Nurses' prospects ailing

Tough economic times and longer careers for experienced nurses leave new graduates out in the cold. Sophie Bond reports. 

When Aline Rohr began studying for her Bachelor of Health Science degree in nursing, the message was clear: New Zealand needs more nurses. 
Now, three years on, the 20-year-old AUT graduate counts herself lucky to have gained a place in a nurse-entry-to-practice (NetP) programme. It offers workplace mentoring and support to nursing graduates during their first 10 months of employment. 
Miss Rohr says five of her friends, who graduated last year, are still jobless. "We were told it's hard at the moment, but [were] never really told the extent."
After applying for 12 jobs, Miss Rohr is happy to have a NetP placement at North Shore Hospital.
Fellow graduate Jess, who prefers not to use her full name, is still hunting. She applied for NetP positions with all three of Auckland's district health boards and for more than 20 nursing jobs at general practices.
"I've applied for the New Zealand Army as a nurse, but they won't take new grads until July. I have no retail or cafe experience so I'm going to WINZ to try and get some help. I had no idea it was going to be this hard."
New Zealand Nurses' Organisation professional nursing advisor, Kate Weston, says NetP positions have been scarce in recent years but 2011 has seen the worst shortage so far.
She says the economic climate means older nurses are choosing to keep working and district health boards are not hiring as many new graduates.
"In the past few years there have been nurses recruited from overseas, a necessary move to fill the gaps in an ageing workforce. But people are not leaving at retirement age."
According to the Nursing Council's 2010 workforce statistics, 40 per cent of employed nurses are older than 50 and 10 per cent are older than 60.
She says the New Zealand Nurses Organisation urges health boards and private employees to be aware of the long-term impact of hiring fewer new graduates.
"New graduates need to be employed now so they can gain experience before the exodus of older nurses from the workforce. If that doesn't happen there will be critical gaps in senior nursing knowledge and future leadership."
AUT University's joint head of nursing, Dr Deb Spence, confirms there is a shortfall in NetP positions countrywide.
She cites fiscal restraints on health boards and nurses either staying in jobs or increasing their hours as reasons for this. "Students have been advised to keep looking at vacancies in the DHBs and also to look for employment in aged care."
Dr Spence says the NetP programme is valuable and ideally there would be guaranteed positions for all graduate nurses. "We need a fourth year to adequately prepare nurses to work relatively independently."
Waitemata District Health Board's director of nursing, Jocelyn Peach, says the board has hired 73 graduates who started in the NetP programme this week.
"We had no problem filling those places and the quality of grads has been fantastic."
She says after graduation, in March, training institutions will have a clearer idea of how many graduate nurses have jobs, but she believes few have missed out.
Waitemata District Health Board will offer 35 further NetP positions in September.
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Dr Spence hopes next week's forum in Wellington - Nursing Education: Decisions for the Future - will address the shortage of NetP positions. "We're looking very seriously at the bigger vision for nursing."