News – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

January 2025

Round-the-clock security needed in EDs, say emergency nurses

By Mary Longmore

January 17, 2025

Eleven days after a nurse was choked to unconsciousness, NZNO’s emergency nurses say 24/7 security is needed in all emergency departments (EDs).

January 2025

Community mental health nurses consider stab-proof vests after knife attack

By Mary Longmore

January 16, 2025

Community mental health nurses are considering stab-proof vests and personal alarms as part of a “suite of options”, after a nurse was stabbed while on an acute after-hours mental health callout in Rotorua recently.

January 2025

Diabetes nurse trailblazer among health professionals in New Year honours

By Kathy Stodart

January 13, 2025

A trail-blazing nurse in diabetes care and advanced nursing practice — Helen Snell — has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year’s honours list.

January 2025

Emergency nurses call for more security, counselling, after strangulation attempt

By Mary Longmore

January 10, 2025

Staff at Middlemore Hospital’s emergency department (ED) have asked for more security, after a nurse was punched then strangled to unconsciousness by a patient on Monday this week.

January 2025

“She bled for our people” – nurses pay tribute to Dame Tariana Turia

By Renee Kiriona

January 6, 2025

Nurses throughout Aotearoa passionate about achieving better Māori health outcomes are joining with te ao Māori to mourn the loss of Dame Tariana Turia – a former Associate Minister of Health and Whānau Ora Minister.

January 2025

Internationally-qualified nurses behind 12,000-surge to Australia

By Mary Longmore

December 20, 2024

The number of nurses leaving to work in Australia has soared to nearly 12,000 in the past year — a 53 per cent rise, figures from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation agency (Ahpra) show.

January 2025

Gisborne nurses working with ‘unsafe’ out-of-date staffing levels, call on local MP to intervene

By Mary Longmore

December 20, 2024

Desperate nurses in Gisborne are calling on their local MP to intervene after running on outdated staffing levels which they say are a huge risk to patient safety.

January 2025

2024 strikes an amazing expression of ‘kotahitanga’

By Renee Kiriona

December 20, 2024

The last of the health strikes for 2024 have ended with one of their negotiators encouraging nurses, midwives and healthcare workers throughout Aotearoa to keep up the “kotahitanga” leading into the new year.

January 2025

Papers reveal directors of nursing fighting for graduate employment

By Mary Longmore

December 19, 2024

No pause? Fear, confusion and ‘murky waters’ as directors of nursing (DONs) say they were not permitted to hire mid-year graduates.

January 2025

Hospital-supported training for 45 Manawatū kaiāwhina brings better patient care

By Mary Longmore

December 18, 2024

A group of 45 kaiāwhina at Palmerston North and Horowhenua hospitals has become the region’s first cohort to graduate with a level three certificate in health and wellbeing — and patient care has hugely improved as a result.

December 2024

Rolling nurse strikes reinforce plea for patient safety

By Samesh Mohanlall and Renee Kiriona

December 13, 2024

Thousands of Te Whatu Ora nurses and kaiāwhina at different locations throughout the country are taking part in rolling strikes, reinforcing their message for more patient safety.

January 2025

Health workforce plan to grow-our-own ‘hollow’, says NZNO

By Mary Longmore

December 13, 2024

Te Whatu Ora’s plan to train more local health workers is a hollow promise given how few graduates it has employed, says NZNO — Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku.

January 2025

‘It’s cruel’ — just one in seven new enrolled nurse graduates get Te Whatu Ora jobs

By Mary Longmore

December 5, 2024

A week after turning away hundreds of RN graduates, Te Whatu Ora confirms it has only offered 15 end-of-year EN graduates a job.

December 2024

Nationwide strike: ‘It’s not right’ – patients speak up

By Renee Kiriona and Mary Longmore

December 4, 2024

“Our hospitals aren’t safe – I’ve seen it. We need more nurses and they need to treated better and paid properly.”

November 2024

Nurses: Why are they striking?

By Samesh Mohanlall

December 2, 2024

Nurses explain in their own words why they are striking. Te Whatu Ora NZNO members are embarking on an eight-hour-long strike tomorrow. Rolling strikes across Aotearoa follow in the next two weeks up to 20 December.
Nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora are desperate for people outside the health sector to understand just how seriously they’ve taken the decision to strike. They feel it is a last resort and felt like they had no other option because they fear for their patients’ safety after proposals raised in recent collective bargaining with Health NZ.
Communities in Aotearoa have been crying out for more staff to provide better care and a more culturally appropriate, equal health system

December 2024

Hundreds of nursing graduates miss out on Te Whatu Ora jobs

By Mary Longmore

November 27, 2024

Te Whatu Ora is being accused of failing in its most basic duty — protecting the future nursing workforce of New Zealand.

December 2024

Minister of Health announces $10 million for 75 senior specialist nurses

By Mary Longmore

November 26, 2024

Sceptical nurses are cautiously welcoming a $10 million investment in 75 senior and specialist nurses to plug gaps in mental health, rural health, maternity and critical care — but say it is a drop in the bucket.

