This dissertation investigates the student experiences of Pasefika Registered Nurses in Aotearoa New Zealand. Its purpose is to identify the facilitators and barriers for Pasefika students in the Bachelor of Nursing degree. By recognising and identifying these factors and considering how these can be approached, we can influence change for the next generation of Pasefika nursing students.

Pasefika communities in Aotearoa New Zealand experience poorer health outcomes than their non-Pasefika counterparts. Combined with the predicted increase in demand for Pasefika health services, the deficit of Pasefika nurses in Aotearoa New Zealand will result in Pasefika labour supply issues and will continue to severely impact health outcomes for Pasefika people nationwide.

Participants of this study shared their own personal voyage in a Talanoa focus group setting. Five prominent themes were identified utilising thematic analysis: common facilitators and barriers that they encountered; relationships within the nursing profession; their sense of achievement; and reflecting on their voyage as a nursing student.

The participants’ reflections strongly emphasised the following: the importance of strengthening the relationships between all stakeholders in the student’s journey; a functional Pasefika support role within institutions to facilitate academic and pastoral support for Pasefika students; tertiary institutions understanding the complexities of the Pasefika student worldview; addressing the tendency to homogenise ‘brown’ students; and most importantly, encouraging and celebrating the Pasefika profile within the nursing programme.