Welcome to the 2024 edition of Kaitiaki Nursing Research. As we publish the 15th edition of the journal, I am reflecting on the evolution of nursing research in Aotearoa, New Zealand, particularly the optimism and challenges described by Chick (1987) and Chick and Kinross (2006) in the second part of the last century. These pioneers highlighted the importance of nursing research in advancing the profession and supporting health-care outcomes. In the late 1980s, Chick (1987) optimistically noted that nursing research seemed on the cusp of a new era. However, despite the passion and energy for innovative research projects, nurse researchers faced significant challenges, particularly a lack of funding. As Chick and Kinross (2006, p. 149) noted, “Many hours and much energy went into planning projects that never gained a funding source and therefore never saw the light of day.” Despite a sense of beginning a new era of nursing research in the 1980s, many promising projects remained unfulfilled (Litchfield, 2009).
Nursing research in Aotearoa, New Zealand has progressed in recent years, with a stronger focus on producing evidence-based knowledge that directly influences practice, policy and education. It has called attention to systemic issues, including health-care equity, culturally responsive care, and the specific needs of Māori and Pacific populations. However, the challenges of earlier days persist, particularly in securing sustainable funding, aligning research with health-care policy needs, and ensuring research findings are implemented effectively in practice. Nursing research is essential for advancing nursing education in New Zealand – the robust integration of research into academic programmes is vital to prepare future nurses with a strong foundation in research literacy and evidence-based decision-making. It must also produce knowledge that illuminates the purpose and scope of nursing in the unique and increasingly more complex demands of nursing roles in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Kaitiaki Nursing Research welcomes submissions that explore diverse aspects of nursing practice, education, policy, and patient care. Getting published in Kaitiaki Nursing Research enables researchers and practitioners to share findings with a broader audience, fostering a collaborative approach to addressing health-care challenges. In this edition, the journal has collaborated with Te Wāhanga Rangahau Tapuhi – the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Nursing Research Section, to share the commitment to fostering a robust culture of inquiry and evidence-based practice.
Researched viewpoint
The researched viewpoint by Brownie and Broman highlights the critical role of a robust domestic nursing workforce in New Zealand’s health-care system, where nurses form more than half the regulated health workforce. Given the ageing demographic of nurses and New Zealand’s high proportion of internationally qualified nurses (IQNs), the urgency for data-driven workforce planning is pressing. Challenges such as retirement projections and heightened reliance on IQNs require immediate action, especially in light of disparities in health-care access and outcomes for Māori, Pacific, and rural communities, where domestically trained, culturally aligned nurses are vital. With the current health and vocational education reforms adding complexity, addressing New Zealand’s nursing workforce challenges necessitates proactive data-sharing and analysis to support a sustainable and effective health-care system.
Primary research studies
Malone and Bingham assessed the impact of an eight-week credentialed trauma-informed care course on health-care professionals’ attitudes toward implementing trauma-informed practices. A trauma-informed approach helps health-care providers understand service users’ experiences more deeply and effectively. A quasi-experimental pre-and-post-study design was applied using purposive sampling. The ARTIC-35, a validated tool, measured participant attitudes toward trauma-informed care before and after the course.The results of this study suggest that trauma-informed care is essential for the delivery of optimal care and benefits both patients and health-care providers by improving self-efficacy and care outcomes. As the largest health-care workforce, registered nurses (RNs) are pivotal in integrating trauma-informed practices and enhancing the quality of patient care.
Research reviews
Toneycliffe’s literature review sought to identify motivations for RNs in clinical practice to transition into nursing education. With an increasing demand for RNs, retaining a strong nursing education workforce is essential. The findings of this review showed RNs who transitioned into teaching roles in nursing education citing various motivations and challenges. The autonomy and satisfaction of giving back to the profession and training future nurses appealed to some, while academic aspirations motivated others. Dissatisfaction with clinical environments also prompted some nurses to shift to education. The rising demand for nursing education requires a growing educator workforce to handle increased student intakes into pre-registration programmes. Understanding the motivations behind nurses’ transitions from clinical practice to education can help develop sustainable recruitment and retention strategies for nurse educators in tertiary institutions.
The integrative review by Gilbertson and McClunie-Trust explored whether behaviour therapy improves well-being in adults with epilepsy. Epilepsy complicates daily life through unpredictable seizures and treatment side-effects, with adverse effects on well-being. Behaviour therapy has shown benefits in self-management and enhancing well-being in other chronic conditions. Quantitative data from the 16 studies included in the review revealed three significant themes that indicated improvements in well-being. Barriers such as transportation, memory issues, and technology literacy affected participation in the studies. However, the findings of this review suggest that behaviour therapy shows potential for improving well-being in adults with epilepsy.
