Articles – Page 30 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

April 2024

When words fail: Why hasn’t anyone listened to nurses?

By Mary Longmore

March 27, 2024

Collective union action is the only way nurses will achieve safe staffing after years of being ignored, former director of the Safe Staffing Health Workplaces unit (SSHWU) Jane Lawless says.

July 2024

Minister considering mental health nurses’ views after damning NZNO survey

By Mary Longmore

June 14, 2024

Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey says he will consider mental health nurses’ proposals to increase and support their workforce after meeting with NZNO leaders.

April 2024

Te Aka Whai Ora is gone — but the aims of Māori nurses stay true

By Mary Longmore

March 14, 2024

Amid the ashes of Te Aka Whai Ora, Māori nurses will still be chasing better pay, safer staffing and culturally safe workplaces.

April 2023

New Zealand needs 450 more ICU nurses, say critical care nursing leaders

By Mary Longmore

March 30, 2023

Another 450 full-time critical care nurses are needed to safely staff the country’s growing number of intensive care (ICU) beds, says NZNO’s college of critical care nurses.

April 2024

Nurse practitioner trainee numbers soar with 50 per cent funding boost

By Mary Longmore

March 8, 2024

Rising confidence amid more supportive pathways are behind a leap in nurses training to become mātanga tapuhi (nurse practitioners) this year, leaders say.

April 2024

South Island nurse prescriber programme going strong as it nears 100 graduates

By Mary Longmore

March 6, 2024

Te Waipounamu (South Island)’s first community nurse prescriber programme is celebrating two years and 52 graduates — and there are no signs of it slowing down, its clinical education lead Nicky Burwood says.

December 2025

What does your pet mean to you?

By Kaitiaki coeditors

December 5, 2025

It’s been a tough year but a couple of gnarly questions remain unanswered for NZNO members: What is the best pet for the modern health professional? And do you own it?

April 2024

Measure RNs against six pou — not 41 competencies, say nurses

By Mary Longmore

February 29, 2024

As consultation on new nursing competencies closes, nurses are embracing moves towards a culturally safer workforce — but say they should be measured against a handful of pou (domains) instead of dozens of new competencies:

September 2023

Schools of nursing unite in urgent call to protect ‘at risk’ nurse educators

By Mary Longmore

August 23, 2023

Academics from across Aotearoa’s 20 nursing schools are speaking up in an unprecedented and “urgent” call to protect what they say is an at-risk but crucial part of the nursing workforce.

March 2024

What can Pākeha do? Anti-racism event offers chance to ‘stand up, fight back’

By Mary Longmore

February 22, 2024

A Te Tiriti o Waitangi-focused event in March will help nurses and kaiāwhina become more culturally and politically competent at an ‘alarming’ time, say organisers and NZNO’s kaiwhakahaere.

September 2023

Victoria University’s nursing staff escape cuts but midwifery remains in sights

By Mary Longmore

August 3, 2023

Nursing staff at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington (VUW)’s school of nursing and midwifery are breathing a sigh of relief today after finding out there would be no cuts to its nursing programme staff.

March 2024

Shane Reti says end goal is a NZ-trained culturally competent nursing workforce

By Mary Longmore

February 22, 2024

More cash support for nursing students struggling with high dropout rates is “not off the table”, says Minister of Health Shane Reti.

March 2024

A bit of aroha — and coffee — goes a long way for Waikato and Auckland nurses

By Mary Longmore

February 15, 2024

Hundreds of Waikato and Auckland nurses have been treated with free coffee and groceries in recent years, courtesy of community-minded publisher Chris Biddulph.

September 2023

Fast-track door to nursing in Aotearoa opens for Pacific nurses

By Mary Longmore

August 7, 2023

A grandmother of seven is among 40 ākonga (students) who have signed up for a new diploma to support Pacific-trained nurses into the New Zealand workforce.

March 2024

Nurses concerned over leap in competencies proposed by Nursing Council

By Mary Longmore

February 9, 2024

The Nursing Council of New Zealand says it is listening, after a “strong” response from nearly 2300 nurses to its proposed new competencies for both enrolled nurses (ENs) and registered nurses (RNs).

March 2024

Nurses and kaiāwhina show up to a Waitangi event ‘like no other’

By Mary Longmore

February 8, 2024

Rhetoric from leaders of a three-headed coalition Government “taniwha” at Waitangi this year reflected ignorance and “diminished” Māori, says Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa kaiwhakahere Kerri Nuku.

April 2023

‘Come and stand in solidarity’ — nurses everywhere prepare to rise up on April 15

By Mary Longmore

March 27, 2023

‘We need to stand united, because we’re all nurses, we’re all in this together’. Nurses and health workers prepare to rise up — Maranga Mai! — for a national day of action.

February 2024

‘Just a really good guy’ — NZNO leaders mourn former kaumātua Richard Rangi Wallace

By Mary Longmore

January 19, 2024

NZNO’s Te Rūnanga members are mourning Richard Rangi Wallace, NZNO’s former kaumātua and Māori Anglican pīhopa (bishop) o Te Waipounamu who died on January 6.

September 2023

Proposed perioperative practitioner role could push nurses out of theatres — college

By Mary Longmore

August 2, 2023

Nurses fear a proposal to turn anaesthetic technicians (ATs) into ‘perioperative practitioners’ could spell the end of nurses in operating theatres.

February 2024

New scholarship for rainbow nursing students embraces diversity

By Mary Longmore

January 17, 2024

A new scholarship for rainbow nursing students is an “immense” step towards a safe and inclusive nursing workforce that celebrates diversity, say NZNO — Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa student leaders.

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.