Maori student nurses' hui nurture spiritual, academic and cultural needs: the annual Maori student nurses' hui provide a wonderful opportunity for students to receive encouragement from Maori nurses who have paved the way and overcome barriers on their journeys.

Tu Teao and Ruiahona Marae, at Te Teko, near Whakatane, were the venues for this year's Maori student nurses' hui in April The hui has been hosted by Te Kaunihera O Nga Neehi Maori (National Council of Maori Nurses) for almost 20 years and is open to all Maori students undertaking the bachelor of nursing degree programme, their tutors, kaiawhina and, very importantly, our treasured kaumatua.

The theme for this year's hui, from April 19-22, was Te Hononga o Te Wairua. This describes people's relationships and connections to wairua, the spiritual dimension of life. This theme was apt as we celebrated Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi's progress towards establishing a Maori nursing school which has been a dream of Te Kaunihera for almost 21 years. The school is due to be opened in Whakatane next year and will be the first Maori nursing school in Aotearoa. It had been hoped to open the school this year. However, due to "insurmountable hurdles", as Te Kaunihera president Mere Balzer said, this has been delayed.

Te Kaunihera patroness Aunty Putiputi O'Brien gave the opening address. She spoke on the themes of "Absolutely, positively nursing", "Diversity, dialogue and destiny" and the importance of "Collaboration in action" Aunty Putiputi likened cultural diversity to the tukutuku pattern, formed from different weaves, textures and shades. This is a beautiful concept I have been privileged to hear Aunty Putiputi discuss on at least three occasions. Each time I am filled with such motivation and determination to succeed in my dreams, hopes and aspirations.

Our first guest speaker the following morning was Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi chief executive Kuni Jenkins. She explained the setbacks in opening the new school but stressed determination to have it up and running by the beginning of next year. There are plenty of interested students and an awesome team of tutors. I was privileged to visit the school while at the hui. For the first time, Te Kaunihera O Nga Neehi Maori and Te Roopu Mate Huka o Aotearoa (the National Maori Diabetes Society) held a combined AGM, which the students were able to attend too. Te Roopu Mate Huka o Aotearoa is a consumer group offering services to whanau with diabetes and works at a governance level. With New Zealand heading into a type 2 diabetes epidemic and a large percentage of those with the disease being Maori or Pacific Island, it is vital these types of services exist to promote the well-being and health of our whanau. Attending the AGM was a wonderful opportunity to gain some insight into how these two organisations work.

Independent consultant to both the education and health sectors, Candy Cookson, was our next guest speaker. Her main area of expertise is ethics and the breaches of ethics. Cookson claimed "there is no right or wrong in ethics and ethics is only a way of viewing the world". The fundamental principles in nursing, she said, were beneficence and justice, with tikanga and kawa being the Maori principles. She shared stories of experiences while nursing overseas and the implications when your own ethics and values are compromised or viewed differently by another culture.

Our final speaker for the day, Pou Arahi Maori health manager for the government drug-funding agency PHARMAC, Marama Parore, gave some interesting statistics about Maori as consumers of medications and accessing health services. Maori have less access to medications than non-Maori, one example being antidepressants. Maori and non-Maori are diagnosed with depression at equal rates, but Maori are significantly less likely to be prescribed antidepressants (one in 24 Maori compared to 24 in 53 non-Maori). Maori spend an average 13.7 minutes when visiting their GP compared to 15.1 minutes for non-Maori. Parore is interested in why this is happening and what PHARMAC can do to help bridge these gaps. She believes health professionals and health educators need to reframe their key messages beyond simply telling people to give up smoking and eat well. We know this approach isn't working, she said. The proof is the number of Maori who suffer from heart disease and type 2 diabetes. We need to work in partnership and more holistically with our clients and their whanau, providing education and support in order for them to achieve maximum health gains. Knowledge can be a powerful tool, empowering clients to make informed and responsible decisions about their lives and the way they choose to live, Parore said.

