Opinion – Page 6 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

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.

June 2023

Who are our practices serving? The ‘need profile’ of enrolled patients varies dramatically

By Nicolette Sheridan, Tim Kenealy and Tom Love

May 18, 2023

Where are high-needs patients cared for in general practice? This is the second in a series of articles about a major research project comparing models of general practice in New Zealand.

May 2023

Patient need the crucial factor: Study of general practice models shows there are no ‘stars’

By Nicolette Sheridan, Tim Kenealy and Tom Love

April 13, 2023

Researchers say the largest-ever study of general practice in Aotearoa New Zealand sheds new light and creates a powerhouse of data for decision-making.

May 2023

Whaiā ngā mea hei oranga mōu — self-care for Māori nurses

By Pipi Barton

April 3, 2023

Say your karakia, re-connect with your whānau and hapū, kōrero with Māori nursing friends — these are some of the secrets to self-care for Māori nurses.

March 2023

Lumpectomy — an unflinching account of surviving breast cancer

By Tina Makereti

February 16, 2023

‘Why, when my cancer care was so excellent, did it also seem to miss so much of what is essential to health?’ Tina Makereti shares an excerpt from her award-winning essay about surviving breast cancer.

December 2022

Fund our training — it’s time for the Government to seriously invest in the domestic nursing workforce

By Pipi Barton

November 9, 2022

An increasingly ‘academic-oriented’ nursing profession has done nothing to support Māori into the workforce, says Māori nurse educator Pipi Barton, in a call to return to paid training.

December 2022

‘We have given until we’ve bled’ — the importance of a shared struggle

By NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter

November 7, 2022

You may have noticed I’ve been talking a lot lately about the power of the collective and NZNO members — whether nurses, kaiāwhina or health-care assistants — turning up for each other, no matter where or what part of the health sector you work in.

November 2022

With assisted dying now a reality, what do nurses need?

By Margaret Sandham, Rhona Winnington and Melissa Carey

September 29, 2022

Nurses need clear policies and guidelines to give them confidence when dealing with assisted dying requests.

October 2022

Te wero, our challenge, to grow our own workforce

By Sue Adams and Josephine Davis

August 31, 2022

The COVID-19 surge workforce — of unregulated health workers — could be an important source of new nurses.

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.