Nursing reports

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 30 September 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) welcomes Immigration Minister Hon Kris Faafoi’s one-off residence pathway for working migrants currently living in Aotearoa New Zealand announced today.

An estimated 5000 of these are health and aged care workers, and NZNO Industrial Services Manager Glenda Alexander says this will be good news for them and a step towards retaining our current nursing workforce.

“Many internationally qualified members of NZNO are frustrated with current immigration settings and some are leaving or have left Aotearoa New Zealand as a result.

“Removing uncertainty and providing a clear pathway to permanent residence will help address this exodus at a time when we are facing a crucial shortage of nursing professionals.”

Ms Alexander wrote to Hon Kris Faafoi on behalf of NZNO earlier this month on the very issue of permanent resident status for internationally qualified health care workers. She says that while the announced pathway addresses many of the concerns NZNO raised, more needs to be done about reuniting these workers already here with their families and loved ones still overseas.

“We are pleased that partners and dependents can also be included in applications for permanent residence if they are already living here.

“What we’d like to see is pathways opened up into the country for more internationally qualified nursing staff who want to live here permanently and for the same opportunity to be extended to their families.

“We are critically short of nurses at a time when we need them most, and it is unfair and counter-productive that they be required to work here while isolated and without support from close family.”

However, Ms Alexander said that while immigration was an important short-term solution to having a sustainable nursing workforce here, she agreed with Hon Kris Faafoi that employers must also find ways to build their workforces by attracting and retaining local workers.

“We need to contribute to nursing on a global scale by also encouraging New Zealanders into the nursing workforce. There is a lack of nurses in almost every country so taking health professionals away from other places where they are needed is not a workable solution long-term.

“We look forward to working with Government and employers on large scale nursing recruitment, and on making the nursing profession a more attractive career option in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 24 September 2021.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisaton's (NZNO) Kaiwhakahaere, Kerri Nuku, is concerned that the Māori Health Authority (MHA) and Health New Zealand (Health NZ) boards lack representation for nurses, kaimahi hauora, midwives, rongoā practitioners or health care assistants, as well as any clear union presence.

"We welcome the members of both Boards and trust they bring some valuable experience," Ms Nuku says. "However, it is really disheartening to see no nurse representation on either, and especially no Māori nurse representation for the Māori Health Authority after all our efforts to push for transformation in this space.

"Many of those WAI 2575 claimants were courageous enough to challenge policy and practice, and yet are not represented here either.

"Similarly, its our health unions that keep the government accountable and push for better work conditions which the ministry explicitly acknowledges must improve. We need a strong union presence for our workers who are, after all, at the heart of this change."

Ms Nuku says that there is a significant opportunity for system change, and that its time for nurses to be taken seriously to plan for that.

"As nurses and unionists, we are system thinkers. We understand how economics and politics impacts our communities, we understand the needs of our communities and we know the realities of workers on the ground.

"Over the past thirty years health policy has been dictated by corporate interests, and dominated by medical professionals and we really have a chance to change how we do things. To rethink health provision that isn’t run like a business, and to work alongside, rather than under, medical professionals for the good of Aotearoa.

"If Health NZ is responsible for the day to day running of the health system, and the MHA is focused on tailored health services for Māori, our expertise will clearly be instrumental to achieve these intentions.

"It’s time that decisions aren’t made on our behalf, but that we are actively part of decision making. We urge both Minister Little and Minister Henare to meet with us to address this oversight." 

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 23 September 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has supported staff working at the Hastings Hospital Emergency Department to issue a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) to Hawke’s Bay District Health Board (HBDHB) for failing in its primary duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

PINs legally require an employer or service provider to address a health and safety issue before a certain time.

NZNO organiser Sue Wolland says issuing the PIN became necessary because repeated attempts to escalate concerns about dangerous working conditions that threaten patient safety have been ignored or minimised.

“Staff are working under incredible pressure which is severely impacting their physical and mental health. The department is well beyond capacity every day which means staff are unable to respond to people needing emergency care in the time required to best ensure their wellbeing.”

Ms Wolland said issues included: patients being ‘housed’ in inappropriate or hazardous places such as corridors; dangerous delays in triage and assessment; seriously unsafe and inadequate staffing levels; nurses too overworked to take meal and other breaks; patients missing out on essential care; increased risk of error; and staff feeling unsafe and anxious while at work.

“ED staff, including those in leadership, have repeatedly raised these concerns with the DHB and minor solutions have been proposed that never seem to eventuate. Our members have made these approaches in good faith, but sustained lack of progress has been the tipping point for issuing this PIN.

“What we have here is a serious or sentinel event just waiting to happen, resulting in avoidable patient death and the potential end to nursing careers.

“These concerns need to be urgently addressed, including contingency plans to cover staff sickness and to ensure staffing meets levels required for safe and acceptable standards of patient care.”