Research brief
Aotearoa, New Zealand faces a rapidly ageing population, with numbers aged over 65 projected to grow by 36 per cent between 2021 and 2031. As life expectancy rises, older adults are expected to live longer with chronic illnesses, increasing health-care demands. Nurses, positioned at the frontline, are key to addressing these needs. The polytechnic sector, responsible for training the majority of nursing graduates, plays a critical role in ensuring future nurses are well-prepared for this demographic shift. A review of recent literature by Heath et al. replicated a survey by Neville et al. (2008) to assess core components in nursing curricula for aged care. Research questions explored the definition, timing, settings, and educational experiences of aged-care placements and staff and student preparation processes in polytechnic nursing programmes. This review identified additional factors affecting aged-care education, including clinical examples used in teaching, types and timing of clinical placements in aged care, student preparation for placements, and the quality of supervision. Researchers also noted the importance of the curriculum addressing demographic shifts and intersectional factors.
Methodology
The methodology resource by Woods explores ResearchGate as a professional forum and hub for sharing knowledge, publications and research data. ResearchGate is a platform for researchers to collaborate across institutional and international boundaries. Woods explains how researchers can sign up, find resources, share their research internationally, and track who is reading and citing their publications.
NZNO Nursing Research Section
In the final section of this year’s edition, we have included a report from Te Wāhanga Rangahau Tapuhi, the NZNO Nursing Research Section, which was established in 1975 and currently has 377 nurse researcher members. The report outlines the section’s mission, aims and recent activities, including commentary on the research forum held in Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland, in early October, themed “Hoki whakamuri, kia anga whakamua – Look at the past to help forge the future.” We have published five abstracts from the presentations at the October forum.
Registered nurse prescribers can now prescribe nearly double the number of medicines, significantly expanding access to timely, local care for New Zealanders, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
Labour’s new Family Doctor Loan Scheme will support doctors and nurse practitioners with low-interest loans to set up new practices or buy into existing ones.
Unions representing workers from essential health, education and public services have written to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to urge him to resolve impasses with their respective collective bargaining.
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today presented Health New Zealand’s Annual Report to Parliament and issued a new Letter of Expectations to the Chair of the Health New Zealand Board, setting out the Government’s priorities for the rest of this financial year and into 2025/26.
Health New Zealand welcomes the decision by the Association of Professional and Executive Employees (APEX) members to settle the collective employment agreements for physiotherapists and medical laboratory workers.
New Zealanders living with multiple sclerosis, breast cancer, eye conditions, and lung cancer will benefit from five medicines that Pharmac will fund from 1 December 2025.
The Minister of Health must protect the integrity of the Nursing Council as the regulator for registered nurses, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says
The first step of the nationwide breast screening age extension is underway, with women aged 70 and 74 now eligible for free screening, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Women’s Minister Nicola Grigg say.
With nearly 7,000 vaccinations delivered since measles cases broke out in Northland and Queenstown two weeks ago, Health New Zealand is encouraging anyone not already vaccinated to make the most of weekend immunisation opportunities in their communities.
Today Health NZ has processed approximately $96.5 million in Holidays Act remediation payments for 12,105 current employees in Canterbury and approximately $7m for 933 current employees in West Coast.
More than 340 nurses have expressed interest in the Government’s plan to support 120 registered nurses each year to complete advanced training and become nurse practitioners in primary care, with applications opening today, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
From Monday, the starting age for free bowel screening will be lowered from 60 to 58 in Northland, Auckland, and the South Island, with the rest of the North Island to follow in March 2026, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is deeply saddened by the death of Dr Mohammed Akram Al-Kafarneh, a leader of the Palestinian Nursing Association in Gaza. He is among hundreds of nurses and health workers who have tragically lost their lives during this conflict.
After two years of broken promises, cuts and stalling, the National Government is finally signing a contract to get Dunedin Hospital built, with the same contractor and same leadership as under the previous Labour government.
With the support of Direct Relief, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the Palestinian Nursing and Midwifery Association (PNMA) have launched an emergency programme to help provide support to nurses in Gaza and the West Bank, in response to the reports of famine and the high cost of food. This initiative provides direct financial support to over 1,200 nurses.
We are disappointed and concerned at the decision by Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) members to take further strike action, said Dr Dale Bramley, Health New Zealand Chief Executive.
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is saying there is still huge work to do to ensure pay equity for women following the release of new data by Stats NZ that shows the gender pay gap remains largely unchanged.
Patients and families visiting Whangārei Hospital are one step closer to easier access, as a procurement process begins for additional and upgraded carparks to support the hospital’s ongoing redevelopment, Acting Health Minister Matt Doocey says.
Given the planned nationwide strike action, the decision has been made to delay the start date for over 300 graduate nurses who were due to begin work and initial training on Monday 1 September.
