Students upset at being labelled 'nurse assistants'

1.00pm

Northland nursing students are taking legal advice after learning their qualification is to be changed midway through their course and they will now not be allowed to call themselves nurses.

Northland Polytechnic students studying for a Certificate in Health Science would have been entitled to call themselves enrolled nurses.

But the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) is changing that right and students completing the certificate will be called nurse assistants.

Northland students say the change is belittling. Some students are worried they have spent thousands of dollars on a qualification they believe may not be recognised.

However, the nursing council says it is a name change only, aimed at giving the public a clearer understanding of the different roles within nursing.

Some nursing students, including Jill Hutchins, are taking legal advice over the change.

Mrs Hutchins believes the change will limit her job opportunities and is looking at recovering the costs associated with the course, including $3855 in course fees.

She and her husband moved from the Waikato town of Cambridge for the course, which is offered only in Christchurch and Northland.

"My husband gave up his job, and he was on a very good income, to support me. We also moved our four children up here."

Glennis Barthorpe moved from the United Kingdom to do the course after seeing it advertised on the internet.

She had paid $14,990 to study for the enrolled nursing qualification but was unsure whether the new qualification would be recognised in the UK. There was no point completing the course if the qualification was changed, she said.

"I'm very upset and disgusted that they can do this to us halfway through our course."

But NCNZ chief executive Marion Clark said the changes would affect only the name of the course.

The NCNZ had consulted widely before making the changes and the name change aimed to give the public a better understanding of the skills and qualifications of nurses and the health services they provided, she said.

NCNZ chairwoman Annette Huntington said it would not affect graduates' employment opportunities in New Zealand or abroad, or their training.

The Government stopped training for enrolled nurses in the early 90s but Health Minister Annette King relaunched training for the programme in 2002, she said.

Training for enrolled nurses was different from that for those trained before 2000 and the name change recognised that.

Training was now carried out in educational institutions rather than hospitals she said. Nurses who had completed their training before 2000 would keep the enrolled nurse title.

Northland Polytechnic could be not be contacted for comment.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)