Media Release
27 March 2009
For Immediate Release

Plunket welcomes Well Child graduates

Next week 102 new Plunket nurses, Well Child / Tamariki Ora Nurses and community health workers will graduate after a year of intensive studying.
"The work that these nurses and health workers provide is crucial in keeping all children under the age of five years well and healthy, as well as growing and developing them to their fullest potential", says Merryl Ryan, Plunket's Acting National Education Manager.

Papakura Marae, in South Auckland, will be the venue for graduation with graduates attending from across the country. Many go on to work for Plunket as Plunket Nurses, Community Karitane or Kaiāwhina. Other graduates are employed by Iwi and Pacific community health providers.

The two programmes, designed for nurses and health workers new to Well Child services, are developed by Plunket and delivered in partnership with Whitireia Community Polytechnic, a relationship that begun in 1997. Over that time thousands of Plunket and Well Child nurses, Plunket Kaiawhina, Karitane and health workers have graduated and now work on the frontline of community health delivery.

76 registered nurses completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Health Care Speciality Nursing (Well Child Tamariki Ora Strand) and 26 health workers gained the National Certificate in Tamariki Ora - Well Child Services.

ENDS