Whakatāne nursing student Jessica Matenga-Barnes wants to make it easier for rural people to get healthcare.

Born and bred in Reporoa, the 36-year-old knows the “barriers” people face regarding getting to appointments - and it is one of the reasons she wants to be a nurse.

Matenga-Barnes is in the second year of her three-year nursing degree at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in Whakatāne.

She is one of 27 recipients of a Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora-funded scholarship designed to grow the rural health workforce.

Rural Women New Zealand managed the scholarships and announced the recipients on September 9.

'It's supported me in so much'

Matenga-Barnes, who lives in Kawerau with her partner and three children, said it meant a lot to receive a $2500 scholarship as it helped her focus more on her studies.

“It’s supported me in so much - just the little things, to be honest, like [petrol] to get to placement or even to school, just a full cupboard of groceries in my house. So it’s one less stress off me: more stationery, more appropriate footwear ... "

She gave a “big ngā mihi” to those who involved with the scholarships.

Matenga-Barnes said she decided to study nursing after her grandfather died suddenly of a heart attack in 2013.

He was the “head of our family” and it was a “huge shock”, she said.

She became “curious” about how the body worked and decided to pursue a pathway in health and wellbeing.

Matenga-Barnes travels to Whakatāne four days a week for her studies. She is currently doing a five-week placement at Whakatāne Hospital.

“It’s awesome ... I enjoy the hospital, I enjoy the people, the registered nurses, the doctors, everything.”

Matenga-Barnes will graduate at the end of next year. She was not sure what she would do then, but liked the idea of working in a hospital setting in New Zealand - “Rotorua, hopefully.”

“I don’t mind district nursing because I know, coming from a rural community, that a lot of the barriers we face [relate to] transport, even getting to nursing appointments.”

She hoped to make it easier for people living rurally to “fight those barriers” and get support systems.

“A lot of our rural community identify as Māori, and so that’s another big barrier too, just to have a little bit more cultural competency and all that stuff.”

She said a lack of healthcare resources, funding and accessibility were also reasons she decided to study nursing.

Growing the rural health workforce

Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey said the scholarships were “another positive step forward” to boost the future rural health workforce.

“All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality healthcare and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five living in our rural communities.

“Increasing and retaining our health workforce is a priority and will improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders.”

Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey. Photo / Alex Cairns

Doocey said the recipients were studying specialties including medicine, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, pharmacy, Māori nursing and applied counselling.

“We know access to healthcare within rural communities, or being supported to access care when required, are key issues for rural communities. To improve access and rural health outcomes, we need to invest in growing the rural health workforce.”

Doocey congratulated the recipients and wished them the best in their studies and careers.

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.