April 2023 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

June 2023

‘Humbled’ in the presence of global indigenous leaders

By Cate Macintosh

May 9, 2023

Māori nurses joined over 1000 indigenous peoples calling for their rights to be upheld, and an end to discrimination at a United Nations forum.

June 2023

‘Absolutely slammed’ practice nurses bewildered over pay battle

By Cate Macintosh

May 5, 2023

Practice nurses are ‘absolutely slammed’ as they try to provide basic community health care amidst overwhelming patient need. Some have called it quits, while others are living in hope their value will finally be recognised.

May 2023

Students and nurses douse National’s ‘brainless’ bonding scheme

By Mary Longmore and Cate Macintosh

May 2, 2023

Would-be-nurses need financial support during their studies — not afterwards, say NZNO nursing students.

May 2023

Pay parity on hold as Govt surveys GP owners for wage data

By Cate Macintosh

April 28, 2023

Funding to close a wage gap of up to 20 per cent on average for practice nurses depends on a Government survey of GP owners, but some practices have chosen not to participate, Te Whatu Ora says.

May 2023

Incentive payments and wellbeing snub ignites fury for Te Whatu Ora nurses

By Cate Macintosh

April 21, 2023

With winter looming and staffing shortages already critical, Te Whatu Ora nurses are furious their employer has turned down incentive payments and wellbeing measures for those who answer the call to do extra shifts.

May 2023

Aged-care nurse makes heartfelt plea at Day of Action

By Cate Macintosh

April 18, 2023

On Saturday, over 2000 nurses and health care assistants around the country hit the streets to demand action on the health staffing crisis. For many, it was also a chance to seek solace with their fellow exhausted colleagues while facing another winter of chronic short-staffing.

May 2023

‘We’ve gone past the word tired, we are now drained’

By co-editors Cate Macintosh and Mary Longmore

April 17, 2023

Over 2000 nurses and supporters turned out at rallies around the country in a national day of action on Saturday.

May 2023

50 years nursing, going strong — and taking action to protect the profession she loves

By Cate Macintosh

April 14, 2023

A nearly 50-year career in nursing had a shaky start – fainting at the sight of a naked elderly patient – but Viv Draper says she has no regrets and will struggle to leave her job at Christchurch’s spinal unit when the time comes.

May 2023

Patient need the crucial factor: Study of general practice models shows there are no ‘stars’

By Nicolette Sheridan, Tim Kenealy and Tom Love

April 13, 2023

Researchers say the largest-ever study of general practice in Aotearoa New Zealand sheds new light and creates a powerhouse of data for decision-making.

May 2023

APRIL 2023 crossword

By Kathy Stodart

April 13, 2023

Print out the grid (using PRINT tab at the bottom right of this page) and use the clues below. March answers are below the clues.

‘This is for us and for our future’ — caregivers join nurses for day of action this Saturday

By Mary Longmore

April 12, 2023

‘Exhausted’ health-care assistants (HCAs) are rallying alongside nurses for safer staffing and better pay and conditions at this Saturday’s NZNO day of action around Aotearoa.

April 2023

Values mismatch leads to drop in compassion — study

By Cate Macintosh

April 12, 2023

As New Zealand faces another winter of critical health care staff shortages, a new study shows patients and staff are likely to suffer when efficiency is prioritised over compassion by service providers.

May 2023

‘Disingenuous’ – Kiwi nurses challenge claim pay rates now on par with Australia

By Cate Macintosh

April 3, 2023

The Government says a recent pay increase for Te Whatu Ora nurses puts their base rates ‘on par’ with Australian colleagues. But Kiwi nurses in Australia and a leading economist disagree, saying the claim doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

May 2023

Whaiā ngā mea hei oranga mōu — self-care for Māori nurses

By Pipi Barton

April 3, 2023

Say your karakia, re-connect with your whānau and hapū, kōrero with Māori nursing friends — these are some of the secrets to self-care for Māori nurses.

April 2023

Pay boost ‘huge’ for community nurses

By Mary Longmore

March 31, 2023

A 10 to 15 per cent pay boost for community nurses will make a ‘huge’ difference to keeping nurses and kaiāwhina in settings such as aged care, hospices and Māori and Pasifika health.

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 2023

Nurses share hopes, achievements and challenges at first post-pandemic college & section day

By Mary Longmore

March 30, 2023

COVID burnout and short-staffing fail to quell nurses’ aspirations and hopes for the future.

April 2023

Course teaches conservative sharp debridement

By Rebecca Aburn

March 29, 2023

Learn the skills needed to safely and competently perform conservative sharp debridement.

April 2023

Why ‘Barbie’s Bill’ and advance care plans matter to nurses

By Louise Duffy

March 29, 2023

A national database of advance care plans is needed, to provide certainty for patients, families and hospital staff.

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.

