Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand

Day of action, solidarity, as DHB members hit the streets

If there was such a thing as an omen, then there it was: flying high above the hundreds of shouting health workers stretching out around the steps of Parliament.

Four corners of Aotearoa turn purple as nurses hit streets

Aotearoa turned purple on Wednesday as NZNO members went on strike around the nation.

Scholarship submissions open for awards to support Māori nurses

Submissions have opened for the fourth annual PHARMAC Tapuhi Kaitiaki Awards.

Strike ‘a warning’ to DHBs

Incensed by a public sector pay freeze and a one-off cash payment instead of a long-term pay rise, NZNO's district health board (DHB) members this month voted 'overwhelmingly' to reject the DHBs' latest offer and go on strike.

Old MECA promises still unmet

Nursing safety – in everyday work and the age of COVID-19 – were scrutinised by the NZNO board as strike action rolled out across Aotearoa.

Late legal threat fails to derail strike

A late threat of legal action from Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) over a lack of contingency staff nearly derailed this month's strike, NZNO industrial services manager Glenda Alexander said.

Sore arm ‘worth it’

NZNO and Public Service Association (PSA) members got their COVID-19 vaccinations at Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) recently.

Concerns over roll-out

NZNO is "very concerned" at the pace with which unregulated vaccinators are being introduced to the COVID-19 roll-out, acting manager, professional and nursing services, Kate Weston says.

‘Culture of fear’ in NZ health system

Two-thirds of nurses surveyed have witnessed unsafe nursing practice by their peers, new research suggests – double the rate of some international findings.

Māori and Pacific nursing degrees remain

Māori and Pacific nursing degrees will still be available under a national nursing curriculum being developed by new super-institute, Te Pūkenga.

Downsides of smartphones for students

Forget PPE or vaccines – it appears nurses are no more immune to the risks of the digital age than everyday people.

‘Drastic’ action on nurse shortage needed

"Drastic" action is needed to train and recruit millions of nurses globally amid a pandemic and shortage of six million nurses, says the International Council of Nurses (ICN).

New health entities ‘fully functional’ by Sept 2022

Transition unit bosses give clues on how sweeping health reforms will roll out.

Leading from the two houses

New co-chair, Māori, for the National Nursing Leaders group Brenda Close talks about the two houses of modern nursing leadership.

Government lays out cash for transition to new health system

Budget 2021 had an extra $4.7 billion for health, along with nearly half a million to kick-start its health reforms. But there was no indication of new funding for health worker salaries.

Wellington neonatal unit gets big staffing top-up

Wellington’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has hired an extra 26 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses, after safe staffing acuity tool TrendCare helped identify a large shortfall.

Nan Kinross: Trailblazer and disruptor

Emeritus Professor Nancy Kinross, RN, PhD, CBE, 1926-2021.

Vera Allen: Hutt Hospital’s former principal nurse dies

Former principal nurse at Hutt Hospital, Vera Ellen, died in April, aged 94.

Nurses must find their voice, amid changes

Health Minister Andrew Little and the transition team have outlined significant change in the larger health service delivery structures.

Sounding the alarm in EDs

Lately, I have been spending time with NZNO’s College of Emergency Nurses NZ (CENNZ) as they desperately try to find solutions to overcrowding in emergency departments (EDs) around the country.

What happens when workers don’t want to be vaccinated

What happens when a health worker doesn’t want the COVID-19 vaccination? What if they work in a sector particularly vulnerable to the virus? NZNO aged care industrial advisor Lesley Harry gives insights into the state-of-play in a sector with 'disproportionate' risks to residents.

Pay freeze is bad policy and unions are fighting it

Lead organiser and former Labour minister Iain Lees-Galloway shares insights on how the Government shapes policy and laws – and its recent pay-freeze mistake.

Jumping the ditch

Is the nursing brain drain real? And if it is, can you blame nurses for leaving?

‘A lot more joy than sadness’ in neonatal care

Learning she had twin older brothers who died as premature babies helped Helen Barwick commit to a nursing career in neonates.

Rongoā practitioner says people are better for having a choice – ‘no one system has all the answers’

People who most need help don't come to clinics, says a rongoā practitioner who travels the country to reach those in need.

How important nurses are in providing end-of-life care for Māori

Palliative care is led by nurses in the isolated North Island East Cape, as there are few GPs. One nurse providing this service, Linda Hauraki, spoke at a symposium on end-of-life care for Māori.

Nursing support for people with mild mental health needs

What can a nurse do in everyday practice to support a person with mild depression and anxiety? A clinical nurse specialist recommends a variety of practical tools and advice.

Education supplement – tertiary opportunities

There are plenty of excellent nursing study choices in Aotearoa - both for new students and postgraduate options for those looking to advance their studies.

‘Double, double, triple-checking’

How do registered nurses with disabilities or impairment manage their work and ensure they practise safely?

Unsafe practice: How nurses recognise and respond to unsafe practice by their peers

NZNO professional nursing adviser Wendy Blair, RN, PhD, shares a summary of her research on the extent nurses in New Zealand recognise and report unsafe practice by their peers.

Perioperative nurses ‘no longer handmaidens’

Hearing how far perioperative nursing has come, at the theatre managers' and educators' conference held in Dunedin in May, made me feel proud of my profession and achievements as a nurse educator in perioperative services.

Compulsory orders ‘safety blanket’ for some patients

Some mental health patients should be able to remain under compulsory treatment orders without yearly reviews, NZNO's mental health nurses section (MHNS) suggests.

Enrolled nurses must wait for new scope

Enrolled nurses (ENs) are not likely to have their scope of practice extended until next year, Nursing Council chief executive Catherine Byrne told the EN section at their recent conference in May.

Critical care training for ‘surge’ workforce

Nurses around the country are being taught basic critical care skills, in case of a surge of patients due to a COVID-19 outbreak or any other event.