New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 15 May 2019
Nurses from the Upper South Island will convene in Nelson tomorrow for the annual New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Top of the South Regional Convention. The theme for the day-long event will be “Nurses a Voice to Lead – Health for All” which is also this year’s theme for International Nurses Day (12 May).
The convention is specifically for NZNO delegates and other representative members and a primary focus of the day will be recognising and working with networking opportunities.
Guest speakers will include Nelson-Marlborough Addiction Nurse Specialist Stephanie Anderson who will speak on the “burgeoning” epidemic resulting from alcohol use. Nelson Marlborough Suicide Prevention Co-ordinator Paul Martin will speak on Suicide – a reality check.
Nelson Marlborough District Health Board General Manager Primary and Community Cathy O’Malley will speak on Health for All – Fit for the future.
Various NZNO staff will also share their knowledge and experience across a range of nursing-related topics especially as it relates to nurses being a leading voice in health for all.
NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku and President Grant Brookes will speak during leadership time at beginning of the day, reflecting on the past year and looking forward to how nurses might be a voice to lead in the year to come.
“Regional Conventions are valuable opportunities for nurses to learn and to share about the work they are doing and to celebrate the contribution the nursing profession makes to improving access to health care,” Grant Brookes said.
“The issues we’ll be discussing are of great interest to our members and include pay parity for nursing staff and kaimahi hauora in Māori and iwi providers. We’ll also be talking about matters particular to NZNO such as the impacts of social media on the organisation and the current independent review of the 2017-18 DHB MECA bargaining process.”
Top of the South Regional Council Chair and Registered Nurse Joan Knight said, ”Our region has a wide geographic spread and Convention provides us with the opportunity to gather together annually. We appreciate the ability to learn from, interact and network with each other, our guests, and our NZNO leadership and staff.”
NZNO’s Regional Conventions are held in nine regions across New Zealand each year, organised and run by NZNO’s nine Regional Councils: Southern; Canterbury/West Coast; Top of the South; Greater Wellington; Central; Hawke’s Bay; Midlands; Greater Auckland; and Te Tai Tokerau.
The NZNO Top of the South Regional Convention will start at 8:30 am at the Grand Mercure Monaco Hotel in Stoke.
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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.