April 2026 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

June 2026

NERF 2026 grants and scholarships applications open after administrative pause

By Anne Daniels and Kerri Nuku

May 25, 2026

Applications open tomorrow, Tuesday May 26, for 2026 Nursing Education and Research Foundation (NERF) grants and scholarships.

June 2026

‘Siri, should I take this pill?’ — assessing which AI-driven assistant is best

By Charon Lessing, Marie McKay, Shannon Foster and Deon Johnston

May 19, 2026

Can you take garlic with your lisinopril? As artificial intelligence makes inroads with virtual assistants, researchers examine its efficacy at helping older adults with medicinal questions.

May 2026

Kua maumaharatia ngā tapuhi 53 i hinga i te rū nui i Ōtautahi

By Mary Longmore

May 12, 2026

Tau atu, tau mai, ka whakatakotoria e te nēhi o Ōtautahi a Janine Randle tētahi puapua whakamahara i te pakitara whakamaumahara o te tāone nui ki ngā tapuhi 53 i mate i te rū nui o Pēpuere 2011.

May 2026

The mental health facility where the doors don’t lock properly: Hillmorton revealed

By Joel Maxwell and Mary Longmore

May 11, 2026

Nurses have been forced to work in squalid, unsafe and understaffed conditions at Christchurch’s Hillmorton Hospital, a new NZNO survey has revealed.

May 2026

Remembering the 53 nurses killed in the Christchurch earthquake

By Mary Longmore

May 7, 2026

Every year, Christchurch nurse Janine Randle lays a wreath at the city’s earthquake memorial wall for 53 nurses who died in the February 2011 earthquake.

May 2026

Working 10-hour nursing shifts? Prepare to lose sick leave under new law

By Joel Maxwell and Mary Longmore

May 7, 2026

They’re surrounded by sick people and subject to assaults: now nurses face the additional injury of having sick days wiped by a proposed new law.

May 2026

Nurse practitioners in Aotearoa: what national surveys tell us

By Deborah L Harris

April 30, 2026

This year we celebrate 25 years of nurse practitioners in Aotearoa. It is a timely moment to reflect on their contributions to health care, how the role has grown — and what still needs to change, suggests New Zealand’s first NP Deborah L Harris.

May 2026

‘Missed meds, delayed treatments, staff pushed beyond limits’: Nurses have a right to safety

By Tina Giles

April 28, 2026

When nurses hesitate to enter ward doors then something has gone wrong. On workers’ memorial day, enrolled nurse Tina Giles shares her thoughts on fighting for workplace safety.

May 2026

Strengthening Māori nursing in Aotearoa — helping beat our whakamā

By Maryann Wilson, Te Arahi Mahanga-Graham, Ella Cooper and Anna Richardson

April 28, 2026

Academic kaiāwhina can offer powerful assistance to Māori nursing students. Now a proposed study for 2026 aims to explore this ‘bridge’ to whanaungatanga from the students’ perspective.

May 2026

Women’s health college: Continuing to break barriers in nurse-led care

By Jill Lamb

April 27, 2026

More nurses than ever are expanding into advanced practice such as colposcopy and hysteroscopy, which can prevent gynaelogical cancers — but more are urgently needed, says departing college chair Jill Lamb.

May 2026

Decision time for members — new offer on the table from Te Whatu Ora

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

April 24, 2026

It’s decision time for the 36,000 NZNO Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ (HNZ) members as they consider new potential terms of settlement in bargaining.

May 2026

Pasifika nurses urged to join CENNZ as annual conference wraps up in Auckland

By Sione 'Ulufonua

April 23, 2026

NZNO’s college of emergency nurses NZ (CENNZ) held its 30th annual conference in Auckland in March.

May 2026

Community health nurses win six per cent pay rise after ‘humiliating’ bargaining

By Mary Longmore

April 22, 2026

Access community health nurses endure eye rolls and being told their concerns are ‘boring’.

May 2026

Lack of staff sparks ‘grave fears’ for patients, striking district nurses tell local MP Erica Stanford

By Rosanne Maber and Michelle Beard

April 22, 2026

Auckland district nurses say a lack of resources mean they are having to use incontinence pads to dress patients’ leg ulcers.

May 2026

Why community health screening and education events are crucial

By Sione ‘Ulufonua.

April 22, 2026

Auckland emergency nurse Sione ‘Ulufonua is moved by the hard mahi and passion of health professionals at a recent free community screening day in Tāmaki Makaurau.

May 2026

Out-of-date laws, red flags and STI home-testing — NZ regulations too lax

By Janine Falkiner

April 20, 2026

Registered nurse Janine Falkiner offers a tongue-in-cheek home-testing case study in her letter that reveals how Australia’s medical regulations are better than ours.

