TE PUAWAI My first Maori cultural experience came when I was working in Middlemore Emergency Department in 1989. I was just fresh off the boat per say from America and did not realize how much I had to learn. We had a lady that came into our resuscitation room unresponsive. She had been at a marae and something had happened. No one would tell us what had happened so we had to do a lot of guessing. It seemed that it was secretive and I was annoyed that we could not take an accurate history. At this time a Maori nurse named Dianne took me under her wing and started teaching me about cultural safety. 10 years later I went to work in the Far North and continued to have many cultural experiences. At Kaitaia hospital again one of the Maori nurses Dinki took me under her wing and would go before into the room to tell the Maori whanau I was okay. This made a huge difference. One story that stands out for me was when I realized I needed to not be frightened of this culture so different than my own that I went to a tangi to show respect to a patient I had cared for. I had dreamed
the night before an unusual dream that I was being pulled into the coffin. The next day I followed the other nurses as they went to show respect and went and kissed the tupapaku since I felt I was supposed to. I believe this is what my dream was preparing me for. I learned later I did not need to do this. At another tangi I went by myself to show respect to another patient and his wife. I went and paid these respects and then went to leave the marae. One lady followed me and told me I could not leave. The man that starting speaking thanked me for the help I had given the patient but told me I was lucky that I was not run down by his car since it was very rude of me to leave before I had been acknowledged. So I stayed and spoke some words that had to be followed with a song and a cup of tea. Next time I will take someone with me. I am thankful that people have patience with me and are willing to teach me. Submitted by Joyce Jones
Disclaimer - The College of Nurses Aotearoa (NZ) provides Te Puawai as a forum for its members to express professional viewpoints, offer ideas and stimulate new ways of looking at professional practice and issues. However, the viewpoints offered are those of the contributors and the College of Nurses does not take responsibility for the viewpoints and ideas offered. Readers are encouraged to be both critical and discerning with regard to what is presented.
19