December 2024

‘Some of my friends have died waiting for this payment’ — holiday backpay bittersweet after years of fighting

By Mary Longmore

November 25, 2024

For long-time Hawke’s Bay health-care assistant and NZNO delegate Cath Hellyer, last week’s announcement that — after 14 years — Te Whatu Ora had finally paid out $15.2 million in holiday pay owed to staff was bittersweet.

November 2024

Labour accuses Government of ‘hypocrisy’ as health consultant costs balloon

By Mary Longmore

November 20, 2024

Labour’s health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall is accusing National of “hypocrisy” after revealing Te Whatu Ora’s spending on consultants grew by 18 per cent in the year to mid-2024.

November 2024

‘The call was strong for me as a Māori and as a nurse’: Nurses and kaiāwhina join tens of thousands in hīkoi to Parliament

By Mary Longmore

November 19, 2024

Nurses and kaiāwhina were out on the streets of Pōneke / Wellington today taking part in the hīkoi mō te Tiriti — walk for te Tiriti — to Parliament, in protest over the Treaty Principles Bill.

Uncut – news briefs

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.
31 Oct	General practices welcome fast-track approvals process A new fast-track approval process is a good start, but more is needed to fix New Zealand’s chronic GP shortage, says the General Practice Owners Association (GenPro)
24 Oct	International Council of Nurses Bucharest Declaration priorities for the future of nursing The International Council of Nurses (ICN) marked the 125 years since its founding in 1899 with an anniversary conference held in Bucharest, Romania and hosted by the Order of Nurses, Midwives, and Medical Assistants of Romania.
10 Oct	Call to immunise now as New Zealand at high risk of whooping cough outbreak Pregnant people, babies, children and others at high risk from whooping cough are urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible, as Aotearoa New Zealand stands at high risk of an outbreak.
9 Oct	New pilot with Plunket to deliver childhood immunisations To increase access and boost immunisation rates, Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora and Whānau Āwhina Plunket will pilot the delivery of childhood immunisations at a select number of sites across the country.
8 Oct	Health NZ Begins Development of National Perinatal Bereavement Care Pathway As Baby Loss Awareness Week shines a light on the heartbreak faced by many, Health NZ is taking a compassionate and hopeful step forward in transforming the support available for whānau who experience the loss of a baby.
7 Oct	Govt takes the scalpel to regional health budgets At Labour’s insistence, Te Whatu Ora financial documents have been released by the Health Select Committee today showing more cuts are on the way for our health system.
2 Oct	Orion Health and Streamliners form strategic partnership Orion Health, a global leader in digital health solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Streamliners, creators of HealthPathways which provides an online manual used to assist with clinical assessments.
1 Oct	Rollout of new medicines across New Zealand begins Today marks the first day a range of new medicines, including cancer medicines, will start to become available in hospitals and health centres across the country.
27 Sept	New Dunedin hospital: Southerners deserve better The Government’s announcement today that it will scale back the new Dunedin hospital will negatively impact patient care, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki O Aotearoa says.
26 Sept	Govt not addressing health workforce crisis The National Government is hiding the gaps in the health workforce from New Zealanders, by not producing a full workforce plan nearly a year into their tenure.
25 Sept	New programme offers step up for jobseekers seeking a career in health and wellbeing Local jobseekers have an exciting new opportunity to begin a career in Health following the launch of a new community-based kaiāwhina programme in the Hutt Valley.
23 Sept	Ministers oblivious to cuts’ effect on families The National Government is oblivious to the impact cuts to services will have on New Zealanders who are doing the hard yards caring for mentally ill family members.
19 Sept	Wānaka community to benefit from new overnight health service Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says an Overnight Acute Care Service opening in October will provide people in Wānaka and the surrounding area with the assurance of quality overnight care closer to home.
17 Sept	Dr Le Heron takes title of 2024 Alzheimers NZ Fellow Distinguished neurologist and cognitive neuroscientist, Dr Campbell Le Heron, has been made the 2024 Alzheimers NZ Fellow for his work researching and managing cognitive disorders.
11 Sept	Aged care will be worse off if redesign rushed New Zealanders needing aged care support and the people who care for them will be worse off if the Government pushes through a flawed and rushed redesign of dementia and aged care.
11 Sept	Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today.
10 Sept	ICN launches new position statement and discussion paper setting out a revolution in the delivery of Primary Health Care The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is launching its new position statement and a discussion paper on Primary Health Care (PHC) at its Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nursing Network (NP/APN Network) Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland.
9 Sept	First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost Pharmac has decided to widen access to two medicines for several types of cancer. Pembrolizumab (branded as Keytruda) will be funded from 1 October 2024 for eligible people with advanced triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma. Nivolumab (branded as Opdivo) will be funded from 1 November for eligible people with kidney cancer.
6 Sept	Health agencies working with Police on rebalancing roles for mental health responses Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Health - Manatū Hauora are working with Police to change some of the ways agencies respond to mental health. The change will see an increased health-led response, supporting Police to focus on core Policing.
4 Sept	Nurses’ bargaining starts with action for safe staffing Nurses are kicking off their collective bargaining with Te Whatu Ora by taking action for safe staffing on Friday, New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says.