NZNO Conference – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

November 2026

‘Now the real work begins’ say HCAs after NZNO pledges to strengthen carer workforce

By Marita Ansin-Johnson, Anamei Graham and Rosina Ake

October 21, 2026

It has been a ‘long road’ but health-care assistants are welcoming NZNO’s formal adoption of a plan to support, grow and strengthen the HCA and kaiāwhina workforce.

November 2026

‘I don’t like to be silenced’: NZNO’s new student leaders reveal what drives them

By Mary Longmore

October 16, 2026

Connected by a desire to care for others and push for change, NZNO’s newest student leaders are not afraid to speak up.

September 2026

‘Overwhelming sense of betrayal’ — abuse survivors’ fight continues

By Mary Longmore

October 6, 2026

There was a devastated silence after abuse survivor Neta Kerepeti read her poem White man, White coat, and Stethoscope dissecting in excruciating detail how she was abused as a child in state care.

October 2026

Just under my skin

By Maria Tutahi

October 1, 2026

At NZNO’s conference recently, Waikato nurse Maria Tutahi shared a poem she wrote about unveiling her spiritual mask at a time when wearing physical masks was mandatory.

Members emerge from NZNO conference vowing to ‘fight, fight, fight’ for a safer health system

By Kaitiaki coeditors

September 30, 2026

There was a vibe.

October 2025

Mental health, Pacific, emergency nurses among those honoured in emotional NZNO awards

By Mary Longmore

September 19, 2025

Tears, passion and nurses’ deep commitment to their communities over decades — all were on display at a powerful NZNO awards ceremony in Pōneke this week.

November 2024

‘Fearless’ and outspoken or humble and calm — Canterbury nurses dominate NZNO awards

By Mary Longmore

October 15, 2024

Te Wai Pounamu (South Island) nurses dominated the recent awards for services to NZNO–Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa.

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.

October 2024

Call for nurses and kaiāwhina to stand against radical policies with ‘elegant militancy’

By Mary Longmore

September 24, 2024

Nurses and kaiāwhina are being asked to stand up for Māori and the country’s vulnerable.

October 2023

‘I found myself drowning’ — the challenges for Māori working in the health system

By Mary Longmore

September 28, 2023

A panel of Māori nurses shared their experiences of “werohia ngā ture” — challenging the system and being “unapologetically Māori” at NZNO’s 2023 conference.

October 2023

Call to unite, prepare for looming political threats to health system and unions

By Mary Longmore

September 27, 2023

‘Disrespect us at your peril’ — nurses and NZNO urged to fight racism and protect a health system for all.

October 2023

Minister’s diagnosis: Health system ‘in recovery’ but risk of relapse high without enough funding

By Mary Longmore

September 26, 2023

In recovery — but facing relapse with any reversal of funding, was Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall’s “diagnosis” of the health system, at the recent Tōpūtanga Tapuhi o Kaitiaki Aotearoa — NZNO annual general meeting (AGM).

October 2023

Pasifika young nurse of the year draws on his own ‘tough’ experiences in sexual health work

By Mary Longmore

September 22, 2023

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi o Kaitiaki Aotearoa — NZNO’s young nurse of the year John Fa’ukafa says the “tough” times he endured as a young Pasifika male coming out as gay made him the nurse he is today.

October 2022

Maranga Mai! — rise up — is our plan to save the health system

By Cate Macintosh

September 16, 2022

Maranga Mai! – rise up – is a plan to save New Zealand’s health system, NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter tells conference delegates.

October 2022

NZNO members silently protest to Andrew Little over ‘reneging’ on promised back pay

By Kaitiaki co-editors

September 15, 2022

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.