She said the PIN was issued on Monday 21 September and that the DHB was required to comply by 5 October. PINs can only be issued by trained health and safety representatives when other avenues to address a serious area of concern have been exhausted.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 23 September 2021 

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is pleased to announce that the 2021 NZNO Award of Honour (presented every two years) has been awarded to Waikato-based nurse Leonie Metcalfe.

The prestigious Award of Honour recognises long-standing NZNO members who have helped make the organisation what it is today. This year’s recipient is Leonie Metcalf, a passionate, lifelong advocate for NZNO, and especially for enrolled nurses.

In putting Ms Metcalfe forward, her nominator, present chairperson of the NZNO Enrolled Nurses Section Robyn Hewlett, said, "She has enabled nurses to feel proud of being a nurse through her enthusiasm, and her energy has provided impetus to others to become involved and take part in their organisation."

Ms Metcalfe trained as a registered community nurse at Wairoa Hospital. After moving to Waikato in 1982 she worked as an enrolled nurse for 35 years before retiring in 2021.

Over her time Ms Metcalfe chaired both the Midlands Regional Enrolled Nurse Section and the national Enrolled Nurse Section NZNO where she worked to elevate the status of enrolled nurses in all areas.

Ms Metcalfe was also an active delegate engaged in bargaining as well as sitting on groups including the Waikato District Health Board Bipartite Action Group (BAG) NZNO/DHB as well as sitting on the joint NZNO/PSA/DHB Nurses Pay Equity Working Group and NZNO’s work around pay equity.

In her retirement she remains an outspoken advocate, raising awareness about the impact of unhealthy buildings on health care workers.

The award was presented at the virtual NZNO AGM on 16 September. 

New Zealand Nurses Organisation Media Release September 22, 2021.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation’s (NZNO’s) annual Young Nurse of the Year Award was presented to Daniel Mataafa at the organisation’s online Annual General Meeting on 16 September.

Mr Mataafa, of Samoan whakapapa, is a 29-year-old Regional Pacific Nurse Case Manager based at Middlemore Hospital. His nominators said he has earned a reputation for providing outstanding, holistic care and for “working tirelessly to ensure every patient, staff and carer interaction meets Te Tiriti principles”.

His nominators described how “he goes above and beyond what was expected in order to ensure patient journeys are seamless, respectful and safe” and that they have witnessed nursing professionalism of a standard they have not seen in such a young nurse.  

They also laud Mr Mataafa for his courage and resilience in breaking through the stigma of being a Samoan male nurse and using his experience to support other young Pasifika men.

Mr Mataafa says he was lost for words and humbled when he learned he had received the award.

“When I got the call from NZNO I was speechless. I had to take my break early to let it sink in. I feel really honoured, but deep down I know any of the nominees deserve it too.”

Mr Mataafa says he is proud of being able to build resilience and adapt to carry on doing the work he does. He also highlights that he’s grateful to work alongside such a good team of people.

“Among them I’m supported to keep developing myself so I in turn can offer the best support and care I can to my community here.”

Mr Mataafa was chosen from 20 nominations. The judging panel consisted of Margie Apa representing all District Health Boards, the NZNO Kaiwhakahaere, Chief Executive and nursing staff, NZNO Nursing Education Research Foundation member Melinda Jordan and 2020 winner Kelly Talbot.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 20 September 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is pleased to welcome President Elect Anne Daniels and new Vice President Elect Nano Tunnicliff to its leadership team. Daniels and Tunnicliffe were elected to their positions by members in voting which closed on 10 September.

The new pair will officially join existing Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku and existing Tumu Whakarae Titihuia Pakeho to form NZNO’s new leadership team on 11 October. Nuku and Pakeho were also confirmed in their positions in the recent Board elections. Both stood unopposed.

Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku said the last year has been a good one for NZNO with a strong Board united in its leadership, growing member numbers and an effective, well-supported, member-driven NZNO/DHB MECA campaign.

“We are particularly proud to have reached a 4000 Māori member milestone, and of the organisation’s work towards becoming bi-cultural.

“We look forward to working with our new leadership members for the benefit of all nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora in Aotearoa New Zealand, and for the wellbeing of our health system and people.”

Anne Daniels is a senior nurse in the emergency department at Dunedin Hospital. Nano Tunnicliff is a registered nurse at Kenepuru Hospital in Porirua.

In her acceptance speech to the NZNO AGM on 16 September President Elect Anne Daniels said she was proud of the growing visibility and strength of NZNO members and the union to “stand up and act on the challenges we are all facing.”

She also passed her thanks and respect to Vice President Tracey Morgan who has been Acting President this year and who will step down from her leadership role on 11 October.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 15 September 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) welcomes the Nursing Safe Staffing Review, and specifically the effectiveness of the implementation of ‘Care Capacity Demand Management (CCDM)’ at all Aotearoa New Zealand DHBs.

The review was confirmed by Minister of Health Andrew Little in his opening address to the NZNO conference this morning.

