September 2023 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

November 2023

Nurses celebrate 50 years of tertiary education — but fear for its future

By Mary Longmore

November 3, 2023

New Zealand nurses are celebrating 50 years since nurse training began moving out of hospitals and into the education sector — but warn tertiary funding pressures and a pay gap of up to $40,000 for lecturers are putting the future of nursing education at risk.

November 2023

‘I won’t be silenced’ — Gisborne Hospital nurse whistleblower fears she is a target after disciplinary attempt

By Mary Longmore

October 9, 2023

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa–NZNO is taking legal action to support Gisborne Hospital ward 5 nurse Christine Warrander after hospital managers threatened her with disciplinary action over a social media post.

October 2023

Election 2023: Nurses take the political pulse

By NZNO research and campaigns staff

September 29, 2023

We bring you Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki Aotearoa – NZNO’s election scorecard, where nurses run an eye over political parties’ health policies ahead of the October 14 general election.

October 2023

‘I found myself drowning’ — the challenges for Māori working in the health system

By Mary Longmore

September 28, 2023

A panel of Māori nurses shared their experiences of “werohia ngā ture” — challenging the system and being “unapologetically Māori” at NZNO’s 2023 conference.

October 2023

Call to unite, prepare for looming political threats to health system and unions

By Mary Longmore

September 27, 2023

‘Disrespect us at your peril’ — nurses and NZNO urged to fight racism and protect a health system for all.

October 2023

It’s cool to kōrero — September

By Kathy Stodart

September 27, 2023

Hōiho — horse

October 2023

Minister’s diagnosis: Health system ‘in recovery’ but risk of relapse high without enough funding

By Mary Longmore

September 26, 2023

In recovery — but facing relapse with any reversal of funding, was Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall’s “diagnosis” of the health system, at the recent Tōpūtanga Tapuhi o Kaitiaki Aotearoa — NZNO annual general meeting (AGM).

October 2023

Pasifika young nurse of the year draws on his own ‘tough’ experiences in sexual health work

By Mary Longmore

September 22, 2023

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi o Kaitiaki Aotearoa — NZNO’s young nurse of the year John Fa’ukafa says the “tough” times he endured as a young Pasifika male coming out as gay made him the nurse he is today.

November 2023

Neonatal transitional care unit a ‘rainbow in the rain’ for whānau

By Penny Elliot

September 22, 2023

Whitinga ora pēpi is a neonatal transitional care unit where parents learn how to look after babies born prematurely, or with complex medical needs, before going home.

October 2023

Nursing scholarship helps student step into rainbow health with ‘joy’

By Elliott Pepper

September 22, 2023

A third-year Manawatū nursing student describes how a $2000 NZNO/NERF award helped him in his studies and aspiration to work in rainbow youth health, at a challenging time in his life.

October 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023 crossword

By Kathy Stodart

September 15, 2023

Print out the grid (using PRINT tab at the bottom right of this page) and use the clues below. August answers are below the clues.

Antimicrobial stewardship: It’s time for collective action

By He Ako Hiringa

September 12, 2023

In this webinar, Dr Sharon Gardiner and associate professor Matire Harwood discuss the importance of antimicrobial stewardship in New Zealand.

September 2023

Healthline and telehealth nurses to strike over pay ‘cut’ from profitable bosses

By Mary Longmore

September 8, 2023

Nurses who take calls around the clock from some of our most vulnerable have voted to go on a 24-hour strike next week, after an offer they describe as an effective pay cut.

September 2023

End of an era for faith community nursing

By Elaine Tyrrell

September 7, 2023

Parish nursing started in New Zealand with a ground-breaking pilot set up in 1998 at the Anglican Church’s Nelson Cathedral.

September 2023

Ground down and left in the lurch

By Vincent Theunissen

September 7, 2023

I write to express my profound disappointment and dismay after reading the recent article “Disappointed primary health nurses pin hopes on pay equity”.

September 2023

Nurses turn out for striking senior doctors

By Mary Longmore

September 6, 2023

‘Here come the nurses!’ was the appreciative cry from senior doctors striking outside Wellington Hospital yesterday as Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa — NZNO members spilled off the Newtown bus and took their place on the picket line beside their colleagues.

