Emergency nursing – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

January 2026

ED nurses urged to share violence and aggression incidents

By Renee Kiriona

January 8, 2026

Tōpūtanga Taphui Kaitiaki o Aotearoa – NZNO wants to hear from nurses working in emergency departments (ED) throughout the country about any violent, aggressive and threatening behaviour they have experienced while on duty over the holiday period.

December 2025

‘One of yours’: Rebuilding a safe and coherent mental health crisis system

By Stacey Wilson

December 9, 2025

Mental health crisis services in Aotearoa have endured a decade of increasing pressure, but the past year has pushed the workforce to a critical tipping point.

November 2025

‘Don’t be handmaidens, be critical thinkers’: Strikes reveal emergency-nursing cracks

By Kelly McDonald

November 19, 2025

Hutt emergency nurse Kelly McDonald starts her next shift at 2.45pm and she’s expecting it to be a “shit show”. This NZNO delegate explains what’s wrong with emergency care, how to fix it, and why nurses should stick to the partial strike plan.

November 2025

EXCLUSIVE:Five years after Len’s death and emergency department is 15-FTE understaffed

By Joel Maxwell

November 11, 2025

A man’s death while a nurse fetched a wheelchair put a human face on “consciously deciding” to understaff an emergency department, a coroner says.

September 2025

Ko Rebecca Fenn: Mai i Rānana ki tāna taraiwa i te pahi me te āwhina ki a rātou “kei raro e putu ana”

By Renee Kiriona

October 6, 2025

Kua whakawhiwhia Rebecca Fenn te tohu Mātanga Tapuhi o te Tau, nā tōna tamaititanga i waenganui i te “rongo ki ngā hōhipera” me “te tākaro hei nēhi” i whakaohooho i a ia kia atawhai i te iwi.

September 2025

‘It’s a beginning’, say emergency nurses after joining safe staffing kōrero

By Mary Longmore

September 9, 2025

As the shocking reality of hospital understaffing is finally revealed, NZNO’s ED nurses are finally being invited to join Te Whatu Ora’s safe staffing discussions after meeting with the Minister of Health.

June 2025

‘They came on a good day’ — Wellington nurses say new ED must be safely staffed

By Mary Longmore

June 30, 2025

Up to 66 nurses short and dozens of patients stacked in cramped corridors — that’s the day-to-day reality of Wellington Hospital’s cramped emergency department, say nurses.

June 2025

‘Society’s deepest wounds’: Whangārei emergency nurse speaks out on inequities

By Bridget Firth

June 30, 2025

‘This isn’t a funding shortfall, it’s a shift of values,’ a Whangarei ED nurse tells an audience who attended a packed out hui-for-health in her city.

February 2025

‘We do give really great care’ — emergency nurses bear the weight of systemic failings

By Lauren Miller

February 28, 2025

NZNO’s college of emergency nurses (CENNZ) talks short-stay targets, the need for 24/7 security and their desire to provide safe care.

February 2025

Emergency nurses call for urgent meeting with Simeon Brown over ED targets

By Mary Longmore

February 28, 2025

Fed up with being blamed for missing shorter-stay targets, NZNO’s emergency nurses have requested an urgent meeting with new Minister of Health Simeon Brown to ask for more support.

January 2025

Community mental health nurses consider stab-proof vests after knife attack

By Mary Longmore

January 16, 2025

Community mental health nurses are considering stab-proof vests and personal alarms as part of a “suite of options”, after a nurse was stabbed while on an acute after-hours mental health callout in Rotorua recently.

January 2025

‘I’m gonna rip your head from your body’ — ED nurse tells of constant aggression

By Abby*

January 16, 2025

‘If you spent a day with me in ED, you’d never come back.’ In the wake of a nurse strangulation attempt, a senior emergency nurse says staff are exposed to abuse and aggression most days.

January 2025

Emergency nurses call for more security, counselling, after strangulation attempt

By Mary Longmore

January 10, 2025

Staff at Middlemore Hospital’s emergency department (ED) have asked for more security, after a nurse was punched then strangled to unconsciousness by a patient on Monday this week.

November 2024

More staff needed to meet health targets, say emergency and primary health nurses

By Mary Longmore

November 13, 2024

Nurses say more staff are needed if they are to meet the Government’s health targets.

