Two nurses who migrated to New Zealand about a decade ago were among 937 graduates from the Fiji National University’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science in Suva yesterday.
Raiteli Musu Bula, a nurse based in Auckland, was overwhelmed with emotion as she received her bachelor’s degree in nursing, which would help her bid to be officially recognised as a registered nurse in New Zealand.
The midwife specialist and single parent attained a diploma in Fiji and practised locally before migrating to New Zealand in search of better opportunities for her and her children.
Fellow graduate Sisilia Tawake migrated to New Zealand in 2013 and said she was proud to attain her nursing degree from FNU because part of her still treasured her homeland.
Ms Tawake attained a Diploma in Nursing in Fiji in 2000. She too practised locally until she gained enough experience to migrate.
Now serving as a healthcare assistant in Christchurch, her pathway to becoming a registered nurse in New Zealand has become much easier with her degree.
The duo, who are in their 50s, dmitted that studying online from abroad while juggling a family and a full-time job wasn’t an easy task but with the committed teaching staff at FNU they were able to pull through.
They also expressed their interest in returning to Fiji in the future to give back to their community.
