Features – Page 8 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

August 2021 vol 27 no 7

Mesothelioma: The deadly legacy of asbestos

By Leonie Metcalfe and Donna Thomas

August 1, 2021

Two long-serving nurses and NZNO delegates describe how their lives led up to a diagnosis of mesothelioma – the cancer caused by swallowing or inhaling asbestos fibres. They want to raise awareness of mesothelioma and the dangers of asbestos.

August 2021 vol 27 no 7

Health and safety law prompted by Pike River tragedy, now helping hospital staff

By co-editor Joel Maxwell

August 1, 2021

Until now the focus in hospitals has been mostly on patient safety – but a law crafted to protect workers after a horrifying tragedy, puts the focus on staff as well.

August 2021 vol 27 no 7

Over-centralising the health system will not help

By Brian Easton

August 1, 2021

In the second of two articles on the Government’s planned health reforms, economist Brian Easton looks at the pros and cons of a more centralised system.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Nurses and unionists acknowledged in Queen’s Birthday honours

By co-editor Mary Longmore with research by NZNO librarian Heather Woods

July 1, 2021

Four of our brightest stars celebrated and acknowledged in the Queen’s Birthday honours list.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Nursing ‘crisis’ in aged care

By co-editor Mary Longmore

July 1, 2021

Many of us fortunate enough to live to a ripe old age will likely end up in a rest home or aged residential care (ARC) facility and would like to enjoy a high standard of care. So why are ARC nurses fleeing?

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Away from the picket line – those who stay behind

By co-editor Mary Longmore

July 1, 2021

Working while all your colleagues go on strike isn’t easy – but it’s crucial. Nurses share their experiences of providing life-preserving services (LPS) during the June 9 strike.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

The roots of today’s public health system

By Brian Easton

July 1, 2021

Economist Brian Easton analyses the Government’s proposed health reforms, firstly from an historical perspective. In the second article in this series, in next month’s issue, he looks ahead to where the reforms might take us.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Critical te Tiriti Analysis: A tool to strengthen te Tiriti o Waitangi compliance

By Heather Came

July 1, 2021

A new tool to analyse documents’ compliance with te Tiriti cuts through the rhetoric and gets to the nitty-gritty.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

NZNO launches project to create ‘staunch equity advocates’

By Leanne Manson

July 1, 2021

NZNO’s board has made a commitment to ensure staff and members are part of the equity journey.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

‘Karanga of change’ calls all of us – no matter our role in health world

By Leanne Manson

July 1, 2021

NZNO policy advisor Māori, Leanne Manson (Ngāti Tama Ki Te Tau Ihu, Te Ātiawa) explores the kaupapa of equity, and what it means in the health sector.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

EQUITY: Abstract concepts have cold, hard consequences

By co-editor Joel Maxwell

July 1, 2021

In te reo Māori, co-editor Joel Maxwell welcomes readers to our Matariki edition, before focusing – in reo Pākehā – on the importance of equity in our work.

June 2021 vol 27 no 5

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

By Kai Tiaki editors

June 1, 2021

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

June 2021 vol 27 no 5

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

By Mary Longmore

June 1, 2021

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.

June 2021 vol 27 no 5

‘A lot more joy than sadness’ in neonatal care

By co-editor Mary Longmore

June 1, 2021

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

June 2021 vol 27 no 5

Jumping the ditch

By co-editor Joel Maxwell

June 1, 2021

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

At ease with a rural way of practice

By co-editor Joel Maxwell

May 1, 2021

It’s a long way from Mauritius to the South Island’s West Coast, but Randy Gopalla is comfortable with small-town life and more generalist rural practice.

May 2021 vol 27 no 4

New Nepalese RN enjoys respect and autonomy

By co-editor Mary Longmore

May 1, 2021

After a long bureaucratic journey, worsened by the lockdown, an RN from Nepal is thriving in her first New Zealand nursing role.

May 2021 vol 27 no 4

Filipino nurse leader will keep advocating

By co-editor Mary Longmore

May 1, 2021

Migrant nurses make up more than a quarter of the New Zealand nursing workforce. In the first of four profiles of migrant nurses in this issue, co-editor Mary Longmore spoke to Auckland community health nurse Emmanuel (Manu) Pelayo.

May 2021 vol 27 no 4

‘Connecting with our people’

By co-editor Mary Longmore

May 1, 2021

New Zealand is a land of opportunities for Fijian nurse Kelera Batiwale and her family.

May 2021 vol 27 no 4

Farewell to Annie: Making connections part of her HCA role

By co-editor Mary Longmore

May 1, 2021

After 21 years, Annie Pahina is retiring, but says she has “loved every day” working on the oncology, haematology and renal ward.

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.