Concerning interim findings of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) 2025 Student Survey has found most students will go overseas if they can’t get jobs in New Zealand.
This comes as Te Whatu Ora refused to address NZNO claims around its obligation to employ new graduates in collective agreement negotiations.
The survey was completed by 1246 nursing students, and NZNO National Student Unit Co-chair Bianca Grimmer said the results were crystal clear - "hire us or we will leave".
"The survey shows 61.86% of students were considering seeking a nursing job overseas if they were unable to get a new graduate job in Aotearoa New Zealand. This increased to 73% of Māori respondents.
"This is a significant potential loss of our domestic nursing workforce."
Finances remained a significant issue for all students and was linked to high levels of stress by 80.39% of respondents, Bianca Grimmer said.
"An increased fear of not getting work is exacerbated by most students’ money concerns issues, many of whom depend on funding from student loans for their survival.
"We have a health system in crisis. At a time when we desperately need more homegrown nurses, the Government and nursing schools really need to do more to encourage students to stay in their studies and come out well and ready to nurse."
At least 35.61% of respondents said they did not work in paid employment and 61.58% of respondents had to significantly reduce their paid work hours during placement, she said.
"Paying all students the minimum or living wage while on clinical placements would make a massive difference to graduate numbers. Nursing students need assistance while they study."
NZNO Te Rūnanga Tauira chair Davis Ferguson said Māori and Pacific students are essential, and better cultural support in nurse training would result in a health system that better meets the needs of Māori and Pacific peoples.
"The lack of appropriate cultural support in nursing studies is an issue the Government and training providers need to urgently address."
The full findings of the survey will be made available on the NZNO website later this year.