TDHB, polytech deal backs student nurses

Nursing students trained in Taranaki will now have priority for placements within the region’s district health board.

A memorandum of understanding between the Western Institute of Technology (WITT) and the Taranaki DHB was signed at Taranaki Base Hospital yesterday morning.

The memorandum of understanding focuses on developing the future of Taranaki’s health sector and its nurses.

‘‘Taranaki DHB is committed to working with WITT to ensure our nursing students are workready and transition to becoming great nurses,’’ TDHB chief executive Rosemary Clements said.

‘‘We have 40 new WITT graduate nursing placements in 2020 across clinical, outpatient, mental health and community areas.’’

Prior to new WITT chief executive John Snook starting in February, Clements said the two organisations had a fragmented relationship for a few years.

‘‘We’ve worked hard to rectify that. John asked me about this in February in our first meeting in his first week.’’

Clements said more nurses were needed in all areas of care as there was a labour shortage.

In particular, more Ma¯ori graduates were needed, she said.

The agreement will see a joint education and training facility established on hospital grounds for both parties to use, as well as dedicated education units.

WITT currently had 60 firstyear nursing students enrolled, and Snook said he hoped this number would grow.

‘‘It’s so important to the community to have a nursing school and to be well supported by the DHB ... The day the local polytech and the local DHB fall out is a bad day.’’

First-year WITT nursing student Savannah Hislop said the agreement was really exciting.

‘‘It’s great to know we are wanted and the work we do is really important.’’

SIMON O’CONNOR/STUFF Western Institute of Technology chief John Snook and TDHB chief Rosemary Clements, pictured together at right, say they have ‘‘worked hard’’ to rectify the relationship between the two organisations.