RN BN MHSc (1st Class)

Raised in Ōpōtiki in a whānau of nurses and teachers, Nadine was inspired early on by her mother, Janet Maloney-Moni—the first Māori Nurse Practitioner in Aotearoa. That legacy of care and service became her foundation. Over two decades, Nadine has contributed across emergency nursing, tertiary education, and national health policy, all while uplifting kaupapa Māori.

Nadine Gray serves as the National Chief Nurse for Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, appointed in July 2024. Her leadership stands as a powerful example of Māori wāhine rising to reshape health systems, ensuring they reflect the needs, values, and voices of Māori whānau.

Her previous roles include Chief Nursing Officer at Te Aka Whai Ora | Māori Health Authority, Clinical Chief Advisor Nursing at Manatū Hauora, and Māori Cancer Nurse Specialist at Capital & Coast DHB. These roles have allowed her to influence critical reforms in nursing workforce development, cultural safety, and equity-led service design.

Nadine’s academic achievements are equally distinguished. She holds a Master of Health Science (First Class Honours) and a Postgraduate Diploma from Waipapa Taumata Rau – University of Auckland, alongside a Bachelor of Nursing from Wintec and a Certificate in Te Ara Reo Māori from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. She also serves as an adjunct teaching fellow at Victoria University of Wellington, mentoring the next generation of Māori health professionals.

In her current role, Nadine is a key member of the National Clinical Leadership Team, where she ensures clinical expertise informs strategic decision-making—particularly for Māori and Pacific communities. Her vision is to grow and strengthen a diverse, culturally grounded nursing workforce across Aotearoa.

Nadine’s leadership is steeped in aroha, accountability, and whakapapa. She brings heart to every table she sits at and never loses sight of the people her work serves.

“I stand on the shoulders of those before me. My purpose is to make sure the doors stay open—and wider—for those who follow. Growing a strong Māori nursing workforce means our mokopuna inherit a system that knows how to care for them, their way.”

Link:

Privileging Mātauranga Māori in Nursing Education: Experiences of Māori student nurses learning within an indigenous university | Nadine Gray