In a ‘first of its kind’ for Tai Tokerau a programme focussed on primary care nursing workforce development is being launched that will support more Māori nurses to join the workforce.

The programme has two main focus areas:

• Nurse Practitioner Training programme (NPTP) which supports nurses in their final year of academic and clinical preparation towards registration as a Nurse Practitioner.
• Supported placements for newly registered Nurse Practitioners and Enrolled Nurses working in community-based providers.

The aspirations of the programme align with one of Mahitahi Hauora’s key priorities, to build and strengthen primary health care teams that have a wider range of capability and availability than currently exists in Northland. Enhanced primary care teams in the future could for example include Nurse Practitioners, Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses, working alongside GPs, Counsellors, Kaiawhina, and Health Navigators.

This programme also aligns with our goal to increase the capability of the workforce to engage effectively with Māori; to increase the Māori workforce; and to support new models of care.  This programme will achieve this by increasing the numbers of Nurse Practitioners and Enrolled Nurses in the primary care model.

Locally Mahitahi Hauora is partnering with Northtec who has recently re-instated the Diploma in Enrolled Nursing.  This includes exploring opportunities to support both students and providers through an apprenticeship/earn-as-you-learn model.

Mahitahi Hauora’s Nurse Director Josephine Davis commented: “We are particularly excited to have the opportunity to co-design a model of nursing that is tailored for the needs of our candidates and providers in Tai Tokerau.  This programme is an important part of supporting a sustainable health workforce through the recruitment and retention of nurses, particularly in our rural communities.”

This programme is of particular significance as 2020 is the International Year of the Nurse, and the importance of nursing remains evident during New Zealand’s COVID-19 response and in supporting the increase in health need following the lock-down.  A specific focus of the programme is to support the mental health needs in communities, which have increased significantly during recent times.

We are beginning engagement with providers and the workforce across the sector before starting to  deliver the four year programme later this year.

As the Primary Health Entity across Tai Tokerau, Mahitahi Hauora is a key partner in the national programme which is funded by the Ministry of Health and is a collaboration coordinated by the University of Auckland.  Other key partners in the national programme are The Fono (a Pacific health provider) and The University of Otago.