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A year of chaos

Kerri Nuku, Kaiwhakahaere
NZNO Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa

As another year draws to a close I am reminded of the whakatauaki, Ka mua,ka muri – walking backwards into the future. It suggests that time is a continuum, with the past present and the future connected and where learning from the past can help inform future actions.

Having just completed the national Te Whatu Ora strike for safe staffing and fair pay, further questions being raised in the media about the health budget, I wonder what learnings we can take from 2024.

The year has been fraught with (among other issues) conflicting messages, their lack of proper communication and consultation and a legacy of destruction.

At the start of the year there was a general acceptance among nurses and Te Whatu Ora that there were approximately 4000 nurse vacancies across the sector – a fact acknowledged in the build up to the 2023 elections. By March the cracks began to surface with Budget issues announced blaming over recruitment of personnel, especially nurses as the significant contributor to budget blow out. Te Whatu Ora were instructed to collectively save $105 million by July using ‘cost containment’ methods including banning double shifts, pressure to take leave, non-replacement of sick staff and wiping unfilled roles.

All the while offering reassurance to the public that none of the cost saving methods will impact the level of care patients receive. Despite reassuring messages patients were impacted and the health professional alike all expressed serious concerns about burn out, fatigue and staffing pressures.

Then the announcement of a recruitment freeze for non-patient-facing hospital roles followed together with the hiring limited places available for the mid-year intake of new graduate nurses. We were told in the nine months from June 2023 to March 2024, 2886 nurses were recruited. There was no mention of retirements in an aging workforce, resignations and nurses migrating overseas, especially to Australia.

In June NZNO released accessed information under the Official Information Act (OIA), Te Whatu Ora data showed more than a quarter of nursing shifts were below target staffing numbers, and some wards operated below safe staffing levels nearly all of the time. NZNO did not receive responses from Te Whatu Ora, something wasn’t adding up ,how can we reassure the public of quality health care when Te Whatu Ora data identified nursing shifts were understaffed.

Then it seemed to make alittle more sense , the Commissioner is reported as saying “there are too many nurses for the budget ’’while the CEO of Te Whatu Ora acknowledges the new 3000 nurses are needed for patient safety. So what and who sets the budget -are we working for determining what quality of care looks like to meet the needs of the community and staff accordingly or are be setting a budget based on funding cuts and recruiting the nurses to fit the budget.

The burning platform is what about the other parts of the sector , the impact on rural communities where staffing and funding is impacting of the quality and accessibility of services to these communities, or how about nurses in Primary care and community how well are they supported to cope.

As we walk into 2025, I can only encourage the Minister to stop talking to the sector and talk to the nurses, health care workers and tauira we are all in healthcare to make a difference that I am sure of.

We can’t continue to walk confidently into the future without a comprehensive long term workforce plan designed by those with real knowledge of the issues.


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Our voices must be heard

Kerri Nuku, Kaiwhakahaere
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO

These are interesting times we live in. At a recent convention I attended I was asked a very interesting question about the power of a voice on global health. My response was a simple but one that rings true through the mists of time. “Throughout history the power of the voice can inspire people and make them brave, or it can diminish people by the language and the tone of voice.”

The voices of many historical figures – both good and bad – have left indelible marks on humanity and its impact on nurses has been no different! Over our history, we’ve largely been silenced by the dominant forces within the system.

So, the big question is how do nurses get that voice we long for in order to tell our story when that the voice has been stripped away from us through legislation, through policies and practice in many situations? Now more than ever it’s important that our stories be heard. One such example is the OIA NZNO obtained from Te Whatu Ora. This provides a platform for us to inform the data when it comes to getting the truth out there. This can be done by our union lending support to our nurses by giving them the courage to regain that confidence and strength. We need to protect them in a quite hostile environment where it’s not okay for nurses to speak out.