September 2023

Axing Auckland nursing degree ‘short-sighted’ in the face of nursing shortfall

By Mary Longmore

September 6, 2023

Axing Massey’s Auckland nursing degree is ‘short-sighted’, say critics — but students describe a challenging learning environment.

October 2023

How can we fund the public health system we need?

By Glenn Barclay and Anne Daniels

September 4, 2023

A revamped fairer tax system is vital for the country to be able to afford the health system it needs.

September 2023

‘Disappointed’ primary health nurses pin hopes on pay equity claim

By Mary Longmore

August 31, 2023

NZNO is preparing to “urgently” lodge a pay equity claim for primary health care (PHC) members, who narrowly voted to accept a pay deal after two years of bargaining and a strike.

September 2023

Anaesthetic technicians no threat to perioperative nurses, says their society

By Matthew Lawrence

August 31, 2023

Uncut – news briefs

9 Dec	Afghan women ‘banned from nursing and midwife training’ in latest blow to rights BBC News has reported that female nursing and midwifery students in Afghanistan have been told not to return to their studies, effectively ending women’s only access to further education, and putting women and children’s lives at risk.
9 Dec	How student and early career nurses can influence policymaking The International Council of Nurses (ICN) held a webinar which highlighted the vital importance of primary and preventative health care in meeting the World Health Organization’s (WHO) challenging goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030
3 Dec	Health NZ end-of-year deficit confirmed In publishing its annual report, Health NZ has confirmed it ended the financial year with a deficit of $722 million, against a target surplus of $54 million.
2 Dec	ICN says COP29 climate finance shortfall threatens the planet’s health The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has expressed profound disappointment with the outcomes of COP29, held in Baku, particularly the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance that was passed despite significant objections from developing countries.
29 Nov	Minister reminds public health officials of priorities Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti says the National Public Health Service should concentrate its focus on prioritising serious public health issues facing New Zealanders.
29 Nov	Community providers rally to protect hapū māma and pēpi as national whooping cough case numbers surpass 1,000 for 2024 Hapū māmā are being urged to get immunised, and parents and caregivers are encouraged to get their babies immunised on time, as whooping cough case numbers continue to climb across Aotearoa New Zealand.
28 Nov	Govt ignores health crisis, plans to axe 1500 public health roles The health of New Zealanders will suffer because of the Government’s plan to axe nearly 1500 roles at Te Whatu Ora, coming at a time when the public health system is already under severe pressure.
27 Nov	Health New Zealand Establishes Technical Advisory Group to Lead Transformation in Maternity Care This team of experts and community representatives will play a key role in the development of the Maternity Commissioning Framework, a core element of the wider Kahu Taurima programme, which aims to make maternity and early years services more equitable, accessible, and whānau-centered.
22 Nov	Whooping Cough epidemic declared across Aotearoa New Zealand Health agencies have confirmed today that Aotearoa New Zealand is now in the early stages of a Whooping Cough epidemic, with a nationally coordinated response now in place.
20 Nov	A Global Map of Winter Depression Healthnews has released an extensive study that ranks 194 countries based on their winter-pattern Seasonal Depression Disorder (SAD) risk.
18 Nov	Potential travel disruption expected with Tuesday’s national Hīkoi Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora urges those with an appointment scheduled at Wellington Regional Hospital on Tuesday morning or early afternoon, to please allow extra time to get to appointments.
15 Nov	ICN’s calls on G20 leaders to address international health worker migration crisis Ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro next week, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) welcomes the Declarations recently adopted by the G20 Health Working Group and health ministers.
13 Nov	Measles case confirmed in Tāmaki Makaurau Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora has confirmed today that a new case of measles has been identified on Waiheke Island in Auckland. The case and their household are being supported by the National Public Health Service (NPHS), with those most at risk now in quarantine to help reduce the chance of further spread.
5 Nov	Safety fears ahead of changes to mental health 111 calls Mental Health Nurses have serious concerns about the safety of their patients, the public, their colleagues and themselves when police changes to emergency 111 calls come into effect on Monday, New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa says.
31 Oct	General practices welcome fast-track approvals process A new fast-track approval process is a good start, but more is needed to fix New Zealand’s chronic GP shortage, says the General Practice Owners Association (GenPro)
