagnostic laboratories at Christchurch Public Hospital after high school, which sparked her interest in the patient side of healthcare. Sanders completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Anatomy at the University of Otago's Dunedin campus, followed by an Honours year with a research focus. Seeking a more patient-oriented career, she joined the first intake of the Master of Nursing Science programme at the Christchurch campus. This two-year programme involved coursework, weekly simulation labs covering skills such as administering injections, wound care, and therapeutic conversations, clinical placements in aged care, primary and community health care, mental health, and acute care, as well as a research project. She balanced her studies with part-time work at Canterbury Health Laboratories and graduated at the end of 2017. Following graduation, she worked as a Registered Nurse in acute rehabilitation before taking up her current role as Clinical Research Nurse. Sanders has described the programme as exceeding her expectations, challenging yet rewarding with a good mix of subjects and diverse staff expertise.