Opinion – Page 2 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

September 2024

Emergency nurses share woes with health minister

By Lauren Miller

August 26, 2024

After writing a concerned letter, NZNO’s emergency nurses met Minister of Health Shane Reti earlier this year, to discuss the realities of working on the frontline. As rallies over unsafe staffing in EDs continue, they share some of their kōrero here.

September 2024

Left out in the cold: Is it really about health budget constraints?

By Pipi Barton

August 13, 2024

In an urgent call to better support New Zealand-trained nurses, senior Māori nursing lecturer at NorthTec, Pipi Barton (Ngāti Hikairo ki Kāwhia) recalls being an out-of-work nursing graduate in the 1990s.

August 2024

Former Te Whatu Ora chair speaks up for nurses

By Rob Campbell

July 29, 2024

Te Whatu Ora leaders say spending too much on nurses has pushed them into the red. Former chair Rob Campbell says nurses are part of the solution and must be supported with fair pay and safe staffing.

August 2024

‘Wonderful’ aged-care nursing is undervalued, says long-time nurse

By Alena Lynch

July 16, 2024

Long-time gerontology nurse Sally Fleming reckons working in aged care is extremely undervalued.

July 2024

Nurses ‘under-used in antimicrobial stewardship’

By Gigi Lim, Sharon Gardiner and Stephen Ritchie

June 26, 2024

Nurses should be more involved in antimicrobial stewardship, say members of an expert group working on new guidelines for antimicrobial practice.

June 2024

Strengthening cultural capability and Māori health nursing practice in Aotearoa

By MARYANN WILSON

May 16, 2024

A graduate course run by Ara Institute of Canterbury and Te Whatu Ora aims to equip nurses with the skills and knowledge to be better nurses for Māori patients.

May 2024

Why a new assessment of IQN competence was developed

By Catherine Byrne

May 1, 2024

Nursing Council of New Zealand — Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa chief executive Catherine Byrne explains the new rules for overseas-trained nurses who want to practise in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

April 2024

What is a systematic review, and how is it useful for nurses?

By Margaret Hughes

March 21, 2024

All nurses know that our practice should be linked to evidence, but even the idea of reading and assessing a piece of research can be overwhelming.

April 2024

Cutting through the noise: Why whānau-centred midwifery is not erasing women

By George Parker, Elizabeth Kerekere, Fleur Kelsey and Suzanne Miller

March 5, 2024

Proposed changes to a document that regulates midwifery practice in Aotearoa have caught the eye of some trans-exclusionary groups. A group of midwifery academics explains why the revisions should be celebrated.

February 2024

‘Please share your art of nursing with our graduate-entry students’

By Michelle Honey and Rachel Macdiarmid

January 26, 2024

Two nursing educators encourage clinical RNs to welcome graduate-entry students, and share their ‘art of nursing’ with them.

February 2024

‘I could nearly see me — the real me’: A transgender nurse shares their story from ‘rock bottom’ to rainbow educator

By Mel Meates

January 17, 2024

Having survived addiction and the darkest depression during a lifelong quest to claim their identity, Manawatū transgender nurse Mel Meates believes nursing saved their life.

December 2023

Language matters — patients are not ‘naughty’

By Anja Schaar

November 30, 2023

A recently graduated registered nurse shares her reflections on the power of words — and how nurses can fall in the trap of talking down to patients.

November 2023

What is a nurse, at the core? Nurses seek to define their role in the face of threats from other workforces

By Natalie Seymour

November 23, 2023

The profession of nursing is an ever-evolving one — and the key is to embrace a team-approach with other workers, argues aged care nurse Natalie Seymour in response to fears the role is being eroded.

December 2023

Māori nurses must be recognised as taonga — and key to a future with equal health for all

By Denise Wilson

November 8, 2023

50 years after nurse education moved out of hospitals, Māori health professor and former nurse Denise Wilson reflects on the “ugly” backlash over cultural safety — and challenges the profession to make way for Māori leaders.

November 2023

Dementia: Can we understand elder abuse better by understanding the effects of carer abuse?

By Anonymous*

October 10, 2023

A family carer describes the effect of the psychological abuse she suffered from a relative with dementia and worries that carers do not receive the support they need.

October 2023

Nursing scholarship helps student step into rainbow health with ‘joy’

By Elliott Pepper

September 22, 2023

A third-year Manawatū nursing student describes how a $2000 NZNO/NERF award helped him in his studies and aspiration to work in rainbow youth health, at a challenging time in his life.

October 2023

How can we fund the public health system we need?

By Glenn Barclay and Anne Daniels

September 4, 2023

A revamped fairer tax system is vital for the country to be able to afford the health system it needs.

September 2023

Holding hands across the globe — the power of indigenous nursing

By Kerri Nuku

August 29, 2023

Visiting the recent International Council of Nurses (ICN) congress in Montreal, Canada, recently was a deeply emotional experience for myself and Tāpūhi Toputanga Kaitiaki o Aotearoa – NZNO’s delegation of Māori nurses.

September 2023

Recruiting IQNs not the answer to nursing shortages — president reports from ICN congress

By Anne Daniels

August 17, 2023

Wealthier countries’ continued unethical recruitment of nurses from poorer countries was an important subject of discussion at this year’s International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress.

