nursing students – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

September 2026

‘It gives us hope’: Student nurses welcome Labour’s promise they’ll all get jobs

By Mary Longmore

September 2, 2026

Nursing tauira are cautiously thrilled with Labour’s promise of full employment — as long as it is kept.

August 2026

‘There was despair’: Government’s meddling in Nursing Council slammed at hui-ā-tau

By Joel Maxwell

August 18, 2026

The largest gathering of Māori nurses, kaimahi, kaiāwhina and ākonga in Aotearoa has blasted the Government’s gutting of the Nursing Council.

August 2026

Auckland University’s first Māori head of nursing ‘awesome’, say tauira

By Mary Longmore

July 29, 2026

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa-NZNO students say the appointment of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland (UOA)’s first Māori head of nursing, Josephine Davis, is important for rangatahi.

July 2026

Nursing students challenge schools to stand up for them — and cultural safety

By Mary Longmore

July 6, 2026

Nursing students across Aotearoa stood before their teachers in Wellington to ask for more protection amid cultural safety attacks, financial hardship and far-flung placements.

July 2026

BUDGET26: Jobs for boys but student nurses can pay $10,000 more thank you very much

By Joel Maxwell and Mary Longmore

June 22, 2026

The Government says fees-free was a fizzer but nurses and students have slammed its axing as a $69 million snub against female-dominated mahi.

May 2026

From hospital to home — the power of good written information after discharge

By Claire Samuel, Sieun Kim, Kiran Karaka, Francine Llanillo, Lorenzo Marcelo, Chenhao Yang & Kim Ward

April 17, 2026

A simple, well-written pamphlet can make a huge difference to patients after discharge. Auckland University nursing students explain why simple language cuts readmissions.

February 2026

‘We should be free to worry about grades, not jobs’ — student nurse on hiring fears

By Hannah Watson

January 26, 2026

Nurses’ work is irreplaceable, says University of Auckland nursing student Hannah Watson — but why then are her cohort worrying about their future in the profession?

October 2025

Newly-elected student leaders bring mix of youth and maturity — and compassion galore

By Poihaere Whare, Floyd Watson, Siarra Marsh and Dawn Blyth

September 25, 2025

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa — NZNO’s newly-elected student leaders share what drew them into nursing, and what they hope to achieve in their new roles.

September 2025

She’s aged 87 and still teaches — Grace Benson and her thousands of diamonds

By Joel Maxwell

August 29, 2025

For more than 40 years Grace Benson has lovingly shaped and polished thousands of her ‘diamonds’ — so many you can find them in theatres, practices and clinics around the country.

August 2025

EXCLUSIVE:’Shocking’ low job rates for our latest nurse graduates, figures reveal

By Joel Maxwell and Mary Longmore

July 25, 2025

Less than half — just 45 per cent — of registered nursing graduates have been matched to supported-entry roles at Te Whatu Ora after mid-year finals, Kaitiaki can reveal.

July 2025

Nursing students ready to walk: “Hire us or we will leave”

By Kaitiaki coeditors

July 9, 2025

Concerning interim findings of the NZNO 2025 Student Survey has found most students will go overseas if they can’t get jobs in New Zealand.

June 2025

Pay equity changes may discourage students from studying nursing, says Massey lecturer

By Jessie Davidson

June 12, 2025

Massey nursing students say they feel discouraged about entering Aotearoa’s health workforce following government changes to pay equity laws that have wiped out a claim for thousands of nurses.

June 2025

2025 survey will capture students’ lived experience

By Kaitiaki coeditors

May 8, 2025

NZNO student leaders say the 2025 survey launched this week will capture the lived experiences of nursing students — including the financial challenges they are facing.

January 2025

Papers reveal directors of nursing fighting for graduate employment

By Mary Longmore

December 19, 2024

No pause? Fear, confusion and ‘murky waters’ as directors of nursing (DONs) say they were not permitted to hire mid-year graduates.

December 2024

Hundreds of nursing graduates miss out on Te Whatu Ora jobs

By Mary Longmore

November 27, 2024

Te Whatu Ora is being accused of failing in its most basic duty — protecting the future nursing workforce of New Zealand.

November 2024

‘The struggle is real’ — nursing students nationwide take to the streets in a call for paid training

By Mary Longmore

October 21, 2024

Nursing students rallied around the country over the weekend in a passionate call for financial support to stem a drop-out rate of one in three.

October 2024

‘Man, it’s a fight’ — nursing students prepare to rally across Aotearoa

By Mary Longmore

October 18, 2024

‘You get through this three years and you’ve fought so hard to get this degree and now we’re fighting to get a job – it’s scary.’

October 2024

New student leaders inspired by nurses while growing up

By Mary Longmore

September 25, 2024

At a tough time for nursing graduates, NZNO’s new student leaders share their passion for nursing and what drives them.

September 2024

New Southern Cross scholarships will fund 17 AUT nursing students on clinical placements

By Mary Longmore

August 28, 2024

Seventeen new scholarships are being launched to support “passionate” and under-represented Auckland University of Technology (AUT) nursing students on clinical placements over the next three years.

August 2024

Nursing workforce landscape ‘significantly changed’ — Te Whatu Ora

By Mary Longmore

August 7, 2024

Te Whatu Ora says it is “committed to supporting” new nursing graduates who missed out on supported-entry roles to find work — but not in New Zealand’s public hospitals.

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.