letter – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

May 2025

New Zealand Nurses Memorial Fund is here to help

By Beverly Henderson

May 1, 2025

In these difficult and uncertain economic times, when many people are experiencing financial hardship, help is available from the New Zealand Nurses Memorial Fund (NZNMF).

April 2025

We need to demand a fairer tax system

By Rosemary Avison

April 29, 2025

When money is tight and the Government is cutting one service to provide for another equally deserving service, it divides the people and we fight amongst ourselves.

April 2025

The registered nurse’s lament

By Sarah Fraser-Clark

April 23, 2025

I was inspired to write this after reading the letters from the class of 2024 new graduates who had missed out on NETP positions with Te Whatu Ora, the release of the Government’s Health Infrastructure Plan and my own recent experience.

April 2025

Nurses the heroes in this year’s ANZAC musical evening of remembrance

By Lindsay Stanley

April 17, 2025

An ANZAC eve event in Auckland next week will highlight the role of nurses in both military and civilian service.

March 2025

Changes to NZNO membership fees

By Paul Goulter

March 31, 2025

It is the usual practice that NZNO increases membership fees each year according to the consumer price index (CPI).

April 2025

Help write the last chapter on cervical cancer

By Maria De Cort

March 25, 2025

It’s not often we can shout about a good news cancer story, but we have one shaping up and you can be a part of it.

March 2025

New website discusses health needs of New Zealand and Pacific nations

By Jocelyn Peach

March 12, 2025

Nursing has much to be proud of over the past 120 years. We can learn from how nurse leaders have managed situations in the past that are not dissimilar to challenges that we face today.

January 2025

Māori and Pacific Island workforce take the hit at Health NZ

By Dr Clive Aspin

December 20, 2024

Māori and Pacific Island workforce are taking the hit as Health NZ restructures one of its arms — National Public Health Service (NPHS) — disestablishing essential roles in public health services.

January 2025

No more Australian job advertisements in Kaitiaki

By Paul Goulter

December 18, 2024

At a time that our nursing graduates here in Aotearoa are struggling to find work and our biggest health employer Te Whatu Ora says it cannot afford any more nurses, we are facing an unprecedented risk to our nursing workforce which could impact our ability to care safely for patients for years to come.

December 2024

In their words: Nursing graduates lament

By Class of 2024: Nursing graduates around the country

November 29, 2024

Nursing graduates share their self-doubt, fears and dashed hopes after finding out this week hundreds had missed out on Te Whatu Ora roles. Most preferred not to be named so not to jeopardise future job prospects.

November 2024

Singing the praises of nurse practitioners

By Heather Woods

November 6, 2024

I am writing to sing the praises of a nurse practitioner intern that I saw recently.

November 2024

Australasian nursing group aims to reduce harm for communities impacted by drug and alcohol use

By Gavin Wallace

October 24, 2024

Earlier this year I joined the Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia (DANA), the peak nursing organisation for nurses, nurse practitioners and midwives with a professional interest in addiction services.

November 2024

Financial literacy for women – scholarships available for nurses till Sunday

By Angela Meyer and Rachel Davies

October 23, 2024

Are you ready to explore and change your relationship with money? We at Hi Money are thrilled to offer 20 scholarships to women nurses or nurses who identify as woman for our November cohort.

November 2024

Aged care nurse says health cuts ‘unwelcome but necessary’

By Elizabeth White

October 9, 2024

As a registered nurse working in aged care, I sincerely wish there were no cuts to health funding.

October 2024

The health sector, nursing care and taxpayer expectations

By Robyn Henderson

September 25, 2024

I work in a public hospital in Christchurch and I am told by my manager that if I (or any of my colleagues) choose to leave, I will not be replaced. I am a frontline clinical nurse in a ward-based role, looking after all New Zealanders.

May 2024

A nurse’s burnout leads to hospital for carers

By Jacqui O'Connor

April 9, 2024

In 1993 I graduated as a New Zealand registered nurse. Starting from university, we were never taught the importance of caring for ourselves, or other carers, to help meet the huge demands of our roles.

May 2024

Nurses Memorial Fund is there to help

By Sharyn Lovell

April 3, 2024

In these difficult economic times, and with another wave of COVID-19, many people are experiencing financial hardship alongside the usual life events.

April 2024

Survey: How are we are doing in health & safety in New Zealand?

By Safeguard

March 4, 2024

Safeguard magazine’s annual State of the Nation survey is open and we invite you to take part.

February 2024

Health professionals’ views sought for survey on variations in sex characteristics

By Shaye Woolford, Katrina Roen and Eileen Joy

February 15, 2024

We are researchers from the University of Waikato – Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato and we are exploring health professionals’ experiences of working with people with variations in sex characteristics.

March 2024

Registered nurses considering post-graduate study sought

By Laura Ewens-Volynkina

February 15, 2024

Are you a registered nurse (RN) and thinking of doing postgraduate study in health sciences?

Uncut – news briefs

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.