Byrne’s resignation was announced to staff today by new board chair Sharon Brownie.
Her departure follows that of chief education advisor Annette Huntington and senior legal advisors Clare Prendergast and Nick Davis — who are both part of the executive leadership team — but finish up this week.
Prendergast has worked at the Council for more than 30 years, while Davis had worked there for more than 10. Huntington, a former Council chair in the early 2000s, has been an education advisor there since 2020. She finishes next month.
Their resignations were announced in the Council’s latest pānui. Davis is taking up a deputy registrar role at the Medical Council while Prendergast is moving into consulting, the newsletter said. None of the departing staff would comment.
‘Now we’ve got staff with integrity who have worked so hard to embed cultural safety, clearly saying they’re not willing to jeopardise their integrity.’
NZNO kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku described the quittings as “soul-destroying”, blaming political over-reach after Minister of Health Simeon Brown ousted several nurses and Māori from the board in recent months. He also declined to reappoint Medical Council chair Rachelle Love and deputy Simon Watt, saying they had been derailed by ideology over cultural competency.
But it was the Minister’s own ideology and unprecedented interference impacting the nursing profession and risking Māori health, Nuku said
“I think it’s the minister’s over-reach — and now we’ve got staff with integrity who have worked so hard to embed cultural safety, clearly saying they’re not willing to jeopardise their integrity,” Nuku told Kaitiaki.
“To see their work threatened due to political ideology, is soul destroying.”
Nuku said she had never seen so much Government interference in the nursing workforce.
“This is just a further step, or another patu, on Māori and Māori workforce.”
She now feared the Council’s Māori roles such as kaiwhakahaere and Te Toki advisory group would be “next on the chopping block”.
Nuku said NZNO would be requesting a hui with both Minister Brown and the Nursing Council board chair over the board and staff changes.
“The new Nursing Council board seems to be about embedding the aspirations of a Minister, not actually advocating for nursing nor public safety.”
Formerly a Taranaki director of nursing, Byrne was appointed Council chief executive in 2018.
She first joined the Council in 2009, after then-Health Minister Tony Ryall agreed to allow nurses to elect three members to their regulatory body. Byrne then became chair in 2015.
‘This is just a further step, or another patu, on Māori and Māori workforce.’
On Byrne’s watch, the Council has updated scopes of practice across nursing to support its growth as a skilled, respected and independent profession.
Enrolled nurses gained an updated scope allowing them to practice independently, rather than under the direction of RNs, while revised standards for RNs emphasised clinical decision-making skills. Changes to advanced nursing roles are currently being consulted on.
Byrne also introduced Te Tiriti and cultural safety as a core part of required nursing competencies, updated Tiriti-led cultural competency guide for nurses kawa whakaruruhau and created a new kaiwhakahaere Māori leadership role. Māori and Pacific voices were represented through Te Toki and Fautasi advisory groups.
She also streamlined the process for internationally-qualified nurses to work here while boosting their cultural and clinical competency requirements.
An interim chief executive is already lined up to be in place from next Monday, August 17, according to the chair’s announcement to staff, sighted by Kaitiaki. In it, Brownie thanked Byrne for her contribution to nursing regulation and wished her “all the very best” for her future.
Brownie told Kaitiaki it was not appropriate to comment on the resignations but discussions were “finalising” on appointing an interim chief executive.
Minister of Health Simeon Brown did not respond to requests for comment.
- Kaitiaki will feature more about Cath Byrne’s contribution to the nursing profession in coming weeks.