News – Page 26 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

May 2022

Changes afoot on how IQN competence is assessed – Nursing Council

By Mary Longmore

April 7, 2022

“Significant changes” to how the competency of internationally-qualified nurses (IQNs) is assessed are being proposed by the Nursing Council, in a bid to ease barriers and boost cultural competency.

April 2022

Violence against nurses, HCAs, ‘normalised’ and left invisible in Aotearoa health system

By Joel Maxwell

April 6, 2022

Normalised aggression against nurses and an unwieldy reporting system have hidden the true level of violence against district health board staff, an NZNO project has found.

April 2022

NZNO farewells, thanks Bloomfield as a ‘pro’

By Mary Longmore

April 6, 2022

Outgoing director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield’s “guidance and stewardship” during the pandemic reduced pressure on the public health system at a challenging time for nurses, NZNO associate manager professional and nursing services Kate Weston says.

April 2022

‘Just don’t give up’: Decades-long journey sees Kate Te Pou become nurse practitioner

By Joel Maxwell

March 30, 2022

Kate Te Pou’s journey started with a childhood spent in hospitals, continued when she became a nurse in the ’80s – now after the “hardest year” of her study life, it’s taken a new turn.

April 2022

New member-led health and safety representative group launches after national meeting

By Joel Maxwell

March 25, 2022

NZNO health and safety (H&S) representatives will form a national member-led group to build an organising and support network.

April 2022

NZNO mental health nurse leader welcomes recruitment drive

By Mary Longmore

March 24, 2022

An NZNO mental health nursing leader is welcoming a new campaign to double the number of nurses training in mental health and addictions.

April 2022

NZNO announces campaign to fix staffing crisis across the health sector

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

March 21, 2022

The opening shots have been fired across the Government’s bows as NZNO announces preparation underway for a “large scale” campaign to fix the staffing crisis in nursing.

March 2022

Nurse shared explicit phone calls, ‘yummy yoga’ with prison inmate and former patient

By Joel Maxwell

March 18, 2022

A nurse who shared explicit phone calls with her former patient, a prison inmate, and told him she loved him, was found to have breached the health and disability code of consumers’ rights.

March 2022

First $22 million wave of cash announced for Interim Māori Health Authority

By Joel Maxwell

March 16, 2022

Māori health spending, including nurse recruitment, received a $22 million boost with the initial tranche of promised funding for once-in-a-generation reforms.

April 2022

Pay equity paperwork awaits legal advice as ratification process continues

By Joel Maxwell

March 16, 2022

District Health Board (DHB) nurses will likely receive details of an historic pay equity settlement by April 8.

March 2022

Nurses with COVID-19 could be back at the coal face under health order changes

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

March 9, 2022

COVID-19 positive nurses could return to work in Covid wards under health order changes – a move described as as sign of desperation by NZNO leadership.

March 2022

Canterbury regional hospitals closing as COVID-19 hits nurses

By Mary Longmore

March 7, 2022

Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) is temporarily closing four of its smaller regional hospitals to prepare for COVID-related staff absences, NZNO organiser Lynley Mulrine confirmed.

March 2022

Numbers of nurses on sick/isolation leave ‘unreal’ as hospitalisations grow

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

March 7, 2022

Nurses and their families around the country are falling prey to COVID-19 as hospitalisations near 700.

March 2022

Omicron ‘significant factor’ as Employment Court halts allied health workers’ strikes

By Joel Maxwell

March 4, 2022

Planned strike action by 10,000 allied health workers was halted by an Employment Court decision that included concerns about the impact of the Omicron surge.

March 2022

Court ruling on vaccine mandate ‘not relevant’ for nurses

By Mary Longmore

March 2, 2022

A High Court judgement overturning the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for New Zealand Police/Defence Force is ‘not relevant’ for nurses, say NZNO lawyers.

March 2023

Coal-fired boilers gone by 2025, fleet electrified — Te Whatu Ora vows to meet climate obligations

By Mary Longmore

February 28, 2022

Post-cyclone with more climate-change related extreme weather events predicted, plans for a carbon-neutral health system are being welcomed by health professionals — and the role of nurses is crucial.

March 2022

From teachers to nurses: New chief executive Paul Goulter starts at NZNO

By Joel Maxwell

February 28, 2022

Nurses and teachers could be working more closely together as the incoming NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter is welcomed to NZNO.

April 2022

Nursing magazine ditches century-old healthy-food title, finally becomes ‘guardian’

By Joel Maxwell

February 25, 2022

Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu (Although it is small, it is a treasure).
After 114 years, an incorrectly-named nursing magazine has – in a small physical correction, but big bicultural statement – gained its proper title.
Kai Tiaki magazine has now become Kaitiaki.

March 2022

Delayed by COVID-19 surge – proposed pay equity document now set for release

By Joel Maxwell

February 24, 2022

Omicron got in the way – but now the brakes are off for setting a date on a vote for pay equity.

March 2022

Emergency nurses in ‘moral distress’

By Mary Longmore

February 23, 2022

Emergency nurses are in “moral distress”, unable to provide “fundamental care” to patients, says a nurse leader.

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.