Whangaia ka tupu, ka puawai

‘Whangaia ka tupu, ka puawai’ (That which is nurtured will grow and blossom), involves implementing and testing an augmented clinical care package in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) that standardises culturally responsive care for whānau. There is an identified shortfall in the care pathway when whānau are transferred to a NICU for their unwell baby. Current support is failing to address the unmet need present for Māori whānau requiring timely access to accommodation and transport resources. A lack of culturally responsive care can contribute to whānau feeling isolated and alienated and result in poorer outcomes for whānau and baby. A feasibility study is essential to see if our intervention model is acceptable to whānau and whether the system changes can be readily implemented across New Zealand’s complex health system. This will inform how to implement change for the full large cohort study across NICUs in Aotearoa. This grant was awarded to Research Trust of Victoria University of Wellington but was later transfered to The Dragon Institute.