Scholarship key to further study for Invercargill nurse

Scholarship key to further study for Invercargill nurse
29 October 2014

Invercargill nurse Carmen Rewi says postgraduate study is an important next step in her career path, one she wouldn’t have been able to undertake without a Medibank Community Fund post graduate scholarship for Māori nurses.

Carmen, who graduated in 2011, began her career as a whānau ora nurse for a Māori health trust, which she says was invaluable for learning more about kaupapa Māori, referral pathways and creating links with the community.

She has recently moved to a new role as a practice nurse in a medical centre, where she says the high number of patients she sees in a day and their range of needs is providing her with more hands-on clinical experience and a greater understanding of medications and pathology. “Having doctors on the spot also makes it easier to provide the best care for the patient.”

Carmen has also begun studying for a post-graduate nursing certificate, the first step in her plan to gain a master’s degree. “The applied pharmacology paper I’m doing is already supporting my work and my understanding of patient care.”

Each scholarship is for a year. They were created by Medibank Health Solutions to extend the reach and skill base of health services in the community and are administered by Māori workforce development organisation Te Rau Matatini.

Carmen says the scholarship has made a huge difference to her in a number of ways. “I wouldn’t have been able to do the post graduate study without it. It covers my course fees and travel to and accommodation in Christchurch.”

She is also looking forward to spending time in the Medibank’s Healthline call centre in Wellington later in the year as part of the scholarship.

“It will be great to see what their day is like. I have a real interest in telenursing and know from working in a whānau ora environment and a primary care clinic how useful people find Healthline.

“We get referrals to the clinic through Healthline and there’s a really good handover of history and background which really helps with continuity of care when the patient comes into the clinic.

“Also, cost is a huge barrier to some people seeking medical treatment. Services like Healthline, which give people the confidence to manage their health and those they care for in their own home, is very empowering and stops unnecessary visits to GPs and emergency departments.”

Medibank Community Fund website

About Medibank Health Solutions

Medibank Health Solutions New Zealand offers innovative and cost-effective healthcare services to business and government. Medibank Health Solutions:
• is a national provider of homecare services for ACC
• provides the Phone@Home telephone service for people with mild to moderate mental health concerns
• operates Healthline, a 24-hour a day, 7 days a week health advice line for the Ministry of Health
• operates other telephone health services, including a Mental Health Line for a number of District Health Boards
• provides the Lifetest insurance co-ordination service for insurance companies.

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