30 Years: Past, Present and Future
Dates: 3 - 4 September 2026
Venue: Novotel Tainui Hamilton, 7 Alma Street, Hamilton Central
Thursday 3rd: Pre-Symposium – Afternoon Presentations & Welcome Evening
Friday 4th: Full-day Symposium including AGM
Our 30 year celebration brings us together to reflect on our past and look toward the future of patient transport.
For thirty years COASTN nurses have helped to shape the development of patient transport, a field defined by skill, resilience and innovation. The Flight Nurses Association NZ was founded in 1996 and later became COASTN, but has always carried forward the same passion, purpose and commitment to excellence in aeromedical and road transport nursing.
With its central location in the North Island, Hamilton is an ideal place for us to gather. We look forward to welcoming you to the Waikato to mark this milestone with us, and take time to connect, learn and acknowledge the evolution of our field.
Key information:
Speakers
Keynote Speaker Ruth Taylor is an experienced coach, facilitator and author of Self-Care Isn't Selfish. She draws on decades of experience helping people build resilience, navigate challenges and protect their wellbeing. In this session, Ruth will share practical self-care strategies to help you regain a sense of control in demanding environments.
Ruth writes: "I'm excited and honoured to be ask to join you as a speaker at the COASTN conference and am looking forward to sharing my take on self-care. With awareness comes choice, with choice comes control, with control comes energy. Once you have energy you get to choose how you spend it, be it at work or home, or coming to a conference!"
The other conference speakers are:
- Alison Leota: Registered Anaesthetic Technician in Waikato, Middlemore and Manukau Surgical hospitals.
- Dave Barber: Major, NZ Army Reserve, in aviation medicine, operational planning, and clinical leadership.
- Dr Justin Koh: ICU trainee at Waikato Hospital. Interested in improving support and preparation for RMOs, ensuring safe and effective patient care.
- Dr Miranda Bailey-Wild: Head of Department, Waikato Newborn intensive Care, in neonatal retrieval and transports, neonatal palliative care and more.
- Dr William McGuinnes: details TBC
- Hayden Wilson: details TBC
- Jess Hart: RN, Transport Nurse Specialist in PICU, Starship Children's Hospital. 26 years of paediatric nursing experience.
- Jon Gaupset: Team Leader Air Ambulance, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, in commissioning air ambulance services.
- Jon Kerr: Founder, Flight Structures Ltd, in technical direction and innovation strategy.
- Linda Gormly: The first nurse appointed as a full-time flight nurse in New Zealand, now retired after a 35-year flying career.
- Lisa Maxwell: RN, MN, Nurse Manager, in community and rural health.
- Nixie Moore: RN and Clinical Team Lead, in prison and vulnerable population healthcare.
- Sally Houliston: Nurse Consultant for Policy and Practice, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, Te Matau a Māui, in critical care, aeromedical retrieval, patient transport and more.
For full details see the conference programme.
COASTN Annual General Meeting
Date: Friday 4 September
Time: 11:45am
Venue: Online via Teams or in person at the Novotel Hamilton Tainui
Calls for nominations and remits have closed.
AGM Documents
Conference Partner
Sponsors
COASTN thanks all of our Sponsors for supporting our 2026 Conference.
