Nurse  

A registered nurse’s day will be spent planning and carrying out nursing care in a clinical area, having therapeutic conversations with health care consumers and their whānau, monitoring and recording essential changes in health care consumers conditions, giving medication and intravenous drugs, educating health care consumers and their whānau about health care needs, working within and contributing to multidisciplinary teams, ensuring accurate health records are maintained and promoting health, and advocating for health care consumers and their whānau.

“My dream is to become a registered nurse working in primary health. I want to give back to the community where I grew up.”

Registered nurses work across a range of health care settings, including but not limited to:

– Māori health and Iwi providers
– Pasifika health
– Mental health and addictions (community-based, acute care, forensic)
– Rural
– Child health (paediatrics) and Plunket
– Aged care and rehabilitation (geriatrics)
– Emergency departments and operating theatres
– Medical and surgical (both public and private)
– Cancer care (oncology)
– Community health
– Primary health care (GP clinics)
– Workplace health and safety

“I grew up with my mum, stepdad and six sisters. After attending a rural area school, I went to university down south, where I studied physiology. After completing my first degree, I chose to come to Wintec, as it offers the Master of Nursing Science qualification. This enabled me to use my previous degree as a pathway into nursing, which means it only takes two years of study to gain a nursing qualification. This course has allowed me to combine two of my passions, science and helping others. My dream is to become a registered nurse working in primary health. I want to give back to the community where I grew up. Being in the Master of Nursing Science programme has meant being in a much smaller class than what I was used to. This has so many advantages. I have been able to build great relationships with both classmates and tutors in such a supportive environment. I can really get the most out of my study!

As soon as I went on my first placement, I knew I had picked the right career path for me. It was where all the theory I spent hours studying fell into place, and I felt like I had found my niche. I have family and friends who work as nurses. Seeing them excel in their careers and be passionate about their jobs inspires me to chase this dream and find a career that I know I will love doing. Sometimes finding the perfect balance can be challenging. There is a lot to fit in with studying full-time, working part-time and spending time with family and friends. I spend a lot of time planning, organising and prioritising, but it is worth it!”

Source: https://www.wintec.ac.nz/study-at-wintec/courses/health-and-wellbeing/nursing