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“Everyone I’ve met throughout my life and now at NMIT has changed a little part of me,” Tina says. “They’ve helped me become a more positive, better version of myself. So when you see me, you’re also seeing a little part of my friends.”
Originally from Shanghai, China, Tina’s journey into nursing began at just fifteen years old, via a nursing studies programme offered at her high school. Tina felt this was a path that matched her outgoing personality and desire to work closely with patients.
After completing the programme, Tina moved to Auckland at age 20 and enrolled in a language school to build her English skills before pursuing further studies in nursing. She was debating where to apply when she happened to meet Nada, an elderly woman from Nelson whom Tina would come to call her “Kiwi Granny.” At the time Tina was looking for a flat, and Nada offered her both a place to stay and encouragement to consider NMIT for her studies.
“Nada told me, ‘Nelson is a really lovely place, full of amazing beaches and friendly people. If you go, you will love it.’ And I really do,” says Tina, who is now in the second year of the Bachelor of Nursing programme.
“The main thing I learned so far in my courses at NMIT is critical thinking,” Tina says. “In my earlier studies at high school we didn’t have any patient interaction and we were taught to follow a protocol rather than think through what each patient needed.
“With my NMIT tutors we talk a lot about patient-centred care and communicating with patients. We treat every patient according to their needs, not to a rigid plan.”
Tina was able to exercise these critical thinking skills firsthand during a six-week placement in the Intensive Care Unit at Nelson Hospital. There she shadowed a nurse and gained hands-on experience.
“It was amazing,” Tina says. “When I finished I felt so different, like ‘wow, I am really going to be a nurse.’ The contact with real patients and professionals during placement is the biggest difference between studying here and back home.”
Despite the challenges of being far from home, Tina has felt supported as an international student by the Learner Success Team and has made friendships that make her feel at home while living abroad.
Her best friend and flatmate, Kautea, is a fellow international NMIT student. The two have connected over this shared experience and say they push and support each other academically.
“When we’re studying, we keep our bedroom doors open so we can encourage each other,” says Tina. “She helps me study harder because I see how hard she works. We laugh together, we cry together, and we help each other grow. I want to keep improving, and my friends help me do that. I’m so grateful for the friendships I’ve made at NMIT.”
In addition to her studies, Tina works as a carer at Live Life Disability, and in her spare time she enjoys hiking, swimming, and going to the gym.
With one year of study remaining, Tina feels confident about entering the workforce, thanks in part to the in-class help the tutors will provide on CVs and cover letters before graduation.
“NMIT gives you all the support you could want. I’ll be interviewing before I sit my final exams, so even while I am finding a position I can turn to my tutors for advice.”
Looking ahead, Tina is excited for a mental health nursing placement, as well as a visit home to her family. As for her future goals, Tina says the most important thing to her is that she is able to support patients in big and small ways.
“I want to work on my own path, step by step. I hope one day the light I carry can shine in someone’s darkest moments. It can be so hard for patients to speak up for themselves, even to ask for the simple things, so I want to be someone who says, ‘I’m here, I’m listening, I’ll help you.’”
