Kerri Nuku, Kaiwhakahaere
NZNO Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa

The fear of lending our voices to important matters for nurses is becoming more widespread in Aotearoa.

If we let that fear continue, it will be to the detriment of our profession and the health of this country which we all know is already in crisis.

The role of a nurse isn’t just to action the instructions of doctors. The role of the nurse is to use our skills and knowledge and the relationships we develop to be proactive advocates for patients, their whānau and communities. A vital element in nursing is to speak up for health justice, to be the advocate and to remember who we are here to serve, especially those who can’t voice their concerns to the decision-makers in charge.

The question that I am contemplating is how we continue to empower our nurses at this critical time. 

Following the widespread media over the last few days, public health doctors are faced with similar challenges following the latest rules from Te Whatu Ora Health NZ, telling public health doctors that any public comments need a “national Level” approval. Many are calling it a gag, others raising concerns that they won’t be able to effectively serve their communities and calling raising alarms of the government overreach.

Over the past few years many colleagues have said to me they have stopped being advocates, it’s easier to go to work and do their job and go home, don’t rock the boat. They are telling me that they fear losing their jobs and being taken away from their passion to care for people, if they ask questions.

Like the public health doctors, I believe nurses have reason to be concerned, the power control in nursing is unleased. Nursing has always had a terrible reputation for the systems that embedded hierarchy, which has always been a curious thing for me because I am sure I am not alone in my reason for nursing was to serve and care for people and the community.

While over the years there has been shifting within these hierarchies of power over the recent months they are being rebuilt at an increasing rate and the architects of these power proposition are at hands of nurses.

This power and control are playing out in many different forms, from the withholding of critical data that could information workforce issues, recruitment freezes, restricted education and training support to minimal or no consultation around service change.

Silence is our enemy we can’t repeat the challenges of our past where our silence submissive actions were frowned upon.

We must continue to question challenges and advocate. The day we start doing that will be the day we stop being nurses.

Every week I also talk with other nurses who go to work every day to make a difference to stand up and fight the brave fight.

We must form groups or support groups that check in and make sure we are all ok and create the debrief opportunities, help each other up. Seek mentorship or cultural supervision, share our stories and grow our strength and follow what is right.

We must fight back and not allow our voices to be gag or our untold stories to gather dust.

Anne Daniels, President
NZNO Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa

On Tuesday, I had the privilege of attending the first day of the annual College and Sections hui. Powerful stories of the challenges in practice that are being experienced were shared. It was an emotional roller coaster that has to be acknowledged and celebrated. Our members talked about going to work every day and providing care in an understaffed, unsafe work environment that results in preventable harm. The prevailing political disinformation that attempts to refute the ongoing decimation of our nursing workforce, in the public, primary health and aged care sectors, was put in the spotlight and strongly rebutted.

Chief Executive Paul Goulter kicked off the day outlining the political challenges all members are facing particularly the regulation and Health Practitioners Assurance Competency Act reviews being conducted by the current Coalition Government. He reminded participants that our power is in joining up the political, professional and industrial perspectives of our practice and work environment. We need to do this to be the leading voice in health, not just for ourselves but our patients, families/whanau and communities.

Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku spoke to the need to understand colonialism in the context of the history of te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi. She outlined how colonialism impacted the health and well-being of Māori and how it continues unabated today. Connections made between our history, politics, the Waitangi Tribunal findings on successive governments’ te Tiriti o Waitangi breaches and health were powerful and heart-rending. Maranga Mai! prioritises actualising te Tiriti o Waitangi through authentic power sharing, decision-making and understanding the relationship between the socio-economic and political context of Māori and health outcomes.

Feedback from the College and Section leaders demonstrated how Kerri’s work is to integrate te Tiriti o Waitangi, tikanga and te reo into who we are as a union and a profession is being embraced. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is being embedded in committee structures and ways of working, in new scholarships, and into specialty standards of practice. For volunteers, this takes a lot of time and is reflective of the commitment to walking the talk of Maranga Mai!

My presentation focused on the need to have a safe work environment free of violence and abuse and how this issue is linked to unsafe staffing and wait times. A lack of reporting enables silencing of the issue by government, employers, legislation and ourselves. Opportunities to change this part of our work world were explored through a Maranga Mai! lens including the current call for members’ stories on what unsafe staffing means to them.

Our College and Sections leaders shared their stories too, about their challenges and wins. Membership is growing in all Colleges and Sections. IT membership barriers were outlined, and consequently the new CRM programme which appears user focused and friendly, was welcomed. Members’ challenges were discussed in terms of the need to be innovative, brave, and resourceful.

The potential impact of College and Sections spokespeople on the public via the media can be huge. They are particularly well placed in countering the misinformation and partial truths in what is said and not said by politicians. The second Covid Inquiry, outlined by Tim Rochford, was an example of the untold truths experienced by our members.

The commitment of College and Sections’ members to our Maranga Mai! campaign to change such korero was palpable, reflecting the shifts we are seeing within NZNO to grow our power to stand up and fight back, while realising the ambitions of the Pae Ora Act. The Colleges and Sections member led mahi in the industrial, professional and political triangle is gathering momentum. NZNO is us.

Kia kaha!