October 2022 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

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”.

November 2022

‘I always thought you had to be rich . . . and Māori couldn’t be nurses’

By Cate Macintosh

October 26, 2022

Rotorua practice nurse manager Tracey Morgan shares her story, and goals for the NZNO Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa board, as part of a series on the newly elected directors who met for the first time this week.

November 2022

‘The key performance indicator I have to meet is with my people’

By Mary Longmore

October 21, 2022

In the third part of a series on NZNO’s board members, Tauranga nurse Anamaria Watene says she finds solace in her marae, Tahuwhakatiki, and sacred local mountain, Mauao, when challenges such as racial prejudice become too much.

November 2022

Aussie-run private hospital nurses go on 24-hour strike

By Mary Longmore

October 20, 2022

More than 200 nurses across three private hospitals run by Australian company Evolution Healthcare Ltd went on strike for 24 hours from 7am today, after urgent mediation failed.

November 2022

OCTOBER crossword

By Kathy Stodart

October 17, 2022

Print out this crossword grid (see PRINT tab at bottom right of page), and use the clues below.

Primary health care nurses to strike on October 27

By Cate Macintosh

October 13, 2022

Nurses providing vital care to patients in the community want movement on stalled pay talks. Over 4000 of them will walk off the job for four hours on October 27.

November 2022

‘ED has become so dangerous and unsafe that I personally needed to move out’

By Mary Longmore

October 10, 2022

In the second of a series of profiles of the incoming NZNO board, Kaitiaki speaks to Wairarapa nurse practitioner Lucy McLaren.

November 2022

It’s cool to kōrero — October

By Kathy Stodart

October 10, 2022

Kei te rongo au i te ua. — I hear the rain

November 2022

Primary health nurses take their message to the streets, the Government, and the Minister

By co-editors Cate Macintosh and Mary Longmore

October 7, 2022

Primary health and Plunket members walked off the job, and onto the streets, to escalate their demand for pay parity with hospital colleagues.

October 2022

Respiratory nurses breathe in ‘relief’ as symposium finally gets off the ground

By Respiratory Nurses College chair Alan Shaw

October 5, 2022

A palpable sense of relief and satisfaction was felt at the end of the NZNO College of Respiratory Nurses online respiratory symposium on bronchiectasis — a long-term lung condition where the airways are damaged.

November 2022

‘This was Sue’s magic, this is how she touched people’

By Cate Macintosh

October 5, 2022

The sudden death of mental health nurse and NZNO delegate Susan Cade has left colleagues shocked and grieving. Kaitiaki spoke to colleagues and family about the much-loved nurse.

November 2022

Saju was six months into his nursing degree when tragedy struck

By Cate Macintosh

September 30, 2022

In a new series, Kaitiaki gets to know our board. Kicking it off, we spoke to novice board member Saju Cherian who was inspired to become a nurse by his late wife Shanty.

October 2022

Dunedin nurse takes short-staffing into her own hands with home-made poster

By Mary Longmore

September 30, 2022

Tired of waiting for official unsafe staffing warning signs, Dunedin critical care nurse Debbie Robinson created her own very public display of just how dire short-staffing was in the hospital.

October 2022

Members nationwide gear up for week-long boycott of extra shifts

By Cate Macintosh

September 30, 2022

Nurses across the country are preparing to take a stand against dangerous short-staffing on hospital wards.

November 2022

With assisted dying now a reality, what do nurses need?

By Margaret Sandham, Rhona Winnington and Melissa Carey

September 29, 2022

Nurses need clear policies and guidelines to give them confidence when dealing with assisted dying requests.

November 2022

Maranga Mai! Registration — what needs to change?

By Mary Longmore

September 23, 2022

As Aotearoa New Zealand faces down a nursing shortfall of thousands, changes are afoot to how overseas nurses are registered here. In the second part of a series exploring Maranga Mai!, NZNO’s campaign to fix the nursing crisis, Kaitiaki looks at what needs to change in the registration process.

October 2022

Battle looms over incentive payments

By Cate Macintosh

September 22, 2022

A battle is looming over incentive payments for additional shifts to fill desperately under-staffed hospital wards. NZNO members are vowing to stop doing them completely for the week of October 3-9 in a national protest while Te Whatu Ora says there won’t be any need for them after September 30 anyway.

October 2022

SEPTEMBER crossword

By Kathy Stodart

September 20, 2022

Print out this crossword grid (see PRINT tab at bottom right of page), and use the clues below.

Maranga Mai! — rise up — is our plan to save the health system

By Cate Macintosh

September 16, 2022

Maranga Mai! – rise up – is a plan to save New Zealand’s health system, NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter tells conference delegates.

October 2022

NZNO members silently protest to Andrew Little over ‘reneging’ on promised back pay

By Kaitiaki co-editors

September 15, 2022

23 Oct	National’s hiring freeze puts lives at risk Last night’s warnings from doctors at Wairau Hospital that patients may die if they don’t get more staff is yet another example of the damage National’s hiring freeze has done to our health system.
23 Oct	Recognition of need to fix primary care crisis good for patients Recognition of the need to fix the crisis in primary health care is good for patients but stops short of a much-needed overhaul of the sector, NZNO says.
20 Oct	Winners of the 2026 NZ Primary Healthcare Awards \| He Tohu Mauri Ora announced Over 600 supporters of primary care gathered at the Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre on Saturday night for a glittering gala dinner for the 2026 New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards \| He Tohu Mauri Ora.
19 Oct	Te Whatu Ora must fully staff vital Starship Children's Hospital wards Te Whatu Ora must fully staff all wards at Starship Children's Hospital including four vital wards which are short of a total of 18 full-time nurses, NZNO says.
16 Oct	Paid placements policy will help boost nursing workforce A policy to pay nursing students a weekly allowance while they're on clinical placements will help them graduate and boost Aotearoa New Zealand's homegrown nursing workforce, NZNO says.
5 Oct	Labour's pay rise a first step, but pay equity needs a full settlement Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO has welcomed Labour's promised pay rise for care and support workers as a first step. It says care and support workers now need a full settlement of their pay equity claim and a workable pay equity system for all of its members.
1 Oct	Health NZ releases first national report on serious adverse events Health New Zealand has published its first national Serious Adverse Event Report, acknowledging the serious harm experienced by patients and whānau and outlining the improvements identified and actions underway to strengthen patient safety. The report covers serious adverse events reported in Hospital and Specialist Services between 1 July and 31 December 2025.
25 Sept	380 more health care workers at the end of winter too little too late An announcement of 380 additional nurses, midwives and health care assistants for hospitals around the country at the end of winter is too little too late, NZNO says.
23 Sept	Auckland University research finds nurse shortages increase post-surgery deaths and complications New research by Auckland University has found addressing nurse shortages in post-operative care may save 182 lives a year because short-staffed wards have higher rates of potentially preventable deaths and complications after their surgeries.
21 Sept	Whanganui Hospital ED averaged 680% capacity over a week Working in an overcrowded emergency department (ED), up to 680% capacity over a week, makes staff feel overwhelmed with the pressure, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
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.