January 2025 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

January 2025

Protests erupt after ‘shell’ Dunedin Hospital announcement by new health minister

By Mary Longmore

January 31, 2025

New Minister of Health Simeon Brown was blocked by protestors in Dunedin after announcing that a scaled-back hospital new build would go ahead.

January 2025

Impromptu picket at Auckland retirement home over proposed roster changes

By Mary Longmore

January 31, 2025

About 20 nursing and carer staff at Oceania’s Lady Allum Retirement Village in Auckland’s leafy Milford suburb carried out an impromptu picket yesterday, after a proposed restructure.

January 2025

Poor pay forcing nurses to hīkoi from one crisis to another

By Renee Kiriona

January 30, 2025

Nurses are being forced to walk from their jobs in the community, where they are desperately needed, to other spaces where there is a health crisis or even further, to foreign lands.

January 2025

‘It plays with lives, especially Māori lives’ – NZNO

By Renee Kiriona

January 28, 2025

The Treaty of Waitangi and its principles are the solution to fixing the broken foundation of the country’s health system, Parliament’s Justice Select Committee has heard.

January 2025

Nurse leaders take ‘wait and see’ approach to new health minister

By Mary Longmore and Renee Kiriona

January 28, 2025

NZNO leaders say they will wait and see how new Minister of Health Simeon Brown responds to nurses’ concerns — but hope he will “listen to the people”.

January 2025

‘Pay parity or pay equity or equal pay. I am confused! ‘

By Jean Classey

January 27, 2025

What’s the difference between these three pay processes? An experienced NZNO delegate explains.

January 2025

A multidisciplinary approach to nurse lecturing is needed in New Zealand

By Andrew Redpath

January 23, 2025

Nurse educators need to be recruited from a broader range of expertise, a nurse lecturer argues.

January 2025

Round-the-clock security needed in EDs, say emergency nurses

By Mary Longmore

January 17, 2025

Eleven days after a nurse was choked to unconsciousness, NZNO’s emergency nurses say 24/7 security is needed in all emergency departments (EDs).

January 2025

Enrolled nurses finally recognised as skilled independent practitioners

By Michelle Prattley

January 17, 2025

Enrolled nurse section (ENS) chair Michelle Prattley explains why enrolled nurses will have more freedom to practise their nursing skills from January 20.

January 2025

Community mental health nurses consider stab-proof vests after knife attack

By Mary Longmore

January 16, 2025

Community mental health nurses are considering stab-proof vests and personal alarms as part of a “suite of options”, after a nurse was stabbed while on an acute after-hours mental health callout in Rotorua recently.

January 2025

‘I’m gonna rip your head from your body’ — ED nurse tells of constant aggression

By Abby*

January 16, 2025

‘If you spent a day with me in ED, you’d never come back.’ In the wake of a nurse strangulation attempt, a senior emergency nurse says staff are exposed to abuse and aggression most days.

January 2025

Treaty Principles Bill will further harm Māori health

By Renee Kiriona

January 14, 2025

A nursing leader is concerned Māori will not get the chance to live longer and the same as non-Māori in New Zealand, if the coalition Government continues to attack the Treaty of Waitangi.

January 2025

Diabetes nurse trailblazer among health professionals in New Year honours

By Kathy Stodart

January 13, 2025

A trail-blazing nurse in diabetes care and advanced nursing practice — Helen Snell — has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year’s honours list.

January 2025

Emergency nurses call for more security, counselling, after strangulation attempt

By Mary Longmore

January 10, 2025

Staff at Middlemore Hospital’s emergency department (ED) have asked for more security, after a nurse was punched then strangled to unconsciousness by a patient on Monday this week.

January 2025

A nurse explains why she’ll never return to mental health nursing in NZ

By Annelie Gannaway

January 8, 2025

It’s the year 2014 and my husband and I are about to leave New Zealand and move to Sweden.

January 2025

Compassionate and culturally-competent nurse sought for Gold Coast whānau

By Bradley [last name withheld]

January 7, 2025

We are a loving and dedicated Māori/ Polynesian family seeking a compassionate and skilled registered nurse or enrolled nurse to join our team in providing exceptional care for our child who sustained an acquired brain injury (ABI) at birth.

January 2025

‘She bled for our people’ – nurses pay tribute to Dame Tariana Turia

By Renee Kiriona

January 6, 2025

Nurses throughout Aotearoa passionate about achieving better Māori health outcomes are joining with te ao Māori to mourn the loss of Dame Tariana Turia – a former Associate Minister of Health and Whānau Ora Minister.

January 2025

Internationally-qualified nurses behind 12,000-surge to Australia

By Mary Longmore

December 20, 2024

The number of nurses leaving to work in Australia has soared to nearly 12,000 in the past year — a 53 per cent rise, figures from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation agency (Ahpra) show.

January 2025

Gisborne nurses working with ‘unsafe’ out-of-date staffing levels, call on local MP to intervene

By Mary Longmore

December 20, 2024

Desperate nurses in Gisborne are calling on their local MP to intervene after running on outdated staffing levels which they say are a huge risk to patient safety.

January 2025

2024 strikes an amazing expression of ‘kotahitanga’

By Renee Kiriona

December 20, 2024

The last of the health strikes for 2024 have ended with one of their negotiators encouraging nurses, midwives and healthcare workers throughout Aotearoa to keep up the “kotahitanga” leading into the new year.

8 May	NZ First’s gender definition bill will harm mental health, counsellors warn The New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) is deeply concerned by New Zealand First’s proposed Member’s Bill, which seeks to legally define “man” and “woman” solely based on biological sex.
6 May	Police and Health NZ continue to implement mental health response changes Phase Two of the Police Mental Health Response Change Programme is set to be extended with a second group of districts implementing Phase Two from 19 May.
1 May	New weekend urgent care service launched in Tairāwhati Access to urgent healthcare on weekends will be restored in Tairāwhati this Saturday (3 May 2025) with the launch of a new service, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.
29 Apr	Taupō Hospital accredited to train next generation of rural doctors Taupō Hospital has become the first hospital in the North Island to receive accreditation to deliver Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) training, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey have announced.
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.