Balancing study, family and finances – Tauafu’s journey into nursing

We loved talking with Tauafu, a final-year Bachelor of Nursing student, about her journey to becoming a nurse – the challenges she's overcome, with the help of our Rise scholarship supporters, and what she's looking forward to as she prepares to graduate.

What's a typical week for you, as you near the end of your training?
This is the first semester of my third year, so I'm mostly in school, doing face-to-face or online lectures; it takes a lot of my time. I'm blessed that my work is flexible because of my studies, so I typically work one or two days a week, and most of the week I'm just totally committed to my studies.

What have been some of the highlights of your training so far?
The main highlight has been the learning – putting on your hat as a student nurse and looking at things from different angles. Beforehand, my profession focused on cultural support and advocacy. In my final year of training, there's an emphasis on the importance of cultural safety in our nursing practice – representing the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which we can apply to anyone who comes through our care, not just our Māori and Pasifika patients. That's also been a real highlight.

An ongoing highlight has been figuring out how to balance my life – family life, work life, and school life. It's a struggle, but it's a good struggle.

What's been the most challenging part of your journey and how have you overcome it?
The most challenging part of my journey has been trying to commit more time to both my family and my work. But I've overcome it by not feeling guilty about spending so much time on my schooling, because I have a very supportive family and very supportive work.

And, of course, the financial challenge has been ongoing. I'm thankful that my husband works full-time to provide for us, and whatever I get from my part-time hours contributes to the family income. I've used my scholarship to prepay things before bills come – it's made it easier for my husband not to struggle alone, and also for my son, to get the things he needs. 

The financial support I get from the Rise Scholarship takes a lot of my worries away.

Managing my time and finances have been the biggest challenges, but the supportive networks throughout my journey have helped me overcome those obstacles.

Now that you're almost ready to graduate, how does it feel to be at this point in your journey?
I can already feel a bit of the burden lifting off my shoulders. I'm preparing myself emotionally for my transition into nursing, but we can't predict the future; family commitments happen, deaths happen, spontaneous events happen in life.

I'm also preparing myself spiritually, because I believe everything that happens is an act of God. If God has given you this talent, it's your job on Earth to nurture it, so I'm looking forward to taking the last step of my journey to becoming a nurse.

What kind of nurse do you hope to be? Is there a particular area or patient group you're passionate about?
I've always been passionate about community. My background is community. With community, you have time to fully engage with your patients and provide that holistic, wraparound support – whether in a GP practice, an outpatient clinic, paediatrics, or elderly care.

I can be a Pacific nurse anywhere, but the most important thing is that I'm a nurse – not just for Pacific patients, but for everyone. Applying cultural safety is not just for Māori and Pacific patients, it's for every patient that comes through my care, and I will provide the best possible care that I can for them.

What are you most looking forward to about starting your career?
I'm looking forward to developing my nursing skills in the field. It won't be in lecture rooms anymore – it's getting into the work, learning from my seniors; and it's turning what I learned in the classroom, with health education and health promotion, into reality. And working with the people in the community that I will serve; that's what I'm looking forward to most. 

What would you say to a student thinking about applying for a Rise scholarship?
The financial support takes so much worry away. As a student, you don't get paid for placements – 12 weeks, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. You're meal prepping on Sundays, you're watching the café prices, you're thinking about petrol and parking costs. 

The scholarship makes a difference to everyday life. If you have the opportunity to apply, take it.

What would you like to say to the donors who support the Rise scholarship programme?
I extend my utmost and sincere appreciation to everyone who has contributed to my Rise scholarship. It has given me the opportunity to pursue my dream. I'm near the end of my studies and I wouldn't have done it without the donors, the sponsors, and the people who have kept this opportunity going. They've given us hope to know we're not alone in our journey.

In our Tongan proverb, I'll say Holo pe tu'u he ko e ngalu e fasi. In English, it means the only valuable asset that a Tongan has is to give thanks and appreciate. And, from the bottom of my heart, I really, really appreciate the support.

The support has taken me to my third year, and I'm preparing myself for my last semester before I walk onto that stage. And if I walk onto that stage as a graduate, I take all those who have supported my journey, from Rise donors to the people around me; I will take all of them with me onto that stage and graduate proudly. Malo 'aupito.

Watch her message here >

Our Rise scholarship programme helps aspiring nurses and midwives overcome the challenges they face while training. To learn more or support the programme, click here.