Features – Page 6 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

March 2023

Body clocks, the pandemic and NZ nursing histories — an intriguing line-up of books you can borrow

By Heather Woods and Amanda Otzen

February 8, 2023

Histories of New Zealand nursing, experiences of the pandemic in Australia, the science of the body clock and its implications for shiftwork — the NZNO library has something for you in its roster of new books.

February 2023

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

By Amy Clark

January 30, 2023

An experienced nurse shares her struggles with IV cannulation.

February 2023

Lives transformed by Mercy Ships’ surgical care

By Sharon Walls

January 25, 2023

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.

December 2022

It’s cool to kōrero — December

By Kathy Stodart

December 14, 2022

Kei te whiti mai a Tama-nui-te-rā. – The sun is shining.

December 2022

Working at a local meat works, getting pregnant — or nursing

By Cate Macintosh

December 12, 2022

Nursing was an escape route from rural poverty and boredom into a world of service for Margaret Hand. She spoke to Kaitiaki about her passion to help vulnerable whānau for a series on the board directors.

February 2023

Grisly experiences drove history graduate into nursing

By Mary Longmore

December 9, 2022

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.

December 2022

Academia, activism and nursing – the key drivers for Grant Brookes

By Cate Macintosh

December 8, 2022

An unexpected period of living rough while on his OE, gave Grant Brookes a taste of “how the other half lives” and deepened his drive to advocate for human rights. As part of a series on the NZNO board of directors, Brookes spoke to Kaitiaki about his story.

December 2022

The dyslexia disadvantage in nursing

By Laura MacDonald

November 3, 2022

What barriers do nurses with dyslexia face at work? And might some qualities of dyslexia make you a better nurse? A third-year nursing student, who herself has dyslexia, investigates.

November 2022

It’s cool to kōrero — October

By Kathy Stodart

October 10, 2022

Kei te rongo au i te ua. — I hear the rain

September 2022

Self-advocacy: An important skill for students on clinical placement

By Maddi Downer, Joan Waipouri, Gabie Roquid, Steven Li, Tamar Nonoa, Rachael Work, Katie Ferguson and Willoughby Moloney

August 4, 2022

To gain the most from clinical placements, nursing students need to know how to communicate confidently with their preceptors – about what they do and don’t know.

September 2022

Nurse prescribing — the way of the future

By Kathy Stodart

July 27, 2022

Growing numbers of nurse prescribers are improving access to medicines.

August 2022

Harris marked a milestone in male nursing

By Wayne McLachlan

July 5, 2022

NZ’s first male general nurse faced opposition stepping into a female profession.

August 2022

Transforming the system to enable good lives for disabled people

By Susan Shaw and Susan Sherrard

July 1, 2022

Under the health reforms, disabled people get their own ministry and more control over their lives and the support they receive.

August 2022

What employment means for people with schizophrenia

By Alex Pajel

May 5, 2022

Health-care professionals need to understand the benefits employment brings to people with schizophrenia.

August 2022

What makes a great preceptor? Nursing students have their say

By Stephanie Rooke, Grace Thevenard, Saumi Suthendran, Suyeon Skyla Jung, Nathalie Tolentino, Jamie Fraser Annandale and Kim Ward

March 28, 2022

Students chronicle their good and bad experiences with preceptors and give their view on how to perform the role well, to educate and inspire the next generation of nurses.

April 2022

‘Lots of procedures and no heart’ – nursing in a pandemic

By Mary Longmore

March 21, 2022

The guilt, moral distress and rollercoaster emotions of nurses working during Australia’s COVID-19 pandemic have been captured in a book co-written by a New Zealander.

February 2022

‘Abuse can take many forms’: nursing student uses creative writing to share experiences

By Laura MacDonald

February 15, 2022

A grand old house, piles of old newspapers, empty whiskey bottles and a couple struggling with age and injury – student nurse Laura MacDonald was discovering the realities of community health.

February 2022

Whakatāne nurse bears the scars of vaccination decision

By Ange Hooker

February 8, 2022

Whakatāne district nurse Ange Hooker lives with the consequences of her mother’s choice not to vaccinate in 1970.

December 2021 vol 27 no 11

Security guard switches to nursing

By Kai Tiaki editors

December 1, 2021

For Daniel Manihera, rejecting the lessons of a lifetime means he can finally start to learn again.

February 2022

‘Intolerable’ bullying drives nurse out

By Petra Aukino

December 1, 2021

Auckland nurse Petra Aukino has quit the profession after bullying early in her career ‘shattered’ her confidence. She shares her story here.