October 2024

Where’s the money? Nurses challenge Government over its health targets plan

By Mary Longmore

September 13, 2024

Exhausted emergency, perioperative, primary health and cancer nurses may be left wondering how they are meant to treat more patients quicker, without any more funding.

October 2024

Rotorua ED nurses ‘devastated’ over woman’s death after three-hour wait

By Renee Kiriona and Mary Longmore

September 12, 2024

Emergency nurses warn more waiting room deaths are ‘inevitable’ in the current squeezed health environment.

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.

May 2024

Tough new government health targets could backfire, warn nurses

By Mary Longmore

April 9, 2024

Emergency nurses fear tough new targets for emergency departments (EDs) will put already-stretched staff under more pressure, risking “gaming” of wait time data.

November 2023

Emergency nurse ‘flow bros’ finally win back pay

By Mary Longmore

October 20, 2023

After a three-and-a-half year battle, 18 Wellington nurses are celebrating winning hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay after their role as patient flow coordinators at Wellington Hospital emergency department (ED) was underpaid for 13 years.

November 2022

‘ED has become so dangerous and unsafe that I personally needed to move out’

By Mary Longmore

October 10, 2022

In the second of a series of profiles of the incoming NZNO board, Kaitiaki speaks to Wairarapa nurse practitioner Lucy McLaren.

