Bachelor of Nursing Pacific

Afio mai, Ulu tonu mai. Turou oro! Throughout your learning journey you'll integrate your knowledge of Pacific communities, cultural practices and nursing knowledge to improve health outcomes for Pacific peoples and the wider Aotearoa New Zealand community and overseas. On successful completion of this programme graduates receive the Bachelor of Nursing Pacific, are eligible to sit the Nursing Council State Finals, and can apply to enrol in postgraduate programmes of study.

Programme outline

For over thirty years nursing has been a major programme at Whitireia. During this time, Whitireia has developed a reputation for producing work-ready graduates who are highly regarded by industry.

Whitireia offers applicants the choice of three Bachelor of Nursing Degrees, all of which are approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and meet the Nursing Council of New Zealand’s requirements for registration. These are the Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Nursing Māori and Bachelor of Nursing Pacific.

All are three-year full-time programmes and offer a combination of theory i.e. classroom-based sessions at our Porirua campus and supported clinical experience, which is practical/hands-on work completed in a variety of community and hospital settings.

More detail about this qualification

Courses

Year one

Fakavae (Tokelau term of Fakavae, which refers to the concept of foundation)

The student will have the opportunity to gain insight into their own Pacific identity, by introducing them to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Pacific worldviews, and values and models in the context of Aotearoa. The students will acquire core communication skills and foundational nursing skills which they will demonstrate in a diverse range of clinical and cultural learning environments that cover lifespan.

Year two

Faiā (Samoan term which highlights the importance of respectful relationships)

Year two will build on the foundational knowledge and skills acquired in year one, by displaying the beginning attributes of nursing praxis, such as; effective communication, self-reflection and ability to interpret and make meaning from interactions with others across a variety of health care settings. At a beginning level, using reflection and critical thinking, the student can facilitate decision making in response to interpretation from a nurse context.

Year three

Turanga Neti (Cook Islands, refers to the position, status and responsibilities of the nursing profession)

By year three, the student is able to demonstrate that they are successfully transitioning out of their ‘student role’ and into the role of the beginning practitioner. They will confidently be able to move between their Pacific communities and the world of non-Pacific health care services in ways that add value to both. The year three student has become proficient in their ability to integrate nursing knowledge into professional practice. This includes the capability to demonstrate sound judgement, decision making, reflection, evaluation, professional conduct and best practice as a beginning nurse clinician.

Teaching and learning

A variety of teaching processes are used in the programme including lectures, tutorials, learning packages, workshops, student presentations, online learning and practical sessions in the simulation suites where ‘hands-on’ skills are learnt and practiced. If there are no timetabled classes, students are expected to work in study teams or on independent study.

Clinical

To gain a Bachelor of Nursing degree, students must complete a minimum of 1,100 (pending Nursing Council Education change) hours of clinical experience (praxis). We are proud of the excellent working partnerships we have with our clinical providers, which include both the Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast District Health Boards and private, iwi and community organisations. Their assistance enables us to provide students with a variety of high-quality clinical placements, which allows students to experience the range of opportunities available as a registered nurse.

In year one, students learn clinical skills in our simulation suites (which are set up like hospital wards), as well as attending off-site clinical experiences in rest homes and the community.

In years two and three, students will have 14–16 clinical weeks each year; these are divided into blocks of between 3–9 weeks. Please note these clinical weeks may include weekends. Hours during clinical blocks will vary according to the clinical placement, i.e. hospital shifts can include mornings 7:00am–3:30pm, afternoons 2:45–11:15pm and overnight. During clinical, students must be available Monday-Friday.

Career options

Outcomes

Our Bachelor of Nursing qualifications enable graduates to work as a beginning staff nurse in all areas where registered nurses are employed, both nationally and internationally.

Nurses are present across the entire spectrum of health-service delivery and, with over 40,000 registered; they are the largest part of the professional health workforce. The most common image of the nurse is in a hospital ward or general practice but, nurses are found in much wider range of health and disability services settings.

There is a nurse at work in child-health services, residential-care facilities, mental-health services, community services, marae, independent-nurse clinics, public-health services, occupational health and safety, the defence forces, sexual-health services, ACC case management, prisons, policy development and implementation, health-service management, education and research – as well as in many other settings.

Becoming a registered nurse

Students who successfully complete a Bachelor of Nursing programme are required to sit the Nursing Council of New Zealand State Final Examinations. When these examinations are passed, the student applies to Nursing Council for registration as a Registered Nurse.

Future opportunities

On becoming a registered nurse, most graduates apply for new graduate programmes, which are run by Health New Zealand. Many graduates will also go on to complete postgraduate studies in nursing specialties i.e. Mental Health Nursing, Hospice Palliative Care and Primary Health Care. Some graduates will travel overseas, where a Bachelor of Nursing degree from New Zealand is internationally recognised.