April 2022 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

May 2022

‘Tired but passionate’ caregiver on life inside aged residential care through the pandemic

By a Northland health-care assistant

April 28, 2022

After 31 years in aged residential care, a caregiver calls for mental health support.

May 2022

High Court upholds vaccination mandate for health workers

By Mary Longmore

April 28, 2022

A High Court ruling upholding the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health workers shows the courts view it as “justified limitation” on individuals’ rights to refuse medical treatment, NZNO employment lawyer Jock Lawrie says.

May 2022

Fresh meetings launched ahead of May decision on pay equity deal for DHB members

By Mary Longmore

April 21, 2022

NZNO has launched a fresh batch of online meetings ahead of a May 1-8 member survey on whether to accept a pay equity proposal or refer it to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA).

September 2022

Cardiovascular disease — tackling medication adherence

By Jim Vause

April 14, 2022

Managing patients’ CVD risk, medication non-adherence, and improving communication with patients: This article has particular relevance to primary care nurses, including those specialising in long-term conditions, and to cardiac care educators.

May 2022

Medical exemption process for mandates ‘not fair’

By Maria Starink

April 14, 2022

Over the last 25-plus years, nursing has been intellectualised.

May 2022

Don’t give us coffee machines, give all nurses more pay for extra shifts

By Teresa Smith

April 14, 2022

I’d like the chance to tell you how things are for us in my workplace, acute services: the emergency department (ED) and high dependency unit (HDU) of a small rural hospital.

May 2022

Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand now free to all NZNO students

By Mary Longmore

April 14, 2022

NZNO student leaders say they are “beyond excited” by a decision to allow free access for all student members to NZNO’s online nursing journal Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand.

May 2022

NZNO says proposed pay equity settlement contrary to Equal Pay Act

By Joel Maxwell

April 14, 2022

NZNO says a legal review of the recently proposed nursing pay equity settlement has concluded it is contrary to the Equal Pay Act 1972.

May 2022

Nurses must speak out on ‘sparse, inaccessible’ mental health care

By NZNO professional nursing advisor Anne Brinkman, with contributions from the Mental Health Nursing Section committee.

April 13, 2022

‘Silent epidemic’ in mental health across Aotearoa as families struggle in isolation.

May 2022

NZNO zoom meetings added for DHB members over pay equity agreement

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

April 12, 2022

Online meetings have launched today for NZNO district health board (DHB) members keen to find out more about a proposed pay equity settlement revealed last week.

April 2022

The slap that was heard around the world: when is violence acceptable?

By Joel Maxwell

April 8, 2022

It was the slap heard around the world, but for some it was entirely normal.

May 2022

Changes afoot on how IQN competence is assessed – Nursing Council

By Mary Longmore

April 7, 2022

“Significant changes” to how the competency of internationally-qualified nurses (IQNs) is assessed are being proposed by the Nursing Council, in a bid to ease barriers and boost cultural competency.

April 2022

Violence against nurses, HCAs, ‘normalised’ and left invisible in Aotearoa health system

By Joel Maxwell

April 6, 2022

Normalised aggression against nurses and an unwieldy reporting system have hidden the true level of violence against district health board staff, an NZNO project has found.

April 2022

NZNO farewells, thanks Bloomfield as a ‘pro’

By Mary Longmore

April 6, 2022

Outgoing director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield’s “guidance and stewardship” during the pandemic reduced pressure on the public health system at a challenging time for nurses, NZNO associate manager professional and nursing services Kate Weston says.

May 2022

The invisible hand of violence that goes unreported against nurses, HCAs, midwives

By Dana Hudson and Suzanne Rolls

April 6, 2022

A glaring discrepancy has emerged between real life nursing experiences of NZNO members and official district health board reports of workplace violence.

April 2022

‘Just don’t give up’: Decades-long journey sees Kate Te Pou become nurse practitioner

By Joel Maxwell

March 30, 2022

Kate Te Pou’s journey started with a childhood spent in hospitals, continued when she became a nurse in the ’80s – now after the “hardest year” of her study life, it’s taken a new turn.

August 2022

What makes a great preceptor? Nursing students have their say

By Stephanie Rooke, Grace Thevenard, Saumi Suthendran, Suyeon Skyla Jung, Nathalie Tolentino, Jamie Fraser Annandale and Kim Ward

March 28, 2022

Students chronicle their good and bad experiences with preceptors and give their view on how to perform the role well, to educate and inspire the next generation of nurses.

May 2022

NZ English test for Pacific-trained nurses too tough?

By Italia Tiffany Farani

March 28, 2022

My name is Italia. I am currently working as a health-care assistant in mental health.

May 2022

Better deals needed to encourage IQNs to work in NZ

By Ashly Mangalasseril

March 28, 2022

I am a registered nurse (RN) who completed the competency assessment programme (CAP) in May 2021. But I had to pay nearly NZ$12,000 to finish CAP. Travelling plus the OET (occupational English test) exam fee — all this adds up to huge amount.

May 2022

Health-care assistant plea over residency visa

By Sangita Shrestha

March 28, 2022

I am writing today to bring some issues to light.

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.