Our amazing 2023 team all smiles at the end of a busy week. Top L to R – Madelene Clunie, Maria Ekblad, Lauren Prior, Akiko Shimoda, Jackie Hilton, Marie Yorston, Laura Harvey, Paula O’Reilly, Lia Dinawia, Gemma Edwards, Lisa McIntosh, Melissa Marsh. Middle L to R – Bree Geenty, Meg Evitt, Mihi Sheperd, Gemma Morgan, Amanda Jackson, Kate Harder, Priya Miller, Jodie Fordyce Centre – Sarah Nicolson
In 2023, our Unitec veterinary nursing team continued their amazing work in Tonga with our annual veterinary clinic. This clinic is run to support South Pacific Animal Welfare (SPAW) and provide our veterinary nurse students with an incredible learning opportunity, alongside helping a community less fortunate than us here in New Zealand. In 2023, the team carried out more than 130 surgeries and over 100 medical consultations. Our students complete this trip as part of a Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing.
There is no permanent vet in Tonga, meaning owners have serious limitations to the preventative care they can give their animals. SPAW runs at least five “pop up” clinics a year at the Ministry of Agriculture, Farming and Fishing facility in the village of Tokomololo to provide desexing surgeries to help with population control as well as a range of preventative health care services such as flea/worm treatment and vaccinations. These preventative health care services are not easily available in Tonga and these clinics are usually the only time the Tongan community can gain access to these products.
For our students, this is a fantastic opportunity to practice their skills in a more challenging environment. The normal bells and whistles associated with the average NZ clinic are not available and team members often have to be creative with the materials and resources available. Students are responsible for pre-surgical health checks, preparing required anaesthesia drugs, monitoring anaesthesia, and recovering the animal from surgery. They also get the opportunity to support the vet team with emergency surgeries and illnesses. Students are exposed to a Pacific culture and learn some professional skills they can bring home to our multicultural country and put into place in our NZ veterinary clinics.
Trip highlights
Madelene Clunie (now a third year BVN student)
Madelene Clunie
“A highlight for me would have been when I was placed on running consults. I felt I thrived in that setting, just getting to know the locals and helping them the best I could. I’ve never been very confident with client communication, but in Tonga, I could quite literally feel my confidence grow throughout that particular day and the week overall.
Another clinical highlight would have been when I placed a catheter in a puppy. Admittedly, I didn’t get it the first time, but did on the second attempt, which was rewarding in the moment.
To any students questioning whether to apply for this trip or not, just go for it, it is so worthwhile. I know for myself I was second-guessing myself beforehand, but I have absolutely no regrets about taking part in this trip. If I could go again, I would.”
Lauren Prior (Unitec lecturer and 2023 Tonga Head Anaesthesia Nurse)
Lauren Prior
“My highlight would be not only seeing the students’ practical skills and confidence grow over the week, but also their ability to work compassionately together as a team. Watching them helping each other out when others were busy, ensuring team members took breaks and being supportive when new skills were being practiced is fantastic to watch as a lecturer. This gives me the warm fuzzies because our veterinary industry needs this type of teamwork to thrive.”
Our 2024 Pacific Practicum Course Coordinator
Kate Harder
This year NZCAT Programme Coordinator Kate Harder will be taking over the reins of this course. Kate has had a strong interest in improving animal care in Tonga since her first trip there in 2012. Kate is running several research projects currently to evaluate and improve animal health in Tonga so is a perfect staff member to take over the role from Academic Programme Manager Laura Harvey.
“My first trip to Tonga with SPAW showed the hardship the communities face with restricted access to preventative healthcare resources and knowledge and sparked a love in me for this Pacific Island. Since starting at Unitec in 2019 and becoming involved in this Practicum field trip, I am thrilled to be able to pass on my knowledge and experiences with our students to show them how lucky we are here in New Zealand, and how we can use our knowledge and skills to help Pacific communities. As a frequent visitor to Tonga, having some local knowledge and friends certainly helps with the logistics of the trip! I am looking forward to leading the team this year and watching another batch of students develop their skills and cultural knowledge.”
Fundraising for 2024
We are beginning our fundraising journey for our 2024 team of students and volunteers. While students, staff and volunteers do put forward a large portion of the costs, we work hard to fundraise as much as we can to make it affordable for everyone. There are several ways you could help us. Please contact the course coordinator Kate Harder on kharder@unitec.ac.nz if you can do any of the following:
- Donate the price of a coffee or even a McDonalds meal into our designated fundraising account (ANZ 01-0286-0955506-00, REF – Donation)
- Provide a connection with an organisation that might have a grant or fund they may like to contribute.
- Support any events we organise. We are looking at sausage sizzles, and a quiz or bingo event or two.
- Provide an item to be auctioned for fundraising.
- Sell homemade goods and donate the profit to our team. For example, we have already raised over $300 from a staff member’s family member selling homemade tomato relish during the tomato season!
- Purchase and donate preventative health care products such as flea and worm treatment when you see them on special. These will be taken to Tonga and used during the clinic.
- Have a different fundraising idea? Let Kate know!
Mid surgery – (L to R) vet nurse student Gemma Edwards, volunteer vet Mihi Sheperd, Head anaesthesia vet nurse Lauren Prior, vet nurse student Maria Ekbald.
Limbering up with a bit of yoga before a busy clinic week! (L-R) vet nurse student Madelene Clunie, vet nurse student Meg Evitt, vet nurse volunteer Marie Yorston, Yoga extraordinaire and Tonga Animal Welfare Society (TAWS) board member Deb Allan, vet volunteer Lisa McIntosh, vet nurse Kate Harder, and vet nurse student Melissa Marsh