Spotlight on Nursing Workforce Continues
Ministry of Health
Spotlight on Nursing Workforce Continues
THE study into issues affecting the nursing
workforce is moving into the next
stage.
The Ministry
of Health today convened a conference call with nursing
and
employer groups to inform them of its progress in a
scoping exercise to
determine the extent of a nursing
shortage.
As part of the scoping exercise the Ministry
surveyed all public hospital chief
executives. It also
sought additional information through talking to
groups
involved in nursing, and obtaining statistical
workforce data from sources
including Statistics New
Zealand.
Chief Advisor of Nursing Frances Hughes said
survey results were inconclusive as
to the extent of a
nursing shortage, so the Ministry had asked nursing
groups
and hospital managers to provide more information
by December 14.
Mrs Hughes also said the Ministry was
receiving information from a survey of the
private
nursing workforce, carried out by the New Zealand Hospital
Association.
Preliminary results showed they were short
of theatre and acute nurses.
"All this information will be
discussed at a meeting of groups involved in
nursing and
the employers on December 14. At this meeting we will
prioritise the
issues identified and work out a timeframe
for further work and action.
"As a result of what we have
learnt so far the Ministry will also undertaking a
survey
of the 11,000 nurses with current practising certificates
who are not
employed in clinical work. It will look at
why they are not working and what it
would take to get
them to reenter the workforce.
"So far we have carried out
a high level look at what is happening and our next
step
is looking at the issue in more detail.
"We have to ensure
any strategies or initiatives put in place are the
right
ones. A partnership between the Ministry, groups
representing the nursing sector
and their employers,
which involves agreement on the issues and solutions is
the
best approach.
"The nursing sector in New Zealand
needs to work together and pool its knowledge
to
determine the issues and possible solutions. The Ministry
sees it is our role
to facilitate this to
happen.
"Another issue identified by the scoping work is
that the increasing complexity
of care nurses are
required to give is not only putting them under more
pressure
but is also impacting on their ability to
support new graduates and nurses
wanting to reenter the
workforce. The Nurse Executives of New Zealand
are
following up this issue," Mrs Hughes
said.