28 August 2013

Employ More Nurses Says NZ First

The Government is creating a health crisis by not employing enough nurses in public hospitals and aged care facilities, claims New Zealand First Health spokesperson, Barbara Stewart.

She says nursing graduates are looking for jobs while nurses in hospitals and aged-care facilities are coming under more pressure and sometimes have to ration care because of lack of staff.

“At a recent Health Select Committee meeting, the Health Minister conceded that 30 per cent of nurses were not finding work when they graduate.

“The replacement of hospital training with Polytechnic training means that graduate nurses obviously do not have enough practical experience to go straight into the wards.

“This can be quickly fixed by the Ministry of Health developing a training programme which enables graduate nurses to enter full-time nursing roles as soon as possible after they graduate.

“It is harmful to patients and wasteful of health dollars in the extreme to have graduates without jobs while nurses have to ration care.

“This situation should be addressed before there are serious consequences,” says Mrs Stewart.

ENDS

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