Enrolled nursing underway

As the first intake of 21 ākonga on the enrolled nursing programme at WITT Te Pūkenga sit exams tutors look on proudly as they see the results of their mahi on the new programme start to fall into place.

“It’s a really nice programme and I am really enjoying teaching it,” says WITT Te Pūkenga Deputy Director Lead Nursing Helen Lelean.

The 18-month programme is heavily placement based and is building a cohort of nurses who will work in a ‘team nursing’ approach in hospitals, aged care, mental health and in community roles.

Research shows that team nursing has numerous patient benefits and for the prospective enrolled nurses an 18-month commitment is more appealing than the three-year Bachelor of Nursing degree progamme.

Working as a health care assistant, new ākonga Kirsty Wilkin was prompted by her manager to upskill and become an enrolled nurse.

“The Enrolled Nurse programme has given me the opportunity to pursue my dream, without having to give up time with my tamariki. I will get to do what I love and do it in half the amount of time,” says Kirsty.

Helen says the shorter time commitment is appealing to some, while others find the emphasis on practical placements work for them.

The enrolled nursing programme has 900 hours of clinical placements, compared to 1100 in the Bachelor of Nursing (which is run over three years).

In the future Kirsty hopes to work within the community and enjoys women’s health, mother and pēpē and Māori health.

“I am keen to help to close the gap on health equality and equity and promote better health outcomes,” she says.

She says she would also love to do theatre nursing or ED frontline nursing, but acknowledges that these are long term goals.

The next intake for the New Zealand Diploma in Enrolled Nursing (Level 5) starts in July 2024.