At a time when health care is falling into a deeper crisis with emergency departments bursting at the seams, wards overflowing and workers overworked due to chronic understaffing, Aotearoa’s largest employer of nurses plans to hire less than two-thirds of the nursing graduate cohort over the next year.
Te Whatu Ora claims there will be a job available for most studying nurses and promised at least 1800 graduate jobs over the next 12 months, but according to a Kaitiaki magazine article this falls woefully short of what is required - by a whopping 40%.
The nursing publication calculated there would be nearly 3000 potential graduates over that period, meaning there would only be enough jobs for 60%.
NZNO National Student Unit co-leader Dawn Blyth says once again Te Whatu Ora has failed nursing graduates who represent New Zealand’s future nursing workforce.
"It is a huge blow to nursing graduates. To study for three years and hope for a job and then not get one."
Dawn Blyth says with the non-Te Whatu Ora sectors, including Plunket, Hospice and general practice being poorly funded, graduates mainly pinned their hopes on Te Whatu Ora.
"Hospital jobs are highly sought after and often the reason students want to get into nursing.
"We have a health system in crisis and desperately needs more homegrown nurses.
"With thousands of Kiwis leaving for Australia in recent years, this shortsighted decision by Te Whatu Ora will see more graduate nurses, who are already considering this option, packing their bags and leaving."
She said she knows of many potential graduates in her November cohort who are eyeing graduate programmes in Australia.