Nurse loves privilege of working with māmā and pēpi

ANITA Ngatu doesn't regret the years she worked in a fast food restaurant but says, these days, she thinks more carefully about nutrition.

“At the time you are just thinking about providing for your family, putting food on the table,” says Anita Tongan, Ngāti Porou.

“But I really wanted more for my family, and to help the whānau of others, which is why I changed direction and trained as a nurse.”

Graduating with a Bachelors degree in 2015, the mother-of-three worked in both aged and hospital care until 2019 when she joined Turanga Health as co-ordinator for its E Tipu E Rea referral hub for services for mothers and babies.

But it took just a couple of months before she realised she could better use her training in a hands-on role and became a nurse with Turanga Health's Well Child Tamariki Ora programme.

“I've worked with adults for most of my life so working with tamariki – and doing post-grad Well Child Tamariki Ora training -- means there is always something to learn,” she says.
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“I love the contact with māmā and pēpi and it's always a privilege to be welcomed into their homes and to play a role in their lives.”

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