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!