NZTC programs help to upskill the healthcare sector
Nishu Nishtha has big plans in healthcare.
The New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced Care and Support) (Level 4) student is aiming to complete a Bachelor of Nursing, and progress in a workforce that is considerably understaffed in some regions.
Those gaps in the sector mean multiple opportunities for students and graduates of NZTC’s Level 3 and 4 Health and Wellbeing programs.
“The healthcare industry is booming with earning potential, flexible schedules, increasing demand for staff and lots of employment opportunities,” says Nishtha, who is currently working as a Healthcare Assistant while she studies.
Like many others, she first heard about the opportunities – and challenges – in the sector during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nishtha used NZTC’s zero fees offer to kickstart her new career, and explore the growth and job prospects that healthcare could provide.
“It’s a rewarding role, and being able to give the greatest gift one can give, improving the quality of someone’s life, made me decide to change careers,” she says.
“Every day I get to make a positive impact on someone, supported by the knowledge I gained from my studies at NZTC.”
Students in the Level 4 program are provided with course topics that are highly relevant to the healthcare sector, and taught skills that are transferable across different roles.
Nishtha’s role involves assisting with activities for daily living (ADLs) such as dressing, feeding and medication, in addition to maintaining patient documentation.
“A Healthcare Assistant’s capacity to provide support with activities for daily living is a fundamental component of their role.
“It doesn’t matter what area of healthcare they are working in, Healthcare Assistants must be able to provide person-centred, collaborative, and culturally responsive care,” says NZTC’s Health and Wellbeing Program Leader, Maxine Farquhar.
With many students working or volunteering in a healthcare centre alongside their studies, they are able to put theory into practice which improves the quality of client care.
The zero fees Health and Wellbeing programs offered by NZTC are purposefully designed to meet the needs of the healthcare sector, as they support the ongoing development of skilled healthcare assistants who are work-force ready.
“Healthcare providers have recognised the need for frontline staff to complete higher-level training to ensure that the sector can respond to the complex needs of clients within Aotearoa New Zealand. This need has increased over time and will continue to do so,” says Farquhar.
“Our courses also prepare students for study at higher levels, and approximately half of our students go on to further study, particularly in the fields of Mental Health and Addiction, Social Work or Nursing – all of which are areas of high demand.”