Here comes the sun

Hi,
I just wondered why NZ is short of nurses, I would have thought with such a small population they wouldnt need so many overseas nurses.

Do they have problems recruiting or retaining there staff?

Not that it really matters too much as I wouldnt be emmigrating if they werent short!

Maz

Know any pediatric oncologists? There's a huge crisis right now as there are now none in the Wellington area, so children suffering from cancer have to go to Christchurch or Auckland.

Avid

They can get better pay if they leave the country and work elsewhere.

This explains most of the 'skills shortage' list.

To be fair, quite a few countries have a shortage of nurses.

Animal Crackers

Yes and in England us nurses can't find jobs, or are run off our feet when we do as the wards are so short staffed!!:curse:It costs approx £30,000 to train just 1 nurse so why is the government paying this but then not employing them!! I'd rather have less pay and be contented in my job-that's why we're emigrating!!

Gill and Rob

There is a international shortage of healthcare professionals, not just nurses. NZ has been a destination for nurses from around the world for a long time. (Easy to get PR etc) Many NZ nurses do their training and then use the qualification to support them on their OE working from country to country. They do tend however to gravitate back to NZ, often after marrying and having children, so they often either do not re register or only want part time or casual employment. Also, with the introduction of the HPCA Act, many nurses decided not to re register, hence a small proportion, many working very few hours are no longer available. Also completing a nursing degree is often only a stepping stone in to another career. There is also alot of career movement within nursing too.

Anyone know a Geriatrician, or a neurologist or a ED Consultant .....etc...etc... who also wants a job in NZ? or a speech and lanaguage therapist or an OT or........ANY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Gill

ned

DONT PANIC

I'm on my way

Animal Crackers

There is someone on here looking for an OT job but has opted for a job in a nursing home I'll have a look back through and highlight this to them. Many thanks !!!I myself is due to qualify in Sept 08 as an adult nurse but want to gain some experience prior to emigrating to NZ

Avid

I don't know about NZ but the reason that Japan has a chronic shortage of nurses is because the job is thought to be '3K' (kitanai, kitsui, kiken) which happens to translate as '3D'....difficult, dirty and dangerous.

Is nursing in New Zealand a '3D' job?

Kiwiprincess

Avid - there is school of thought apparently where people feel that as nursing is considered a 'vocation' and not a 'career' then this is partly the reason why they aren't paid very well.

Not sure i agree. I tend to think they aren't paid well/conditions aren't great simply cos the people paying them can get away with it!

ned

Don't you think the two go hand in hand

Kiwiprincess

Which two? Career and Vocation? Or money/conditions?

I definitely think money and conditions go together. I also think that if the hospitals can't afford to pay more money (and I have no idea if they can or not) then the conditions themselves should be designed to make up for it. Eg, consistent work hours, administrative and management support, cleaning the uniforms (not always a given), carparks near the building for staff finishing later, heck, carparks provided would be a help!

Not sure about career and vocation because I get squeemish at the sight of blood, but there is probably something in that too. ie people train and *want* to be a nurse as opposed to someone like me who fell into a job because it was convenient!!

ned

I meant that because nurses see their careers as a vocation they can be exploited with low pay by the managers/politicians

Kiwiprincess

yep i tend to agree with that! It allows the managers/politicians/whoever to exploit (for want of a better word) nurses in their favour.

ned

It is something I hear EVERY DAY. There is someone booked for an operation, there is no staff available, people have lives and commitments to deal with, they want to go home at the end of their shift, really the patients op should be cancelled, then the line comes out, What if it was your Mother?

Gill and Rob

Not in NZ they can't and don't, thanks to the MECA for those working in the health service/DHB (Multi Employer Collective Agreement) organised by the very strong nurses union NZNO. Nurses had a huge pay jolt 3 years ago, and the latest pay scales are just being rolled out, with some excellent salaries and terms and conditions for nurses. Nursing in NZ isn't easier than in the UK, it's different. Nursing is certainly a career these days rather than a vocation.

Check out the salaries for teachers and compare to nursing... see who comes out best.

Gill