Opinion – Page 8 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

June 2022

‘That’s the scale of the injustice’ – NZNO won’t back down on back pay

By NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter

May 12, 2022

After a “clear and strong” member mandate to turn the district health boards’ pay equity proposal over to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) to determine backpay, senior nurse rates and how to safely cement pay equity into the system, NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter shares his views.

June 2022

Changes to how IQNs are registered must balance fairness with safety – Nursing Council

By Nursing Council policy and research advisor Kalpana Jayanatha and projects leader Jane MacGeorge

May 4, 2022

For some time, the Nursing Council has been considering how to improve the way we assess and register internationally qualified nurses (IQNs), to ensure that our processes are robust and fair.

May 2022

‘Tired but passionate’ caregiver on life inside aged residential care through the pandemic

By a Northland health-care assistant

April 28, 2022

After 31 years in aged residential care, a caregiver calls for mental health support.

May 2022

Nurses must speak out on ‘sparse, inaccessible’ mental health care

By NZNO professional nursing advisor Anne Brinkman, with contributions from the Mental Health Nursing Section committee.

April 13, 2022

‘Silent epidemic’ in mental health across Aotearoa as families struggle in isolation.

April 2022

The slap that was heard around the world: when is violence acceptable?

By Joel Maxwell

April 8, 2022

It was the slap heard around the world, but for some it was entirely normal.

May 2022

The invisible hand of violence that goes unreported against nurses, HCAs, midwives

By Dana Hudson and Suzanne Rolls

April 6, 2022

A glaring discrepancy has emerged between real life nursing experiences of NZNO members and official district health board reports of workplace violence.

April 2022

Crisis of staffing and resourcing ‘intolerable’: new NZNO chief executive shares vision

By Paul Goulter

March 7, 2022

Kia ora koutou – ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Ko Paul Goulter tōku ingoa.

My name is Paul Goulter and I am privileged to have been appointed chief executive of NZNO Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa.

March 2022

Will safe staffing review be a turning point at last?

By Hilary Graham-Smith

February 25, 2022

When I got the call asking if I would be interested in participating in a review of nursing safe staffing in district health boards (DHBs) I uttered a quiet hallelujah.

March 2022

Overcoming barriers to COVID-19 testing and vaccination – everything matters

By Susan Shaw and Rain Lamdin

February 16, 2022

Non-violent language and less-invasive techniques for testing and vaccination are important tools for overcoming public fear.

February 2022

Has the time come for nurses to gain a mega MECA?

By Joel Maxwell

February 8, 2022

A universal collective agreement for all nurses across all sectors – is it possible?

February 2022

The president comments: Nurses’ courage and self-determination

By Anne Daniels

February 8, 2022

February 2022

Redeployment — can we make it less stressful?

By Catherine Montgomery and Angela Clark

February 8, 2022

Being redeployed to another area can be challenging, and leave you feeling like a fish out of water.

December 2021 vol 27 no 11

A life in public health: ‘I didn’t know you didn’t talk about gay rights in Taranaki’

By Kai Tiaki editors

December 1, 2021

A career that began on the fringes for Heather Came, has now been recognised at the very heart of public health.

December 2021 vol 27 no 11

The kaiwhakahaere comments

By Kerri Nuku

December 1, 2021

Tēnā koutou to NZNO members – as 2021 closes and 2022 arrives, it is a good time to take a broader look at social justice and how we all fit into this important kaupapa.

Farewell to a challenging year, as we brace for more COVID in the community

By Kate Weston

December 1, 2021

It is that time where we reflect on the year, and 2021 has certainly been a challenging one. We have seen everything from large-scale industrial action, a national pandemic response and now mandatory vaccination for the vast majority of health and disability services staff.

December 2021 vol 27 no 11

‘New thinking needed’ on aged care RN crisis

By Margaret Crozier

December 1, 2021

Better status and remuneration are needed to ease the nursing crisis in aged care, says a major recruiter.

December 2021 vol 27 no 11

Please keep reading online – for nursing

By Teresa O’Connor & Anne Manchester

December 1, 2021

This final print edition of Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand is a momentous moment in the publication’s 113-year history. It is, we suppose, an inevitability in this third decade of the 21st century.

February 2022

Nurse practitioners ready to play a role in assisted dying

By Tamah Clapham

December 1, 2021

After seeing too many people die without whānau, Auckland NP Tamah Clapham has trained and registered to provide care under the End of Life Choice Act.

December 2021 vol 27 no 11

Digital organising accelerates in 2021

By associate industrial services manager Iain Lees-Galloway

December 1, 2021

It has become trite to say but nevertheless true that we live in extraordinary times.

November 2021 vol 27 no 10

To care and be cared for

By Ruth Abad and Natalie Seymour

November 1, 2021

Over the past 12 years working as an aged care registered nurse (RN) in New Zealand, I, Ruth Abad, have seen a vast change in the profession.

27 Oct	Pilot registry to trial a safer path for women’s pelvic health Health New Zealand has started a pilot in Christchurch today to test processes required to establish a nationwide registry for female pelvic floor procedures, including surgical mesh.
23 Oct	National’s hiring freeze puts lives at risk Last night’s warnings from doctors at Wairau Hospital that patients may die if they don’t get more staff is yet another example of the damage National’s hiring freeze has done to our health system.
23 Oct	Recognition of need to fix primary care crisis good for patients Recognition of the need to fix the crisis in primary health care is good for patients but stops short of a much-needed overhaul of the sector, NZNO says.
20 Oct	Winners of the 2026 NZ Primary Healthcare Awards \| He Tohu Mauri Ora announced Over 600 supporters of primary care gathered at the Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre on Saturday night for a glittering gala dinner for the 2026 New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards \| He Tohu Mauri Ora.
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.