Opinion – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

October 2026

If we have enrolled nurses, why aren’t we letting them nurse?

By Tracey Martin

October 13, 2026

Outdated funding contracts and attitudes are preventing enrolled nurses from working to their fullest scope in aged care, writes the Aged Care Association chief executive.

October 2026

‘Without a shred of emotion in her voice’: Sue Bradford dissects pay equity wipe-out

By Sue Bradford

October 12, 2026

Speaking at the NZNO annual conference, Sue Bradford, people’s select committee member, shared the story of a group set up to give voice to workers and women on pay equity — and the “different kind of democracy” they discovered.

October 2026

White Man, White Coat, and Stethoscope

By Neta Kerepeti

October 7, 2026

Content Warning: The following poem contains descriptions of sexual abuse.

Abuse survivor and advocate Neta Kerepeti shared this poem about her experiences at the 2026 NZNO conference where she was a speaker. She also called on nurses to speak up if they suspected abuse.

September 2026

Just under my skin

By Maria Tutahi

October 1, 2026

At NZNO’s conference recently, Waikato nurse Maria Tutahi shared a poem she wrote about unveiling her spiritual mask at a time when wearing physical masks was mandatory.

‘I miss the simple moments of everyday family life’ — the real cost of understaffing

By Clara Dolman-Tuhou

August 26, 2026

Emergency department nurse and NZNO delegate Clara Dolman-Tuhou shares the impact of short-staffing ahead of a health and safety strike at Gisborne Hospital’s ED in September.

August 2026

Staff tried to raise alarm over cervical screening failings, say nurses

By Women's health college nurses

August 5, 2026

Staff tried to warn of cervical screening failings but were not listened to, say women’s health nurses after revelations that nearly a million notifications had not been sent to eligible women.

August 2026

My first political forum after 16 years as a registered nurse – here’s what I learned

By Olivia Vodanovich

August 5, 2026

A high-profile election health forum in Auckland drew 1400 people and media attention for its political attendance (or lack of) — but for NZNO private hospital delegate Olivia Vodanovich it was a first-time eye opener.

July 2026

‘I chose the nurse’s heart over cold data’: Ensuring Leo’s spirit remains for the future

By Simone Inez Harriman

July 8, 2026

Whether health technology is wood or silicon, keeping the humanity in human-centred care will always be the goal, writes a nurse who discovered its importance first-hand.

July 2026

Why the Government’s pay equity amendments needed international scrutiny

By Gail Pacheco

July 6, 2026

Placing the decision to amend the pay equity framework under the international spotlight is more than just a legal challenge, writes Gail Pacheco.

July 2026

Winter ‘onslaught’ — nurses ponder how they’ll deal with ED overloads

By Natasha Hemopo and Wendy Sundgren

July 1, 2026

As the winter wave hits emergency departments (EDs), NZNO emergency nurse leaders are hearing of widespread understaffing, dangerously long waits and inpatient gridlock.

July 2026

Nurses could be pushed beyond scope: Warning as Palmerston North loses only gastro specialist

By Karen Kempin

June 30, 2026

Palmerston North’s last gastro doctor left in June. This week, Karen Kempin, gastroenterology nurses’ college secretary, spoke at a community meeting about the risks to nurses and patients.

July 2026

When evidence becomes politically inconvenient

By Pipi Barton

June 26, 2026

An experienced Māori nursing educator fears for cultural safety and Māori health outcomes in the wake of recent ministerial appointments to the medical and nursing councils.

July 2026

Government takeover of health and education regulators ‘abuse of power’ — unions

By Chris Abercrombie, Ripeka Lessels, Kerri Nuku, Fleur Fitzsimons, Garrick Cooper and Ti Lamusse

June 24, 2026

Union leaders representing nearly 250,000 workers are joining forces to protest against the recent ‘unprecedented political interference’ in professional regulation across health, education and public services.

July 2026

‘Affirmation’ from health-care providers tells different story to bill’s anti-trans angst

By George Parker et al

June 3, 2026

Trans health initiatives are not a “woke contagion”, as some politicians would have us believe, says a group of health-care experts — they are simply honouring cultural safety.

May 2026

‘It’s finally happening’ — NZNO’s new kaiāwhina group celebrated

By Marita Ansin-Johnson

May 20, 2026

Marita Ansin-Johnson — a founding member of NZNO’s new kaiāwhina national committee — reflects on the long road that led to it.

July 2026

Nurse grant body NERF pauses grants for administrative changes

By Kerri Nuku and Anne Daniels

May 13, 2026

The Nursing Education and Research Foundation (NERF) has paused grant and scholarship applications until July as it restructures its administration systems.

July 2026

Young, white and female: An ideal nurse in the 1980s

By Jacquie Kidd

May 13, 2026

In an exclusive extract from her new book, Ngākaurua, Māori health professor Jacquie Kidd describes her rage as she tries again to become a nurse in the 1980s — only to be confronted with an educational system steeped in racial prejudice.

May 2026

Pay equity wasn’t a nice-to-have — now the UN will have a chance to examine the issue

By Judy McGregor

May 6, 2026

For generations, women’s work has been undervalued – not accidentally, but systemically, writes Judy McGregor.

May 2026

An honest kōrero: Four decades later, are we honouring Irihapeti’s vision?

By Pipi Barton

May 4, 2026

If the goal was transformation, then why do Māori health inequities persist after decades of cultural safety education? Pipi Barton examines the disconnect between nursing education, its practice, and Irihapeti Ramsden’s vision.

May 2026

‘Missed meds, delayed treatments, staff pushed beyond limits’: Nurses have a right to safety

By Tina Giles

April 28, 2026

When nurses hesitate to enter ward doors then something has gone wrong. On workers’ memorial day, enrolled nurse Tina Giles shares her thoughts on fighting for workplace safety.

19 Oct	Te Whatu Ora must fully staff vital Starship Children's Hospital wards Te Whatu Ora must fully staff all wards at Starship Children's Hospital including four vital wards which are short of a total of 18 full-time nurses, NZNO says.
16 Oct	Paid placements policy will help boost nursing workforce A policy to pay nursing students a weekly allowance while they're on clinical placements will help them graduate and boost Aotearoa New Zealand's homegrown nursing workforce, NZNO says.
5 Oct	Labour's pay rise a first step, but pay equity needs a full settlement Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO has welcomed Labour's promised pay rise for care and support workers as a first step. It says care and support workers now need a full settlement of their pay equity claim and a workable pay equity system for all of its members.
1 Oct	Health NZ releases first national report on serious adverse events Health New Zealand has published its first national Serious Adverse Event Report, acknowledging the serious harm experienced by patients and whānau and outlining the improvements identified and actions underway to strengthen patient safety. The report covers serious adverse events reported in Hospital and Specialist Services between 1 July and 31 December 2025.
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.