New innovative roles within primary health care team

We have a hauora neehi (wellness nurse) at our practice who has a mental health background and works within the team to support our complex mental health patients with comorbidities. 

It offers nurses the opportunity to subspecialise within primary care, which in turn could make a career in primary care a more attractice choice for young graduates. It can offer a high level of job statisfaction by giving longer appointment times which ultimately increases the job statisfaction of all team members by being able to offer our often most underserved patients an excellent resource. Our tangata whaiora can receive an alternate, culturally appropriate, holistic approach away from the traditional 15 minute model of primary care. 

This however will need a different funding model. We are a tertiary education provider so initally received the funding from MoH for this innovation but have chosen to continue with the role due to its success.