Daily doses – uncut news

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.
12 Dec	Holidays Act remediation payments update As of 12 December 2025, more than 83,000 current employees (representing nearly 93% of the current workforce) have been paid over $657m holidays act remediation payments for their current role.
8 Dec	Expanding access to everyday medicines Registered nurse prescribers can now prescribe nearly double the number of medicines, significantly expanding access to timely, local care for New Zealanders, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
1 Dec	Govt breaking promise to local communities Labour’s new Family Doctor Loan Scheme will support doctors and nurse practitioners with low-interest loans to set up new practices or buy into existing ones.
28 Nov	Prime Minister urged to resolve impasse in essential workers’ bargaining Unions representing workers from essential health, education and public services have written to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to urge him to resolve impasses with their respective collective bargaining.
28 Nov	Frontline decision-making key to Health New Zealand’s future Health Minister Simeon Brown has today presented Health New Zealand’s Annual Report to Parliament and issued a new Letter of Expectations to the Chair of the Health New Zealand Board, setting out the Government’s priorities for the rest of this financial year and into 2025/26.
27 Nov	New Zealanders say patients at risk because of nurse shortages Most New Zealanders - 83% - believe patient safety is at risk because there are not enough nurses, new polling by Talbot Mills Research has found.
27 Nov	Physiotherapists and Medical Laboratory Workers settle collective agreements Health New Zealand welcomes the decision by the Association of Professional and Executive Employees (APEX) members to settle the collective employment agreements for physiotherapists and medical laboratory workers.
25 Nov	Digitally enabled health system on the horizon A 10-year plan was announced today to build a digitally enabled health system to meet demand and ensure reliable service access for New Zealanders.
21 Nov	Mental Health and Addiction Workforce Plan 2024-2027 released Excellent progress over the past year has been highlighted in the refreshed Mental Health and Addiction Workforce Plan 2024-2027, released by Health New Zealand today.
20 Nov	Luxon’s health failures laid bare Today’s NZ Health Survey shows Christopher Luxon’s weak leadership is failing New Zealanders’ health.
13 Nov	Pharmac to fund five medicines for multiple sclerosis, breast cancer, eye conditions, and lung cancer New Zealanders living with multiple sclerosis, breast cancer, eye conditions, and lung cancer will benefit from five medicines that Pharmac will fund from 1 December 2025.
12 Nov	National caves to big tobacco as NZ tumbles down global rankings The National Government has put the profits of tobacco companies ahead of New Zealanders’ health and now the world can see it.
7 Nov	Labour will make cervical screening free Labour will make cervical screening free, adding it to the Medicard alongside three free doctor’s visits a year for all New Zealanders.
6 Nov	NZPFU cancels this weeks strike but gives notice of further strike action The NZPFU National Committee has decided to withdraw the one-hour full stoppage scheduled from midday this Friday (7 November).
6 Nov	Minister must protect the Nursing Council The Minister of Health must protect the integrity of the Nursing Council as the regulator for registered nurses, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says
5 Nov	Govt’s failure on mental health laid bare Labour backs the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission’s urgent call for a national crisis response system that actually works.
16 Oct	Nationwide breast screening age extension underway The first step of the nationwide breast screening age extension is underway, with women aged 70 and 74 now eligible for free screening, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Women’s Minister Nicola Grigg say.
10 Oct	Communities encouraged to take up weekend measles vaccination opportunities as thousands of doses delivered during response With nearly 7,000 vaccinations delivered since measles cases broke out in Northland and Queenstown two weeks ago, Health New Zealand is encouraging anyone not already vaccinated to make the most of weekend immunisation opportunities in their communities.
10 Oct	$103.5 million paid in Holidays Act remediation for Canterbury and West Coast staff Today Health NZ has processed approximately $96.5 million in Holidays Act remediation payments for 12,105 current employees in Canterbury and approximately $7m for 933 current employees in West Coast.
9 Oct	Strong interest in programme to train nurse practitioners More than 340 nurses have expressed interest in the Government’s plan to support 120 registered nurses each year to complete advanced training and become nurse practitioners in primary care, with applications opening today, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
9 Oct	Bowel screening expansion underway to save more lives From Monday, the starting age for free bowel screening will be lowered from 60 to 58 in Northland, Auckland, and the South Island, with the rest of the North Island to follow in March 2026, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
2 Oct	Luxon’s cuts are making Kiwis sicker – it’s time to act Labour is calling on New Zealanders to join its open letter demanding Christopher Luxon fix the cost of seeing a doctor.
29 Sept	ICN mourns the death of Palestinian nursing leader and calls for urgent protection of health workers in Gaza and other conflict-affected areas The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is deeply saddened by the death of Dr Mohammed Akram Al-Kafarneh, a leader of the Palestinian Nursing Association in Gaza. He is among hundreds of nurses and health workers who have tragically lost their lives during this conflict.
19 Sept	Govt wasted two years on Dunedin Hospital After two years of broken promises, cuts and stalling, the National Government is finally signing a contract to get Dunedin Hospital built, with the same contractor and same leadership as under the previous Labour government.
19 Sept	#NursesforPeace: Emergency programme to support nurses in Gaza and the West Bank With the support of Direct Relief, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the Palestinian Nursing and Midwifery Association (PNMA) have launched an emergency programme to help provide support to nurses in Gaza and the West Bank, in response to the reports of famine and the high cost of food. This initiative provides direct financial support to over 1,200 nurses.
12 Sept	Report shows National underfunds health – Labour fixes it. A new report has confirmed what New Zealanders know: National cuts healthcare, Labour restores it.
10 Sept	Have your say on adult palliative care services Health New Zealand is seeking feedback on a proposed model for adult palliative care services in New Zealand.
9 Sept	Health NZ disappointed at senior doctors’ decision to strike We are disappointed and concerned at the decision by Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) members to take further strike action, said Dr Dale Bramley, Health New Zealand Chief Executive.
5 Sept	Health NZ agrees to participate in binding arbitration Health New Zealand has agreed to attend binding arbitration to resolve collective agreement negotiations with our senior doctors.
29 August	Gender pay gap remains largely unchanged The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is saying there is still huge work to do to ensure pay equity for women following the release of new data by Stats NZ that shows the gender pay gap remains largely unchanged.
