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Nursing students moving to Manawa

19 September, 2018

Over the mid-term staff are moving to the new Manawa facility in the midst of the Te Papa Hauora/Christchurch Health Precinct and over 200 year one nursing students will take their first classes there from 24 September.

There are over 900 nursing students currently studying nursing at Ara.

Manawa, a partnership between Ara, Canterbury District Health Board and University of Canterbury, is a milestone in the history of nursing education in this country, Cathy Andrew, Head of the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health says.

“This is a game-changer for New Zealand. Our future nurses will be educated and integrated with health professionals from the Canterbury District Health Board and researchers from the University of Canterbury throughout their programme while attending classes and simulation. Manawa is right on the doorstep of Christchurch hospital and linked to the wider health system. Our training was already collaborative and comprehensive, but this takes it to a new level. That is good news for the future capability of Canterbury’s health sector.”

The department has been preparing for the move to ensure a smooth transition. Nursing has been delivered at the City Campus since 1973 and Ara’s nursing department will continue to have some classes, exams and events there.

Ara Midwifery and Medical Imaging students moved to Manawa in July and are benefitting hugely from the shared resources and spaces, especially the state of the art Simulation Facility.

Bachelor of Medical Imaging student Sarah Akhtar says the students are “settling in just fine”.

“The new upgraded facilities are great especially the new X-ray machine. We also have the virtual reality training programme. This is great for practice while we are on our 10-week academic block at Manawa when we are not dealing directly with patients. It helps to keep us up to date with the clinical side of things.”

Manawa means heart, patience and breath in Māori and was the name gifted to the partnership by local iwi as a reflection of the proverb “Manawa whenua, manawa tangata”, which describes the intimate connection between human health and the health of our environment.

Ara is a leading provider of nursing training, offering qualifications from the New Zealand Diploma in Enrolled Nursing to the Bachelor of Nursing through to Masters qualifications and professional development. Some students prepare for qualifications with the New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 4) (Pre Health Pathway), which is a pathway for the Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Midwifery, Bachelor of Applied Science (in Human Nutrition or Physical Activity and Health Promotion) and Bachelor of Musculo-Skeletal Health leading to osteopathy.

Find out more about Ara nursing qualifications here.

Read more about Manawa here.