patient safety – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

July 2024

‘My God you’re influential — use it’. Call to action for nurses, kaiāwhina and midwives to push for safe staffing

By Mary Longmore

July 9, 2024

The real-life stories of nurses, combined with hard evidence on the harm caused by poorly staffed hospitals, are crucial to getting safe nurse-to-patient ratios legalised here in Aotearoa, nurse leaders heard.

June 2024

Nurses and kaiāwhina across Aotearoa brave chill winds to call for safer staffing

By Mary Longmore

May 9, 2024

Nurses and kaiāwhina braving brutal near-zero temperatures in some places to speak up for safer staffing received warm support from the public as they rallied across the country today.

February 2023

Just one doctor at Thames Hospital – ‘a huge risk’

By Cate Macintosh

January 24, 2023

Thames Hospital ED normally has three day shifts for doctors, but recently this dropped to just one – a situation which left patients and staff vulnerable to serious adverse events, NZNO members say.*

January 2023

New online learning series on consumer rights will ‘strengthen patient relationship’ — HDC

By Mary Longmore

November 28, 2022

New online learning modules to support health professionals’ working knowledge and understanding of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights have been launched.

Uncut – news briefs

25 July	Graduates working together to tackle the world’s most vital health issues Geneva, Switzerland; 25 July 2024 - Former graduates of the International Council of Nurses’ flagship nursing leadership programme are continuing to work together to address critical health issues around the world.
22 July	Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.
19 July	More funded nutritional supplements on the way Pharmac – Te Pātaka Whaioranga is funding more nutritional supplements for people living with inherited metabolic diseases.
11 July	Over 6,000 people will benefit from Pharmac funding proposal if approved Pharmac – Te Pātaka Whaioranga plans to widen access to seven medicines benefitting over 6,000 people within the first 12 months of funding. The proposal includes treatments for schizophrenia, low iron levels, constipation, and a type of psoriasis.
10 July	Home support nurses set to strike About 150 New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) workers employed at Access Home Health will strike next Monday following a breakdown in talks with their employer.
10 July	National Bowel Screening Programme reaches 2 million life-saving screening kits The National Bowel Screening Programme has reached a significant milestone, with two million home bowel screening kits distributed across the country, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.
3 July	Free cervical screening for at risk women to continue Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has confirmed that cervical screening will continue to be free for women with higher risk of cervical cancer. “Our Government is committed to achieving better cancer outcomes for New Zealanders, and screening programmes are critical to getting an early diagnosis and timely treatment,” says Dr Reti.
25 June	Blood Cancer Alliance Seeks Clarity On Cancer Medicine Funding An alliance of blood cancer organisations and consultants is seeking clarity from the government, Pharmac and the Cancer Control Agency about which live saving blood cancer medicines will be included following the boost to Pharmac funding announced yesterday.
24 June	Transformative investment in cancer treatments and more new medicines The coalition Government is delivering up to 26 cancer treatments as part of an overall package of up to 54 more new medicines, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today.
21 June	ICN Calls for Urgent G20 Action on the Global Nurse Migration Crisis Amidst our global shortage of millions of nurses, some high-income countries continue to plug staffing gaps by actively recruiting nurses from vulnerable countries already facing severe health workforce shortages. Despite shared ethical codes and calls to curb this practice, aggressive nurse recruitment is growing, with clear evidence of harmful impacts exacerbating deep-seated health inequalities worldwide.