Apply by September 23
There are just two more weeks to apply for the scheme, which closes on September 23, for a 2027 start. Nurses can get $8499 (net) after their first three years, then $2833 each year after that. Further details can be found here.
Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ (HNZ) has confirmed that ENs are back in the latest intake, including 2024 graduates (as well as 2025) who would otherwise have missed out.
The voluntary bonding scheme (VBS) pays bonuses of $8500 to $14,000 for health professionals to work in hard-to-staff regions and specialties for three to five years.
NZNO enrolled nurse section chair Michelle Prattley welcomed the news, saying ENs deserved to be recognised for the important role they played across primary, community and aged care.
However, she was disappointed that HNZ was no longer an eligible workplace for ENs already working in hospitals who might want to apply, saying they should be supported wherever they were.
‘Our EN workforce deserves to feel valued wherever they provide care.’
“While it it encouraging to support new and recent graduates, I believe there is also value in recognising and retaining ENs who are already working within HNZ,” she told Kaitiaki. “Our EN workforce deserves to feel valued wherever they provide care.”
Hospitals — do not apply
Until last year, both ENs and registered nurses (RNs) could apply to work in hospital-level mental health and addiction services. RNs could also apply to hard-to-staff HNZ facilities in Wairoa, South Canterbury and the West Coast.
But changes last year excluded HNZ leaving just primary health, community health and aged care. Only midwives, anaesthetic technicians, radiation therapists, sonographers and medical physicists could apply for some HNZ roles.
‘Primary focus’ — HNZ
Executive director of people, culture and health & safety Robyn Shearer said HNZ reviewed VBS each year. Its current focus was to boost the primary health workforce and improve access so HNZ nurses were not eligible.
ENs had been re-introduced, “recognising the role enrolled nurses play in delivering care across priority services and communities” and were eligible to apply for the same roles as RNs and nurse practitioners (NPs), she said.
HNZ never explained why it dropped ENs, but internal papers released to Kaitiaki under the Official Information Act reveal budget pressure to slash the VBS intake after 925 applicants were accepted in 2024. The following year, after ENs and hospitals were excluded, that dropped to 405 — 137 midwives, 107 RNs and 22 NPs (eligible for the first time).
‘It is one of the ways we’re encouraging and retaining talented people in areas that are more difficult to staff.’
Finding they had been cut, ENs took it up with Minister of Health Simeon Brown face-to-face in December, who promised to look into it. Shortly after, HNZ confirmed it would restore ENs to the scheme. But joy quickly turned to disappointment after HNZ said it was too close to the deadline to change.
This year, just 29 EN graduates have so far been employed by HNZ — about 15 per cent of the 191 who graduated in July.
Scheme ‘retains talented people’
Shearer said the scheme helped health professionals establish their careers in high-needs specialties, services or communities.
“It is one of the ways we’re encouraging and retaining talented people in areas that are more difficult to staff and where they can make a big difference for patients and our communities.”
Minister Brown did not respond.