News – Page 2 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

February 2026

Te Whatu Ora bargaining team returns to table with strong member backing

By Joel Maxwell

February 18, 2026

The question was asked, and the answer was simple. Keep going.

February 2026

Enrolled nurses ‘gutted’ over Minister’s bonding scheme promises

By Mary Longmore

February 18, 2026

Enrolled nurses say they are “shocked” and disappointed that they have not been restored to Te Whatu Ora’s voluntary bonding scheme — despite assurances from the Minister of Health that they would be.

February 2026

EXCLUSIVE: Mental health worker strangled by patient — Minister calls it ‘misinformation’

By Joel Maxwell

February 18, 2026

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey has rubbished workers’ experiences of violence as “continuously disappointing” while defending an unpopular police policy affecting nurses.

February 2026

Givealittle page set up for nursing whānau of Max Furse-Kee after landslide tragedy

By Joel Maxwell

February 11, 2026

In the worst of times, nurses are there to help. Now they can help one of their own.

February 2026

‘We carry our whānau with us’: Nurses make first trip to Waitangi grounds

By Joel Maxwell

February 9, 2026

They had come from the furthest distances to get there, but this just made its mauri and its mana that much more special.

February 2026

Dawn arises, Seymour told to sit down — one final backlash at Waitangi

By Joel Maxwell

February 6, 2026

As election year kicks off, Kaitiaki heads to Waitangi — covering our members, leaders and politicians, in what is shaping up to be a consequential decision for health.

February 2026

Don’t mention their family tree: PM Luxon’s Waitangi comments slammed

By Joel Maxwell and Mary Longmore

February 5, 2026

As election year kicks off, Kaitiaki heads to Waitangi — covering our members, leaders and politicians, in what is shaping up to be a consequential decision for health.

February 2026

Te Poari, kaiwhakahaere at Waitangi grounds for pōhiri to greet Māori queen

By Joel Maxwell and Mary Longmore

February 4, 2026

As election year kicks off, Kaitiaki heads to Waitangi — covering our members, leaders and politicians, in what is shaping up to be a consequential decision for health.

January 2026

‘We are prepared to go hard, if that’s what members want’ — frustrated bargaining team back at the table

By Mary Longmore

January 30, 2026

‘Day 42, enough said!’ These are the words of NZNO’s hard-working bargaining team, wrangling jobs and Te Whatu Ora since late 2024.

January 2026

Charlie and Penny: Two dogs looking out for their whānau

By Melissa Jacobsen

January 20, 2026

In a Kaitiaki summer feature we’re sharing our readers’ amazing pets – answering the age old question of what makes the perfect animal companion to the busy health professional.

January 2026

Not-so merry Christmas: Bites, bruises, threats for ED nurses over holidays

By Joel Maxwell

January 14, 2026

Emergency departments saw bites, bruises and dislocations over the holidays — and that wasn’t even in the patients.

January 2026

NPs launch kaupapa Māori practice in Rotorua as part of primary care ‘evolution’

By Joel Maxwell

January 14, 2026

The guy in the waiting room sat and waited to see Jacinda Childs, wondering the whole time what she could possibly do for him.

January 2026

Ka whakarewatia e ngā NP te whare haumanu kaupapa Māori hei ‘kukuwhatanga’ i te hauora mātāmua

By Joel Maxwell

January 14, 2026

I te whakaarohia e te tāne e whanga mai ana i te taiwhanga tūroro ka pēhea a Jacinda Childs kia atawhai mai ki a ia.

January 2026

ED nurses urged to share violence and aggression incidents

By Renee Kiriona

January 8, 2026

Tōpūtanga Taphui Kaitiaki o Aotearoa – NZNO wants to hear from nurses working in emergency departments (ED) throughout the country about any violent, aggressive and threatening behaviour they have experienced while on duty over the holiday period.

January 2026

Kenepuru Hospital on patient advocate watchlist

By Renee Kiriona

January 7, 2026

A 24-hour accident and medical service at Porirua’s Kenepuru Hospital, which the Government wanted to chop, is being watched even more closely now.

January 2026

Visibility strikes: ‘Annoy the powers that be but keeps our message alive’

By Renee Kiriona

January 7, 2026

Outspoken NZNO delegate Al Dietschin is calling on all unionised hospital nurses and health workers to take part in visibility strikes, to keep the spotlight on safe staffing.

