News – Page 10 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

August 2025

‘He āhuatanga tauaro’ — ka kite ngā māngai Murihiku i ngā piropiro tūmatanui mō te hauora me te porotū

By Joel Maxwell

July 16, 2025

They hustled a spot at the biggest crafts market in Invercargill – then a group of NZNO delegates got a grassroots vibe check: nurses or the Government?

August 2025

‘It’s the polar opposite’ — southern delegates discover public vibe on health, strike

By Joel Maxwell

July 16, 2025

They hustled a spot at the biggest crafts market in Invercargill – then a group of NZNO delegates got a grassroots vibe check: nurses or the Government?

July 2025

‘We’re angry now’: Nurses reject ‘worse’ offer and vote to strike

By Kaitiaki coeditors

July 11, 2025

Disappointed, hopeful . . . and now angry.

July 2025

‘This will be your legacy David Seymour’ — ACT’s Regulatory Standards Bill blasted by NZNO at hearing

By Joel Maxwell

July 11, 2025

It’s a legacy — but one of Māori illness and early deaths.

July 2025

Nursing students ready to walk: “Hire us or we will leave”

By Kaitiaki coeditors

July 9, 2025

Concerning interim findings of the NZNO 2025 Student Survey has found most students will go overseas if they can’t get jobs in New Zealand.

July 2025

Te Whatu Ora offer further devalues Māori

By Co-Editors, Kaitiaki

July 9, 2025

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora’s removal of both clauses involving Māori from their offer in collective bargaining shows not only disrespect but a spurning of their legal obligations, NZNO kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says.

July 2025

Te Whatu Ora refuses to address patient safety concerns

By Co-Editors, Kaitiaki

July 4, 2025

Te Whatu Ora is refusing to address calls to prioritise patient safety by adequately resourcing safe staffing levels, NZNO says.

July 2025

Care worker: ‘They stole my dream to build on my whenua’

By Renee Kiriona

July 3, 2025

Tiaho Whakamarurangi had dreams of returning to her ancestral Māori land on the banks of the Waikato River.

July 2025

‘They came on a good day’ — Wellington nurses say new ED must be safely staffed

By Mary Longmore

June 30, 2025

Up to 66 nurses short and dozens of patients stacked in cramped corridors — that’s the day-to-day reality of Wellington Hospital’s cramped emergency department, say nurses.

July 2025

‘They’re crushing us’ — perioperative nurses take to the picket line

By Mary Longmore

June 25, 2025

More than a 100 perioperative nurses, health-care assistants (HCAs) and hospital colleagues and supporters turned out onto the streets outside Whangārei Hospital yesterday in a 12-hour rolling strike.

July 2025

‘Don’t forget us’ says primary health nursing leader

By Renee Kiriona

June 24, 2025

Increases in primary care funding announced today must be passed on to nurses to fix chronic staff shortages so New Zealanders can get in to see health-care professionals faster.

June 2025

Perioperative nurses in Whangārei to strike over unsafe staffing

By Kaitiaki coeditors

June 23, 2025

About 100 NZNO perioperative nurses and health-care assistants (HCAs) at Whangārei Hospital are set to strike tomorrow over what they say are chronic and ongoing staff shortages.

July 2025

Bupa workers: ‘It’s like working in hell’

By Renee Kiriona

June 23, 2025

Residential aged-care workers across the country are starting to feel the pressure of recent restructuring that involved major work roster changes.

June 2025

GP practice funding bump must be passed on to nurses, says primary health leader

By Kaitiaki coeditors

June 19, 2025

A nine per cent funding boost for GP practices and urgent medical centres must be passed on to nurses to fix chronic staff shortages, say NZNO’s primary health care nurses.

July 2025

Nominations open for Māori nursing awards

By Renee Kiriona

June 17, 2025

Nominations are open for the 2025 Te Pātaka Whaioranga (PHARMAC) Tapuhi Kaitiaki Awards.

June 2025

Back to the table — members call on Te Whatu Ora to make a better offer

By Mary Longmore

June 16, 2025

Thousands of nurses, midwives and kaiāwhina around the country have called on Te Whatu Ora to make them a better offer — or face strike action.

BUDGET26:Testing Budget heading

By Andrew Empson

June 13, 2025

Test

June 2025

Pay equity changes may discourage students from studying nursing, says Massey lecturer

By Jessie Davidson

June 12, 2025

Massey nursing students say they feel discouraged about entering Aotearoa’s health workforce following government changes to pay equity laws that have wiped out a claim for thousands of nurses.

June 2025

Nurse who became leader in health quality and safety honoured for King’s Birthday

By Kathy Stodart

June 10, 2025

Gillian Bohm, a nurse who has led nationwide improvement of health care quality and safety, has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King’s Birthday list.

June 2025

Hariata Vercoe: Not a nurse but she’s got their backs

By Renee Kiriona

June 10, 2025

Hariata Vercoe is not a nurse but she has their backs. After 40 years of service to Māori, health and the community, the chief executive officer at Rotorua’s Korowai Aroha Health Centre, and member of the NZ Nursing Council, has joined the New Zealand Order of Merit.

25 Sept	380 more health care workers at the end of winter too little too late An announcement of 380 additional nurses, midwives and health care assistants for hospitals around the country at the end of winter is too little too late, NZNO says.
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	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.