Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand

Pay parity, pay equity for nurses: biggest challenges for new minister of health

NZNO leadership has praised new Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall for her “genuine approach”, while urging her to take swift action on pay parity – and outgoing Minister Andrew Little was thanked for “keeping door open and the conversation going”.

‘I feel like s…’ — vote for three per cent wage relief leaves sour taste

Desperate Whānau Āwhina Plunket members have voted to accept a three per cent lift in pay which they previously rejected, to stave off further financial hardship. They are now putting their hope in a pay parity top up which the Minister of Health has committed to.

Just one doctor at Thames Hospital – ‘a huge risk’

Thames Hospital ED normally has three day shifts for doctors, but recently this dropped to just one - a situation which left patients and staff vulnerable to serious adverse events, NZNO members say.*

Black Ferns take time out from celebrations to tautoko nurses

World Cup Rugby winners, the Black Ferns, took time out from their public celebrations to champion the cause of nurses in Wellington this month.

Report shows funding gap of nine per cent for general practices

As primary health care nurses grit their teeth to hold out for a better pay deal in the new year, a report commissioned by the interim health transition unit shows their employers are woefully underfunded.

New Zealand ‘preferred destination’ for overseas nurses after visa changes

Migrant nurses are welcoming the Government’s move to put them on the straight-to-residency visa – but say they should have been included from the start.

‘This is my way of giving back to nursing’ – union powerhouse starts role at NZNO

Karene Walton, NZNO's recently appointed director of organising, says there's never been a better, or more important, time for NZNO members to take collective action.

‘I just wouldn’t let them rattle me’ – NZNO wins three-year battle over public holiday pay

After a three-and-a-half-year battle, including a grilling on the witness stand, delegate and hospice nurse Rachel Clarke is thrilled to the Employment Court found she and her colleagues at Arohanui Hospice Palmerston North, were entitled to be paid for public holidays not worked.

Interim pay equity lift brings celebration, relief and disbelief

Nurses employed by Te Whatu Ora are welcoming a lift to their pay rates as an interim measure to recognise gender-pay discrimination -- but many remain sceptical. 

Strength ‘tinged with sadness’ — Lesley Elliott remembered by nursing colleagues

Kind, caring – and incredibly strong. That is how colleagues from the close-knit neonatal intensive care (NICU) at Dunedin Hospital remember Lesley Elliott.

New online learning series on consumer rights will ‘strengthen patient relationship’ — HDC

New online learning modules to support health professionals' working knowledge and understanding of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights have been launched.

Long-time NZNO flight nurse chair recognised with double awards

Long-time NZNO flight nurse leader Toni Johnston was "blindsided" by a double-award whammy after stepping down as College of Air and Surface Transport Nurses (COASTN) chair after seven years.

Maranga Mai! Rowing towards change on the same waka

At the heart of Maranga Mai! – NZNO’s campaign to fix the nursing crisis - are individual members who are empowered to act collectively for change. The goal is "building member power" by growing the membership, and increasing member support for each other, to gain permanent solutions to the health care crisis.

How primary care can improve antimicrobial stewardship

Antimicrobial resistance — when pathogens develop resistance to drugs used to fight them — is a serious threat to health care in New Zealand and around the world. Antimicrobial stewardship — ie careful and appropriate use of antimicrobial drugs (including antibiotics) — is vital to preserving the effectiveness of these medicines. This article explains the … Continue reading "How primary care can improve antimicrobial stewardship"

‘My hands shake as I apologise for the millionth time’

An experienced nurse shares her struggles with IV cannulation.

Lives transformed by Mercy Ships’ surgical care

An Auckland nurse has completed her fifth tour of duty with Mercy Ships, and is inspired by the resilience of her patients who come from countries often lacking basic health care.

Grisly experiences drove history graduate into nursing

In the final of our NZNO board member profiles, Wellington perioperative nurse Simon Auty describes the grisly experiences that drove him to become a nurse.

`Kōrero I wish I could’ve had with the Well Child nurse’

Wāhi Kōrero is a unique research project where patients share their stories of care that did not meet their needs, via an online story-sharing platform. In the first part of this project, young mothers share challenging accounts of their experiences with Well Child nurses.