“Pacific Nurses: Contributing to the Economy of Care” was theme for the Pacific Nursing Section Symposium and AGM 2024, held in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on 11 October and sponsored by Le Va.
The event brought together several generations of Pacific nurses and inspirational keynote speakers to network and share insights about the current and future state of healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Ben Tameifuna, Le Va’s cultural lead and senior manager for public health and disability, opened the day by honouring senior Pasifika nurses with a powerful challenge:
“One of the main priorities for Le Va is to build the capacity and capability of the Pacific public health workforce ensuring we are carrying on the legacy that is already there. Ask yourself what is your legacy?
“What would you like to be remembered for in nursing and what will you leave behind for the next generation of nurses? As the well-known quote goes, ‘What you leave behind is not what is written on your headstone, but what is woven into the lives of others.’”
Sir Collin Tukuitonga, Associate Dean Pacific at the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, and Paul Goulter, Chief Executive Officer of the New Zealand Nursing Organisation, shared valuable insights on leadership and the vital contributions Pacific nurses make to the healthcare sector in Aotearoa.
It was inspiring for our Pacific nurses to be in a room filled with their peers and to hear from those with more than 40 years of experience as well as aspiring nursing students, excited to enter the workforce.
Ana-Malie Poe said, “It really was an honour to be able to experience one of these Symposiums for Pacific Nurses as a student. I was so encouraged and felt so empowered to be surrounded by such amazing, strong Pacific Nurses… Thank you so much for encouraging us students to keep going and knowing we have the most amazing support behind us makes the journey so much more worthwhile, carrying on that legacy.”
Le Va was honoured to support this symposium in collaboration with the Tongan Nurses Association and the Pacific Nursing Section. We look forward to future collaboration in the public health space.
The conference featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including Le Va’s general manager, Dr Elizabeth Mati, who participated in the panel “Priorities, aspirations, and the future state of public health in Aotearoa New Zealand. Where to from here?”
Dr Mati and Ben Tameifuna, Le Va’s senior manager for public health and disability, enjoyed connecting with others who are leading in the public health space in Aotearoa. They found the two days of talanoa about a vision for the future of public health in New Zealand to be insightful and valuable.
Following the event, Dr Mati said, “As always, we know that the solutions lie within our communities and that we must equip them with the right supports and resources to enable our communities to achieve the best possible health and wellbeing outcomes. Thank you to the CEO of PHANZ, Dr Cadence Kaumoana, for inviting Le Va to the Annual Public Health Conference 2024.”
Le Va supports public health initiatives by trying to reduce inequity in health outcomes through workforce development. Learn more about our public health work: Supporting the public health workforce.
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