News – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

September 2026

Primary health nurses head back to the table after eight-week delay from bosses

By Kaitiaki coeditors

September 2, 2026

‘We deserve more respect’, say primary health-care (PHC) nurses, frustrated that employers took eight weeks to respond to their claims for better pay and sick leave.

September 2026

‘It gives us hope’: Student nurses welcome Labour’s promise they’ll all get jobs

By Mary Longmore

September 2, 2026

Nursing tauira are cautiously thrilled with Labour’s promise of full employment — as long as it is kept.

August 2026

Māori nurse educator Pipi Barton recognised with top honour

By Marino Harker-Smith

August 27, 2026

Advocating for Māori nurses, as both tauira and in the workforce, has been a career mission for Northland nurse and academic Pipi Barton — this year’s recipient of the biennial Te Akenehi Hei Memorial Award.

August 2026

Latest EN graduate job figures reveal Minister’s ’empty’ promises, say enrolled nurses

By Mary Longmore

August 27, 2026

Enrolled nurses say they feel ‘deflated’ after just 29 of the latest wave of EN graduates got a job at Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ (HNZ).

August 2026

Gisborne ED staff vote for health and safety strike as understaffing bites

By Joel Maxwell

August 27, 2026

Between long 12-hour shifts and crushing work demands, nurse Clara Dolman-Tuhou has only seen her son three times in the last two weeks.

August 2026

Proposed new RN prescriber and NP competencies open for consultation as both roles bloom

By Mary Longmore

August 24, 2026

Consultation is open on proposed new standards of competence for nurse practitioners (NPs) and registered nurse (RN) prescribers that the Nursing Council says will better reflect their expanded practice today.

August 2026

‘There was despair’: Government’s meddling in Nursing Council slammed at hui-ā-tau

By Joel Maxwell

August 18, 2026

The largest gathering of Māori nurses, kaimahi, kaiāwhina and ākonga in Aotearoa has blasted the Government’s gutting of the Nursing Council.

August 2026

‘Great crowd of Westies’ turn out to support Waitākere Hospital nurses

By Mary Longmore

August 17, 2026

Around 400 people turned out to a public meeting in Henderson recently to support local nurses and health staff from Waitākere Hospital.

August 2026

Nursing Council chief executive quits amid leadership exodus

By Mary Longmore

August 13, 2026

Chief executive Catherine Byrne and several senior executives have quit the Nursing Council two months after a major board reshuffle by Minister of Health Simeon Brown saw several nurses and Māori ousted.

August 2026

Government ‘fudging’ hiring figures as nurses face intense pressure

By Joel Maxwell and Mary Longmore

August 11, 2026

The hospital nursing workforce has grown by a measly 54 roles since the Coalition Government took power, it has been revealed — despite its claims of 2100 extra nurses.

August 2026

Patients admitted to lazy boy chairs as city outgrows hospital, nurses tell mayor

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

August 10, 2026

A group of Hutt Hospital nurses have called on Hutt city mayor Ken Laban’s help getting a hospital upgrade after struggling with “constant” overcrowding and, now, leaks.

August 2026

High Court becomes new frontline in battle to win back pay equity rights

By Joel Maxwell

August 4, 2026

It was a bleak and freezing Wellington morning but a trio of primary school kids were about to grab the bullhorn and preach about pay equity.

August 2026

‘It was so cold’: Student nurse moves into caravan for two-month placement

By Mary Longmore

August 4, 2026

New nursing graduate Ella Hofman got so cold and sick living in a caravan for two months on placement, she was still unwell weeks later while sitting her nursing exams.

August 2026

Antacid didn’t cut it — then five-hour wait to find he was having a heart attack

By Joel Maxwell

July 31, 2026

A man waited five hours in Wellington’s emergency department (ED) gripped by a heart attack — three years later the full staffing fix has yet to arrive.

August 2026

‘We’re willing and ready to go’ say grads, but less than half score Te Whatu Ora jobs — again

By Mary Longmore

July 29, 2026

Nurse graduates say they are “ready and willing to go” — but fewer than half graduating this month have been offered supported-entry jobs at Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ (HNZ).

