WITT ākonga enriched by Māori nurses’ hui

A group of WITT nursing ākonga attended the 2024 National Māori Student Nurses Hui in Tamaki Makaurau in early May.

Allana Prestney - Lead Kaitakawaenga Māori and Pasifika, Scholarship Co-ordinator (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Atiawa) - organised the trip for the seven students.

The WITT nursing ākonga heard expert speakers on a range of health issues including after-life, paediatric and trauma care as well as mental health care and assisted dying from a matauranga Māori perspective.

The hui Kaupapa was “Mā te Kotahitanga e whai kaha aī tatou - In unity we have strength”. The three-day event was hosted by Te Kaunihera o Ngā Neehi Māori o Aotearoa and four tertiary education providers in Auckland (Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT), Auckland University of Technology (AUT), The University of Auckland (UoA) and Unitec) at Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae at MIT.

WITT’s group, comprised of five Year 2 Bachelor of Nursing ākonga and two in the Diploma in Enrolled Nursing programme, appreciated the opportunity to share experiences and discuss issues of racism in the health sector and how to challenge and change nursing practices that are detrimental to whanau care within the health system, Allana says.

For nursing ākonga Billie-Jean James the hui was; “a fantastic opportunity to express your skills, share your experiences and gain more knowledge around nursing care and general health in Aotearoa as well as provide a safe space for Māori to be Māori.”

“I am an ākonga of Te Kura Matatini o Taranaki and have attended the National Māori Nurses Hui for the second year in a row, each time leaving with so much knowledge to add to my kete. I was so inspired by Māori health professionals and one thing I took away from this year's hui was the motivation to work hard towards an entry into the Nurse Practitioner programme," she says. "I loved the ambience and kotahitanga shared amongst all those that attended the annual wānanga and look forward to next year when Taranaki hosts.”

The 2025 National Māori Student Nurses Hui will be hosted at WITT.

Caption: WITT nursing ākonga who attended the hui in May.