Kerri Nuku, Kaiwhakahaere
NZNO Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa

Earlier this week, we heard about the cost of not exercising bravery or courage when it is most needed.

The British nurse, Lucy Letby, convicted of murdering seven babies over two years was shocking news to hear. But what’s even worse, was that senior leadership at the hospital where she worked, appear to have turned a blind eye to her behaviour. If they hadn't done that, those babies may still be alive today.

While this is an extreme case thousands of kilometres away from Aotearoa New Zealand, there are some lessons for us.

Too many nurses, midwives and healthcare workers are scared to speak out about concerning occurrences in their workplace.

Yes, there are delegates who will be a voice for them but many of them have told me they are finding it harder to get their colleagues to open up to them, especially in the current political environment. I hear they are mainly scared they'll lose their jobs or be labelled a “troublemaker”.

Many of them are also falling into the trap of believing the hierarchies, who in the quiet corners of the office, are saying things to deter them from talking to their delegates and other advocates.

I know that tactic all too well.

When we became nurses and midwives, we signed up to not just a job but a responsibility or code to protect, care and serve our patients.

And that’s the point we must keep at the forefront of our thinking when we see things that aren’t right, that will hurt our patients and us.

If we look at some of our Māori matriarchs, they always put their people and culture at the centre of their decisions.

As the first Māori nurse to register using her Māori name in the early 1900s, Ākenehi Hei showed bravery and courage everyday she went to work in a health system that was openly and bluntly racist.

She stood up for her whakapapa, her cultural identity, not ashamed to just be Māori when other Māori nurses hid their names in exchange for more English sounding names.
Te Puea Hērangi was another wahine who exercised bravery and courage everyday, challenging the system so she could protect, care and serve her people.

Overall, I am so proud of all our nurses and midwives. Most of us are brave and courageous when we need to be, but there are some in positions of influence within the system who aren’t and who appear to be encouraging nurses who work under them, to follow their way.

Be like Ākenehi and Te Puea. Be the troublemakers when you need to be – we here at NZNO will have your back.

Kia maia!