November 2022 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

December 2022

Working at a local meat works, getting pregnant — or nursing

By Cate Macintosh

December 12, 2022

Nursing was an escape route from rural poverty and boredom into a world of service for Margaret Hand. She spoke to Kaitiaki about her passion to help vulnerable whānau for a series on the board directors.

December 2022

Academia, activism and nursing – the key drivers for Grant Brookes

By Cate Macintosh

December 8, 2022

An unexpected period of living rough while on his OE, gave Grant Brookes a taste of “how the other half lives” and deepened his drive to advocate for human rights. As part of a series on the NZNO board of directors, Brookes spoke to Kaitiaki about his story.

December 2022

Pay equity battle: ‘There are people in need at the end of this process’

By Cate Macintosh

December 8, 2022

Australian union lawyer and researcher Lisa Heap is lending her experience in the battle for pay equity, alongside employment lawyer Peter Cranney. Heap spoke to Kaitiaki about her trans-Tasman work to achieve pay justice for caring professions.

January 2023

Long-time NZNO flight nurse chair recognised with double awards

By Mary Longmore

November 29, 2022

Long-time NZNO flight nurse leader Toni Johnston was “blindsided” by a double-award whammy after stepping down as College of Air and Surface Transport Nurses (COASTN) chair after seven years.

January 2023

New online learning series on consumer rights will ‘strengthen patient relationship’ — HDC

By Mary Longmore

November 28, 2022

New online learning modules to support health professionals’ working knowledge and understanding of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights have been launched.

December 2022

Pay parity for aged care and iwi nurses ‘a step in the right direction’

By Mary Longmore

November 28, 2022

NZNO aged care and iwi nurses are welcoming a $200 million annual cash injection which will bring pay parity with Te Whatu Ora nurses — but NZNO says practice nurses must be included.

December 2022

Greenlane Hospital class of Jan ’73 reunion

By Barbara Sommerville

November 25, 2022

Let’s get together!

December 2022

Nearly 50 years of comprehensive training

By Chris Hattan

November 24, 2022

Just a heads up that 2023 will mark 50 years since New Zealand started comprehensive nursing training. In 1973, Christchurch and Wellington were the first two polytechnics to start this new method of nurse training, following the publication of the Carpenter report.

December 2022

First-year nursing student juggles 60-hr week factory job and full-time study

By Cate Macintosh

November 23, 2022

Nursing students are battling against the odds to “just survive” in the face of huge financial pressures, with some trying to hold down full-time jobs while meeting academic and clinical training expectations.

December 2022

Maranga Mai! Immigration — what needs to change?

By Mary Longmore

November 17, 2022

Maranga Mai! — NZNO’s campaign to fix the nursing crisis –calls for immigration rules that will increase the recruitment and retention of migrant nurses. But after being left off the fast-track to residency here amid a global nursing shortage, migrant nurses are eyeing other countries with fewer barriers. What needs to change?

November 2022

NOVEMBER crossword

By Kathy Stodart

November 15, 2022

Here’s our new crossword for November. Print out the grid (using print tab at the bottom right of this page) and use the clues below. Last month’s answers are below the clues.

Applications open for new $3000 nursing scholarship in South Canterbury

By Tina Rogers

November 11, 2022

A new scholarship for nursing students in South Canterbury is now available through the Bidwill Trust Hospital in Timaru.

December 2022

Fund our training — it’s time for the Government to seriously invest in the domestic nursing workforce

By Pipi Barton

November 9, 2022

An increasingly ‘academic-oriented’ nursing profession has done nothing to support Māori into the workforce, says Māori nurse educator Pipi Barton, in a call to return to paid training.

December 2022

‘We have given until we’ve bled’ — the importance of a shared struggle

By NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter

November 7, 2022

You may have noticed I’ve been talking a lot lately about the power of the collective and NZNO members — whether nurses, kaiāwhina or health-care assistants — turning up for each other, no matter where or what part of the health sector you work in.

December 2022

Minister looking at paid third-year placements, but no sign of more fees-free

By co-editors Mary Longmore and Cate Macintosh

November 6, 2022

Paid clinical placements ‘a nod in the right direction’, but free nursing study for all is the goal, say student nursing leaders.

