Māori communities more fulfilling than Australia for Māori nurses

Atereano Mateariki Hemaima Hughes | Māori communities more fulfilling than Australia for Māori nurses

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A veteran Māori nurse says Australia is not the land of milk and honey that Māori nurses believe it to be.

Yesterday, approximately 36,000 Te Whatu Ora nurses, midwives, and health workers went on strike due to being overworked and understaffed.

Over the past year, nearly 5,000 New Zealand-registered nurses have moved across the Tasman seeking higher pay and better working conditions.

National Council of Māori Nurses Te Tau Ihu representative, Hemaima Hughes, says the challenges faced in securing post-study employment in New Zealand are also present in Australia.

She says, in her personal experience, caring for Māori patients can be one of the most fulfilling aspects of the job.

“I trained in Whakatāne. I’ve worked in Ruātoki, Tāneatua you know, low decile areas, and at the end of the day as a Māori nurse. It’s aroha ki te tangata ne?” says Hughes.

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