28 August	Whangārei Hospital parking expansion shifts into gear Patients and families visiting Whangārei Hospital are one step closer to easier access, as a procurement process begins for additional and upgraded carparks to support the hospital’s ongoing redevelopment, Acting Health Minister Matt Doocey says.
22 August	Graduate nurses’ start date deferred due to strike action Given the planned nationwide strike action, the decision has been made to delay the start date for over 300 graduate nurses who were due to begin work and initial training on Monday 1 September.
22 August	Southern’s Access and Choice programme celebrates five years of free mental health support This month marks five years since the launch of Access and Choice in the Southern region, a free mental health and wellbeing support programme delivered in general practices and known locally as Tōku Oranga.
20 August	Teachers strike important to ensure quality education The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is today supporting PPTA members across the country who are striking for fair pay increases, more subject specialist advisors, and greater teacher-led professional development funding.
14 August	Groundbreaking research amplifies disabled voices to prevent violence in marginalised communities A new Massey University study has found that disabled people, particularly Māori and those on low incomes, face disproportionately high rates of family and sexual violence, yet are often excluded from prevention strategies, policymaking and public messaging.
11 August	Health services worse under National “Kiwis’ access to healthcare is getting worse under National. In recent weeks we’ve seen a number of areas where getting treatment is harder or more expensive for New Zealanders,” Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.
31 July	Midwives settle collective agreement Health New Zealand welcomes the decision by Midwifery Employee Representation & Advisory Services (MERAS) members to settle their collective employment agreement.
24 July	Health NZ focused on further bargaining with NZNO In a statement attributed to Dr Dale Bramley, Health New Zealand Chief Executive, while contingency planning for the strike by New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) next week is ongoing, they are also focused on progressing talks with the union to avert the strike.
24 July	Review highlights under-staffing at Nelson Hospital A review of Nelson Hospital has confirmed concerns that staff shortages are increasing wait times and delaying people getting the care they need, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says.
21 July	Workers to deliver 80,000 strong pay equity petition Women representing the more than 300,000 workers in female-dominated industries affected by the Government’s gutting of New Zealand’s pay equity system will deliver a 80,000 strong petition to opposition MPs at Parliament this Wednesday.
21 July	Mental health facility closes due to funding cuts National’s funding cuts have forced the closure of mental health facility Segar House – cutting jobs and leaving those with complex needs without care they need.
16 July	Targets trouble leads to fake doctors’ appointments Under National, hospitals are booking ghost appointments to make it look like their targets are being met. “Correspondence between clinicians shows fake appointments are being made for fake clinics at Nelson Hospital,” Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.
16 July	A gold for Southern fracture service A local service that is supporting older people to overcome the social, mental and physical effects of fragility fractures resulting from falls, has been awarded an internationally recognised gold standard.
15 July	Childhood immunisation rates continue to climb New figures released today show childhood immunisation rates at 24 months continue to rise, reflecting the Government’s strong commitment to improving health outcomes for Kiwi children, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
10 July	NZNO welcomes Te Whatu Ora backdown on Wellington maternity services Te Whatu Ora's decision to pull the plug on a trial to take beds away from Wellington Hospital's maternity and gynaecology wards is the right decision, NZNO says.
10 July	Government must save Tōtara Hospice: NZNO The Coalition Government must provide urgent funding to Totara Hospice to stop it having to cut its services by a quarter from next week, NZNO says.
27 June	New mental health centre to transform care in the Wellington region Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey have today marked the beginning of construction on the new Sir Mark Dunajtschik Mental Health Centre in Lower Hutt.
27 June	New STI e-learning for midwives will increase detection, testing, treatment and prevention A new e-learning course was launched early June to equip midwives with up-to-date knowledge on effectively communicating relevant and tailored information about syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
25 June	Changes for prescribing ADHD medications Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has welcomed prescribing changes that will enable GPs and nurse practitioners to diagnose and treat adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
23 June	Minister should fess up on cuts Simeon Brown needs to be honest about how much more money he expects Health New Zealand to cut from its budget to get back in the black. “National has chosen to underfund our health system and expects Health New Zealand to make even more cuts - but won’t say how much,” Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.
17 June	Notice of NZNO 2025 Board Elections - Call for Nominations Nominations are required to fill seven (7) positions on the NZNO Board. For details, see the notices section in the classifieds
16 June	Gender Gap Closes at Fastest Rate Since Pandemic – But Full Parity Still Over a Century Away The global gender gap has closed to 68.8%, led by economic and political advances – yet progress is still behind pre-pandemic pace, with full parity an estimated 123 years away.
16 June	Against a backdrop of escalating global health challenges, the ruling council of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has issued a powerful call for urgent action to address the nursing workforce crisis. Against a backdrop of escalating global health challenges, the ruling council of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has issued a powerful call for urgent action to address the nursing workforce crisis.
13 June	ICN charts a bold vision and calls for urgent investment in nursing to secure the future of care Against a backdrop of escalating global health challenges, the ruling council of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has issued a powerful call for urgent action to address the nursing workforce crisis.
12 June	Unions take pay equity fight to the ILO New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges has taken the pay equity fight to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The ILO is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards.
5 June	Refreshed strategy released to tackle gambling harm Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey today announced that the Government has released the refreshed Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm.
3 June	ICN launches new topic brief underscoring vital role of nurses to protect the planet, human health and all life on Earth The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has released a new topic brief titled “Nursing for Planetary Health and Wellbeing”, emphasizing the vital role nurses play in addressing the health impacts of our shared environmental crises. The brief highlights the emerging concept of planetary health and stresses the urgency to recognize and take action to reduce the impacts that human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems are having on the health of individuals and communities.
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.