This month marks five years since the launch of Access and Choice in the Southern region, a free mental health and wellbeing support programme delivered in general practices and known locally as Tōku Oranga.
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is today supporting PPTA members across the country who are striking for fair pay increases, more subject specialist advisors, and greater teacher-led professional development funding.
A new Massey University study has found that disabled people, particularly Māori and those on low incomes, face disproportionately high rates of family and sexual violence, yet are often excluded from prevention strategies, policymaking and public messaging.
“Kiwis’ access to healthcare is getting worse under National. In recent weeks we’ve seen a number of areas where getting treatment is harder or more expensive for New Zealanders,” Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.
Health New Zealand welcomes the decision by Midwifery Employee Representation & Advisory Services (MERAS) members to settle their collective employment agreement.
In a statement attributed to Dr Dale Bramley, Health New Zealand Chief Executive, while contingency planning for the strike by New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) next week is ongoing, they are also focused on progressing talks with the union to avert the strike.
A review of Nelson Hospital has confirmed concerns that staff shortages are increasing wait times and delaying people getting the care they need, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says.
Women representing the more than 300,000 workers in female-dominated industries affected by the Government’s gutting of New Zealand’s pay equity system will deliver a 80,000 strong petition to opposition MPs at Parliament this Wednesday.
National’s funding cuts have forced the closure of mental health facility Segar House – cutting jobs and leaving those with complex needs without care they need.
Under National, hospitals are booking ghost appointments to make it look like their targets are being met. “Correspondence between clinicians shows fake appointments are being made for fake clinics at Nelson Hospital,” Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.
A local service that is supporting older people to overcome the social, mental and physical effects of fragility fractures resulting from falls, has been awarded an internationally recognised gold standard.
New figures released today show childhood immunisation rates at 24 months continue to rise, reflecting the Government’s strong commitment to improving health outcomes for Kiwi children, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
Te Whatu Ora's decision to pull the plug on a trial to take beds away from Wellington Hospital's maternity and gynaecology wards is the right decision, NZNO says.
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey have today marked the beginning of construction on the new Sir Mark Dunajtschik Mental Health Centre in Lower Hutt.
A new e-learning course was launched early June to equip midwives with up-to-date knowledge on effectively communicating relevant and tailored information about syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has welcomed prescribing changes that will enable GPs and nurse practitioners to diagnose and treat adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Simeon Brown needs to be honest about how much more money he expects Health New Zealand to cut from its budget to get back in the black. “National has chosen to underfund our health system and expects Health New Zealand to make even more cuts - but won’t say how much,” Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.
The global gender gap has closed to 68.8%, led by economic and political advances – yet progress is still behind pre-pandemic pace, with full parity an estimated 123 years away.
Against a backdrop of escalating global health challenges, the ruling council of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has issued a powerful call for urgent action to address the nursing workforce crisis.
Against a backdrop of escalating global health challenges, the ruling council of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has issued a powerful call for urgent action to address the nursing workforce crisis.
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges has taken the pay equity fight to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The ILO is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards.
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has released a new topic brief titled “Nursing for Planetary Health and Wellbeing”, emphasizing the vital role nurses play in addressing the health impacts of our shared environmental crises. The brief highlights the emerging concept of planetary health and stresses the urgency to recognize and take action to reduce the impacts that human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems are having on the health of individuals and communities.
As the world’s nurses celebrate International Nurses Day (IND), ICN issues a rallying cry to governments around the globe for urgent nursing support, following the launch of the second World Health Organization (WHO) State of the World’s Nursing (SOWN) report.
The New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) is deeply concerned by New Zealand First’s proposed Member’s Bill, which seeks to legally define “man” and “woman” solely based on biological sex.
Phase Two of the Police Mental Health Response Change Programme is set to be extended with a second group of districts implementing Phase Two from 19 May.
Access to urgent healthcare on weekends will be restored in Tairāwhati this Saturday (3 May 2025) with the launch of a new service, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.
Taupō Hospital has become the first hospital in the North Island to receive accreditation to deliver Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) training, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey have announced.
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Rural Health and Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey announced today he will be coming to 12 rural locations across the country on a Rural Health Roadshow, starting this week in Levin.
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) is seeking feedback on potential options for national palliative care services for tamariki, rangatahi/children, young people and their whānau/families.
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) brought the nursing voice to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) which wrapped up on Friday. ICN participated in critical discussions on gender equity and women’s health throughout the event.
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has documented alarming firsthand evidence of widespread disruption and collapse of essential health care services following the sudden withdrawal of USAID and other funding.
A local service that is supporting older people to overcome the social, mental and physical effects of fragility fractures resulting from falls, has been awarded an internationally recognised gold standard.
