Northland DHB Celebrating International Nurses Day

Northland DHB Celebrating International Nurses Day

Left to right: Cheryl Turner, Taikura Marama Turner (4), neice Turiri Brown (12), Karen Turner, Kahutiaterangi Shannon Turner (8), Jamie Turner and Maiaorere Heta Turner (5)

Driven by a desire to care for others Cheryl Turner and her daughter Karen Turner successfully graduated as Registered Nurses with a Northland Polytechnic Bachelor of Nursing degree in April.

“My first realisation was when one of my brothers became a quadriplegic as a result of a bike accident”, Cheryl remembers. “Then my Dad died of cancer in 2003 and I found myself wanting to understand what was going on and how I could give him good quality care. When I mentioned the notion of studying nursing Karen got hold of the idea and wouldn’t let go of it”.

30 weeks pregnant with her second child Karen thought that a career in midwifery was what she wanted but after discussions with her Margareth Broodkoorn who was her manager at Hauora Hokianga and now the Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Northland DHB, the women decided to apply and were offered positions to study part-time for four years at NorthTec.

Karen already had a Diploma in Sport and Recreation and a Bachelor of Māori Development with a Hapū Development major so retuning to study wasn’t foreign to her but she soon realised that it wasn’t all about academics.

“We were all given the same scenarios to study and I realised that my generation’s answers were very superficial, Karen offered. “Mum’s answers always had depth, were more mature so we benefitted from this knowledge to shape our understanding”.

“I hadn’t been to school for some time and honing in on what it was we needed to study took some doing”, Cheryl remembers. “I had no idea what was what in the body, quite green really. Our motto was ‘Cs’ gets degrees’ and we had each other to draw on”.

Competition between mother and daughter was alive and well and is something they attribute to their success “There were times when Karen was a little further ahead than me, but only for a day or so”, Cheryl chuckles.

Tikanga Māori is fundamental for this Whanau and is something they practice every day.

“One of the hardest things was that other people didn’t practice Tikanga like we did”, Karen said. “Things like putting pillows on the tables or a urinal on the bedside table”.

“My role in class was around Tikanga. I enjoy sharing my culture with others and helping them to understand the why and how”, said Cheryl. The class grasped it in the end because we had quite a few pōwhiri . They saw what happened and learned what role they could play”.

“While on surgical placement at Kaitaia Hospital I was assisting a registered nurse with an elderly patient. We left the room for about four minutes to get some antibiotics and in that short space of time the patient passed away. Her body was taken to another room, I then went back to bless the room. I closed the curtains and recited a karakia. When I opened the curtains a patient across the room who didn’t look Māori said “thank you” which warmed my heart for the understanding”.

For the last five years Cheryl’s role in her Hapū has been as kaikaranga (call) at Pakanae Marae, Kokohuia Marae, Waiwhatawhata Marae and Waimamaku Marae in the Wahapu o Hokianga nui a Kupe (Hokianga Harbour).

“During that whole four year period of study I often had to put aside the studies and go to the Marae to attend tangi or help the kaimahi cater for other Hui. The kaumatua on the taumata would also make reference to me and my nursing studies. What this did was draw the whanau and hapū into my studies as well. Whanau would ask, “How are your studies going, are you a nurse yet?” or “hey I’ve got a sore foot, can you help me?”

Ten months before the women were due to graduate and while on mental health placement a close fellow nursing student committed suicide.

“On the Monday we had a presentation in Whangarei by Wednesday she was dead. We used to travel with her to Kaitaia, Whangarei backwards and forwards and not once did we ever get the inkling that she was depressed, she hid it very well”, Cheryl recalls.

Cheryl got the distressing call early in the morning from one of the NorthTec tutors. “They knew we were close. After I got the news I offered to bring her onto our Marae to lie for one night to give her partner, whanau and friends an opportunity to say their farewells. Her partner decided that was a wonderful thing to do. 150 odd people came from all over Tai Tokerau and I had the privilege of calling her onto our Marae in Pakanae and hosting her and her whanau for the night. The next day she was honored with a traditional farewell”.

“It brought our nursing class together, most of our class mates came and I think that they saw my mum and me in a different light. On our home Marae caring for people, they really looked up to mum. I believe it brought us all closer together” Karen added.

Cheryl was recognised for this work during International Nurses Week this month when she received a ‘Leadership as a Student Nurse’ award at the ACE 2013 Awards hosted by Manaia and Te Tai Tokerau PHO’s and Northland District Health Board, and at the recent NorthTec graduation Cheryl also received the Northland Polytechnic Council Award for ‘Commitment to NorthTec Activities and Supporting Fellow Students’.

As if being mums, partners and hard working students wasn’t enough, overcoming living rurally also posed some other challenges.

“I am sure people didn’t realise some of the things we needed to go through to get to class”, Cheryl said. “One morning we had a very important presentation in Whangarei and to get there in time we had to leave home about 7.00am but it flooded overnight. That meant I had to walk across the flooded road in my underwear holding my bags above my head! We got flooded in a few times because of the two rivers at either end of my road”.

“When we started in 2008 we only had dial up internet access but then they put cables along the highway which gave us broadband and now we have wireless, so that really helped in terms of using the libraries and getting access to cheaper text books”, Karen added.

Karen is working in mental health for Northland DHB and Cheryl is a nurse in the acute ward and in outpatients at Rawene Hospital, Hokianga Health Enterprise Trust.

“People know me and make appointments to see me. I love it because I want to make sure health care is more accessible to our people in the Hokianga”, Cheryl said.

“Actually they wait in line for mum”, Karen quipped.

The ultimate reward for Cheryl came the night of their graduation.

“After our graduation we went for a meal. We were all seated around the table when my 5 year old grandson said, “I can’t wait for my graduation”. That to me summed it up in a nut shell, that was my heart and soul right there. My job is done!”

“I have two daughters and I told them from a young age they were going to university and to university they went. Karen has a Diploma and two Degrees and her younger sister Denise also has a Diploma and a Degree. I am the first of my brothers and sisters to earn a Degree and my mother was able to take part in our graduation ceremony which was extra special”.

For Karen having the support of her partner Jamie and her children was paramount to her success.

“I couldn’t have done it without my Whanau support but failure never entered into it, we had a plan and we were going to achieve it. Mind you if someone offers you support make sure you take it, be open to receiving help”.

The bond between mother and daughter is best summed up by Cheryl’s parting comment.

“My respect goes to Karen because no matter where I was in our Hikoi to becoming Registered Nurses my kotiro was right beside me and sometimes she was a little further ahead making me strive to succeed no matter what challenge came into our path”.

-ENDS-

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