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Senior medical representative at Boehringer Ingelheim Nicola Gibson-Groot and Turuki Health Care's Fakaanga Mapa

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM PRACTICE NURSE OF THE YEAR

This award recognises the exemplary work of a practice nurse where they have made an outstanding individual contribution to patient care in their practice. They will have expended considerable effort and imagination, leadership, collaboration and innovation, to address practice and patient-level issues

WINNER: FAKAANGA MAPA

Fakaanga Mapa is breaking through cultural norms to ensure the healthcare needs of the communities he loves are taken care of.

As a Tongan male nurse Mr Mapa already stands out. But Turuki Health Care primary healthcare manager Renee Muru-Barnard says it’s his dedication and compassion, combined with exceptional communication and clinical skills that makes him extra special.

“He’s an absolute gentle giant and he genuinely cares about people,” Mrs Muru-Barnard says.

“There are not many male nurses around, particularly in primary care, and having him is a real blessing for us. Having a nurse that our men can talk to freely, openly and honestly is really important.” Mr Mapa is based at Turuki Health Care’s Panmure clinic, and diabetes is among the big healthcare issues for the community it serves. He helps tackle the problem from a nursing and cultural perspective through consultations and workshops.

He promotes the clinic’s low-carb message to patients and helps people switch out food in boil-ups or hangi for healthier alternatives.

Mr Mapa can also talk to Tongan patients in their own language and his cultural understanding helps with health breakthroughs.

As a “genuine bloke” he can also talk about his own young family when speaking about healthy whānau lifestyles, Mrs Muru-Barnard says.

The father of four believes living healthy lifestyles will help inspire others, including future generations. He is also a big advocate of encouraging Pacific men to break free of their culture of stoicism and seek help to get prompt medical advice and treatment.

Mr Mapa started at Turuki Health Care’s Panmure clinic as a junior nurse and is now a sixth year nurse.

He is also the clinic’s nurse leader and nurse preceptor, and his teams adore him, which leads to a very stable workforce, Mrs Muru-Barnard says. In fact, the clinic has a wait list of nurses wanting to work there.

“We constantly get exceptional feedback from the nurses who he trains and mentors, who themselves go on to be incredible nurses.”

During the COVID-19 lockdowns Mr Mapa’s calm leadership and dedication was particularly valuable.

He led the clinic team during the week and worked weekends in the community-based assessment centres. Mrs Muru-Barnard says this demonstrates his enormous dedication to the community.

Judges' comments:

Your colleagues speak so highly of the impact that you have within your practice. You should be incredibly proud of what you have achieved, and the difference that you are making.

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Inspirational nurse gives her colleagues goosebump moments

 

FINALIST: ANGELA MOANANU