Articles – Page 19 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

August 2025

Government got a cheek to be ‘disappointed’ — Starship nurse

By Haim Ainsworth

July 30, 2025

Haim Ainsworth is a 37-year veteran nurse and staff nurse at Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland. He brought the house down when he took to the stage to speak at Auckland’s strike action rally which saw thousands of nurses turn out.

August 2025

‘Solidarity means standing together’ — delegate calls on members to stick together on strike day

By Troy Stewart

July 18, 2025

As Te Whatu Ora prepare to go on a nationwide 24-hour strike at the end of this month over stalled bargaining talks, Auckland delegate Troy Stewart explains why it’s important everyone takes part.

April 2025

NZNO Pacific nurse leader recognised after 40 years of nursing

By Mary Longmore

March 20, 2025

NZNO Pacific nurse leader Abel Smith has been awarded life membership by the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA), for his work in Pacific nursing over 40 years.

August 2025

‘We won’t back down’ — NZNO pushing ahead with 12 pay equity claims

By Glenda Alexander

July 22, 2025

Despite warnings the new thresholds for pay equity claims are impassable, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa – NZNO won’t be deterred, says long-time nursing pay equity advocate, Glenda Alexander.

August 2025

It’s time to say enough is enough: Addressing workplace violence against nurses

By Adetoun Oyekunle

July 17, 2025

Many nurses and other health-care workers see violence as part of the job or fear retaliation if they speak up. This has to stop.

March 2025

‘Scary time’ for workers trying to improve Māori health

By Renee Kiriona

March 14, 2025

“It is a very scary time right now for nurses, whānau ora navigators and other kaimahi working to keep Māori communities alive longer,” says Tracey Morgan, chair of NZNO’s College of Primary Health Care Nurses.

July 2025

200-words-and-done: What does the Regulatory Standards Bill mean for nurses?

By Joel Maxwell

July 11, 2025

Nurses are busy – here’s Kaitiaki’s 200-words-and-done explainer of what ACT’s Regulatory Standards Bill means for everyday health-care workers.

March 2025

Bowel cancer screening changes ‘dangerous for Māori’, say Māori health leaders

By Mary Longmore

March 11, 2025

Changes to free bowel cancer screening age eligiblity will leave more Māori and Pacific people at risk of dying, say nursing and Māori health leaders.

July 2025

Dunedin’s grassroots movement for culturally safe care tired of fighting

By Munisha Singh, Zarghona Lafraie, Kym Makanesi, Louela Turner and Anna Egbuji

July 10, 2025

There were three tragic adverse events within the Southern District Health Board (DHB) that resulted in the loss of lives in 2022. These were not just clinical failings, they were devastating reminders of how cultural misunderstanding, lack of awareness and systemic inequities can have fatal consequences. Four health professionals team up to share their views with us.

March 2025

‘They’ve got no heart for people’ — hīkoi planned over Bupa’s proposed cuts

By Mary Longmore

March 10, 2025

After 23 years working at Bupa’s Sunset facility, enrolled nurse (EN) Epenesa Mutimuti says she will walk away if a proposal to cut staff and hours goes ahead.

July 2025

ICN trip inspires new nurse to pursue leadership

By Sione ‘Ulufonua

July 4, 2025

Attending the ICN Congress in Helsinki this year was an exciting and inspiring experience for new graduate nurse Sione ‘Ulufonua, who now wishes to pursue a nursing leadership role.

March 2025

Extra 60 primary health NPs ‘nice’ but long-term pay boost needed, say nurses

By Mary Longmore

March 7, 2025

NZNO’s primary health care nurses are welcoming training places for an extra 60 nurse practitioners (NPs) in primary health each year — but say only pay parity will stem the exodus of nurses from the sector.

July 2025

‘Society’s deepest wounds’: Whangārei emergency nurse speaks out on inequities

By Bridget Firth

June 30, 2025

‘This isn’t a funding shortfall, it’s a shift of values,’ a Whangarei ED nurse tells an audience who attended a packed out hui-for-health in her city.

July 2025

A striking perioperative nurse shares the challenges she faces every day

By Steph Moule

June 23, 2025

Forced overtime, understaffing and patient pile ups — NZNO delegate Steph Moule shares her daily experiences as a perioperative nurse.

March 2025

Government committed to pay parity for primary health nurses, claims Simeon Brown

By Mary Longmore

March 6, 2025

Minister of Health Simeon Brown says the Government is “absolutely committed” to pay parity for primary health-care nurses — but it would take time.

March 2025

87-year-old resident takes to Bupa picket line in South Auckland

By Mary Longmore

March 3, 2025

A family of unionists hit the picket line recently to support striking staff at Bupa’s South Auckland home in Wattle Downs — led by their 87-year-old mum who lives there.

March 2025

Emergency nurses call for urgent meeting with Simeon Brown over ED targets

By Mary Longmore

February 28, 2025

Fed up with being blamed for missing shorter-stay targets, NZNO’s emergency nurses have requested an urgent meeting with new Minister of Health Simeon Brown to ask for more support.

March 2025

New nursing course: ancestor-inspired, inequities-driven

By Renee Kiriona

February 25, 2025

Aotearoa now has a new nursing degree. And its birth and inspiration have been drawn from the stories of health justice in the country’s most northern region and the realities there where tangata whenua face major health inequities.

March 2025

Rotorua nurses raise violence, safety concerns with local MP

By Lyn Logan

February 21, 2025

Nurses in Rotorua this month raised concerns about violence and aggression and unsafe staffing with their long-time local MP Todd McClay.

March 2025

Te Whatu Ora scraps proposed nursing leadership cuts

By Mary Longmore

February 21, 2025

A proposal to cut 18 directors of nursing (DON) roles down to 14 at Te Whatu Ora has been scrapped after “strong” opposition.

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.