nurse practitioners – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

August 2026

Proposed new RN prescriber and NP competencies open for consultation as both roles bloom

By Mary Longmore

August 24, 2026

Consultation is open on proposed new standards of competence for nurse practitioners (NPs) and registered nurse (RN) prescribers that the Nursing Council says will better reflect their expanded practice today.

July 2026

‘Grassroots’ Coromandel nurse practitioner awarded NP of the year

By Mary Longmore

June 19, 2026

A “grassroots” Coromandel nurse mātanga tapuhi/nurse practitioner (NP) who hiked through hills so she could open the local health clinic during Cyclone Gabrielle has been named NP of the year.

July 2026

Primary health nurses’ college a rock of stability in an ‘atomised’ sector

By Michael Brenndorfer

May 27, 2026

Primary health nurses are bouncing around an ‘atomised’ and profit-making sector — yet could play a crucial role in transforming communities’ health given the chance, says nurse practitioner Michael Brenndorfer.

April 2026

Expect more hacks, but ‘no going back’ warns nurse and health information expert

By Joel Maxwell

March 8, 2026

The shiny new digital world of health care in 2026 is starting to look a lot like the dusty old world of the Wild West — even the names are recycled, reveals Karen Day.

February 2026

After 25 years of NPs in New Zealand, where are we now?

By Deborah L Harris and Eileen McKinlay

January 26, 2026

Twenty-five years on, New Zealand’s first nurse practitioners (NPs) have proven their worth — but obstacles remain, our first-ever NP finds.

February 2026

‘Long overdue’ milestone coming for ADHD care – and for nurse practitioners

By Sam Hargreaves

January 5, 2026

From February 1, nurse practitioners in Aotearoa will be able to initiate and prescribe stimulant medicines for ADHD, including making funded special authority applications within their area of practice.

December 2025

No more ’embarrassing’ need to consult GPs for basic medications after law change — nurse practitioner

By Natasha Ashworth

December 9, 2025

Nurse practitioners (NPs) finally getting the power to prescribe section 29 unapproved medicines means faster relief for patients — and less embarrassment for nurses, says Gisborne NP Natasha Ashworth.

November 2025

Nurse practitioner’s six-year battle to win full prescribing rights

By Mary Longmore

November 24, 2025

After a six-year battle, Dunedin nurse practitioner (NP) Mark Baldwin says winning full prescribing rights for mātanga tapuhi/ NPs feels “huge”.

June 2025

Dhyanne Hohepa: ‘A light in the dark for Māori nurses’

By Renee Kiriona

May 6, 2025

Dhyanne Hohepa is a leader among Māori nurses driven by aroha and passionate about clinical excellence.

January 2025

Diabetes nurse trailblazer among health professionals in New Year honours

By Kathy Stodart

January 13, 2025

A trail-blazing nurse in diabetes care and advanced nursing practice — Helen Snell — has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year’s honours list.

September 2024

New nurse practitioner chair wants to see NP numbers grow ‘like ivy’

By Mary Longmore

September 10, 2024

New chair of Nurse Practitioners NZ Chelsea Wilmott predicts NP numbers will soon double — but warns nurses can be their own worst enemy.

April 2024

Nurse practitioner trainee numbers soar with 50 per cent funding boost

By Mary Longmore

March 8, 2024

Rising confidence amid more supportive pathways are behind a leap in nurses training to become mātanga tapuhi (nurse practitioners) this year, leaders say.

April 2023

Nurse practitioners reject ‘denigrating’ GP college guidelines, will draw up their own

By Mary Longmore

March 14, 2023

Mātanga tapuhi / nurse practitioners say revised guidelines on their role from the Royal College of GPs (RNZCGP) are “denigrating” and “disappointing”, implying they must consult with GPs before making decisions.

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.