Kia ora Hauora
Kia ora Hauora is a healthcare work placement programme designed to give rangatahi an insight into the world of health care as a possible pathway.
On the 8th April, rangatahi Māori from around Te Tai o Poutini travelled to participate in a wananga run by Kia Ora Hauora (KOH).
Kia Ora Hauora programme offers rangatahi a safe, guided experience into the world of healthcare through a 3-day work placement. Every day was different, the experience gave us valuable insight into the working lives of our health professionals. This program is ideal for rangatahi Māori in Years 11 to 13, who may decide to pursue careers as health professionals. It also helps us figure out if a decision in a medical career is right.
Our first stop was a pōwhiri at Arahura marae, we learnt about the history of the marae, ate lunch and then went to St John's for lessons on CPR
Gaining work experience is important as it shows what working in the health service is really like. While the work is often challenging and extremely rewarding it is not always quite as glamorous as it looked on TikTok!
Many different roles are operating in Te Nikau Hospital, to suit a wide range of skills and interests. We learnt about many other jobs in the same workplace and got to meet with a variety of health professionals of different ages, cultural and social backgrounds such as:
- Diversional Therapy
- Social Work
- Speech Language Therapy
- Physio
- Dietetics
- Pharmacy
- Dental Occupational Therapy
- Allied Health Assistant.
We visited radiography rooms and got to understand the different procedures. If you want to use the latest medical equipment to detect injuries and life-threatening ailments becoming a Radiographer would be a great career choice. We also got first-hand insight into the healthcare challenges people face every day and participated in community healthcare outreaches (St John’s) that serve people in need. It also allowed us to develop our communication skills and experience being with a huge range of people from all sorts of different backgrounds
It is worth having a good think about everything you are involved in and you will soon discover that you may have already developed some vital skills. Even looking after your younger brothers and sisters involves a huge degree of responsibility and important interpersonal and communication skills. Being part of a kapa haka roopu can show that you are a good team member and that you have (hopefully) developed good negotiation skills and a flexible attitude to learning.
Thank you Aunty Trudy and Aunty Vicky for generously giving your time, skills and energy to us rangatahi, and our whānau. Your dedication and support are a crucial part of the success of this course and in helping us make better-informed career decisions. Highlights for us all. were learning about the marae, and how, not all health careers are in a hospital setting but can be in other areas, such as St John, pharmacy, residential care or retirement home, a day centre for people with physical or learning disabilities, or a doctors’ reception.
Nā,
Lani Mercer