Taurangi te kupu whakaari, he mana tangata, he one matua
As a registered nurse prescriber, Aroha Ruha-Hiraka is passionate about Te Ao Māori and applying her knowledge of Te Ao Māori into practice. Te reo me ōna tikanga is the foundation of her nursing practice and forms the basis of her delivery of health services for whānau.
In 2017, Aroha graduated from Awanuiārangi kaupapa Māori nursing degree as a registered nurse. The tikanga Māori component of her degree helped her gain the confidence to apply Māori frameworks into practice when working with whānau. Growing up with Te Reo as her first language and through kōhanga reo and kura Kaupapa, Aroha believes health interventions are already within pūrākau and traditional Māori practices.
As a new graduate nurse, Aroha was named the 2018 joint winner of the national Young Nurse of the Year Award. The New Zealand Nurses Organisation's annual award celebrates nursing at an excellent level and recognises that recipients have reached a high level in their everyday work. She was nominated by her employer, where she worked as a new graduate, for her competent use of te reo me ōna tikanga in practice.
Aroha is studying to become a Nurse Practitioner and plans to continue working amongst her whānau, hapū and iwi in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Te Kura Maengenge, watch this space.
Links:
Te Ōhanga Mataora: Bachelor of Health Sciences Māori Nursing
