“My grandfather who brought me up is my biggest influence in my journey and is one of the reasons why I wanted to become a nurse. 

"Currently, I am a registered Enrolled Nurse (EN) with nearly four years' experience as a Practice Nurse. Right now I am working casually as a EN for Etu Pasifika Canterbury." 

Ms Pereira highlights that empathy and a deep passion for making a difference in people's lives is why she has chosen to work in the health workforce.  

At the time of the 2019 Measle epidemic in Samoa and 2022 Covid-19 outbreak in Niue, Ms Pereira was deployed to these islands accompanying the PACMAT team. PACMAT is a skilled and multidisciplinary team of Pacific medical professionals, ready to assist international medical institutions during sudden disasters or disease outbreaks in the Pacific region.  

In 2022, Ms Pereira was the recipient of the PMA Abel Smith Nursing Scholarship and she expressed how helpful it was to her as a student and mother. 

“The scholarship helped me and my family financially during my transition from a full-time worker to a full-time student. It helped fund my study needs and so as for my children’s school fees and paid for bills.” 

Moving forward, Ms Pereira aspires to work alongside a team of Pacific clinicians to utilize and understand cultural nuances. 

“I would love to be working with Pacific clinicians to help deliver health education using our gifts of language to improve health literacy for our Pacific communities.” 

Ms Pereira encourages anyone looking to pursue a career in healthcare to be driven by a purpose and to celebrate their small wins.  

Our upcoming Charity Ball will raise funds towards our education fund which are distributed through the PMA Scholarships. Purchase a ticket here: https://membership.pacifichealth.org.nz/charity-ball-2023