January 2026

“Don’t be sucked in by vape-bearing Santa” – nurse’s warning to youth

By Renee Kiriona

December 22, 2025

A leading respiratory nurse is “appalled” but not surprised by the latest marketing tactics of vaping retailers to “fool youth” in the lead up to Christmas and the New Year.

January 2026

EXCLUSIVE: U-turn on enrolled nurses after meeting with minister

By Mary Longmore

December 19, 2025

NZNO’s enrolled nurses are heading into Christmas jubilant, after being restored to the voluntary bonding scheme, following a high-level meeting with Minister of Health Simeon Brown.

January 2026

EXCLUSIVE: Measles, the Health Minister and the mystery of the Māori nominations

By Joel Maxwell

December 18, 2025

They made a high-powered health group with no Māori voice, then made up for it with a Māori group that they might not even listen to.

January 2026

Work to eliminate cervical cancer continues despite obstacles, says nurse after 20 year anniversary

By Mary Longmore

December 17, 2025

Eliminating cervical cancer in Aotearoa remains the end goal for nurse and emerging researcher Nadine Riwai.

Daily doses – uncut news

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.
27 Feb	Whakatāne Hospital to resume secondary obstetrics and gynaecology services Whakatāne Hospital will resume secondary obstetrics and gynaecology services from 8am on 13 April 2026.
26 Feb	Counsellors warn NZ is normalising crisis levels of youth distress Youth mental distress has become entrenched, suicide remains a national tragedy, and our systems are failing to intervene early enough, says the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC).
26 Feb	Record uptake nearly doubles advanced nurse education scholarships A record 235 primary care registered nurses will begin advanced education this year – nearly doubling the number originally planned – following strong demand for the Government’s new Registered Nurse Primary Care Scholarships, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
19 Feb	‘Top Up’ to deliver faster access to support Seven grassroots mental health initiatives supporting small and hard-to-reach communities have received funding to deliver faster access to support, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced today.
18 Feb	Pharmac proposes funding new treatments that could transform early care for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a type of blood cancer People in New Zealand living with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) could soon benefit from funded access to targeted treatments under a new proposal from Pharmac.
13 Feb	Te Whatu Ora’s embarrassing U-turn over proposed car park plan Te Whatu Ora needs to go back to the drawing board and prioritise worker safety after reversing plans to charge hospital workers market rates for car parks, NZNO says.
11 Feb	Stark differences in COVID-19 vaccination rates between Māori and non-Māori, research finds A new study analysing COVID-19 vaccine uptake has found markedly lower vaccination rates among Māori, which researchers link to existing inequities in healthcare access.
9 Feb	ICN’s call for International Nurses Day 2026: empower nurses to save lives ICN has announced the theme for International Nurses Day (IND) 2026: Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives. This focus sends a clear message that to maximize the full life-saving impact of the nursing workforce, we must empower nurses with safe, fair work environments and full nursing practice, influence, and leadership.
5 Feb	Global nurse leaders gather in Japan to address urgent workforce crisis Nursing leaders from Japan and around the world are gathering in Yokohama this week for two major nursing events that are advancing the global conversation on how countries can protect, retain and invest in their nursing workforce as pressures mount across health systems worldwide.
4 Feb	Midwives to deliver more vaccinations to help protect families Midwives are now able to offer a wider range of funded immunisations, supporting families from pregnancy through the early months of a child’s life, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
30 Jan	Opening of E Tū Wairua Hinengaro – Mason Clinic Health New Zealand has marked the opening of E Tū Wairua Hinengaro, a new purpose-built facility at Auckland’s Mason Clinic designed to strengthen and modernise forensic mental healthcare in Aotearoa.
29 Jan	NZNO disgusted by nurse’s killing in the US Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO has expressed disgust at the shooting and killing of nurse Alex Pretti on a Minneapolis, US street on Saturday morning by federal officers.
27 Jan	New national group forms to support public healthcare in Aotearoa Kaitiaki Hauora - Together for Public Health has been formed as a national group bringing together patients, health workers, iwi and Māori health representatives, unions, advocacy organisations, and community groups, with backing from a growing number of organisations across the health sector.
22 Jan	Pharmac proposes to fund life changing treatments for people with cystic fibrosis Pharmac is proposing to fund new treatment options for people living with cystic fibrosis with eligible mutations, including young children, from 1 April 2026.
05 Jan	Nurses pay tribute to Dame Poutasi The passing of Dame Karen Poutasi has seen Aotearoa lose one of its foremost health leaders and a woman of high integrity, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says.