What islands & villages do you come from? 

Niue Island. Hakupu/Alofi 

What drove you to pursue a career in nursing? 

After having 6 children, I was grateful for the Plunket Nurses and Midwives that helped and supported me through out my pregnancy to delivery and post-delivery. Not only did they provide me with support but also with basic knowledge and skills needed as a mum. I wanted to help other mums in my community as I was able to relate to them. 

The best thing about being a nurse is. 

As a pacific Nurse, I wanted to help as much as I could to Improve health in Pacific people’s lives.  I was able to use my Niuean language to communicate with Niuean patients about their health and wellbeing. This built good relationships and trust with elderly Niuean patients as they were able to confidently communicate their needs as well as helping them have an understanding about what medication is used for their different medical conditions. I made it a priority to apply everything I had learnt in my life around service and empathy to my patients.  

When you’re not at work, what do you do to practise self-care? 

Outside of work I like to spend time with my family, especially my grandchildren. Sundays are spent together at church followed by shared lunch at home. This is a reminder of the reason I started this career path and gets me focused for the week ahead.

What’s your piece of advice for anyone who is wanting to become a nurse. 

You can achieve anything in life, with hard work and determination.  Don’t give up. If you feel it may be getting tough, ask for help. There is a lot of resources and support available to you, take advantage of it. Our Pacific community is a strong and loving one, we are here to support one another. It is never too late to start your education and create a better life for you and your family.