NZNO Groups Sign Memorandum Of Understanding

NZNO GROUPS SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

NEW Zealand Nurses Organisation colleges and professional sections are the latest nursing groups to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health.

The ground-breaking document has attracted strong interest from health agencies overseas, Ministry of Health Chief Nursing Advisor Frances Hughes said today.

The memorandum signifies a new collaborative working relationship between the nursing profession in New Zealand and the Ministry.

The first nursing groups signed the document on February 7 this year. With today's signatories, 26 nursing groups have now signed the memorandum.

"There has been strong interest in the Memorandum of Understanding from my counterparts in the United States, Britain and Australia, all of whom are looking at developing something similar," Ms Hughes said.

"It's great to see New Zealand being held up as an example to others of good communication between the Government and nursing sector over policy development."

Nurses can now pro-actively contribute to health policy and the development, implementation and evaluation of government initiatives to improve the health and well-being of New Zealanders.

Many benefits can be gained by involving the nursing sector in policy development from the outset, she said.

"The nursing sector is the largest in the health workforce so it is essential we have a two-way relationship allowing nurses to contribute towards developing and implementing ideas to meet the sector's needs."

The memorandum was already promoting a greater understanding throughout the nursing community of health systems policy and development, helping the Ministry to understand key issues affecting the health and disability sector and assisting with the implementation of policy in the health and disability sector, Ms Hughes said.

It will be reviewed next February.

ENDS

For more information contact: Anne-Marie Robinson, Media Advisor, ph: 04-496-2067 or 025-802 622 Internet address: http://www.moh.govt.nz/media.html

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The objectives of the relationship are to:

provide health leadership and nursing perspectives into the early development of health policy assist the Ministry to understand the key issues affecting the health and disability sector assist the implementation of policy in the health and disability sector promote greater understanding throughout the nursing community of health systems policy and developments facilitate the development of the nursing profession in order to improve the health and well-being of peoples of New Zealand.

The current signatories on the Memorandum of Understanding are:

Ministry of Health Nurse Executives of New Zealand The College of Nurses Aotearoa (NZ) Inc The National Council of Maori Nurses Director of Mental Health Nursing Nurse Education in the Tertiary Sector Independent Nurse Practitioners Association Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses Samoan Nurses Organisation of New Zealand (Inc) Occupational Health Nurses Association. New Zealand Nurses Organisation colleges and professional sections

Anne Marie Robinson Media Advisor Ministry of Health Mobile: DDI: 04 496 2067 Fax: 04-496-2010

http://www.moh.govt.nz mailto:anne_marie_robinson@moh.govt.nz

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