Ros Gendreau Nursing Tutor

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Ros Gendreau immigrated to New Zealand in 2020 and has been a nursing tutor with NMIT since 2021. It’s an opportunity she says has been made possible because of the doors nursing opens. 

“Nursing has taken me around the US and around the planet with internationally transferable skills. I immigrated when the borders were closed," Ros recalls. “Being a nurse is almost like having a superpower-- not just because we can cross impermeable borders, but because we have the knowledge and skills to make people feel better physically, mentally and emotionally. What's better than that?”

Prior to coming to Aotearoa, Ros was a nurse and health educator for 17 years, starting as an Emergency Medical Technician and CPR instructor while working towards a Bachelor’s in Nursing. Before obtaining her Master’s in Nursing in 2016, Ros worked in mental health, peadiatric, medical intensive care, travel, and school nursing as well as in health education. 

Currently, Ros is in the Health Sciences Doctoral programme at the University of Canterbury where her studies focus on pharmacology in mental health. Her current research examines the use of psilocybin for mental health symptom management.

In her classes at NMIT, it is important to Ros that students interact with the information and with each other. 

“Even in larger classes, there can be some thoughtful, in-depth conversation. It's not just teaching students about information; it's about telling them what makes the information important and how to apply to real-life experiences in nursing.”

“A major goal of mine is to have students leave NMIT excited about being a nurse,” Ros says. “Another goal is to ensure that our graduates are competent, confident, and safe. Being a nursing student takes a lot of work, but a great thing about the NMIT programme is that the staff work just as hard as the students to help them reach their goals.”