24 Oct	International Council of Nurses Bucharest Declaration priorities for the future of nursing The International Council of Nurses (ICN) marked the 125 years since its founding in 1899 with an anniversary conference held in Bucharest, Romania and hosted by the Order of Nurses, Midwives, and Medical Assistants of Romania.
10 Oct	Call to immunise now as New Zealand at high risk of whooping cough outbreak Pregnant people, babies, children and others at high risk from whooping cough are urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible, as Aotearoa New Zealand stands at high risk of an outbreak.
9 Oct	New pilot with Plunket to deliver childhood immunisations To increase access and boost immunisation rates, Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora and Whānau Āwhina Plunket will pilot the delivery of childhood immunisations at a select number of sites across the country.
8 Oct	Health NZ Begins Development of National Perinatal Bereavement Care Pathway As Baby Loss Awareness Week shines a light on the heartbreak faced by many, Health NZ is taking a compassionate and hopeful step forward in transforming the support available for whānau who experience the loss of a baby.
7 Oct	Govt takes the scalpel to regional health budgets At Labour’s insistence, Te Whatu Ora financial documents have been released by the Health Select Committee today showing more cuts are on the way for our health system.
2 Oct	Orion Health and Streamliners form strategic partnership Orion Health, a global leader in digital health solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Streamliners, creators of HealthPathways which provides an online manual used to assist with clinical assessments.
1 Oct	Rollout of new medicines across New Zealand begins Today marks the first day a range of new medicines, including cancer medicines, will start to become available in hospitals and health centres across the country.
27 Sept	New Dunedin hospital: Southerners deserve better The Government’s announcement today that it will scale back the new Dunedin hospital will negatively impact patient care, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki O Aotearoa says.
26 Sept	Govt not addressing health workforce crisis The National Government is hiding the gaps in the health workforce from New Zealanders, by not producing a full workforce plan nearly a year into their tenure.
25 Sept	New programme offers step up for jobseekers seeking a career in health and wellbeing Local jobseekers have an exciting new opportunity to begin a career in Health following the launch of a new community-based kaiāwhina programme in the Hutt Valley.
23 Sept	Ministers oblivious to cuts’ effect on families The National Government is oblivious to the impact cuts to services will have on New Zealanders who are doing the hard yards caring for mentally ill family members.
19 Sept	Wānaka community to benefit from new overnight health service Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says an Overnight Acute Care Service opening in October will provide people in Wānaka and the surrounding area with the assurance of quality overnight care closer to home.
17 Sept	Dr Le Heron takes title of 2024 Alzheimers NZ Fellow Distinguished neurologist and cognitive neuroscientist, Dr Campbell Le Heron, has been made the 2024 Alzheimers NZ Fellow for his work researching and managing cognitive disorders.
11 Sept	Aged care will be worse off if redesign rushed New Zealanders needing aged care support and the people who care for them will be worse off if the Government pushes through a flawed and rushed redesign of dementia and aged care.
11 Sept	Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today.
10 Sept	ICN launches new position statement and discussion paper setting out a revolution in the delivery of Primary Health Care The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is launching its new position statement and a discussion paper on Primary Health Care (PHC) at its Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nursing Network (NP/APN Network) Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland.
9 Sept	First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost Pharmac has decided to widen access to two medicines for several types of cancer. Pembrolizumab (branded as Keytruda) will be funded from 1 October 2024 for eligible people with advanced triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma. Nivolumab (branded as Opdivo) will be funded from 1 November for eligible people with kidney cancer.
6 Sept	Health agencies working with Police on rebalancing roles for mental health responses Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Health - Manatū Hauora are working with Police to change some of the ways agencies respond to mental health. The change will see an increased health-led response, supporting Police to focus on core Policing.
4 Sept	Nurses’ bargaining starts with action for safe staffing Nurses are kicking off their collective bargaining with Te Whatu Ora by taking action for safe staffing on Friday, New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says.