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.

14 Apr	Rural Health Roadshow to hear from rural communities Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Rural Health and Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey announced today he will be coming to 12 rural locations across the country on a Rural Health Roadshow, starting this week in Levin.
10 Apr	Expanded emergency department at Auckland City Hospital will see capacity increase Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Auckland City Hospital’s newly refurbished adult emergency department.
1 Apr	Health NZ wants your feedback on a Paediatric Adolescent and Young Adult Palliative Model of Care Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) is seeking feedback on potential options for national palliative care services for tamariki, rangatahi/children, young people and their whānau/families.
27 March	Bar still too high for small mental health providers Small mental health providers will still be locked out of co-funding from the Mental Health Innovation Fund despite a lower threshold.
25 March	ICN advocates for health system gender equity and women’s health The International Council of Nurses (ICN) brought the nursing voice to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) which wrapped up on Friday. ICN participated in critical discussions on gender equity and women’s health throughout the event.
19 March	ICN warns of healthcare crisis as USAID funding cuts devastate nursing initiatives in the world’s most vulnerable regions The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has documented alarming firsthand evidence of widespread disruption and collapse of essential health care services following the sudden withdrawal of USAID and other funding.
19 March	New High Dependency Unit will expand critical care services in Wellington Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospital’s first High Dependency Unit (HDU).
13 March	Pharmac to fund more cancer medicines Pharmac is funding six more medicines for cancers and one for antibiotic resistant infections.
28 Feb	Pharmac CE resigns The Board of Pharmac wishes to announce that its Chief Executive for the last 7 years, Sarah Fitt, has resigned effective from 30 May 2025.
25 Feb	ICN issues updated statement on health care in conflict, calling for peace and compliance with international humanitarian law In recent years, the world has witnessed a disturbing increase in conflicts and wars, placing immense strain on health systems and exacerbating human suffering. Nurses have been at the forefront of these crises, responding to emergencies, supporting recovery efforts, and providing essential care to those affected by violence and displacement.
21 Feb	ICN’s new guidance on integrating nurse leaders into heart of health workforce planning The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has published a practical guide to including nurses in workforce planning decisions.
17 Feb	ICN warns of effect of US withdrawal from WHO on nurse-led services The International Council of Nurses (ICN) warned that the withdrawal of the United States from WHO has already halted some nurse-led services, including vaccination programmes and care for people with HIV/AIDS.
17 Feb	Minister acknowledges outgoing Director-General Health Minister Simeon Brown has today acknowledged the resignation of Director-General of Health and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, and thanked her for her service.
12 Feb	Pharmac funds medicines for liver, ovarian, and neuroendocrine cancers People with liver, ovarian, and neuroendocrine cancers will have access to more medicines from 1 March 2025.
11 Feb	Consultation begins on work to improve patient access to medical devices Pharmac is continuing to improve the way medical devices are managed for New Zealanders, today opening consultation on its comprehensive list of medical devices used by public hospitals.
3 Feb	First Whānau Āwhina Plunket site in NZ delivering childhood vaccinations Childhood immunisations are now being delivered at a Whānau Āwhina Plunket site in Whāngarei, with other regions soon to also provide the new service.
29 Jan	Local access to specialist audiology services comes to Wairarapa A newly established out-patient clinic for ear, nose, and throat (ENT) and audiology appointments is providing Wairarapa patients with local access to specialist hearing services for the first time.
29 Jan	Pharmac reconsiders oestradiol patch options following community feedback Pharmac is reviewing and reconsidering its oestradiol patch options after considerable feedback was received when it announced a move to a single funded brand late last year.
22 Jan	Consultations for cancer and ADHD medicines close soon Pharmac is encouraging people to have their say on proposals to fund six more medicines and change the brand of one medicine before consultation closes on 27 January.