December 2022

The dyslexia disadvantage in nursing

By Laura MacDonald

November 3, 2022

What barriers do nurses with dyslexia face at work? And might some qualities of dyslexia make you a better nurse? A third-year nursing student, who herself has dyslexia, investigates.

December 2022

Pay parity solution ‘well before’ end of year: Minister

By Cate Macintosh

November 2, 2022

Negotiations over a pay deal for primary health care and Whānau Awhina Plunket nurses have stalled since the group went on strike last week, but Health Minister Andrew Little says he’s confident a solution will be found by Christmas.

December 2022

Leadership skills honed during pandemic, says outgoing Kate Weston

By Mary Longmore

November 2, 2022

The best of times, the worst of times: After 15 years at NZNO, former professional services associate manager Kate Weston has moved on to become the executive director of the College of Nurses Aotearoa – thanks to leadership skills honed at NZNO during the COVID-19 pandemic.

December 2022

Extra-shift boycott effective, but stressful: survey

By Cate Macintosh

November 1, 2022

Exhausted and demoralised Te Whatu Ora nurses took action to highlight extreme staffing shortages and a lack of negotiation for extra-shift payments over one week early last month. An NZNO survey about the action showed there were mixed feelings about the boycott, but most took part, and would support doing it again.

November 2022

Maranga Mai! Tino rangatiratanga – what needs to change?

By Cate Macintosh

October 27, 2022

Maranga Mai! – NZNO’s campaign to fix the nursing crisis – calls for a renewed commitment to equity and tino rangatiratanga for Māori nurses and patients, amidst reports of “endemic racism within the profession”.

14 Sept	WellSouth's Newborn Enrolment Kahu Taurima Programme a finalist at the Primary Care Awards 2026 WellSouth's Newborn Enrolment Kahu Taurima Programme is a finalist at the Primary Care Awards for the HALEO Best Supplier Service, Product or Campaign category. Winners will be announced on 17 October.
14 Sept	Global Study: Nursing Shortages Require Workforce Policy Solutions, Not Recruitment Campaigns Alone Why people choose nursing, and why they leave, comes down to the same factors. The global nursing shortage cannot be solved simply by encouraging more people to enter the profession, according to a new evidence brief.
8 Sept	Overworked, understaffed Gisborne ED staff strike Health and safety concerns arising from unsafe staffing levels have forced nurses at Gisborne Hospital’s emergency department (ED) to go on strike.
4 Sept	Strong growth in wāhine Māori and Pacific women’s cervical screening rates highlights success of self-testing programme Cervical screening participation has increased significantly for both wāhine Māori and Pacific women, reflecting the strong impact of self-testing, Screening Services and the dedicated efforts of health providers working alongside their communities.
4 Sept	Government must adopt Wai 2713 recommendations on disability system The Coalition Government must urgently adopt new recommendations from the Waitangi Tribunal which has found significant parts of the disability system prejudice tāngata whaikaha Māori (Māori with disabilities), NZNO says.
31 Aug	Employing graduate nurses will help keep them in nursing and the country A new proposal that will require Te Whatu Ora to offer all eligible graduate nurses jobs in the public health system will help keep them in nursing and in Aotearoa New Zealand, NZNO says.
26 Aug	Health Minister’s claim Winter Plan ‘managing well’ delusional Health Minister Simeon Brown’s claim that hospitals are ‘managing well’ because of the Government’s Winter Plan is delusional, NZNO says.
25 Aug	Hospital data shows nursing shortages continue to put patients at risk Te Whatu Ora data released today shows patients are continuing to be put at risk by the Coalition Government’s deliberate failure to safely staff hospital wards, NZNO says.
24 Aug	Fed-up North Shore ED staff declare state of emergency NZNO members working in the emergency department (ED) at North Shore Hospital have declared a state of emergency due to unsafe staffing levels resulting in ongoing overcrowding.
19 Aug	What happened to the winter health plan? The $25 million 2026 Winter Plan launched by Health Minister Simeon Brown in March to erase pressure on the health system has been an unmitigated disaster, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
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.