“My message to them is that I have indicated to Health New Zealand that they are a very high priority,” Reti told Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand at the recent launch of his plan to meet ambitious new health targets.
“We need to place those graduates – they need to qualify . They’re our own culturally- competent domestically-trained pipeline. They need to have a pathway to graduation and completion.”
Reti said one initiative being considered was “expanding the number of options” for graduates on the ACE job-matching programme — his office later clarifying this was around location choices.
Te Whatu Ora chief people officer Andrew Slater confirmed “we are looking at how we increase the number of options that people select,” a spokesperson told Kaitiaki.
‘Abandoned’ graduates getting work
In July, 166 of 535 mid-year nursing graduates who applied missed out on supported entry roles with Te Whatu Ora through ACE. Many said they felt “abandoned“.
‘We need to place those graduates – they need to qualify . They’re our own culturally- competent domestically-trained pipeline.’
However, that number had since dropped to 99, seven of whom were Māori, Te Whatu Ora’s national chief nursing officer Nadine Gray told Kaitiaki.
“To date, 411 mid-year nursing graduates have been matched into supported positions across the health sector.”
They had gone into a variety of settings, including private hospitals, social services and Plunket, Gray said.
“While the vast majority of the graduates have been placed into roles in our hospitals, over 50 have also been placed into roles in primary/community care, aged residential care, private providers or public health.”
Graduates still in the talent pool awaiting placements would also be given a “candidate care” service to help them with CVs and where to look for roles, she said.
Reti said with another 1800 nursing students expected to graduate by the end of the year, it was “really important” they had a pathway into work.
‘I’m thrilled to be off the talent pool and I know they’re working really hard to get jobs for us.’
“Let’s plan and prepare across a range of things. What part of that grad pool is suitable for primary care? What part sits inside Health New Zealand?”
Some of those who missed out have since found nurse-entry-to-practice (NETP) roles in hospitals — one based in Canterbury saying Te Whatu Ora had been working hard to help them.
“I’m thrilled to be off the talent pool and I know they’re working really hard to get jobs for us.”
But others have given up on their dreams of hospital nursing for now and taken jobs in the community or aged care — saying while nurse managers wanted and needed them, they did not have the budget.
“[Te Whatu Ora] are working hard [but] mid-central is unable to hire at the moment so it doesn’t really matter how hard they try,” said one yet-to-be employed graduate.
Clinical vacancies unfilled amid budget cuts
RNZ this week reported that hospitals remain drastically short-staffed and are not replacing those who leave or fall sick.
Waikato emergency nurse Tracy Chisholm told RNZ some patients were waiting 20 hours to be seen, because there was no budget to replace staff.
Te Whatu Ora commissioner Lester Levy has been tasked by Reti with cutting $1.4 billion in annual spending, without impacting clinical services.
Reti said last week that since July 1, each region now had its new budget and could recruit within that — but it might take time to establish new processes.
He denied a hiring freeze.
“There have been new recruitments every single month and the opportunity through the regional chief executives to recruit more quickly is there today.”