Articles – Page 11 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

September 2026

Anatomy of victory — how North Shore ED members got their huge staffing win

By Joel Maxwell

October 1, 2026

There’s a particular challenge in the night shift at the North Shore Hospital emergency department (ED) — pressure on nurses ratcheting up as the hours pass.

September 2026

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.

September 2025

Groundhog Day: NZNO files pay equity claims — again — for hospice and Plunket members

By Joel Maxwell

September 9, 2025

NZNO’s hospice and Plunket members have become the first in New Zealand to refile pay equity claims after the Government took an axe to the process in May.

September 2026

‘We are committed to cultural safety,’ promises new Nursing Council chair — but is it the Māori kind?

By Mary Longmore

September 15, 2026

Nursing Council chair Sharon Brownie says the regulator is committed to cultural safety — but what kind remains unclear.

‘We are committed to cultural safety,’ promises new Nursing Council chair — but is it the Māori kind?

August 2026

She’s nursed two decades, gets paid at a third-year rate: Why these nurses went on strike

By Joel Maxwell

August 24, 2026

Most days they’re alone with just a cellphone, supplies and their car — constantly moving — but on one day they stopped and stood together.

August 2026

‘We need to take up space’: Rōpū means handful of Māori nurse PhD students not alone

By Mary Longmore

July 24, 2026

A small but passionate rōpū of Māori nurses undertaking doctoral study through Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, has formed a supportive whānau that stretches across Aotearoa.

April 2026

The wisdom of health workers — should actual nurses be running Te Whatu Ora?

By Rob Campbell

March 2, 2026

Former Te Whatu Ora chair Rob Campbell walked away from a recent kōrero with NZNO-Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa’s national executive wondering why nurses and kaiāwhina aren’t running the show.

August 2026

Hitting the self-belief switch: NP intern Turuhira Marino on ditching doubts

By Joel Maxwell

July 20, 2026

Turuhira Marino is completing an internship to become a nurse practitioner, but has already become fully-qualified in believing in herself.

July 2026

Why stop at 65? Nurse extraordinaire Ros Corban on working into her 80s

By Joel Maxwell

June 26, 2026

Back then new nurses wore starched dresses, starched hats, belts, thick white stockings, white shoes and the lingering fear of doctors and fierce ward sisters.

March 2026

‘We are at a turning point’ — NZNO’s Te Whatu Ora bargaining team

By Dawn Barrett

February 12, 2026

‘We now need to know if you want to continue the fight, continue to advocate for our patients and colleagues for enforceable safe staffing.’

September 2025

Strike day 2: Nurses vindicated, infuriated and bleeding — literally — for their patients

By Mary Longmore and Renee Kiriona

September 5, 2025

It was an emotional rollercoaster.

March 2026

‘It’s not resilience we’re short of — it’s support’, nursing students reveal

By Stacey Wilson

February 12, 2026

Supporting our nurse students financially and professionally is essential for the future of our nursing workforce, nurse researcher Stacey Wilson explains.

February 2026

‘Fighting for the future of public health’: The personal toll of 16 months of bargaining

By Allister Dietschin

February 4, 2026

After 16 months, 42 meetings and several large strikes, Christchurch health-care assistant, delegate and ‘long-time socialist’ Allister Dietschin says 2024-26 bargaining has felt particularly gruelling.

February 2026

Tackling a taboo: Nurse writes ‘book about vaginas’

By Lynda Lovatt

January 22, 2026

Personal trainer returns to nursing to save ‘one vagina at a time’.

September 2025

Scaled-back psychology assistants a ‘backtrack’, say mental health nurses

By Mary Longmore

September 4, 2025

A newly-approved psychology assistant workforce will simply be another burden on overstretched health professionals, warn NZNO mental health nurses.

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.

February 2026

Why we need a rainbow group at NZNO — and how you can help it grow

By Juno Hunt

December 23, 2025

The rainbow special interest group (SIG) was formed in December 2024 and has six members in its interim committee.

September 2025

Strike Day 1: Action might be nationwide, but Te Whatu Ora nurses’ motivations are very personal

By Joel Maxwell

September 3, 2025

The strike was nationwide, covering tens of thousands, but the reasons for nursing were simple, personal — and always about the patient.

January 2026

ICU nurses: “without redeployment we are happier, healthier and sickness is down”

By Karen McFarlane, Peter Groom, Manorma Prakash, Nimya Jacob

December 22, 2025

Nurses at North Shore Hospital’s intensive care unit say the recent redeployment strike has given them the time to be “on top of the quality stuff”.

January 2026

‘We need more support’ enrolled nurses tell Minister

By Michelle Prattley

December 17, 2025

Enrolled nurses are ready to contribute more — the scope has changed, the need is clear, and the opportunity is now, EN leader Michelle Prattley argues.

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.