Nurse practitioners have played a vital role in New Zealand’s healthcare system for 24 years, but many people have no idea who they are – or what they do.
That’s set to change, after an innovative series of storytelling workshops aimed at raising the profile of the profession.
The series was the brainchild of Dr. Sue Adams from the University of Auckland. The workshops were facilitated by Jehan Casinader, an award-winning journalist and mental health advocate.
“A year ago, I had the privilege of MCing Hauora Taiwhenua’s National Rural Health Conference,” he said. “Sue approached me and explained that she wanted to put a spotlight on nurse practitioners. My first thought was, ‘What on earth is a nurse practitioner?’ Even though I had spent 15 years in journalism – and produced plenty of stories about healthcare – I had never come across a nurse practitioner.”
“For a quarter of a century, nurse practitioners have been providing a high level of holistic care. But they often seem invisible – in the health sector, and in our communities.”
Jehan crafted a workshop that provided practical communication tools. The sessions were free, thanks to philanthropic funding. More than 130 nurse practitioners attended the workshops, which were held in Whangārei, South Auckland, Taupō, Christchurch and Upper Hutt.
Dr. Adams described the week as a “fabulous experience” with “incredible energy”. She noted that this was the first professional development initiative focused specifically on leadership and visibility for nurse practitioners.
“There is an abundance of international evidence supporting the nurse practitioner workforce,” she noted. “They have great reach in our communities, providing comprehensive primary health care services with a nursing lens as well as a biomedical one. They can refer, prescribe, and are deeply connected with whānau and communities.”
Dr. Helen Snell, a nurse practitioner who registered in 2003, attended one of the workshops. “I think it is important to get the stories of nurse practitioners out, to demonstrate the difference that we can make to clinical practice and clinical leadership in New Zealand,” she said.
“The drive for nurse practitioners in New Zealand was about improving equitable access to care and improving equitable outcomes. That’s what drove me to become a nurse practitioner, and it still keeps me going today.”
Josephine Davis, a co-organiser of the workshops, highlighted the importance of giving nurse practitioners a voice. “I think nurse practitioners should be supported to tell our own stories so that our community better understands our roles.”
Josephine was driven by her desire to make a difference in the lives of whānau. “I wanted to role model to other Māori nurses that if I could do it, they could do it,” she shared. “I wanted to be able to provide holistic care without knocking on someone else’s door to complete part of that journey.”
Josephine says nurse practitioners – numbering over 900 across the country – need “a cohesive political voice, and to be united on where we want to go as a profession”.
The University of Auckland team will now collect and collate the stories that the workshop participants developed as part of research funded by the Health Research Council. It is hoped that further sessions can be held next year – reaching more people across the country.
As Dr. Adams puts it, “Nurse practitioners are incredibly valuable, and their stories deserve to be heard. Yes, there are some challenges in our health system – but nurse practitioners are part of the solution.”