July 2023

Nurses’ work underestimated in general practice, say researchers

By Nicolette Sheridan, Tim Kenealy and Tom Love

June 22, 2023

Nurses’ work in general practices is underestimated to an unknown degree due to the way practice records are kept, according to researchers in a major New Zealand study.

13 May	On International Nurses Day a new State of the World’s Nursing Report charts a path toward Universal Health Coverage As the world’s nurses celebrate International Nurses Day (IND), ICN issues a rallying cry to governments around the globe for urgent nursing support, following the launch of the second World Health Organization (WHO) State of the World’s Nursing (SOWN) report.
8 May	NZ First’s gender definition bill will harm mental health, counsellors warn The New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) is deeply concerned by New Zealand First’s proposed Member’s Bill, which seeks to legally define “man” and “woman” solely based on biological sex.
6 May	Police and Health NZ continue to implement mental health response changes Phase Two of the Police Mental Health Response Change Programme is set to be extended with a second group of districts implementing Phase Two from 19 May.
1 May	New weekend urgent care service launched in Tairāwhati Access to urgent healthcare on weekends will be restored in Tairāwhati this Saturday (3 May 2025) with the launch of a new service, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.
29 Apr	Taupō Hospital accredited to train next generation of rural doctors Taupō Hospital has become the first hospital in the North Island to receive accreditation to deliver Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) training, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey have announced.
14 Apr	Rural Health Roadshow to hear from rural communities Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Rural Health and Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey announced today he will be coming to 12 rural locations across the country on a Rural Health Roadshow, starting this week in Levin.
10 Apr	Expanded emergency department at Auckland City Hospital will see capacity increase Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Auckland City Hospital’s newly refurbished adult emergency department.
1 Apr	Health NZ wants your feedback on a Paediatric Adolescent and Young Adult Palliative Model of Care Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) is seeking feedback on potential options for national palliative care services for tamariki, rangatahi/children, young people and their whānau/families.
27 March	Bar still too high for small mental health providers Small mental health providers will still be locked out of co-funding from the Mental Health Innovation Fund despite a lower threshold.
25 March	ICN advocates for health system gender equity and women’s health The International Council of Nurses (ICN) brought the nursing voice to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) which wrapped up on Friday. ICN participated in critical discussions on gender equity and women’s health throughout the event.
19 March	ICN warns of healthcare crisis as USAID funding cuts devastate nursing initiatives in the world’s most vulnerable regions The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has documented alarming firsthand evidence of widespread disruption and collapse of essential health care services following the sudden withdrawal of USAID and other funding.
19 March	New High Dependency Unit will expand critical care services in Wellington Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospital’s first High Dependency Unit (HDU).
13 March	Pharmac to fund more cancer medicines Pharmac is funding six more medicines for cancers and one for antibiotic resistant infections.
28 Feb	Pharmac CE resigns The Board of Pharmac wishes to announce that its Chief Executive for the last 7 years, Sarah Fitt, has resigned effective from 30 May 2025.
25 Feb	ICN issues updated statement on health care in conflict, calling for peace and compliance with international humanitarian law In recent years, the world has witnessed a disturbing increase in conflicts and wars, placing immense strain on health systems and exacerbating human suffering. Nurses have been at the forefront of these crises, responding to emergencies, supporting recovery efforts, and providing essential care to those affected by violence and displacement.
21 Feb	ICN’s new guidance on integrating nurse leaders into heart of health workforce planning The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has published a practical guide to including nurses in workforce planning decisions.
17 Feb	ICN warns of effect of US withdrawal from WHO on nurse-led services The International Council of Nurses (ICN) warned that the withdrawal of the United States from WHO has already halted some nurse-led services, including vaccination programmes and care for people with HIV/AIDS.
17 Feb	Minister acknowledges outgoing Director-General Health Minister Simeon Brown has today acknowledged the resignation of Director-General of Health and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, and thanked her for her service.
12 Feb	Pharmac funds medicines for liver, ovarian, and neuroendocrine cancers People with liver, ovarian, and neuroendocrine cancers will have access to more medicines from 1 March 2025.
11 Feb	Consultation begins on work to improve patient access to medical devices Pharmac is continuing to improve the way medical devices are managed for New Zealanders, today opening consultation on its comprehensive list of medical devices used by public hospitals.
3 Feb	First Whānau Āwhina Plunket site in NZ delivering childhood vaccinations Childhood immunisations are now being delivered at a Whānau Āwhina Plunket site in Whāngarei, with other regions soon to also provide the new service.
29 Jan	Local access to specialist audiology services comes to Wairarapa A newly established out-patient clinic for ear, nose, and throat (ENT) and audiology appointments is providing Wairarapa patients with local access to specialist hearing services for the first time.
29 Jan	Pharmac reconsiders oestradiol patch options following community feedback Pharmac is reviewing and reconsidering its oestradiol patch options after considerable feedback was received when it announced a move to a single funded brand late last year.
22 Jan	Consultations for cancer and ADHD medicines close soon Pharmac is encouraging people to have their say on proposals to fund six more medicines and change the brand of one medicine before consultation closes on 27 January.