August 2026

Auckland University’s first Māori head of nursing ‘awesome’, say tauira

By Mary Longmore

July 29, 2026

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa-NZNO students say the appointment of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland (UOA)’s first Māori head of nursing, Josephine Davis, is important for rangatahi.

August 2026

Plunket nurses told to double appointments as funding, staffing crunch hits

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

July 28, 2026

NZNO Plunket nurses have raised the alarm over Government funding after being told they have to double their appointment workload.

August 2026

Understaffed, under pressure and now on strike — Muriwai ward walks out

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

July 24, 2026

Nurses and health-care assistants (HCAs) from Muriwai ward marched side-by-side out the main entrance of Waitākere Hospital on Friday — striking for safe staffing.

August 2026

‘It’s really disheartening’ — Te Whatu Ora graduate job offers fall short

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

July 24, 2026

Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ (HNZ) is promising 1800 jobs for new nurse graduates over the next 12 months — but it’s still only 60 per cent of what’s needed.

July 2026

‘We need to be recognised’ — primary health nurse on why she decided to stay and fight for better pay

By Mary Longmore

July 23, 2026

Auckland enrolled nurse Priscilla Wiki has thought about leaving primary health for better pay. Just once. But she just couldn’t do it — even though the pay is up to eight per cent higher elsewhere.

