Another crop of nursing graduates

NorthTec's 2020 nursing graduates have begun their careers. Photo / supplied

NorthTec's latest cohort of nursing students was farewelled last week, at the end of a difficult year. They were welcomed to the whakawatea on Te Puna o Te Mātauranga Marae by NorthTec acting chief executive Jon Smith and senior nursing teacher Linda Christian for an emotional ceremony featuring tears and laughter, kapa haka and waiata, as they addressed the assembly of whānau, friends and NorthTec staff.

All paid tribute to those who had supported them throughout their studies – parents, spouses and partners, children, wider whānau, friends, and their NorthTec tutors, librarians, student support workers and classmates. The spoke of their struggles and trials, but also their triumphs and joy at completing their studies of three years or more.

Christian made no secret of her admiration for what the students had achieved.

"What a year!" she said.

"The Bachelor of Nursing course is hard, and the challenges thrown up this year have made it even harder. We are super aware of that - we've all been in it.

"This 'village' has raised another group of fabulous nurses. To make it here today is an achievement not to be under-estimated, and you all need to celebrate that.

"Nursing is a privilege, and when nurses tell their stories - the crises they might manage or the very small significant moments that occur between nurse and patient - it reinforces why we do what we do. Simply it is the connections we have with our patients that keep us going in a profession that can be hard," she said.

"The mahi is just beginning, guys, but it is worth it. Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system…. and the head…. and the hands…. and most certainly the heart. Look at what is happening worldwide – you know who is at the forefront of this. Take what you have learnt here with us and combine it with the wisdom you already had, to be the best nurse and person you can be."

After receiving the results of their state nursing exams, the majority of the 32 students will now go into employment locally, before graduating formally at the annual NorthTec ceremony in March.