Question: How can we use policy (such as in education) to address nursing shortages in New Zealand?
In March 2022, the World Health Organization noted that nurses and midwives, who constitute about half of the global health workforce, also account for a similar proportion of health worker shortages. WHO's State of the World's Nursing Report underlined that the worldwide nursing shortage jeopardises universal health coverage and sustainable development goals due to the need for approximately 5.9 million more nurses. However, nursing shortages are not a novel challenge. It has been recognised for over a century at local, national, and international levels.
It is improbable that a single strategy will act as a panacea for nursing shortages. A multifaceted approach, encompassing enhanced retention, improved recruitment, encouragement for return to practice, and policy interventions, would offer a more comprehensive solution.
Workforce shortages do not arise in isolation; wider health sector, political, and societal factors all play a part. Factors such as equitable pay, collective bargaining, workplace health and safety regulations, legislative actions, university funding, and even childcare support, all influence how NZ can tackle nursing shortages. Policy reforms across various domains are essential to address these issues comprehensively.
The total number of registered nurses in New Zealand grew last year by 9,357 to 77,634, with an estimated four to five percent being inactive at any time. The base pay rates for Health NZ nurses were raised last year to align with Australian hospital rates. Nevertheless, private health clinics often offer higher wages, and short-term contracts were more lucrative, with nurses employed in GP or iwi clinics here still receiving lower compensation than their Health NZ counterparts.
The utilisation of education policy as a solution was recently spotlighted in the United States. Some institutions have introduced accelerated nurse training programmes to reduce the duration of training from up to four years to just one, significantly shorter than the standard two- to four-year nursing programme. In the US alone, there is an anticipated shortage of over 78,000 registered nurses next year, according to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. Upon completing the programme, students must pass a national exam, similar to traditional four-year students, to qualify as a nurse.
The pandemic and other globally significant health and wellbeing challenges, such as climate change, conflict, and political and economic pressures, could be seen to have a silver lining in that they present an opportunity to explore, develop, and implement novel and transformative strategies. These strategies could not only address nursing shortages but also help to resolve numerous entrenched challenges within the healthcare system and society at large.