May 2026

Weaving together the strands — why we updated kawa whakaruruhau

By Waikura Kamo and Annette Huntington

April 20, 2026

The Nursing Council has updated its 2011 cultural safety guidelines. Kaiwhakahaere Waikura Kamo and chief education advisor Annette Huntington share the past, present and future of a document that has grown through generations of nurses.

May 2026

From hospital to home — the power of good written information after discharge

By Claire Samuel, Sieun Kim, Kiran Karaka, Francine Llanillo, Lorenzo Marcelo, Chenhao Yang & Kim Ward

April 17, 2026

A simple, well-written pamphlet can make a huge difference to patients after discharge. Auckland University nursing students explain why simple language cuts readmissions.

May 2026

Free bowel cancer screening cut-off ‘racist’ say NZNO cancer nurses

By Mary Longmore and Joel Maxwell

April 16, 2026

NZNO cancer nurses condemn the Government refusal to lower the free bowel screening age to 50 for Māori.

May 2026

Join our nationwide survey on Tiriti-based organisational journeys

By Heather Came, Clive Aspin and Julio Pereira

April 13, 2026

Has your organisation been, or is on, a Te Tiriti o Waitangi journey? Researchers exploring how kāwanatanga — authority to govern — can be exercised in a truly ethical and te Tiriti-led way, want to hear from you.

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.
29 May	WellSouth Statement on Budget 2026: a missed opportunity Budget 2026 is a missed opportunity for primary care, and for the communities that depend on it most, in particular our rural people and practices.
29 May	Updated - Nurses on front lines of Ebola outbreak at serious risk In response to the gravely concerning and escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) warns that nurses and other frontline health workers are being put at serious risk and left fearful for their safety.
27 May	Health NZ committed to safeguarding patient information Health New Zealand welcomes the reports released today into the Manage My Health (MMH) cyber incident and is committed to ensuring all possible steps are taken to safeguard patient information.
22 May	More New Zealanders could benefit from funded vaccines from 2027 Pharmac is proposing changes that would give more New Zealanders access to funded vaccines from 2027, including expanded access to the flu vaccine for young children.
21 May	It’s not just the wallet: How the gender pay gap can hurt women’s bodies While many aspects of New Zealand’s enduring gender pay gap have been discussed, its physical impact on workers has been largely overlooked – until now.
21 May	Bupa nurses take pay equity claim over historic wage discrimination NZNO nurses working at Bupa aged residential care homes throughout Aotearoa New Zealand have raised a pay equity claim to address historic gender-based wage discrimination.
20 May	Waikato Hospital adds 10 forensic mental health beds Ten new forensic inpatient beds have been made available at the Regional Forensic Psychiatric Service at Waikato Hospital to expand forensic mental health capacity for adults in prison or on remand in Health New Zealand’s Midland region.
18 May	Strong gains in two-year immunisation target for Tamariki Māori Health New Zealand is welcoming a significant increase in Māori immunisation rates, with full immunisation at 24 months rising from just over 60 per cent in late 2024 to 71.5 per cent at the end of last month.
15 May	New global report shows empowering nurses is key to saving lives and strengthening health systems As the world marks International Nurses Day, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is calling for urgent investment in nursing, supported by a major new global report, Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives, that presents seven key nursing powers.
14 May	Lakes and Whanganui nurses still waiting for Holiday Pay a decade on Photo by Fin Ocheduszko-Brown at Whanganui Chronicle Nurses at Lakes and Whanganui districts are calling on Te Whatu Ora to explain why after a decade of redress, they still don’t know when they will receive their full Holiday Act remediation payments, NZNO says.
13 May	Recognising the extraordinary contribution of nurses International Nurses Day is an opportunity to recognise the extraordinary role nurses play in caring for New Zealanders at every stage of life, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
12 May	Government’s decision to scrap fees free scheme will lead to further student exodus The Coalition Government’s decision to scrap the fees free policy for third year tertiary students has left nursing tauira outraged
30 Apr	BroPilot grounding digital tools in whānau, culture, and care A passion for his Māori culture and a desire to make AI accessible to everyone inspired Troy Baker, Senior ICT Specialist, Health New Zealand to develop BroPilot – a culturally grounded way of working with Microsoft Copilot that reflects Māori values, whakaaro, and real lived experience.
29 Apr	Heartbreaking tragedies were avoidable - NZNO Analysis by a media outlet, published today, finding health care staff shortages were contributing factors in the deaths of 11 babies is a national and avoidable tragedy, NZNO says.
28 Apr	CTU launches Roving Health and Safety Representatives policy on Workers’ Memorial Day The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi has today launched our Roving Health and Safety Representatives policy at the Workers’ Memorial Day commemoration in Wellington, with further events held across the motu in Manawatū, Christchurch, and Otago.
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.