Whakarōpū: An Exemplar Fostering Professional Development and Cultural Growth With a Collective Grouping of Māori, and Pacific, Nurses
Authors: Komene Ebony , Sami Lisa , Wiapo Coral , Davis Josephine , Adams Sue 
Published: December 2023

The path to increasing and fostering the Māori and Pacific nursing workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand is multifaceted and requires Indigenous solutions. As part of a national workforce programme to increase Māori and Pacific enrolled nurses in primary healthcare, the workforce team developed and supported a whakarōpū (collective grouping) to attend and present at the National Enrolled Nurse Conference. This paper reports on the experiences of five Māori and two Pacific nurses, together with three senior Indigenous nurse leaders, as a whakarōpū. Ongoing kōrerorero (conversations), both face-to-face and online, was the primary data source; however, participants also provided written and verbal feedback. Through kaupapa kōrero, a collective analysis of the data was conducted. To mitigate the barriers created by a dominant Western-centric learning culture, whakarōpū is a successful example of how to foster flourishing learning experiences for Māori and Pacific nurses. Keeping Māori and Pacific nurses connected, participating, and maintaining dialogue is essential for their collective professional development and cultural growth. The whakataukī, waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa (let us keep close together, not wide apart), describes the weaving of people, and their aspirations as Māori and Pacific nurses who feel prepared to lead and provide culturally responsive care for their communities. Supporting whakarōpū is essential for Māori and Pacific nurses to develop cultural connections, enable clinically and culturally safe spaces, and feel empowered and prepared for leadership. Te reo Māori translation Ko te Whakarōpū, he Tauira Whai Painga Poipoi i te Whakapakaritanga Ngaio me te Tupunga Ahurea me tētahi Rōpū Tapuhi Māori, Moana-nui-a-Kiwa hoki Ngā Ariā Matua He tini ngā pekanga o te ara whakapiki, poipoi hoki i te ohu kaimahi tapuhi Māori, Moana-nui-a-Kiwa hoki, ā, me kimi hoki he rongoā nā ngā iwi taketake i te tuatahi. I whakawhanaketia e te tira kāhui kaimahi tētahi ohu whakarōpū (collective grouping) kia tae atu, kia tāpae kōrero hoki ki te Hui ā-Motu o ngā Tapuhi Rēhita, hei wāhanga o tētahi hōtaka ohu kaimahi ā-motu e whai nei ki te whakapiki i ngā tapuhi Māori, me ō Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. E tāpae kōrero ana tēnei tuhinga mō ngā kitenga a ētahi tapuhi Māori, Moana-nui-a-Kiwa hoki e rima, tae atu ki ētahi kaihautū tapuhi taketake mātāmua tokotoru, hei ohu whakarōpū. I noho ko ngā kōrerorero ā-kanohi, tuihono hoki hei puna raraunga tuatahi; ahakoa rā, i tāpaetia hoki e ngā tāngata whai wāhi mai ētahi whakaaro ā-tuhi, ā-kōrero hoki. I kawea ngā tātaritanga tōpū nā roto i ngā kaupapa kōrero. Hei kaupare i ngā maioro nā te ahurea akoranga o whenua kē i whakaara, he mea pai te ohu whakarōpū hei penapena i ngā wheako akoranga mō ngā tapuhi Māori, ō Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa hoki. He mea taketake te whai kia honohono ngā tapuhi Māori, me ō Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, kia whai wāhi tonu, kia kōrerorero tonu mō tō rātou mahi whakapakari ngaio, tupunga ahurea hoki. E ai rā te whakataukī, waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa (let us keep close together, not wide apart), kei reira te tauira o te whakapipiri i te tangata, me ō rātou wawata hei tapuhi Māori, Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa hoki, kua oti te whakangungu hei kaiarataki, hei kaikawe taurimatanga tika ā-ahurea hoki mō ō rātou hapori. He mea taketake te tautoko i ngā ohu whakarōpū mā ngā tapuhi Māori, me ō Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa hei whakawhanake i ngā hononga ahurea, hei whakarite wāhi haumaru ā-tiakinga tūroro, ā-ahurea hoki, kia piki anō tō rātou mana, kia tika te tū ki te ārahi i ētahi atu.