Under an Accord agreed between NZNO and the Ministry of Health in 2018, this implementation was promised to be in place by June 2021 but around half of Aotearoa New Zealand’s DHB’s do not yet have CCDM fully in place. This has been a significant issue for members of NZNO.

Hilary Graham-Smith will chair the nursing advisory group, which will also include Dr Rhonda McKelvie, Dr Jill Clendon and Kapua Quinn who each bring a deep understanding of the nursing profession and the staffing concerns it faces.

NZNO looks forward to engaging with the nursing advisory group and to providing its views on the effectiveness and implementation of CCDM.

NZNO is also pleased to hear the Minister acknowledge this morning that the people who work in the health system have been under pressure for a long, long time, and that dealing with the nursing shortage is a high priority for the Government.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 13 September 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is satisfied now that Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) has agreed to restrict visitation to compassionate grounds only – when it moves Auckland Hospital from Code Yellow to Code Orange at 7am tomorrow.

NZNO Industrial Advisor David Wait said this decision, brings ADHB's visitation practice into line with the other hospitals in the Auckland region and reduces the risk of COVID-19 entering hospitals.

“We absolutely acknowledge that there are many health benefits from family and whānau visits to hospital patients. However, we are at Level 4 in the middle of a pandemic and that is why other Auckland region hospitals have much tighter policies in place.

“This change should have come long ago and we’re just grateful Auckland Hospital has been lucky not to have had a COVID exposure event.”

Wait said the next step was for ADHB to ensure it has a safe visiting policy going into the future.

“We understand Auckland Hospital’s visitation policy will be reviewed and it’s important that we and the hospital’s Health and Safety Representatives are included in that review.

“It is our members who make up Auckland Hospital’s frontline staff and it is therefore imperative they have a say in a policy that will very much affect their own safety and working conditions, along with the health of patients and the public.

“We look forward to ADHB engaging with us on this and to working with them to help ensure the best health and safety decisions are made.”

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 11 September 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has taken legal action through the Employment Relations Authority after Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) refused to meet with it for mediation on Friday over Auckland Hospital’s visiting policy.

NZNO Industrial Adviser David Wait says the policy places staff, patients and communities at risk of COVID-19.

“What we want is for the policy to be brought into line with those of other Auckland DHBs where visitor access is restricted to compassionate grounds and only when absolutely necessary during an outbreak of the delta variant that is by no means fully controlled.

“It makes no sense at all that one of our busiest hospitals in a region that is in Level 4 lockdown continues to allow members of the community to come and go, especially considering the impact COVID transmission would have on the DHB’s ability to safely provide services in this short-staffed environment.”

NZNO and ADHB lawyers met with the Authority by Zoom on Saturday morning and the parties were directed to engage in urgent mediation. Wait says NZNO proposed that the mediation take place on Sunday (12 September), given the urgency and seriousness of the situation, but ADHB has refused to meet before Monday afternoon.   

 “We have a hearing set with the Authority on Thursday afternoon if we cannot reach agreement, but that’s five days away, allowing further time for unnecessary close contacts to occur.

“We urge ADHB to engage with us without delay, and to stop putting the health and safety of our members and the public at risk.”

On Sunday (5 September) a union health and safety representatives issued a Provisional Improvement Notice to ADHB over its “free for all” visitor policy but Wait says the voices of workers have largely been ignored.

Worksafe has also issued an Improvement Notice, directing ADHB to engage with its workers on the policy, but Wait says not even this has made ADHB modify the policy in a way that would resolve the issues in any significant way.

“ADHB needs to look at the evidence, adopt best practice and listen to its staff. It’s staggering that we should have to appeal to a higher authority just to get them to talk to us about what is clearly a sensible and appropriate health and safety measure at a time of serious public danger.”

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, Date 2021

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) says the fact that nurses who live with close contacts are being asked to turn up for work at Auckland’s DHBs, and monitor themselves for symptoms in the meantime, shows how desperate the health system is in terms of short staffing.

On Friday 20 August the Ministry of Health issued an exemption for essential health workers from the need to fully self-isolate as long as certain conditions were met.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has said hospitals are identifying the lowest-risk people they can have working at the moment so our health system can continue to function.

But NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says there is a clear public health order that housemates of close contacts are required to self-isolate and they are still required to do so because they are a health risk.

“The health direction to self-isolate is there for good reason and there should be no exceptions.”

Ms Nuku said nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora working in DHBs have been speaking out about unsafe staffing for decades.

“Successive governments have not listened, and nurses have just been told over and over to do more with less. The result of this is what you see now, where the Government has changed the Ministry of Health’s public health advice because the DHBs don’t have enough staff.

“It just makes no sense and further underscores the very urgent need to address short staffing by recognising and rewarding nursing so it’s a job people will want to do.”

She said nurses staying away from work because they live with close contacts is also a protection for them, and that nurses were as entitled to that protection as anybody else.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.