Stronger nurses. Safer care. A healthier future for Tonga.
When a patient suddenly becomes critically unwell, having a skilled and confident nurse at their side can make all the difference.
Thanks to the generosity of Rotarians, 33 nurses and midwives at Vaiola Hospital in Tonga are building the skills and confidence to provide safer, better care when it matters most.
For many years, Rotary has helped Interplast work alongside health professionals in Tonga, providing specialist surgery and clinical training. But following COVID-19, the loss of experienced senior nursing staff left an important gap. Tonga needed to rebuild not only clinical skills, but also confidence and nursing leadership.
So Interplast teamed up with the Tonga Ministry of Health to help do exactly that.
Learning skills that save lives
Led by volunteer nurse educators Lauren Harrower and Fiona Nankervis, the program focused on the challenges nurses face every day, such as recognising sepsis, responding when a patient deteriorates, resuscitation, wound care, infection prevention, patient assessment and pain management.
This wasn’t simply classroom training, nurses took their learning onto the wards, putting new knowledge into practice in real clinical settings. They also received clinical reference guides and online learning resources so the learning could continue long after the workshops finished.
For midwife Saame Fangalolee, the difference was clear, saying “[she] feels more confident to do advanced life support in [her] ward.”
Nurse Marian Fakaosi also took away something incredibly important, when in an emergency, good teamwork and confident leadership matter.
After the workshops, Marian spoke about the importance of communicating closely during CPR, being prepared to step up as a leader, recognising abnormal ECG rhythms and sharing that knowledge with colleagues which is where the impact gets bigger.
One nurse gains confidence, that nurse shares their knowledge with colleagues. Teams become stronger, and patients benefit from safer, more responsive care.
Rotary made it possible.
Rotary’s support is helping nurses at Vaiola Hospital recognise deteriorating patients earlier, respond to emergencies with greater confidence and provide safer care.
But it’s also investing in Tonga’s future healthcare leaders, helping nurses keep their skills current and giving them the confidence to lead when it matters most.
To the Rotarians who made this program possible. Thank you. You’re not simply funding training, you’re backing Tonga’s nurses, strengthening local healthcare and helping more patients receive safe, high-quality care close to home.
Acknowledgements
Funded by Mornington Peninsula Clubs of RD9815.
