Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

‘Dirty back-room deal’ — nurses, health workers and Māori rally over Smokefree law repeal 'Deliberate act of public health vandalism' -- fury over Smokefree Aotearoa law repeal as Shane Reti challenged over Hippocratic oath to do no harm.
‘Please share your art of nursing with our graduate-entry students’ As a clinical RN, you have much to offer graduate-entry students.
Menopause: getting it right for your patients Menopause and how to get the best outcomes for your patients -- watch this webinar and earn CPD time.
Fostering resilience in patients with life-limiting illness Aromatherapy can play a role in uplifting patients facing the end of their life.

News

‘Just a really good guy’ — NZNO leaders mourn former kaumātua Richard Rangi Wallace

NZNO's Te Rūnanga members are mourning Richard Rangi Wallace, NZNO's former kaumātua and Māori Anglican pīhopa (bishop) o Te Waipounamu who died on January 6.

News

New scholarship for rainbow nursing students embraces diversity

A new scholarship for rainbow nursing students is an "immense" step towards a safe and inclusive nursing workforce that celebrates diversity, say NZNO -- Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa student leaders.

News

‘We hung in there’ — southern Te Whatu Ora members celebrate 2023 pay equity achievement

Ashburton Te Whatu Ora members took a moment this month to celebrate 2023 as the year they won a "significant" pay equity settlement after a seven-year uphill battle -- a win they hope paves the way for other nurses and health workers.

News

Smokefree rollback ‘deeply, widely felt’ by nurses, say Christchurch protestors

About 200 nurses, health workers and other opponents of the Government's decision to roll back the SmokeFree Aotearoa legislation turned out in Christchurch today for a third protest against the move.

News

‘Dirty back-room deal’ — nurses, health workers and Māori rally over Smokefree law repeal

Nurses and kaiāwhina joined Māori health providers, doctors and public health advocates at rallies in Auckland and Wellington this week to protest against the new Government's shock decision to repeal Smokefree Aotearoa laws.

News

‘I’m here to listen’ — new Minister of Health opens doors to NZNO nurse leaders for ongoing kōrero

After a recent late night kōrero with new Minister of Health Shane Reti, NZNO -- Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa leaders have described him as "warm" and committed to Māori and rebuilding a homegrown nursing workforce.

News

Nurses, health workers stand up against ‘incomprehensible’ Smokefree rollback

Nurses and NZNO -- Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa are joining a wave of outrage and protest from health, iwi and community organisations over the Government's shock decision to repeal world-first smokefree laws.

News

Late-in-life nurse wins award for changing patients’ home lives

A Lower Hutt nurse has received the 2023 nurse investigator award from the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) for her research into how nurses can improve patients’ social, economic and physical environments.

News

‘Listen to us — keep us safe’: Nurses nationwide call for funding from new Government over nursing crisis

Te Whatu Ora nurses have described gruelling workplaces, rife with burnout, violence and unsafe staffing levels, as they turn out across the country to demand more investment in their workforce.

Opinion

‘Please share your art of nursing with our graduate-entry students’

Two nursing educators encourage clinical RNs to welcome graduate-entry students, and share their 'art of nursing' with them.

Opinion

‘I could nearly see me — the real me’: A transgender nurse shares their story from ‘rock bottom’ to rainbow educator

Having survived addiction and the darkest depression during a lifelong quest to claim their identity, Manawatū transgender nurse Mel Meates believes nursing saved their life.

Practice

Menopause: getting it right for your patients

In this webinar, Professor Bev Lawton discusses menopause and how to get the best outcomes for your patients.

Letters

Please send letters for publication to: [email protected]. We reserve the right to edit letters for sense and length, and will not publish letters that are libellous, incite racial, sexual or religious hatred or constitute personal attacks. Shorter letters (under 400 words) are preferred. Please include name, address, nursing qualifications and phone number.

Practice

Fostering resilience in patients with life-limiting illness

A nurse and aromatherapist investigates what resilience means for patients who are facing the end of their lives, and provides a case study on how aromatherapy can be harnessed to improve resilience.

Features

It’s cool to kōrero — January 2024

Hipi -- sheep

Features

Isabelle Sherrard — an education journey

As New Zealand marks 50 years since nurse training moved out of hospitals and became a tertiary qualification, Kaitiaki looks back at the massive changes in nursing education through the eyes of former nursing school head Isabelle Sherrard.

