Community Karitāne Agnes Overdevest says there is nothing more rewarding than empowering whānau to give their pēpi the best start in life.
In October 2024, Agnes attended the 100-year anniversary of the Karitāne hospital in Mount Albert, Auckland, which was was generously gifted to the Plunket Society back in 1923.
During her visit, Agnes enjoyed the chance to walk down memory lane and catch up with some old friends who she trained with throughout her journey to become a Karitāne baby nurse.
Chatting over a cup of tea, Agnes recalls ‘the ghost of Caughey house,’ which haunts the Karitāne hospital building she actually lived in during her training year. Ghosts or no ghosts, the spirit of Karitāne lives on through the photos on the walls of Caughey house; now a private school.
Reunion at the Karitāne Hospital building in Mt Albert where Agnes trained
Agnes started training as a Karitāne baby nurse when she was just 19 years old. She moved up from the Waikato to live in the Karitāne hospital for her training, which required one year of working in the hospital, followed by six months in the community.
“At the beginning we were given the tough jobs. We slowly worked our way up from sterilising buckets, baby bottles and making up formula, to working in the kitchens. We then started looking after the babies and toddlers in the hospital, as well as shadowing a Plunket nurse and living with a family to gain hands-on experience.”
In 1978, Agnes graduated from her training at the Karitāne hospital in Auckland on the same day that the hospital was shut down.
Changing times have never deterred Agnes from doing her best work, supporting whānau to care for their pēpi. As a Karitāne baby nurse, Agnes stepped into various roles in the Waikato, living with families who had twins or triplets.
Agnes first learnt about Karitāne nursing at a Careers Day at high school. She would never have guessed that this would take her on a long and rewarding 48-year journey with Plunket. After two-and-a-half years of living with families, Agnes went on her OE to Holland, the country where her parents were born. Soon after returning to New Zealand, she got a job at the Plunket Family Centre in Milford, Auckland, helping families who needed a bit of extra support.
Being a rural girl at heart, Agnes thought she would just stay in the city for a few years, but 43 years on, Agnes is still based on the North Shore, working with families in their homes, and at our Family Centre in Mairangi Bay. With stellar reviews from whānau who have received advice from Agnes, it’s no surprise that she finds it rewarding to empower parents to make good decisions for their tamariki.
Agnes says that a lot has changed over the years, but parents still face the same challenges as when she first started.
“Sleep is one of the things that new mums talk about a lot. As the years have gone by, mums seem more anxious about their babies not sleeping when they want them to. I try and give them some tricks and tips, while gently reminding them that young babies don’t care about their parents’ schedules.”
As Agnes often only sees whānau for a few short sessions, she doesn’t always see the long-term positive impact of her mahi. However, every now and again, a mum will come up to her at the Family Centre with their four-year-old, or second baby and say, “thank you for being such a lifesaver during my first few months as a new mum.”
Agnes says, “I love it when parents put my advice into practice and see the rewards. It’s very rewarding to know that I can empower whānau to give their pēpi the best start in life.
“Others have gone on to different careers, but for me, I’m happy as a Community Karitāne. It’s been a rewarding career, knowing that I’ve helped a lot of whānau and tamariki.”