23 Sept	Auckland University research finds nurse shortages increase post-surgery deaths and complications New research by Auckland University has found addressing nurse shortages in post-operative care may save 182 lives a year because short-staffed wards have higher rates of potentially preventable deaths and complications after their surgeries.
21 Sept	Exasperated Muriwai Ward nurses strike again over unsafe staffing Nurses and health care assistants working on the Muriwai Ward at Waitākere Hospital will strike for the second time this year after last ditch efforts to resolve unsafe staffing concerns with Te Whatu Ora collapsed, NZNO says.
21 Sept	Whanganui Hospital ED averaged 680% capacity over a week Working in an overcrowded emergency department (ED), up to 680% capacity over a week, makes staff feel overwhelmed with the pressure, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
14 Sept	WellSouth's Newborn Enrolment Kahu Taurima Programme a finalist at the Primary Care Awards 2026 WellSouth's Newborn Enrolment Kahu Taurima Programme is a finalist at the Primary Care Awards for the HALEO Best Supplier Service, Product or Campaign category. Winners will be announced on 17 October.
14 Sept	Global Study: Nursing Shortages Require Workforce Policy Solutions, Not Recruitment Campaigns Alone Why people choose nursing, and why they leave, comes down to the same factors. The global nursing shortage cannot be solved simply by encouraging more people to enter the profession, according to a new evidence brief.
8 Sept	Overworked, understaffed Gisborne ED staff strike Health and safety concerns arising from unsafe staffing levels have forced nurses at Gisborne Hospital’s emergency department (ED) to go on strike.
4 Sept	Strong growth in wāhine Māori and Pacific women’s cervical screening rates highlights success of self-testing programme Cervical screening participation has increased significantly for both wāhine Māori and Pacific women, reflecting the strong impact of self-testing, Screening Services and the dedicated efforts of health providers working alongside their communities.
4 Sept	Government must adopt Wai 2713 recommendations on disability system The Coalition Government must urgently adopt new recommendations from the Waitangi Tribunal which has found significant parts of the disability system prejudice tāngata whaikaha Māori (Māori with disabilities), NZNO says.
31 Aug	Employing graduate nurses will help keep them in nursing and the country A new proposal that will require Te Whatu Ora to offer all eligible graduate nurses jobs in the public health system will help keep them in nursing and in Aotearoa New Zealand, NZNO says.
26 Aug	Health Minister’s claim Winter Plan ‘managing well’ delusional Health Minister Simeon Brown’s claim that hospitals are ‘managing well’ because of the Government’s Winter Plan is delusional, NZNO says.
25 Aug	Hospital data shows nursing shortages continue to put patients at risk Te Whatu Ora data released today shows patients are continuing to be put at risk by the Coalition Government’s deliberate failure to safely staff hospital wards, NZNO says.
24 Aug	Fed-up North Shore ED staff declare state of emergency NZNO members working in the emergency department (ED) at North Shore Hospital have declared a state of emergency due to unsafe staffing levels resulting in ongoing overcrowding.
19 Aug	What happened to the winter health plan? The $25 million 2026 Winter Plan launched by Health Minister Simeon Brown in March to erase pressure on the health system has been an unmitigated disaster, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
11 Aug	Applications open for advanced nursing education programmes Health New Zealand is encouraging registered nurses to apply for two advanced education programmes that support nurses to further develop their clinical skills and expand access to care in communities across New Zealand.
3 Aug	Health New Zealand welcomes settlement of NZRDA collective agreement Health New Zealand welcomes the vote by New Zealand Resident Doctors Association (NZRDA) members to settle their collective agreement.
30 Jul	Backing our frontline rural health workforce Rural communities across New Zealand will benefit from three new investments that will support the rural health workforce and help more people access care closer to home, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says.
22 Jul	Te Whatu Ora must disclose staffing levels at time of tragic death Te Whatu Ora must disclose whether the Waikato emergency department (ED) was short-staffed at the time a man tragically died in the waiting room, NZNO says.
6 Jul	Reflecting on IND 2026 Looking back on last month’s International Nurses Day 12 May 2026 (IND 2026), the impact of this year's theme "Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives" continues to resonate across the world. ICN’s landmark IND 2026 report defined seven key powers of nursing and this message has been strengthened with nurses in every region celebrating, naming, and owning their powers throughout May.
3 Jul	Health New Zealand acknowledges Ombudsman statement on Wakari Ward 10A Health NZ welcomes the independent investigation by the Ministry of Health into Ward 10A. On Wednesday the Health NZ board agreed to close Wakari Ward 10a as a forensic intellectual disability (ID) unit, with the future use of the ward yet to be determined.
2 Jul	New programme to fast track bowel cancer care and cut colonoscopy waitlists Health New Zealand is today launching a national initiative, designed to fast track bowel cancer care and reduce colonoscopy waitlists by up to 30 per cent.
1 Jul	Six new Co-Response Team locations announced to strengthen support for people in mental distress The next six locations for Health New Zealand and NZ Police Co-Response Teams have been confirmed, expanding a model that helps people experiencing mental distress receive timely, wraparound support that better meets their health needs.
29 Jun	Mental health and addiction targets progress continues Health New Zealand continues to make important progress against its mental health and addiction targets, meeting four out of five national targets this quarter.
25 Jun	Access to care continuing to improve across a range of health indicators New health data released today shows continued improvement in access to care across a range of health indicators.
18 Jun	Funding "boost" continues dangerous under-funding of aged care The Health Minister’s funding "boost" for aged residential care continues underfunding to the sector and will continue unsafe practices and short staffing, which is putting vulnerable residents at risk, NZNO says.
16 Jun	Labour to make maternity scans free Labour will add free maternity scans to the Medicard alongside three free doctor’s visits a year, so every pregnant woman gets the care she needs.