Puzzles

JANUARY 2024 crossword

Print out the grid (using PRINT tab at the bottom right of this page) and use the clues below. December answers are below the clues.

Puzzles

DECEMBER 2023 crossword

Print out the grid (using PRINT tab at the bottom right of this page) and use the clues below. November answers are below the clues.

Letters

‘Kerri Nuku needs to stick with nursing and leave history to the experts’

Kerri Nuku needs to stick with nursing and leave history to the experts.

Letters

‘I see the effects every day’ — nurse and midwife implores Government to rethink Smokefree law change

I’m writing in the hope that the Government will change its mind on the Smokefree law change.

Letters

Stop the repeal of Smokefree legislation, say respiratory nurses

The NZNO college of respiratory nurses demands the Government stop the repeal of the Smokefree legislation.

Colleges & Sections

First nursing leadership conference in three years aims to ‘create great’

About 100 nurses and nurse leaders attended the nursing leadership conference 'Creating great - leading into the future' held over two days in Whanganui recently.

Uncut – news briefs

27 March	Bar still too high for small mental health providers Small mental health providers will still be locked out of co-funding from the Mental Health Innovation Fund despite a lower threshold.
25 March	ICN advocates for health system gender equity and women’s health 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.
19 March	ICN warns of healthcare crisis as USAID funding cuts devastate nursing initiatives in the world’s most vulnerable regions 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.
19 March	New High Dependency Unit will expand critical care services in Wellington Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospital’s first High Dependency Unit (HDU).
13 March	Pharmac to fund more cancer medicines Pharmac is funding six more medicines for cancers and one for antibiotic resistant infections.
28 Feb	Pharmac CE resigns The Board of Pharmac wishes to announce that its Chief Executive for the last 7 years, Sarah Fitt, has resigned effective from 30 May 2025.
25 Feb	ICN issues updated statement on health care in conflict, calling for peace and compliance with international humanitarian law In recent years, the world has witnessed a disturbing increase in conflicts and wars, placing immense strain on health systems and exacerbating human suffering. Nurses have been at the forefront of these crises, responding to emergencies, supporting recovery efforts, and providing essential care to those affected by violence and displacement.
21 Feb	ICN’s new guidance on integrating nurse leaders into heart of health workforce planning The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has published a practical guide to including nurses in workforce planning decisions.
17 Feb	ICN warns of effect of US withdrawal from WHO on nurse-led services The International Council of Nurses (ICN) warned that the withdrawal of the United States from WHO has already halted some nurse-led services, including vaccination programmes and care for people with HIV/AIDS.
17 Feb	Minister acknowledges outgoing Director-General Health Minister Simeon Brown has today acknowledged the resignation of Director-General of Health and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, and thanked her for her service.
12 Feb	Pharmac funds medicines for liver, ovarian, and neuroendocrine cancers People with liver, ovarian, and neuroendocrine cancers will have access to more medicines from 1 March 2025.
11 Feb	Consultation begins on work to improve patient access to medical devices Pharmac is continuing to improve the way medical devices are managed for New Zealanders, today opening consultation on its comprehensive list of medical devices used by public hospitals.
3 Feb	First Whānau Āwhina Plunket site in NZ delivering childhood vaccinations Childhood immunisations are now being delivered at a Whānau Āwhina Plunket site in Whāngarei, with other regions soon to also provide the new service.
29 Jan	Local access to specialist audiology services comes to Wairarapa A newly established out-patient clinic for ear, nose, and throat (ENT) and audiology appointments is providing Wairarapa patients with local access to specialist hearing services for the first time.
29 Jan	Pharmac reconsiders oestradiol patch options following community feedback Pharmac is reviewing and reconsidering its oestradiol patch options after considerable feedback was received when it announced a move to a single funded brand late last year.
22 Jan	Consultations for cancer and ADHD medicines close soon Pharmac is encouraging people to have their say on proposals to fund six more medicines and change the brand of one medicine before consultation closes on 27 January.
20 Dec	Health NZ introduces public reporting of key primary healthcare measures and PHO performance Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) has introduced public reporting of key primary healthcare measures and Primary Health Organisation (PHO) performance.
19 Dec	Quarter 1 performance report released Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora has today published its Quarterly Performance Report for Quarter 1, covering the period 1 July to 30 September 2024.
