Latest News 9 April 2019 |Counties Manukau nursing specialists are at the forefront of a joint effort by CM Health and the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) to encourage people into nursing and the health sector.
Chief Nurse and Director of Patient and Whaanau Experience, Dr Jenny Parr, Clinical Nurse Directors Maaori Health, Delanie Nepia and Leigh Paparoa and Nurse Jessica Toamau are partnering with MIT on the latest campaign to entice more people into the sector.
They’re all proud graduates of the MIT nursing programme and have been happy to champion the importance of education and choosing nursing as a career.
Delanie studied for a Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) at MIT 20 years ago and has no regrets about her chosen vocation.
“I made the decision to look into nursing as a career after my own personal experience as a patient. Most of my care was delivered by nursing staff. My experience provided some insight into the difference nurses can make to how people experience healthcare. They have the power to make a positive difference every day,” says Delanie.
While Jessica’s a recent graduate who now works in General Medicine, Leigh, who this year marks his 20th anniversary as a registered nurse is a self-confessed local, born at Middlemore Hospital and raised in South Auckland.
Delanie Nepia, Jessica Toamau and Leigh Paparoa
As the co-Clinical Nurse Director for Maaori Health with Delanie, Leigh realised that his strengths involved working with people.
“Helping others provides me with the satisfaction that Im doing what I love and I am giving back to my community,” he says. “Choosing Nursing as a career was not on the radar when I was growing up, but when my uncle encouraged me to apply, and I got accepted, let’s just say it has been one of the few decisions I have made in my life, that I’ve never looked back from.”
Chief Nurse Jenny grew up in Papatoetoe and was drawn to nursing through her father, who was a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Middlemore Hospital for more than 30 years. She began her studies 30 years ago.
“I didn’t want to be a doctor but I did want to do something to do with people and I was drawn by other nurses doing something for themselves and for other people,” says Jenny. “One of the great things about my time at MIT was getting together with others to study so we could get through what we needed to understand. Most of my placements were at Middlemore so I have strong ties to CM Health and the community.”
She values the relationship between the DHB and MIT. “We have shared a strong relationship with MIT over the years and many of the nurses who come to CM Health trained at MIT and so are engaged in what we do and the opportunities that are there for them to make a difference to the community.
“Nursing’s a fantastic career and opens up many avenues, from practicing as a nurse in clinical practice, academia, education or management, to working in primary, secondary, or tertiary settings, private or NGOs. You can do what you want.”
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