Josephine Davis was welcomed today as the new Head of the School of Nursing at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, in a pōwhiri at Waipapa Marae.
The handover marks a major shift for the country’s largest nursing provider, making Davis the first Māori academic to lead the school.
Davis (Ngāti Kōpaki, Ngāti Manu, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei) has 40 years of healthcare experience. She carries a legacy as New Zealand’s 109th registered nurse practitioner and only the seventh Māori nurse practitioner in the country’s history.
The strategic shift at the top
Today’s pōwhiri follows a deliberate choice by the outgoing Head of School, Associate Professor Julia Slark, to step aside and open the pathway for Māori leadership.
“I’ve done what I needed to do and what I could do” Slark said. “I think it’s time for me to move aside and she will bring new fresh ideas and she will lead for Māori and for Māori to see Māori in the leadership roles”
She acknowledged that stepping down was an essential move to ensure an experienced, frontline Māori nurse practitioner took the top seat, putting clinical authority where strategic choices are made.
Donna Foxall, a kaimahi from Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, said having Davis in the role is a major win for the profession.
“This is an extremely exciting day for us in Māoridom and it’s exciting day for nursing to have Māori leadership such as Josephine as head of school is incredibly important role for us”
Michael Steedman, Ihonuku Māori (Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori) at the university, backed the appointment at the marae today.
“I roto i tōnā taha Māori ērā hua e mau ia ki te tuku anō ki tēnei kura, he mea nui mō mātou katoa, mō tātou katoa,” Steedman said.
Unpaid placements driving student dropouts
Davis takes over at a time when hospitals nationwide are facing severe staffing shortages. A major focus for her will be tackling the financial hurdles forcing students out of the profession, specifically, unpaid clinical placements.
Nursing students must complete hundreds of hours of compulsory practical blocks on hospital wards. Despite working full-time rostered hours on these shifts, the work is entirely unpaid.
Davis said this financial pressure stops people from finishing their studies.
“There is a strong desire for many Māori to come into nursing, and one of the strong indicators that stop them from studying is they have to work,” Davis said.
“To step out of paid employment for a three-year degree is very, very difficult, so intentional investment and development of the Māori nursing workforce so that our Māori nurses can go on”
Currently, data shows about one-third of all Māori nursing students drop out before graduating.
Pushing for budget funding
Davis wants to see structural funding reform to support students financially while they complete their mandatory hospital hours.
With Budget Day looming, she is calling on the government to invest directly into the future workforce. For Davis, this investment is directly tied to frontline patient safety.
“One of the things that I think is really important for the well-being of whānau in New Zealand is that nurses in Aotearoa have really strong grounding in kawa whakaruruhau, in cultural safety and understanding what that means in their nursing cares working with whānau”
