The first University of Canterbury Master of Health Sciences (Nursing) students are already making an impact in communities across New Zealand.<\/p>\n
UC Master of Health Sciences (Nursing)\u00a0graduates Brydhi Stark, Hayley Good and Tania Nascimento\u00a0Ferreirinho\u00a0Davies found the programme offered a way to pursue nursing while balancing work,\u00a0family\u00a0and community commitments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The graduates achieved a 100% pass rate in the registered nursing exam, underscoring the strength of the programme.<\/p>\n
For Brydhi, the flexibility of UC Online made it possible to begin studying while living and working remotely in the Marlborough Sounds, where being immersed in a remote, natural environment helped her concentrate and stay engaged with her studies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tutors were\u00a0really approachable\u00a0and supportive, and I found them\u00a0really helpful. Simulations and placements were\u00a0probably the\u00a0biggest part of preparing us for practice,\u201d\u00a0Brydhi\u00a0says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now working in neonatal intensive care\u00a0unit\u00a0at\u00a0Christchurch\u00a0Hospital, Brydhi values the human connection at the heart of nursing.\u00a0She sees her role as supporting patients and families with compassion, helping create a more human, less clinical environment during what can be a challenging and emotional time.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me it\u2019s about making it a little more\u00a0light-hearted\u00a0and not feel like a clinical or morbid space,\u201d\u00a0she says.<\/p>\n
For graduate Hayley\u00a0Good, the decision to study nursing was shaped by both her professional background and her move to a rural community.<\/p>\n
Hayley moved to Hanmer Springs from Auckland three years ago, where she had worked as a paramedic. Living in a rural community and volunteering with the local ambulance service, she saw an opportunity to use her skills in\u00a0a different way.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to UC because they could cross credit some of my\u00a0previous\u00a0experience. The course is flexible with online learning and condensed into two years so I could develop skills and contribute back to my community,\u201d Hayley says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her placements, which included work in\u00a0aged residential care, a private hospital\u00a0and rural general practice,\u00a0ultimately led\u00a0directly to employment in the community she now calls home.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s\u00a0nice to be able to engage with people of the community and ensure that their patient journey\u00a0is of a high standard, and\u00a0to be able to see positive outcomes\u00a0for\u00a0people,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For\u00a0W\u0101naka-based graduate Tania Nascimento\u00a0Ferreirinho\u00a0Davies, the UC Online programme opened a pathway into nursing that simply\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0have been possible otherwise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Originally trained in agriculture engineering and biochemistry, Tania had worked in laboratories in Australia before moving to Aotearoa New Zealand with her family. It was through working as a healthcare assistant in a rural medical centre that she discovered her passion for patient care.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved\u00a0it,\u00a0but I wanted to be able to do more for patients,\u201d Tania says.<\/p>\n
Clinical placements across Queenstown, Dunstan,\u00a0Cromwell\u00a0and Alexandra gave her exposure to a range of healthcare settings, while reinforcing the importance of rural care.<\/p>\n
Now working as a practice nurse at Aspiring Medical Centre, Tania values the variety and responsibility that comes with rural healthcare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI love being part of a rural team. We have both the day-to-day with patients, but we also have acute and emergencies\u00a0every day,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
In communities without immediate access to hospital services, she says nurses play a critical frontline role.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can\u2019t go anywhere else, so they count on us\u2026 we\u2019re the first point of call,\u201d Tania says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Balancing study,\u00a0work\u00a0and family life was not without its challenges, particularly in an intensive two-year programme, but support from her local community and family made it possible.\u00a0Living in\u00a0W\u0101naka\u00a0also helped, with its lifestyle and access to the outdoors providing a sense of balance alongside the intensity of study and frontline care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really is a village;\u00a0without that support, I wouldn\u2019t have been able to do the course,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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