Community Health Rotation in New Zealand
(Jul 2007)
As nursing students studying community health services in New Zealand we were both challenged and rewarded. The patients, families and practitioners we worked with invited us into their homes and lives allowing us to learn about nursing in general and be a part of their community. My classmates and I lived in Palmerston North with our gracious host families. We worked in an array of community health care settings including Visiting Nurses Association (VNA), Maori Health Services, Diabetes Health Services and Hospice. Most of our days consisted of visiting the homes, schools and workplaces of people who were in need of health care. New Zealand is a wonderful country to study community health nursing in because of the strong sense of community and compassion.