Rotorua's unique Maori health centre

Chief executive of Rotorua's Korowai Aroha Health Centre, Ngaire Whata, spoke to us about this unique Maori health centre that has been providing services since 1992 and takes a holistic approach to addressing inequalities and encouraging wellness for both Maori and non-Maori. The founders of the service, two inspired Maori registered nurses (RNs), began with only five contracts: asthma, diabetes, kaumatua services, smoking cessation and cervical screening. The first doctor joined in 1997, followed by five more. Over the years, the practice has grown to include five practice nurses, one enrolled nurse, 48 home caregivers and two administrators. They are currently successfully trialling a new graduate programme and even offer training to hospital registrars. Other contracts now offered include: mirimiri/rongoa (Maori traditional heating and massage), community health support, asthma management, general medical services, and kaihatu mote whanau (driving force for whanau). Three other nurses are employed to work in kohanga reo, disease state management and outreach immunisation. The service is community-orientated and this is reflected in its mission: "To be an accessible, affordable quality service that allows for the cultural values of the Maori people."

Following this presentation, nursing students Isaac Te Awa from the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) and Suzanne Marshall from the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) gave a PowerPoint presentation on the 2006 Pacific Nurses' Forum in Samoa, which had the theme "Healthy nurses for a non-communicable, disease-free Pacific" They shared statistics showing the percentage of people with heart disease, diabetes and other life threatening but preventable illnesses. In Tonga, at least 80 percent of nurses are obese--an incredible statistic. New Zealand and Australia were the only two Pacific nations that did not submit any statistics. Several island nations are now active in their fight against obesity and have initiated compulsory fitness programmes for nurses, like walking and swimming.

Six students presented exemplars reflecting the hui theme and their own clinical practice. Wairua is an extremely personal and difficult subject to talk about. Some students were understandably very emotional as they shared experiences that had not only had an impact on the way they nursed, but also affected their personal lives. The sponsor for this event was the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). There was an ACC stand on the marae throughout the hui. Cash prizes and the opportunity for students to attend an indigenous health conference in Rotorua in October were offered.

Skits bring students together

Students performing skits on the final night are a real feature of these hui. Rather than performing these skits with students from our own school, we were split into different groups. This was a neat way to meet new people, learn to work together as a team and develop effective communication techniques. It was awesome to see what all the groups had come up with over the previous three days, and delightful to see our kaumatua and tutors participating as well The final event of the evening was the tono. This is a chance for student groups to challenge for the opportunity to hold next year's hui in their region. This is done through waiata and speech making, and was won by MIT.

I am in my third year as an SIT representative, and my first as Tauira Aronui chair for Te Runanga o Aotearoa NZNO. I was extremely proud to wear my Te Runanga hat and eager to talk with students from all over New Zealand about their experiences, both positive and negative, on their journeys to becoming RNs. All those I spoke to were passionate Maori men and women driven to achieve their goals and become the best RNs they can be. These hui help students achieve their dreams. They are able to meet inspiring Maori nurses and health professionals who have experienced and overcome similar barriers in their own journeys. The benefits gained by attending these hui are not just academic. They are also opportunities to proudly display our wairua, tupuna, personal growth and development as nurses.

From these hui, I have gained amazing support and developed networks all over New Zealand. The hui have enabled me to grow both professionally and personally in an environment that has nurtured my spiritual and cultural needs. I feel proud to be entering the wonderful profession of nursing, and even prouder to be a Maori woman with the knowledge and skills that will help the people of Aotearoa gain better hearth through promotion, prevention, education and nursing practice. I have learnt valuable communication skills, developed my organisational skills and actively participated within a team. I believe these qualities will help ensure my clients/whanau receive quality care.

I would like to thank Te Runanga for its support, with a special thanks to chair Brenda Close. I would also like to thank Te Kaunihera O Nga Neehi Maori for providing students with such a valuable opportunity. Kia kaha!

Tracy Witehira is a third-year student at the Southern Institute of Technology and chair of Te Runanga o Aotearoa's Tauira Aronui.