Many of our legislative decision-makers only put forward only a medical view.  Pae Ora for example looks at having doctors as part of those decision-making groups. Nurses are excluded. It raises the question again about why the voices of nurses are silenced. Is it because of the more historically subservient role that nurses play? It’s the stereotypical approach and still a hangover from the old ways! It used to be that women should be seen and heard, in many ways that archaic attitude still exists. This marginalisation is only worse if you’re Māori or another minority group.

It’s taken a few brave women to really challenge the status quo and we need to support them. The way forward is to look at what leadership looks like within nursing. And those nurses that are speaking out have got to see that there’s a group of people around them, and not just a few individuals popping up. It is the responsibility of the union to support and promote the freedom of a voice, and to protect the interests of nurses that speak out.

Through our struggles we’ve always got to be optimistic for change because our purpose in life right is to make it easy for the people coming behind us. It does take some solid action and solidarity and that’s why our Ratio Justice bus tour requires more than just a few people to turn up, but we need crowds present who need to make their voices heard loudly and clearly.


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IQNs not the long-term solution

Kerri Nuku, Kaiwhakahaere
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO

There has been some media focus recently on Internationally Qualified Nurses (IQNs) being exploited by recruitment agencies taking advantage of monetary incentives offered by the Government.

These agencies are bringing IQNs into the country without first securing them employment  which leads me to reiterate what I’ve been saying in the media. We uphold the importance of ethical recruitment. We have serious concerns about the recruitment agencies that are incentivised to flood Aotearoa with nurses, particularly from India. These nurses are often unable to be employed despite completing New Zealand’s competency assessment programme and holding NZ practising certificates (APCs).

That many recent IQNs are not being employed is through no fault of their own. IQNs are not always professionally or culturally suitable for employment in positions where local experience is required. It puts a strain on the system with training, culturalisation and finding effective support for them once they’re in jobs. The levels of support required to upskill them costs too much, so often they’re left to drown in the deep end.

It has been revealed to me recently that these agencies are also exploiting loopholes in the system to bring nurses into Aotearoa via the UK’s National Health Service. If not already illegal this kind of activity should surely be shut off as it is in my opinion tantamount to fraud.

This cannot continue and Te Whatu Ora has recently assured us that the $10,000 incentive to agencies has been closed But will the funding now be diverted to growing our own workforce where it should have been in the first place?

It’s time we realised IQNs are not the solution to the nursing shortage in Aotearoa even in the short term. Our focus should be on strategies to attract New Zealanders rather than IQNs to take up nursing study with the aim of building a strong workforce that is culturally competent and responsive.

We are aware of the harmful effects of international nurse recruitment which according to the International Council of Nurses some associations in poorer and developing countries equated with a form of neo-colonialism. IQNs are needed in their home countries as much as they are here, and this is another reason why more effort and resources need to be put into growing our own workforce.

The Government now needs to consolidate the situation with the existing number of IQNs in the country to ensure they get jobs along with appropriate training and support and this means we need to freeze the recruitment of IQNs and discourage recruitment agencies from bringing them out.
It needs to divert any possible funding into broadening the number of nursing students and then training them, keeping them, and giving them good jobs afterwards. That would be the long-term solution to this nursing crisis.


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Toitū Te Tiriti

Kerri Nuku, Kaiwhakahaere
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO

Across our history there have been many hikoi, each one as significant as the next. These shows of kotahitanga and peaceful action were used to raise issues and promote dialogue as partners in te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Coalition Government’s current priority to “review The Treaty of Waitangi” and Māori policy has sparked a new wave of kotahitanga action. Responding to these concerns over Government policies related to Māori, Kingi Tuheitia called for a hui-a-motu to unify the nation. This was held late last month and with thousands of Māori and non-Māori in attendance and represented another significant milestone in our history.

Waitangi Day is expected to be one of action and unity like no other. This year a rōpu of Māori nurses will be travelling to Waitangi to send the wero that colonisation is a social determinant of health. It is not by choice that we are over-represented in poor health outcomes; it is a construct of colonisation and legislation. We will challenge legislation that continues to enable racist funding that sees our Māori and Iwi provider nurses being paid significantly less – and data and statistics that continuously report our negative health with little action. Not one more policy should be developed without Māori. 

