The centre is based at the hospital and funded by the Mackenzie Charitable Foundation and Advance Ashburton.
Smith’s appointment has been made by Otago University.
The mother of three is a registered nurse with post graduate academic qualifications and has worked at Ashburton Hospital since graduating.
She works on the wards and is also a part-time nurse educator for Ashburton & Rural Health Services.
Her new role as a clinical lecturer is also part-time and will include helping to run and participate in the three-day Rural Interprofessional Simulation Course (RiSC), held several times a year in Ashburton.
The course is for rural hospital teams from around the country. They work in emergency medical situations using realistic simulated scenarios and workshops.
Karly’s new role will also focus on nursing research.
