Rotuman nurse, Jieni Naivaluvou, will be celebrating her profession during International Nurses Day and says it is a time for the Pacific community to appreciate the standard of care and commitment that nurses provide for families.
“I take my hat off to all nurses around the world. Nursing has to come from the heart. We are dedicated to helping our communities.
Having one day to commend the nurses for their dedication is very important. It gives the nurses motivation, a feeling of being loved and acknowledged. It shows that people care, understand and support our work of getting people back into wellness.”
Naivaluvou grew up in Fiji with parents from the island of Rotuma. Ever since she was a child, she always had a desire to become a nurse.
“With nursing, you must have compassion, empathy and a caring persona. Being raised at home in Fiji, these were the qualities that were instilled in us growing up. It was only natural for me to pursue a career as a nurse.”
The mother of five, whose children range from the ages of 30 -10, studied and worked as a nurse in Fiji before moving to New Zealand with her husband and family seven years ago. She retrained in New Zealand and is currently working as a mental health nurse at the Counties Manukau District Health Board.
One of her proudest moments is when her 25-year-old daughter, Andrea, followed in her footsteps and became a nurse.
“She grew up in Fiji and saw how hard I worked as a nurse. This gave her inspiration and she wanted to be like her mum. During her clinical training I had great feedback from other nurses and her lecturers, who would tell me that she had this aura of respect, care and love. This made me really proud as a mother.”
Naivaluvou is also one of the few nurses who can speak her native language of Rotuman. She says on the rare occasion she has patients who speak the language as well and she is grateful that she is able to converse with then.
“To be able to speak the language is an asset in my job. To our Rotuman patients, I am able to translate for them and make them feel at ease. I treasure being a mouthpiece and advocate for these patients.”
This week is also Rotuman Language Week. Naivaluvou is grateful that she grew up speaking Rotuman in her home and that she was able to pass the language onto her five children.
“I knew I wanted my children to speak Rotuman because it’s their identity and it’s important to hold onto these traditions. Our home is culturally focused, and we hold dear to our Rotuman culture.”
#pmafamily
Date: Wednesday 12 May 2021