Nurses reunite 40 years after first EIT class

The EIT nurses class of 1981 reunited in Hawke's Bay on Saturday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Walking through the Hawke's Bay campus they studied at 40 years ago was an eye-opening experience for a group of groundbreaking students who have stayed friends.

On Saturday, 16 former nursing students and 10 tutors reunited in Hawke's Bay 40 years on from the first registered nurse three-year training course at EIT.

In 1981 comprehensive nursing education was transferred from regional hospital boards to EIT (then Hawke's Bay Community College) with 20 full-time staff and 64 first-year students.

Anne Phillips, one of the reunion organisers, said being the first class, the group of students had retained close friendships over the 40 years.

"It was wonderful, we had a great class and, because we were the first, we sort of had an extra tight bond."

One of the girls in the group of students died in an accident just six months into their training which Phillips said brought the group even closer together.

"The fact that it was 40 years since we all met, I just wanted to mark that occasion by doing something."

In June 2020, she raised the reunion idea with her classmates and in February they met for a weekend reunion which was an "absolutely wonderful" day of sharing their memories and details of their lives

A meal on Friday night was followed by a picnic at EIT where some of their tutors joined them before another meal at The Mission on Saturday night.

The group also got a tour of the current nursing building and Phillips said it was "amazing" to see the mannequins and equipment that they didn't have 40 years ago.

"Of course, in our day we didn't have anything like that and now they've got a whole ward that is mannequin patients so they can set them up to do anything but it's not real lives you're dealing with - it's amazing."

The group is now planning on having another reunion in five years' time.