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.
29 May	WellSouth Statement on Budget 2026: a missed opportunity Budget 2026 is a missed opportunity for primary care, and for the communities that depend on it most, in particular our rural people and practices.
29 May	Updated - Nurses on front lines of Ebola outbreak at serious risk In response to the gravely concerning and escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) warns that nurses and other frontline health workers are being put at serious risk and left fearful for their safety.
27 May	Health NZ committed to safeguarding patient information Health New Zealand welcomes the reports released today into the Manage My Health (MMH) cyber incident and is committed to ensuring all possible steps are taken to safeguard patient information.
22 May	More New Zealanders could benefit from funded vaccines from 2027 Pharmac is proposing changes that would give more New Zealanders access to funded vaccines from 2027, including expanded access to the flu vaccine for young children.
21 May	It’s not just the wallet: How the gender pay gap can hurt women’s bodies While many aspects of New Zealand’s enduring gender pay gap have been discussed, its physical impact on workers has been largely overlooked – until now.
21 May	Bupa nurses take pay equity claim over historic wage discrimination NZNO nurses working at Bupa aged residential care homes throughout Aotearoa New Zealand have raised a pay equity claim to address historic gender-based wage discrimination.
20 May	Waikato Hospital adds 10 forensic mental health beds Ten new forensic inpatient beds have been made available at the Regional Forensic Psychiatric Service at Waikato Hospital to expand forensic mental health capacity for adults in prison or on remand in Health New Zealand’s Midland region.
18 May	Strong gains in two-year immunisation target for Tamariki Māori Health New Zealand is welcoming a significant increase in Māori immunisation rates, with full immunisation at 24 months rising from just over 60 per cent in late 2024 to 71.5 per cent at the end of last month.
15 May	New global report shows empowering nurses is key to saving lives and strengthening health systems As the world marks International Nurses Day, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is calling for urgent investment in nursing, supported by a major new global report, Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives, that presents seven key nursing powers.
14 May	Lakes and Whanganui nurses still waiting for Holiday Pay a decade on Photo by Fin Ocheduszko-Brown at Whanganui Chronicle Nurses at Lakes and Whanganui districts are calling on Te Whatu Ora to explain why after a decade of redress, they still don’t know when they will receive their full Holiday Act remediation payments, NZNO says.
13 May	Recognising the extraordinary contribution of nurses International Nurses Day is an opportunity to recognise the extraordinary role nurses play in caring for New Zealanders at every stage of life, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
12 May	Government’s decision to scrap fees free scheme will lead to further student exodus The Coalition Government’s decision to scrap the fees free policy for third year tertiary students has left nursing tauira outraged
30 Apr	BroPilot grounding digital tools in whānau, culture, and care A passion for his Māori culture and a desire to make AI accessible to everyone inspired Troy Baker, Senior ICT Specialist, Health New Zealand to develop BroPilot – a culturally grounded way of working with Microsoft Copilot that reflects Māori values, whakaaro, and real lived experience.
29 Apr	Heartbreaking tragedies were avoidable - NZNO Analysis by a media outlet, published today, finding health care staff shortages were contributing factors in the deaths of 11 babies is a national and avoidable tragedy, NZNO says.
28 Apr	CTU launches Roving Health and Safety Representatives policy on Workers’ Memorial Day The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi has today launched our Roving Health and Safety Representatives policy at the Workers’ Memorial Day commemoration in Wellington, with further events held across the motu in Manawatū, Christchurch, and Otago.
24 Apr	“The 80s Calling”: New national campaign challenges outdated HIV stigma Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey today launched Health New Zealand’s “The 80s Calling”; a provocative new campaign designed to reduce stigma, normalise conversations about HIV, and support people living with HIV.
23 Apr	Government’s attack on Māori health raised at the UN Concerns over the Coalition Government’s active reversal of policies designed to improve Māori health outcomes were raised at the United Nations in New York this morning.
16 Apr	Tribute to Professor Lester Levy’s service to healthcare Health New Zealand Chief Executive Dr Dale Bramley is paying tribute to Health NZ Board Chair Professor Lester Levy, who finishes in the role at the end of the month.
10 Apr	Chronic health care assistant short staffing harming vulnerable patients Te Whatu Ora’s attempt to cut costs by requiring health care assistants to carry out cohort patient watches is harming vulnerable patients and staff, NZNO says.
9 Apr	New group education clinics speeding up knee and hip surgery care Health New Zealand is rolling out a new group education approach for people waiting for hip and knee surgery in north and west Auckland, resulting in more patients being seen sooner.
25 Mar	National Diabetes Roadmap launched to improve care, prevention, and quality of life Health New Zealand has launched a new National Diabetes Roadmap (‘the Roadmap’) to improve care, strengthen prevention, and support better health outcomes and quality of life for people living with diabetes.
24 Mar	ACT should leave nursing to professionals and medical evidence Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says ACT MP Todd Stephenson has dismissed the Nursing Council’s draft code of conduct - which proposes strengthening cultural safety, whānau-centred care and te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations - as political ideology.
23 Mar	UK report reflects ICN warnings on international recruitment ripoff — now countries must act together The International Council of Nurses (ICN) warmly welcomes a new report from the UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global Health and Security that recognizes the huge sums saved by high-income countries who recruit abroad and acknowledges the severe harms caused by unethical recruitment from fragile source countries left without nurses.
20 Mar	HPV self-test boosts cervical cancer screening ‘across the board’, new study confirms Making human papillomavirus (HPV) self-testing available to all women increases the number of people screened for cervical cancer, a new study led by researchers from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington has confirmed.
19 Mar	ICN at CSW70: Violence against nurses is a gendered crisis threatening global health The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has warned that violence against nurses is a global gendered crisis that threatens health systems, patient safety and workforce sustainability
17 Mar	Additional winter health care workers a drop in the ocean of need The Government’s announcement today of 378 extra staff to help hospitals cope with winter demand is a drop in the ocean of what patients need, NZNO says.
12 Mar	Funding change will ensure more consistent emergency care for New Zealanders A simple change in how ambulance medicines are funded is set to create more consistent emergency care.
9 Mar	Questions over dilapidated and cramped renal unit forced to ration dialysis The Health Minister must explain why after years of concerns from nurses about Christchurch Hospital’s barely functioning dialysis unit, he only stepped in late yesterday when life-saving treatment had to be rationed, NZNO says.
3 Mar	Hospitals and health workers should never be targets The right of health care workers to provide care during international conflicts must be protected, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
2 Mar	Public and Mental Health Nurses settle collective agreement Health New Zealand welcomes the ratification of the two Public Service Association (PSA) Public and Mental Health Nurses collective employment agreements for Auckland and the Rest of New Zealand.