Inequities between Māori and non-Māori are the most consistent and compelling health inequities in Aotearoa. Current evidence supports the notion that increasing Māori workforce in nursing may lead to improved health outcomes for Māori communities, primarily through greater access to care and increased interactions between whānau and practitioners. If we are to achieve greater alignment between workforce and iwi demographics and subsequently improve health outcomes for Māori, more resourcing is needed in Hauora Māori workforce development, and specifically in the advancing of Māori student recruitment and achievement in undergraduate nursing qualifications.

Informed and underpinned by the narratives of Māori nursing students and those working at the front line within Māori communities, Te Kaahu Atawhai draws attention to several separate, yet interwoven areas of significance that shape educational outcomes for Māori undergraduate students studying within the Centre for Health and Social Practice at Wintec.