Abstract
Allied Health professionals (AHP) make up the second largest health clinician group in the New Zealand health system (Ministry of Health, 2021) with Māori making up 6.3% and Pasifika 3% respectively (TAS, 2021). Despite the growing evidence and widespread acknowledgement of the inequities that exist within the New Zealand health system, minimal research currently exists regarding Māori and Pasifika health professionals.
This project explored perspectives regarding factors that enable Māori and Pasifika AHP employed at Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMH) to thrive. Drawing on shared values of Māori and Pasifika research methodology and aspects of appreciative inquiry, this research consciously incorporated a strengths-based approach to investigate the experiences of 11 Māori and Pasifika AHP.
This study has identified the significance of cultural support and development, appropriate leadership, allyship, and having cultural knowledge and intelligence valued, as key, to enabling Māori and Pasifika AHP to thrive at work. Felt and perceived institutional and personal racism, barriers to cultural development opportunities, lack of value ascribed to cultural knowledge and practice alongside clinical skillsets, were shown to negatively impact participants ability to thrive in the workplace. This study provides recommendations for change, while also, highlighting the need for further research pertaining to the perspectives and experiences of Māori and Pasifika AHP, and allied health professions more broadly.
