A name can carry a history, a purpose and an aspiration for the future.
Nursing Research Aotearoa speaks to who we are, the work we value and the contribution we want to make to the future of nursing in Aotearoa.
Our te reo Māori name, Te Pou Rangahau Tapuhi o Aotearoa, gives this purpose a deeper expression, grounded in the whakaaro shared with us by our kaumātua.
Nursing
Nursing is a profession grounded in care, knowledge, relationships and a commitment to the health and wellbeing of people and whānau.
It encompasses health promotion, prevention, assessment and treatment, rehabilitation, palliative care and support for people living with illness or disability. Nurses care for people across the lifespan and in every part of our health system – from hospitals and primary care to mental health, aged care, education, research and our communities.
At its heart, nursing is both relational and knowledge-based. Nurses bring clinical expertise, judgement and evidence to their work, while building relationships with people, whānau and communities and understanding what matters to them.
Our understanding of nursing is broad and inclusive. It includes the people who learn, practise, support and advance nursing and care in Aotearoa – including nurses, midwives, kaiāwhina, carers and students, and those who contribute through education, research and other forms of practice.
Together, these people bring different knowledge, skills, experiences and perspectives to the work of caring for people, communities and whānau.
Research
Research is how knowledge grows.
For nursing and the wider community of people involved in care, research creates space to question what we know, test new ideas and develop knowledge that can be shared and built upon. It strengthens practice, develops capability and drives innovation.
Its impact reaches far beyond the research itself – influencing how care is delivered, informing policy, strengthening health services and contributing to a more equitable health system and better outcomes for people, whānau and communities.
That is why strong research communities need more than one-off funding. They need sustained investment in people, ideas and knowledge: supporting researchers to develop, creating opportunities for new researchers to emerge, and connecting researchers with practice, communities and the health system.
Nursing Research Aotearoa exists to help build those conditions and connections. We invest in research and the people behind it, helping create a stronger, more connected and enduring nursing research community in Aotearoa.
Our ambition is for that research to contribute to a more innovative, evidence-informed and equitable health system – and, ultimately, better health and wellbeing for people, communities and whānau.
Aotearoa
Aotearoa is more than a place name. It speaks to the context, relationships and responsibilities that shape our work.
Research in Aotearoa must be relevant to the people and communities of Aotearoa. It must recognise the knowledge that already exists here, and the different ways knowledge is understood, held and shared.
Our future is therefore grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, kaupapa Māori and mātauranga Māori.
These are not ideas that sit alongside our purpose. They are foundational to our identity, our relationships, our governance and how we understand success.
Our kaumātua have challenged us to ensure that a Māori worldview is not simply acknowledged, but meaningfully embedded throughout our story and future direction. This means recognising Māori as leaders, innovators and holders of knowledge, and understanding how investment in research, education and workforce development can contribute to mana enhancement and better outcomes for all of Aotearoa.
It also means making the partnership promised by Te Tiriti visible in practice – through how we govern, make decisions, build relationships and measure our progress.
Te Pou Rangahau Tapuhi o Aotearoa
Our Māori name is Te Pou Rangahau Tapuhi o Aotearoa – the pillar of nursing research in Aotearoa.
The name was gifted to us by our kaumātua, alongside the whakataukī:
He pou e tū nei mō te mātauranga, mō te rangahau, mō te oranga tangata.
A pillar standing for knowledge, research and the wellbeing of people.
The whakataukī captures an aspiration for what we can be.
A pou provides strength and support. It connects what stands today with what can be built in the future.
For us, this speaks to a whakapapa of knowledge and contribution – honouring those who have come before, supporting those undertaking research today, and creating opportunities for those who will follow.
It also reminds us that research is ultimately about people. The knowledge we build matters because of what it can make possible: stronger nursing, better care, greater capability and improved wellbeing for people, whānau and communities across Aotearoa.
Listen to the name-change ceremony
Our new name was shared and celebrated at a name-change ceremony led by our kaumātua.
The ceremony marked an important moment in our organisation’s journey and offered an opportunity to hear the kōrero and whakaaro behind our new name.