18 Dec	Recent uptick in Boostrix immunisations amid whooping cough epidemic, but work still to do As the healthcare sector continues to respond to a whooping cough (pertussis) epidemic across the motu, it’s promising to see a recent uptick in the number of Boostrix immunisations among the 15- to 44-year-old age group, with a recent doubling of doses administered from about 1,000 per week to over 2,000 per week.
18 Dec	Extra security to again keep EDs safe this summer Health Minister Dr Shane Reti is again reminding New Zealanders that violence against patients, visitors and health workers won’t be tolerated, with additional security for hospital emergency departments across the country this summer.
13 Dec	Mental health and addiction targets implementation plans released Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora has today published its first quarterly results for four of the five mental health and addiction targets, covering the period 1 July – 30 September 2024.
12 Dec	Health targets encouraging – work continues New data shows that the Government’s focus on health targets is putting the brakes on the steep decline in delivery seen over the past five years.
12 Dec	Gisborne receives mental health beds boost Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey today opened Gisborne Hospital’s new acute mental health unit, Te Whare Awhi Ora, and says the region will be better served by a bigger, more therapeutic acute mental health unit.
9 Dec	Afghan women ‘banned from nursing and midwife training’ in latest blow to rights BBC News has reported that female nursing and midwifery students in Afghanistan have been told not to return to their studies, effectively ending women’s only access to further education, and putting women and children’s lives at risk.
9 Dec	How student and early career nurses can influence policymaking The International Council of Nurses (ICN) held a webinar which highlighted the vital importance of primary and preventative health care in meeting the World Health Organization’s (WHO) challenging goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030
3 Dec	Health NZ end-of-year deficit confirmed In publishing its annual report, Health NZ has confirmed it ended the financial year with a deficit of $722 million, against a target surplus of $54 million.
2 Dec	ICN says COP29 climate finance shortfall threatens the planet’s health The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has expressed profound disappointment with the outcomes of COP29, held in Baku, particularly the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance that was passed despite significant objections from developing countries.
29 Nov	Minister reminds public health officials of priorities Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti says the National Public Health Service should concentrate its focus on prioritising serious public health issues facing New Zealanders.
29 Nov	Community providers rally to protect hapū māma and pēpi as national whooping cough case numbers surpass 1,000 for 2024 Hapū māmā are being urged to get immunised, and parents and caregivers are encouraged to get their babies immunised on time, as whooping cough case numbers continue to climb across Aotearoa New Zealand.
28 Nov	Govt ignores health crisis, plans to axe 1500 public health roles The health of New Zealanders will suffer because of the Government’s plan to axe nearly 1500 roles at Te Whatu Ora, coming at a time when the public health system is already under severe pressure.
27 Nov	Health New Zealand Establishes Technical Advisory Group to Lead Transformation in Maternity Care This team of experts and community representatives will play a key role in the development of the Maternity Commissioning Framework, a core element of the wider Kahu Taurima programme, which aims to make maternity and early years services more equitable, accessible, and whānau-centered.
22 Nov	Whooping Cough epidemic declared across Aotearoa New Zealand Health agencies have confirmed today that Aotearoa New Zealand is now in the early stages of a Whooping Cough epidemic, with a nationally coordinated response now in place.
20 Nov	A Global Map of Winter Depression Healthnews has released an extensive study that ranks 194 countries based on their winter-pattern Seasonal Depression Disorder (SAD) risk.
18 Nov	Potential travel disruption expected with Tuesday’s national Hīkoi Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora urges those with an appointment scheduled at Wellington Regional Hospital on Tuesday morning or early afternoon, to please allow extra time to get to appointments.
15 Nov	ICN’s calls on G20 leaders to address international health worker migration crisis Ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro next week, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) welcomes the Declarations recently adopted by the G20 Health Working Group and health ministers.
13 Nov	Measles case confirmed in Tāmaki Makaurau Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora has confirmed today that a new case of measles has been identified on Waiheke Island in Auckland. The case and their household are being supported by the National Public Health Service (NPHS), with those most at risk now in quarantine to help reduce the chance of further spread.
5 Nov	Safety fears ahead of changes to mental health 111 calls Mental Health Nurses have serious concerns about the safety of their patients, the public, their colleagues and themselves when police changes to emergency 111 calls come into effect on Monday, New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa says.