From picket lines to new graduates: Pacific nurses lead the way in care and change

Nurses in Waitematā walked off the job on Wednesday to highlight chronic short staffing that they say is putting patients at risk.

The 12-hour strike involved 63 members of Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), who staged pickets outside the offices of four Government ministers, including Health Minister Simeon Brown.

“Following 18 months of collective agreement bargaining between NZNO and Te Whatu Ora, concerns about short staffing and the need for safe staffing nurse-to-patient ratios have been continually raised,” the NZNO said in a statement.

The strike affected all district nursing services across Waitematā, including home-based clinical and specialist care for people recovering from surgery or living with illness.

Essential services such as complex wound care, medication management, palliative care, and IV therapy were disrupted, though life-preserving services continued.

While experienced nurses take a stand for safer staffing today, a new generation of Pacific nurses is also stepping into the profession, bringing both passion and cultural knowledge to communities across Aotearoa.

Nursing graduate Hayley Patitaue-Tongatule says Pacific communities need more nurses who understand their culture and care. Photo/Facedbook/Turuki Health Care

One recent graduate, Hayley Patitaue-Tongatule from Niue, was among over 350 graduates celebrated last week at Whitireia and WELTEC.

“It has been a really beautiful journey with my career in nursing,” Patitaue-Tongatule told PMN Niue. “Our people, our people need us, and especially our Pacific people, our mamatūs need us in the community.”

Patitaue-Tongatule, who completed a Bachelor of Nursing in 2019 and has since earned multiple postgraduate diplomas, emphasised the importance of community-focused, culturally aware care.

Watch Waitemata nurse Troy Stewart speaking at an Auckland Te Whatu Ora strike in December 2024.

“We as Pacific nurses know how to communicate with our patients and to diminish any barriers,” she said.

“General practice and community health, I love it so much. I love to do immunisations, women's health, youth health, and mental health.”

She also spoke of the challenges of nursing school and the pressures of state exams, recalling the shift from high school to tertiary study.

“The challenge for me was the transition from high school to tertiary study…The biggest challenge for me was preparing to sit my state exam, which is the last official exam for nursing council.”

Her advice to young people considering nursing was simple but powerful: “Consider it. Nursing is, it is vital. It is a vital role that we play in society. It is vital because we need to care for our own people…But not only that, it's a beautiful job.”

Waitematā district nurses have walked off the job over safe staffing concerns. Photo/NZNO

The combined picture of experienced nurses demanding safe staffing on Wednesday, and graduates like Patitaue-Tongatule joining the profession, paints a picture of both urgency and hope for New Zealand’s healthcare system.

While strikes show the sector's ongoing workforce challenges, stories of new Pacific nurses highlight its potential to provide culturally aware and holistic care for communities across Aotearoa.