Whangarei mental health nurse, Philippa Burton, has won a $127,000 Health Research Council Scholarship, to improve Māori recruitment and retention into nursing.
In 40 years the Māori nursing population has remained static at seven percent.
Ms Barton says that's a problem because Māori patients are more likely to engage with the health system if they can see themselves in it.
She told RNZ reporter Te Aniwa Hurihanganui as a student there was little support for Māori entering the industry, and nothing much has changed.
