Opinion – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

May 2026

‘It’s finally happening’ — NZNO’s new kaiāwhina rōpu 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.

May 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.

March 2025

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.

March 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.

April 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.

April 2026

Lack of staff sparks ‘grave fears’ for patients, striking district nurses tell local MP Erica Stanford

By Rosanne Maber and Michelle Beard

April 22, 2026

Auckland district nurses say a lack of resources mean they are having to use incontinence pads to dress patients’ leg ulcers.

March 2026

Why community health screening and education events are crucial

By Sione ‘Ulufonua.

April 22, 2026

Auckland emergency nurse Sione ‘Ulufonua is moved by the hard mahi and passion of health professionals at a recent free community screening day in Tāmaki Makaurau.

April 2026

Weaving together the strands — why we updated kawa whakaruruhau

By Waikura Kamo and Annette Huntington

April 20, 2026

The Nursing Council has updated its 2011 cultural safety guidelines. Kaiwhakahaere Waikura Kamo and chief education advisor Annette Huntington share the past, present and future of a document that has grown through generations of nurses.

March 2026

‘Growing up with Irihapeti’: Revealing the human behind the nursing leader

By Pirimia Burger

April 1, 2026

Even while being extraordinary, Irihapeti Ramsden was extraordinarily human, daughter Pirimia Burger revealed in her speech in February, reproduced here, marking refreshed kawa whakaruruhau guidance.

April 2026

‘Fuel in the car or food for the kids?’ — registered nurse faces spiralling fuel costs

By Jonathan [last name withheld by request]

April 1, 2026

I am a registered nurse and a solo father of two children — five and under.

March 2026

‘We stayed true’ — NZNO membership committee’s last chair reflects on achievements, challenges

By Anne-Maree Wagg

March 13, 2026

Final chair of the membership committee, Anne-Maree Wagg says it allowed her to grow as a leader and helped members’ voices be heard.

February 2026

The wisdom of health workers — should actual nurses be running Te Whatu Ora?

By Rob Campbell

March 2, 2026

Former Te Whatu Ora chair Rob Campbell walked away from a recent kōrero with NZNO-Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa’s national executive wondering why nurses and kaiāwhina aren’t running the show.

February 2026

‘We are at a turning point’ — NZNO’s Te Whatu Ora bargaining team

By Dawn Barrett

February 12, 2026

‘We now need to know if you want to continue the fight, continue to advocate for our patients and colleagues for enforceable safe staffing.’

February 2026

‘It’s not resilience we’re short of — it’s support’, nursing students reveal

By Stacey Wilson

February 12, 2026

Supporting our nurse students financially and professionally is essential for the future of our nursing workforce, nurse researcher Stacey Wilson explains.

January 2026

‘Fighting for the future of public health’: The personal toll of 16 months of bargaining

By Allister Dietschin

February 4, 2026

After 16 months, 42 meetings and several large strikes, Christchurch health-care assistant, delegate and ‘long-time socialist’ Allister Dietschin says 2024-26 bargaining has felt particularly gruelling.

January 2026

Tackling a taboo: Nurse writes ‘book about vaginas’

By Lynda Lovatt

January 22, 2026

Personal trainer returns to nursing to save ‘one vagina at a time’.

January 2026

‘Long overdue’ milestone coming for ADHD care – and for nurse practitioners

By Sam Hargreaves

January 5, 2026

From February 1, nurse practitioners in Aotearoa will be able to initiate and prescribe stimulant medicines for ADHD, including making funded special authority applications within their area of practice.

January 2026

Why we need a rainbow group at NZNO — and how you can help it grow

By Juno Hunt

December 23, 2025

The rainbow special interest group (SIG) was formed in December 2024 and has six members in its interim committee.

January 2026

ICU nurses: “without redeployment we are happier, healthier and sickness is down”

By Karen McFarlane, Peter Groom, Manorma Prakash, Nimya Jacob

December 22, 2025

Nurses at North Shore Hospital’s intensive care unit say the recent redeployment strike has given them the time to be “on top of the quality stuff”.

Daily doses – uncut news

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.
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.