Wintec nursing students excel in national exams

Wintec nursing students have significantly outperformed the national average in recent state final exams, according to results released by the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

In the July examinations for Enrolled Nurses, Wintec students achieved a remarkable 94% pass rate, surpassing the national average of 87.7%. The results were even more impressive for Registered Nurse candidates, with Wintec students attaining an outstanding 99% pass rate compared to the national average of 93.2%.

Jo Thomas, Acting Group Director for Centres for Languages, Applied Science and Primary Industries, and Health and Social Practice at Wintec, expressed pride in the achievements. 

"I'm very proud of our nursing team producing such great results for our Wintec graduates," Thomas said.

This follows Wintec’s near perfect pass rates for last year, read more about that here.

Jolanda Lemow, Wintec Team Manager for Bachelor of Nursing said nursing was a complex yet rewarding profession, requiring a unique blend of complex skills. 

“At Wintec, students in the Bachelor of Nursing programme develop essential communication and assessment skills, learning to recognise and prioritise client needs.

“Wintec graduates are highly valued in the healthcare workforce, and their success reflects not only their dedication but also the strong support from their whānau, friends, the Student Learning Support team, and the nursing faculty. The commitment of the Wintec team ensures graduates are prepared to deliver safe and person-centred care.

“Congratulations to all who have successfully completed their Bachelor of Nursing and to those who are now registered nurses!”

Hannah Parnwell, 27, was one of the nurses who successfully passed her exams in July and she also gained employment as a registered nurse at Waikato Hospital soon after.

Hannah originally completed a certificate in Te Ara Putake Level 4 Health at Wintec and said she felt that course set her up with what she needed to complete her Bachelor of Nursing.

“I really enjoyed studying at Wintec and would absolutely recommend it, I found all the tutors super helpful and very approachable.” 

Hannah said she chose nursing as a career because her mum was a Hospice nurse.

“She is absolutely amazing at her job; she definitely inspired me. I had also been working within the Waikato hospital as a health care assistant for the previous six and a half years, so that exposure influenced me too.”

Jean Hammond completed her Enrolled Nursing Diploma in 2017 and had been working as an Enrolled Nurse at Waikato District Health Board, until she decided to return to study further.

“I had reached the top of my scope [and realised] my passion is to work in the community and this is far more achievable as a Registered Nurse.

“I returned to Wintec as it was much easier for cross crediting and I knew the systems.”

Jean said it was hard to come back as an adult student, but she had chosen nursing as a career due to family reasons and she thoroughly enjoyed helping people. She passed her exams in July and is now a Registered Nurse for the Nursing Resources Team at Waikato Hospital, and she gets to work in most wards.

“I would recommend Wintec because I think they offer a high standard of learning. Students leave with excellent basic knowledge that is relevant to practice. The science is set at a high level which is important when caring for people.

“I absolutely love my job and hope to be a community nurse next year,” Jean said.