Students from Ako Ki Te Wananga - Bridging to Nursing and Te Ohanga Mataora Paetahi - Bachelor of Health Sciences Maori had an awe-inspiring day at Whakatane's Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi Campus.
Along with a number of nurses and health professionals from throughout the region, students were last week given the opportunity to look at Maori nursing development within the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
Guest speaker chief nurse Jane O'Malley from the Ministry of Health spoke of celebrating and exploring Maori nursing at the workforce forum. Dr O'Malley provides advice on nursing to the Government and helps to develop, implement and evaluate government health policy.
She also provides professional leadership to the nursing profession and works with nurse leaders, professional statutory bodies, professional and staff associations and unions, DHB chief executives and managers, and the voluntary and independent sectors.
Local presenters included Kirsty Maxwell who spoke about national Maori workforce development; Pareake O'Brien who talked to forum participants about nursing workforce development, leadership and nurse practitioner pathways for Maori; and Ngaira Harker who spoke about the nursing programmes Te Ohanga Mataora Paetahi and Ako ki te Wananga Bridging to Nursing.
