Te Ārai researchers shine at HealthEx 2026

Dr Deb Raphael, Dr Gemma Aburn, Prof Merryn Gott, Jintana Thepsaw and Xuan Wang attending HealthEx 2026

Two Te Arai PhD students showcased their emerging research at this year's HealthEx event, delivering engaging presentations on important and under-researched areas of palliative and end-of-life care.+1

Jintana Thepsaw presented findings from her doctoral literature review exploring the lived experiences of nurses caring for children with palliative care needs. Her review synthesised evidence from 43 qualitative studies and highlighted the challenges nurses face in providing children's palliative care, including feelings of being underprepared, the emotional demands of the work, and the importance of support, mentorship, and professional growth. The research also identified a significant gap in understanding how nurses provide palliative care for children and families in culturally diverse settings.

Xuan Wang presented her research examining healthcare service use by Chinese people in New Zealand during the last year of life. Drawing on a large population-based study, Xuan's work explores how Chinese people access hospice, hospital and community-based services compared with New Zealand Europeans. Her findings suggest important differences in patterns of care and highlight the need for culturally responsive approaches that better meet the needs of migrant communities and their families.

HealthEx provides an opportunity for researchers from across the University of Auckland to share their work with colleagues, students and the wider community. Both presentations generated strong interest and thoughtful discussion, reflecting the relevance of these topics for improving equity and quality in palliative care.

Congratulations to Jin and Xuan on representing Te Arai so well. We are proud to see our doctoral students contributing new knowledge that has the potential to improve care for children, families, and culturally diverse communities across Aotearoa New Zealand