News – Page 8 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

September 2025

For goodness sake don’t mention the t-shirts: Nurses on strike forbidden to speak about item of clothing

By Joel Maxwell

August 19, 2025

They could wear the t-shirts — they just couldn’t talk about the t-shirts.

September 2025

Last-minute strike cancellation after Te Whatu Ora barred a third of staff from taking part — Christchurch nurses

By Mary Longmore

August 18, 2025

Christchurch nurses say they cancelled a strike because Te Whatu Ora tried to stop about 70 staff from joining the action — a third of NZNO’s perioperative, radiology and PACU members.

August 2025

Nurses, kaiāwhina and doctors throw weight behind ‘heartbreaking’ patient voice petition

By Mary Longmore

August 14, 2025

Nurses, doctors and patients around the country are making a last big push for signatures on a petition for patient rights, ahead of it being presented to Parliament in November.

August 2025

Multiply by five, add a lot of years — decades needed to make up shocking Māori nursing shortfall, report says

By Joel Maxwell

August 14, 2025

Multiply by five and add decades — a new Infometrics report released at the indigenous nurses conference reveals Aotearoa will need a lot of time and enrolments for Māori nursing to hit parity.

August 2025

Weekly $100 for some nursing students for placements outside Auckland as squeeze goes on city spots

By Joel Maxwell

August 14, 2025

One of Auckland’s nursing schools has offered cash to its students who do clinical placements outside New Zealand’s biggest city.

August 2025

It’s on: Te Whatu Ora members vote for two days of September strikes

By Joel Maxwell

August 13, 2025

The fight for safe staffing and patient safety in hospitals has ramped up with NZNO Te Whatu Ora members voting for two days of strikes in September.

August 2025

Watch: ‘Their kids can’t afford shoes’ – NZNO pay equity submission goes before the people’s select committee

By Joel Maxwell

August 13, 2025

WATCH: The Government dodged consultation but now NZNO has joined submitters to the people’s select committee laying out the impacts of axed pay equity claims.

Watch: ‘Their kids can’t afford shoes’ – NZNO pay equity submission goes before the people’s select committee

August 2025

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Psychologist associate’ role knocked back by professional standards board — for now

By Mary Longmore

August 11, 2025

NZNO’s mental health nurses say they are pleased New Zealand’s psychologists’ regulator has turned down a “distracting” proposed new assistant/associate psychologist role — for now.

August 2025

South Island practice nurse-to-prescriber training hits 100 grads

By Kaitiaki coeditors

August 7, 2025

A free training programme upskilling nurses at general practices across the South Island to prescribe common medications is celebrating 100 graduates — and a boost in community nurses’ confidence.

August 2025

Tale of two weekends: Nurses mull more strikes for safe staffing as PM says health system ‘fixed’

By Joel Maxwell

August 7, 2025

One weekend, but two systems, two worlds — and now potentially two days of strikes.

August 2025

E hia kē ngā rau tapuhi Māori ka “mauri ake” ai ā tērā wiki

By Renee Kiriona (te reo Māori translation by Joel Maxwell)

August 6, 2025

Ka hui mai ngā rau tapuhi Māori nō ngā pito e whā o te whenua ā tērā wiki i Rotorua mō te Indigenous Nurses Aotearoa Conference.

August 2025

Profiles of the candidates for the NZNO board election

By NZNO board candidates

August 5, 2025

Below are the profiles of the candidates for the NZNO board elections, written by the candidates themselves. Online voting for the election starts on Wednesday, August 6.

August 2025

Hundreds of Māori nurses to “mauri” up next week

By Renee Kiriona

August 5, 2025

Hundreds of Māori nurses from throughout the country will gather in Rotorua next week for the annual Indigenous Nurses Aotearoa Conference.

August 2025

‘Just the beginning’, say fed-up nurses and kaiāwhina as 24-hour strike wraps

By Mary Longmore

July 31, 2025

After tens of thousands of nurses, midwives and health-care assistants hit the picket lines, members warn more strikes are coming.

August 2025

‘Nurses are part of our family’ — author pays back support with march alongside strikers

By Joel Maxwell

July 30, 2025

Author Emily Writes joined marchers in central Wellington during Wednesday’s strike — lending support to the profession that became part of her family after her son’s health struggles.

August 2025

More than 36,000 voices shake ‘ivory towers’ as members walk off hospital floors around Aotearoa

By Joel Maxwell and Renee Kiriona

July 30, 2025

NZNO members shook Aotearoa’s “ivory towers” with 36,000 combined voices as they walked off hospital floors around the country on Wednesday morning.

August 2025

‘Kia tū māia’ — ngā kupu tautoko a ngā tapuhi hauora matua ki ngā kiriporotū o Te Whatu Ora

By Joel Maxwell

July 28, 2025

Nurses took an oath, clinical nurse co-ordinator Ayla Evans-Warmenhoven said, and frankly it’s getting tough keeping it.

August 2025

‘PS – go hard’ — primary health-care nurses’ words of support for Te Whatu Ora strikers

By Joel Maxwell

July 28, 2025

Nurses took an oath, clinical nurse co-ordinator Ayla Evans-Warmenhoven said, and frankly it’s getting tough keeping it.

August 2025

EXCLUSIVE:’Shocking’ low job rates for our latest nurse graduates, figures reveal

By Joel Maxwell and Mary Longmore

July 25, 2025

Less than half — just 45 per cent — of registered nursing graduates have been matched to supported-entry roles at Te Whatu Ora after mid-year finals, Kaitiaki can reveal.

August 2025

Love, anger, and a reminder to men — mammoth pay-equity petition delivered at Parliament

By Joel Maxwell

July 23, 2025

It’s simple – Wendy Rees loves people, loves her patients, but she’s really angry.

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.