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Start date: 2020Subject: search.filters.subject.Career development

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    The experiences of becoming and being a nurse leader in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 21st century : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-11-27) Kerr, Dianne
    The Experiences of Becoming and Being a Nurse Leader in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 21st century This thesis explores the experiences of current registered nurses who have attained leadership positions in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). A feminist deconstruction of gender framework serves as a lens to examine how masculine and feminine binaries affect the experiences of nurse leaders in a neoliberal environment that has commodified and devalued the act of caring. Particular attention was paid to the different challenges experienced by Māori nurses as the indigenous people of a post-colonialist Aotearoa. The research employed a qualitative design using an exploratory, descriptive survey, grounded in a pragmatic philosophical approach. It was conducted in two phases: an online questionnaire followed by two rounds of interviews. In total 49 participants completed the questionnaire and 13 participants were interviewed. All participants held NZ nurse registration and had been in leadership roles in healthcare for at least three years, during which time they were responsible for overseeing staff. Respondents represented diverse practice backgrounds and localities. The findings indicate that most participants achieved leadership roles primarily through chance and personal determination. In many cases, pursuing post-graduate education or serendipitous opportunities broadened their perspectives on nursing. The nurse leaders in this study realised they could have a significantly greater impact on the quality of care they wished to provide by stepping into leadership positions. However, they faced challenges related to nursing's strong association with femininity and often experienced subordination to the male-dominated fields of medicine and management. There is ample evidence linking empowered nurse leadership to effective care; however, nursing input in healthcare decisions is often overlooked due to the prevailing assumption that traditionally feminine traits do not significantly contribute to patient outcomes. Despite the proven value and significance of nurse leadership, this research indicates that leadership is not adequately planned for or supported in a way that reflects the size of the nursing workforce. Post-graduate education has been shown to raise nurse consciousness, yet NZ healthcare systems and academic institutions fail to invest in or value the critical thinking and awareness needed for nurse leaders to function and contribute effectively in the current neoliberalist environment. This research suggests that preparation for leadership in nursing should focus on helping nurses gain an awareness of their identity within a gendered profession before developing their leadership skills. Highlighting nurses who have succeeded in roles beyond bedside care and providing mentorship and networking opportunities for emerging leaders will cultivate future nurse leaders who can advance the profession. Key findings: • gendered socialisation continues to impact the career trajectories of nurse leaders, • neoliberalist environments create challenges for nursing autonomous practice • ongoing issues of colonialism, racism and sexism influence the career pathways of nurses in Aotearoa
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    Artists recreating our world with Rachmaninoff as a guide and partner
    (AccScience Publishing, 2024-03-04) Bathurst R
    This paper proposes that artists be at the forefront of community recovery in our post-COVID-19 world. To achieve this proposition, it delves into the early professional life of the renowned Russian composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943), notably focusing on his sense of failure after the premiere of his first symphony and his subsequent recovery. It examines the importance of mentors who support professionals through early career mistakes, the significance of learning the limits of risk-taking, and the value of failure as guidance for development. Rachmaninoff’s contribution to humanity is profound, as evidenced by the enduring performance of his music in concert halls around the globe, making him an appropriate guide and partner in fulfilling the recovery agenda.
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    Mathematics anxiety and primary school teachers : the histories, impacts, and influences : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2022) Whyte, Julie Margaret
    Maths anxiety is understood to be a pervasive and global phenomenon. What is not so well understood is primary teachers’ experience of this anxiety. This study sought to provide a clearer understanding of teachers’ maths anxiety. Drawing on an interpretivist epistemology, framed by a sociocultural theoretical perspective, and using qualitative semi-structured interviews, the study provides a rich description of the personal histories and professional lives of 12 primary teacher participants who self-reported as experiencing maths anxiety. Each participant offered a unique, personal history of the development of maths anxiety. It was found to develop from a jumble of interactions from multiple sources and with multiple consequences. The teachers’ responses to anxiety around mathematics were wide ranging and included cognitive, affective, physiological, and neural reactions. In attempts to manage their anxiety, participants created specific strategies for particular situations. Amongst these management strategies were distraction and avoidance, eliciting support from trusted individuals, choosing to confine their teaching to lower year-level classes, and lengthy preparation to ensure they, themselves, understood the mathematics. Participants attempted to keep their anxiety hidden from others during their professional roles. Professional development was found to be a context in which the anxiety intensified. In professional development contexts, rather than focusing on new learnings and understandings, the participants focused on their anxiety. As a result, they failed to enhance their mathematical knowledge and failed to develop understanding of how mathematics might be taught. Their lack of confidence in their own knowledge impacted on their classroom teaching to the extent that, where possible, they scheduled less time for mathematics than other subject areas. Since such anxiety management strategies are not conducive to teacher growth and are likely to have negative consequences for students, this study has demonstrated that a carefully paced and sensitive approach needs to be taken by schools and providers of mathematics professional development courses.
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    Career pathways of New Zealand veterinary graduates : influences, experiences, and decisions : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) King, Natalie
    As local and international concern about a shortage of veterinarians grows, developing an understanding of veterinarians’ career pathways and the factors that influence their career decisions is of increasing importance. The aim of this research was to explore the patterns that exist among the career pathways of two cohorts of New Zealand veterinary graduates, 10- and 20-years post-graduation, and to identify the factors that had been influential in shaping their career trajectories. A mixed methods approach provided a means to develop a detailed understanding of veterinarians’ career pathways through integration of survey (n=109) and interview (n=25) data. Perceptions of why people cease veterinary work were documented alongside the lived career experiences of these two cohorts of Massey University veterinary graduates. Cohort members’ career pathways were varied. Most (83%) held a clinical veterinary role 10 years after graduation. However, after 20 years, fewer (57%) held clinical veterinary roles. Almost one-quarter of the 20-year cohort worked in non-veterinary roles, and a further 14% held non-clinical veterinary roles. Some aspects of career patterns differed between the men and women and between the two cohorts, but there were also similarities. Veterinarians’ career decisions were multifaceted, and six key themes were developed to describe the factors that influenced them. Considering the cohort members’ material, social, and cognitive work values provided a useful lens through which to explore how their work environments and personal characteristics and aspirations influenced their career decisions. Veterinarians’ workplace experiences and the degree of fit between their personal characteristics and aspirations, and the workplace environment, influenced their feelings towards their work and their state of wellbeing, which in turn influenced their career decisions. However, these factors alone were insufficient to fully describe the influences on veterinarians’ career decision-making. Opportunities, professional networks, and non-work factors also played a key role in shaping cohort members’ career trajectories. The findings of this research provide insight into the career patterns and decision-making of New Zealand veterinarians which will be useful for future workforce planning, and in developing initiatives to enhance veterinarians’ career fulfilment and retention within clinical practice and the New Zealand veterinary profession.