"There's no challenge too big"

Caring comes naturally to Ranui McRoberts (Te Whanau a Apanui). Now a Registered Nurse and graduate of Otago Polytechnic’s Bachelor of Nursing programme, Ranui got her start working at a rest home with a dementia unit at just 17 years old.

“I remember my first day on the job,” Ranui says. “One of the senior care staff members asked me three questions.

“She said, ‘have you got any children?’ I said no. She said, ‘have you ever wiped an ass?’ and I said no. And she said, ‘have you ever looked after old people?’ and I said no, and she said, ‘wow. You probably won't make it through your first day, but we'll see how you go.’

“I took that on as a challenge.”

Ranui impressed that staff member, and worked at that rest home for several years, completing aged care certificates along the way.

“I decided to take the leap into Registered Nursing because it opened the door to work across multiple areas of healthcare, and also it put me in a position where I would be able to help more.”

The decision where to study came after careful consideration.

“I actually did look at potentially studying at SIT because it had the zero fees. But I also did some research and knew that Otago Polytechnic nurses were really sought after.

“And I knew there was really good support here, there was Te Punaka Ōwheo and student support through Student Success.”

Te Punaka Ōwheo is Otago Polytechnic’s Māori Student Success office. They provide cultural, social and academic support to ākonga Māori.

“Te Punaka Ōwheo, I used to call in and see them all the time. I’d occasionally go and have the lunches they provided. I would also use the Student Success services when I needed to, like if I needed some help with essay writing or understanding marking criteria, things like that.”

Those supports became an important part of Ranui’s journey. During her degree, Ranui encountered a number of significant challenges. In her first year, she gave birth to her first child.

“Financially it was quite difficult and Student Success would often help with grocery vouchers or petrol vouchers for driving to and from campus.”

Then during her second year, Ranui’s grandfather, the pou of her family, passed away, and Ranui and her whānau drove him home to the North Island.

“Things were due during that period. I think it might have been a medication test that needed to be done when I was on that journey, and I was able to log in and remotely do it. My lecturers were really supportive about things like that.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the environment I was in, without the support of my peers, my lecturers, Te Punaka Ōwheo.

“In the three years, the biggest thing I learned about myself was how resilient I am.”

There were also moments to celebrate along the way. During third year, Ranui won an award for an exemplar she presented in Hamilton at a Māori Nurses Hui.

Placements were also a great experience.  

“I got such a wide variety of placements, but I enjoyed them equally for different aspects. I really enjoyed the fast pace and thinking on your feet of the Emergency Department. Then I enjoyed the structure of Day Surgery. And then it was the mental health aspects and addict counselling side of things at Moana House and down at Corrections. There’s always something to learn.

“I loved being out with the district nurses and in the rural areas. My long-term goal would be to move home and be nursing on the East Coast of the Bay of Plenty and giving back to my Iwi.”

One thing Ranui says that the Otago Polytechnic nursing programme does particularly well is incorporating te ao Māori directly into the learning experience.

“The tikanga that’s been included in first and second year definitely opened my eyes to what’s going on around me and reconnected me with my culture.”

Ranui’s experience is a valuable example to anyone considering study. She believes it’s important to use the supports around you to help you achieve success.

“The one thing I would say for anyone who’s looking to come to Otago Polytechnic is that there’s no challenge too big. I faced some big things—having my first child, losing my grandfather—and as long as you’re open and honest, and reach out for the support, it’s there. No matter what the challenges you face, it’s worth it.”