AM Summer Internship: Leonie's Reflections

Thanks to a cooperation between the Chair of Economics and Social Services at the University of Hohenheim and Te Toka Tumai, I had the amazing opportunity to work as an intern at Ara Manawa for two months.

I was given a project that was initiated by the Palliative Care Team at Auckland City Hospital, looking at the work being done to inform patients and their whānau about the option to donate tissue. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of tissue donations in New Zealand, which was brought into the spotlight by the eruption of the White Island volcano in 2019. At the time, skin tissue had to be imported from abroad to treat the victims’ burns. During my stay at Ara Manawa, my colleague Jodi Meadows and I conducted numerous interviews with clinicians, held a workshop, and did research to understand what is currently in place to inform patients and their whānau about tissue donation and to identify opportunities for improvement.

The project was not only a great way for me to learn about the clinical and administrative processes at the hospital, but also to learn about Māori culture and connect with people from different clinical backgrounds. Overall, I gained a lot of valuable knowledge from Ara Manawa, especially regarding the use of co-design for managing projects, which will be of great benefit for my future work at the University Hospital Tübingen.

 

Back row: Elina, Charlotte, Natalie, Leonie. Front row: Emma, Sarv, Melody.

 

I would like to give a big thank you to the whole team at Ara Manawa, especially Justin, Emma, and Sarv, for the great organisation of my internship and for always having an open ear. I had a great time with everyone, not just at work, but also during fun activities like our scavenger hunt, Christmas party and farewell dinner. I felt like part of the Ara Manawa family from day one and hope to come back someday.

February 2023

AUTHOR

Leonie Strauss, Intern

Intern, Universities, Research, GuestStudentco-design, international