Daily doses – uncut news

24 Apr	“The 80s Calling”: New national campaign challenges outdated HIV stigma Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey today launched Health New Zealand’s “The 80s Calling”; a provocative new campaign designed to reduce stigma, normalise conversations about HIV, and support people living with HIV.
23 Apr	Government’s attack on Māori health raised at the UN Concerns over the Coalition Government’s active reversal of policies designed to improve Māori health outcomes were raised at the United Nations in New York this morning.
16 Apr	Tribute to Professor Lester Levy’s service to healthcare Health New Zealand Chief Executive Dr Dale Bramley is paying tribute to Health NZ Board Chair Professor Lester Levy, who finishes in the role at the end of the month.
10 Apr	Chronic health care assistant short staffing harming vulnerable patients Te Whatu Ora’s attempt to cut costs by requiring health care assistants to carry out cohort patient watches is harming vulnerable patients and staff, NZNO says.
9 Apr	New group education clinics speeding up knee and hip surgery care Health New Zealand is rolling out a new group education approach for people waiting for hip and knee surgery in north and west Auckland, resulting in more patients being seen sooner.
25 Mar	National Diabetes Roadmap launched to improve care, prevention, and quality of life Health New Zealand has launched a new National Diabetes Roadmap (‘the Roadmap’) to improve care, strengthen prevention, and support better health outcomes and quality of life for people living with diabetes.
24 Mar	ACT should leave nursing to professionals and medical evidence Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says ACT MP Todd Stephenson has dismissed the Nursing Council’s draft code of conduct - which proposes strengthening cultural safety, whānau-centred care and te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations - as political ideology.
23 Mar	UK report reflects ICN warnings on international recruitment ripoff — now countries must act together The International Council of Nurses (ICN) warmly welcomes a new report from the UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global Health and Security that recognizes the huge sums saved by high-income countries who recruit abroad and acknowledges the severe harms caused by unethical recruitment from fragile source countries left without nurses.
20 Mar	HPV self-test boosts cervical cancer screening ‘across the board’, new study confirms Making human papillomavirus (HPV) self-testing available to all women increases the number of people screened for cervical cancer, a new study led by researchers from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington has confirmed.
19 Mar	ICN at CSW70: Violence against nurses is a gendered crisis threatening global health The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has warned that violence against nurses is a global gendered crisis that threatens health systems, patient safety and workforce sustainability
17 Mar	Additional winter health care workers a drop in the ocean of need The Government’s announcement today of 378 extra staff to help hospitals cope with winter demand is a drop in the ocean of what patients need, NZNO says.
12 Mar	Funding change will ensure more consistent emergency care for New Zealanders A simple change in how ambulance medicines are funded is set to create more consistent emergency care.
9 Mar	Questions over dilapidated and cramped renal unit forced to ration dialysis The Health Minister must explain why after years of concerns from nurses about Christchurch Hospital’s barely functioning dialysis unit, he only stepped in late yesterday when life-saving treatment had to be rationed, NZNO says.
3 Mar	Hospitals and health workers should never be targets The right of health care workers to provide care during international conflicts must be protected, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
2 Mar	Public and Mental Health Nurses settle collective agreement Health New Zealand welcomes the ratification of the two Public Service Association (PSA) Public and Mental Health Nurses collective employment agreements for Auckland and the Rest of New Zealand.
27 Feb	Whakatāne Hospital to resume secondary obstetrics and gynaecology services Whakatāne Hospital will resume secondary obstetrics and gynaecology services from 8am on 13 April 2026.
26 Feb	Counsellors warn NZ is normalising crisis levels of youth distress Youth mental distress has become entrenched, suicide remains a national tragedy, and our systems are failing to intervene early enough, says the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC).
26 Feb	Record uptake nearly doubles advanced nurse education scholarships A record 235 primary care registered nurses will begin advanced education this year – nearly doubling the number originally planned – following strong demand for the Government’s new Registered Nurse Primary Care Scholarships, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
19 Feb	‘Top Up’ to deliver faster access to support Seven grassroots mental health initiatives supporting small and hard-to-reach communities have received funding to deliver faster access to support, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced today.
18 Feb	Pharmac proposes funding new treatments that could transform early care for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a type of blood cancer People in New Zealand living with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) could soon benefit from funded access to targeted treatments under a new proposal from Pharmac.
13 Feb	Te Whatu Ora’s embarrassing U-turn over proposed car park plan Te Whatu Ora needs to go back to the drawing board and prioritise worker safety after reversing plans to charge hospital workers market rates for car parks, NZNO says.
11 Feb	Stark differences in COVID-19 vaccination rates between Māori and non-Māori, research finds A new study analysing COVID-19 vaccine uptake has found markedly lower vaccination rates among Māori, which researchers link to existing inequities in healthcare access.
9 Feb	ICN’s call for International Nurses Day 2026: empower nurses to save lives ICN has announced the theme for International Nurses Day (IND) 2026: Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives. This focus sends a clear message that to maximize the full life-saving impact of the nursing workforce, we must empower nurses with safe, fair work environments and full nursing practice, influence, and leadership.
5 Feb	Global nurse leaders gather in Japan to address urgent workforce crisis Nursing leaders from Japan and around the world are gathering in Yokohama this week for two major nursing events that are advancing the global conversation on how countries can protect, retain and invest in their nursing workforce as pressures mount across health systems worldwide.
4 Feb	Midwives to deliver more vaccinations to help protect families Midwives are now able to offer a wider range of funded immunisations, supporting families from pregnancy through the early months of a child’s life, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
30 Jan	Opening of E Tū Wairua Hinengaro – Mason Clinic Health New Zealand has marked the opening of E Tū Wairua Hinengaro, a new purpose-built facility at Auckland’s Mason Clinic designed to strengthen and modernise forensic mental healthcare in Aotearoa.
29 Jan	NZNO disgusted by nurse’s killing in the US Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO has expressed disgust at the shooting and killing of nurse Alex Pretti on a Minneapolis, US street on Saturday morning by federal officers.
27 Jan	New national group forms to support public healthcare in Aotearoa Kaitiaki Hauora - Together for Public Health has been formed as a national group bringing together patients, health workers, iwi and Māori health representatives, unions, advocacy organisations, and community groups, with backing from a growing number of organisations across the health sector.
22 Jan	Pharmac proposes to fund life changing treatments for people with cystic fibrosis Pharmac is proposing to fund new treatment options for people living with cystic fibrosis with eligible mutations, including young children, from 1 April 2026.
05 Jan	Nurses pay tribute to Dame Poutasi The passing of Dame Karen Poutasi has seen Aotearoa lose one of its foremost health leaders and a woman of high integrity, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says.