Student profile | Sailau Stacey Lote

What are you studying and why have you chosen this field to study in?
I am currently in my final year of university completing a Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) at Auckland University of Technology. My mum was nursing and I wanted to follow in her footsteps. Also I want to work with people from all different walks of life and nursing gives me that opportunity that other professions don't. Nursing is a selfless profession, that if a person is not passionate about then they won't enjoy. Lastly I believe that nursing is one of the most accommodating careers in the sense that it is a passport to anywhere!
 
What do you hope to achieve from this degree?
I hope to continue my studies by completing postgraduate studies. I also want to do some travelling with my nursing degree but ultimately I want to be able to do some volunteer work with my church relief agency and give back to those who are less fortunate then myself. I also want to use my qualification to work in acute hospital settings where Pacific nurses are highly needed and where there are high Pacific patient numbers. By working in this setting, I will not only be able to help PI people who are admitted into the wards, but also be able to advocate for pacific people within the health care system.

Have you faced many challenges relating to studying Nursing?
Being a Pacific Islander and studying nursing, there are many challenges that arise. Personally a big obstacle has been time management. I think we (Pacific Islanders) have a "kicked back" approach to deadlines where we leave assessments and exam studying to the last minute. This is when our time management is shocking. For me it has only been recent that I've learnt to not leave assignments last minute and to study continuously throughout the semester not just two weeks before the exam, which I think we've all done.
 
How have you overcome these challenges?
With time management, planning is the key. For me, I now plan everything in regards to essays and exams. For essays I have to make sure I have three weeks prior the due date to do all my researching and reading and then the writing. It has helped in the sense that 1. I'm not running around like a headless chicken the week its due looking for journals, 2. It is less stress, 3. I get to sleep. The same goes for exams. I have learnt that when I plan my study times and what is going to be studied, this saves time and leads to less distractions.

How do cultural aspects influence your studies?
For me, having these cultural values such as respect for elders can be applied into nursing. Like treatment of all elders with respect and having that ideation of "this may be my grandparents or parents". It is also important for me as a Samoan, to know that there are people out there that belong to the same culture as myself and understand what it is like being a Samoan. By having a similar Samoan understanding, I can offer a lot for the people I care for, but also learn from them.

What would be your advice for people interested in studying nursing?
Don’t have a preconception of what you think nursing is, be open to all opportunities, and that to succeed you have to be willing to learn. It is a profession you have to be passionate about because if you aren't, it is either not going to last long or you will end up hating it. Lastly, study hard and although there maybe some rough parts along the way, enjoy the journey.

Page last updated: 12 September 2011