The news is the latest in a series of dizzying highs and lows, coming two weeks after 66 graduates of Hamilton’s Wintec nursing school had their initial job offers retracted after a Te Whatu Ora “clerical error“.
One told Kaitiaki she felt “heart-broken” as her first ever job offer was snatched away.
Te Whatu Ora Waikato regional director Chris Lowry apologised for the distress, saying it was caused by a clerical “human error” and they would continue to work to find placements for the new graduates.
Lowry today confirmed to Kaitiaki that 59 jobs had since been offered to nursing graduates in the region via the national matching system ACE.
Starting in September, he said the roles were across hospitals and specialist services, mental health and addictions and primary health care. Of the 59, 46 were either nurse entry-to-practice (NETP) or nurse entry-to-specialist practice (NESP) which provide wraparound support to new graduates.
The formerly distressed graduate said she had been offered a NETP role this week and felt “so happy and way better” now.
More nurses needed
However, NZNO sources have told Kaitiaki there are at least 120 full-time equivalent (FTE) nursing vacancies at Waikato Hospital which needed filling just to maintain current staffing levels, after nurses had left or gone on maternity leave. While 59 new-entry roles would help, that would still leave about 61 FTE nursing roles vacant.
Nursing graduates nationally have expressed their distress there appears to be no budget to employ them into supported-entry positions at Te Whatu Ora after long-publicised nursing shortages.
ACE applications also opened last week for up to 1800 nursing students expected to graduate at the end of the year.