July 2021 vol 27 no 6 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

September 2022

Nurse prescribing — the way of the future

By Kathy Stodart

July 27, 2022

Growing numbers of nurse prescribers are improving access to medicines.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Indigenous conference looks to maunga

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

The Indigenous Nurses Aotearoa Conference 2021 and hui ā-tau return in August.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

What is the price of industrial action? We need those who stay behind

By co-editor Joel Maxwell

July 1, 2021

As we move into another phase of ongoing district health board (DHB) member industrial action, we should stop and spare a thought for those who stay on to hold the fort.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Petition launched over nurses’ prescribing powers

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

Amid a global medication shortage, Nurse Practitioners New Zealand (NPNZ) has petitioned the Government to urgently amend the Medicines Act to allow them to prescribe alternatives when approved medications have run out.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

New NZNO webpage for end-of-life choice implementation

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

NZNO is developing a webpage to provide timely information for members as Aotearoa counts down to November 7 this year – when the End of Life Choice Act (EOLCA) comes into being.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Members vote for three more strike dates

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

Industrial action could run for months as members send an ‘historic’ three-strikes message to district health boards.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Nurses and unionists acknowledged in Queen’s Birthday honours

By co-editor Mary Longmore with research by NZNO librarian Heather Woods

July 1, 2021

Four of our brightest stars celebrated and acknowledged in the Queen’s Birthday honours list.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

NZNO bargaining continues across sectors

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

DHB MECA negotiations might have snapped up the limelight, but important work continued in other health sectors in June.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

NZ hysteroscopy training on the way

By co-editor Mary Longmore

July 1, 2021

NZNO Women’s Health College (WHC) is working with a New Zealand polytechnic to bring hysteroscopy training for nurses to New Zealand.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

New NZNO student vaccinator category

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

The NZNO board has launched a new student member category, providing indemnity for provisional vaccinators.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Lockdown gets graphic novel treatment

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

A graphic novel is bridging the gap between nursing academia, and young research subjects.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Nursing ‘crisis’ in aged care

By co-editor Mary Longmore

July 1, 2021

Many of us fortunate enough to live to a ripe old age will likely end up in a rest home or aged residential care (ARC) facility and would like to enjoy a high standard of care. So why are ARC nurses fleeing?

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

The president comments

By Tracey Morgan

July 1, 2021

“Whāia te iti Kahurangi ki te tuohu koe me he maunga teitei” – Seek the treasure you value most dearly; if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain.

Nurses on the march

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

Aotearoa turned purple in June as NZNO members went on strike around the nation.

‘A lifetime of internalised racism manifested – and I broke.’

By Kimmel Manning

July 1, 2021

As Matariki nears and we begin to move into the New Year, so too comes the time for reflection.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Driving under the influence of prescribed medication

By Georgina Casey and Craig Waterworth

July 1, 2021

Many prescribed drugs can impair a person’s driving, even when they are being taken correctly.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Matariki rises, a new year begins…

By NZNO kaumātua Keelan Ransfield

July 1, 2021

NZNO kaumātua Keelan Ransfield offers karakia for the new year and explains the significance of Matariki, the constellation made up of nine whetū (stars).

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

NZNO meets with health reform transition boss

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

NZNO leaders have had a sit down and a cuppa with the man in charge of bringing about billion-dollar health reforms.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Push for extension of free period product timeframe

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

Period poverty campaigner Sarah Donovan wants the Government to commit to free period products in schools beyond three years.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Travel concerns ease for Filipino nurses in Aotearoa

By Kai Tiaki editors

July 1, 2021

Restrictions on Filipino nurses trying to travel to New Zealand for work appear to have been lifted.

Uncut – news briefs

27 June	New mental health centre to transform care in the Wellington region Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey have today marked the beginning of construction on the new Sir Mark Dunajtschik Mental Health Centre in Lower Hutt.
27 June	New STI e-learning for midwives will increase detection, testing, treatment and prevention A new e-learning course was launched early June to equip midwives with up-to-date knowledge on effectively communicating relevant and tailored information about syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
25 June	Changes for prescribing ADHD medications Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has welcomed prescribing changes that will enable GPs and nurse practitioners to diagnose and treat adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
23 June	Minister should fess up on cuts Simeon Brown needs to be honest about how much more money he expects Health New Zealand to cut from its budget to get back in the black. “National has chosen to underfund our health system and expects Health New Zealand to make even more cuts - but won’t say how much,” Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.
17 June	Notice of NZNO 2025 Board Elections - Call for Nominations Nominations are required to fill seven (7) positions on the NZNO Board. For details, see the notices section in the classifieds
16 June	Gender Gap Closes at Fastest Rate Since Pandemic – But Full Parity Still Over a Century Away The global gender gap has closed to 68.8%, led by economic and political advances – yet progress is still behind pre-pandemic pace, with full parity an estimated 123 years away.
16 June	Against a backdrop of escalating global health challenges, the ruling council of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has issued a powerful call for urgent action to address the nursing workforce crisis. Against a backdrop of escalating global health challenges, the ruling council of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has issued a powerful call for urgent action to address the nursing workforce crisis.
13 June	ICN charts a bold vision and calls for urgent investment in nursing to secure the future of care Against a backdrop of escalating global health challenges, the ruling council of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has issued a powerful call for urgent action to address the nursing workforce crisis.
12 June	Unions take pay equity fight to the ILO New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges has taken the pay equity fight to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The ILO is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards.
5 June	Refreshed strategy released to tackle gambling harm Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey today announced that the Government has released the refreshed Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm.
3 June	ICN launches new topic brief underscoring vital role of nurses to protect the planet, human health and all life on Earth The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has released a new topic brief titled “Nursing for Planetary Health and Wellbeing”, emphasizing the vital role nurses play in addressing the health impacts of our shared environmental crises. The brief highlights the emerging concept of planetary health and stresses the urgency to recognize and take action to reduce the impacts that human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems are having on the health of individuals and communities.
13 May	On International Nurses Day a new State of the World’s Nursing Report charts a path toward Universal Health Coverage As the world’s nurses celebrate International Nurses Day (IND), ICN issues a rallying cry to governments around the globe for urgent nursing support, following the launch of the second World Health Organization (WHO) State of the World’s Nursing (SOWN) report.
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.