This kaupapa is important for all New Zealanders, not just Māori, because if we have even one community in need that is neglected by this Government, it undermines the entire nation. We all need to stick together to oppose David Seymour’s proposed Treaties bill.

In the photo: Whina Cooper seen here on the Auckland bridge was joined by thousands in her land hikoi to Parliament in 1975.

Here are some other significant historical hikoi that took place in the recent past:

On 13 October 1975 Whina Cooper led the land march to Parliament. Along the way on her journey, she was joined by others until approximately 5000 people arrived at Parliament to present a petition signed by 60,000 people to Prime Minister Bill Rowling protesting the continual loss of Māori land through sales or confiscation. Her message was “not one more acre”.

This represented a significant milestone in Māori history forever captured in the famous photo as Whina and her mokopuna start their journey from the country gravel road to the smoothly paved steps of Parliament. The moment was symbolic as the journey was long, unknown challenges, but with an unwavering determination and action of tino rangatiratanga which galvanised Māori and non-Māori alike.

The Foreshore and Seabed Hikoi in April 2004 began in Northland. As they marched the support increased until they arrived in Wellington on 5 May 2004. The hikoi was against proposed legislation to vest ownership of New Zealand’s foreshore and seabed to the Crown a breach to Te Tiriti of Waitangi.

The hikoi on 29 July 2019 called for a halt to Oranga Tamariki removing tamariki from whānau and Iwi. And removal of Oranga Tamariki legislation which entrenched and enabled such violent and traumatic uplift of a newborn baby from Hastings Hospital.  As we saw in the Hastings baby uplift case.

Unity is strength! Toitū Te Tiriti!! Uphold the Treaty.


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To the awesome nurse with the pink hair

Kai Tiaki Nursing NZLouisa Davies is a registered nurses, NZNO member and mum.  She is proud to stand up for her colleagues.

Louisa says she wrote this because she had a bit much time on her hands and was feeling really worked up about the situation. Personally, I doubt whether people who are mums, RNs and advocates for fairness ever have “a bit much time on their hands” but I’m thankful Louisa found the time to pen this lovely note to the “awesome nurse with the pink hair”! 

To the awesome nurse with the pink hair! You don’t know me, and I don’t know you, but I would just like to take the time to say, “I’m sorry”.

I’m sorry that you have been judged and bullied, I’m sorry that one of the proudest moments of your nursing career, a cover page of our national nursing magazine, has been stripped down by your peers. I’m sorry that your peers have covered their bullying, by focusing their tirade against NZNO, for putting you on their cover, as though this reduces their bullying on you. I sincerely hope that you have broad enough shoulders to brush off these people who feel the need so strongly to comment about you, and realise that they are probably suffering from tall poppy syndrome.

We used to call each other “sister”, (sorry male fraternity) we are predominantly a female workforce, we should not be shooting each other down, but we should be lifting each other up, and celebrating each other’s achievements.

I imagine this nurse probably works pretty hard, probably has been covered in human excrement, just like the rest of us. Probably has spent overtime filling in her documentation, just like the rest of us.

She could probably teach many of us a thing or a thousand about critical care nursing, and she still wouldn’t have taught us all that she knows. The way she has been treated is horrible. She deserves much better than that, and all of those who have been opinionated enough to comment about it should be ashamed. Would you say this to her face?? If not, it is trolling. If you would say it to her face, then you truly are a bully.

Hair colour, piercing, tattoos… None of these make us less than amazing nurses, they do not affect our abilities to care for our patients, their families and our colleagues. They make us real humans, with life outside of the hospital, and our own creative spirits shining through just a little bit.

Be proud nurse Pinky!!! You look beautiful, you look capable and skilled as the wonderful nurse that you are. Frame that cover, and remind yourself every day that you are way better than the people who are pulling you down. Keep up the hard work Sister.