I came to Aotearoa in 2021, drawn by the promise of a slower pace of life and a better work-life balance, something my home country, Singapore, often struggles to achieve. For one and a half years, I built strong connections with my neighbours, community, colleagues and the residents in my care.
But then, like so many before me, I left for Australia.
The pull was undeniable. It was the prospect of better staffing ratios, clearer career pathways, and a system that seemed to value my labour and expertise more concretely. I made the rational choice, a choice hundreds of our colleagues make every year.
Yet here I am. I chose to return. And the rationale behind that choice may hold the key to solving the crisis outlined in the Nursing Council of New Zealand’s stark August 2025 report1 on international nurse migration.
The report confirms what most of us already know: nearly half of our nursing workforce is now internationally qualified. More concerningly, it lays bare that New Zealand is widely seen by internationally qualified nurses (IQNs) as a stepping stone, an easier-to-access pathway to ultimately working in Australia.
I have lived this reality twice over, first as part of the leak, and now as a returnee trying to help stem the flow.
We are training and acclimatising IQNs, who are now a crucial part of our health system, only to see them depart within months or years. I have lived this reality twice over, first as part of the leak, and now as a returnee trying to help stem the flow.
Pay, conditions and opportunity
We leave for reasons that are painfully simple: pay, conditions and opportunity. The cost of living in New Zealand, particularly in our major cities, is crippling on a nurse’s salary. When a short flight west can offer a 20-30 per cent pay increase for the same work, the choice becomes brutally simple for nurses supporting families back home or trying to build a future here.
But I came back. I returned because what Aotearoa offers isn’t found on a payslip. It’s the deep sense of community I found in my neighbourhood. It’s the ability to have a life outside of work, to breathe, and to be a nurse without it completely consuming my identity. New Zealand’s heart is its retention strategy. But right now, that heart is not being supported by the body of its policy.
This “leaky pipeline” is a dangerous way to build a sustainable workforce. It creates perpetual instability that burns out our local nurses and disillusions new graduates who see the relentless exodus.
It creates perpetual instability that burns out our local nurses and disillusions new graduates who see the relentless exodus.
Nowhere is this more devastating than in aged care, which relies heavily on IQNs. Our elders thrive on consistency. Constant turnover fractures the trust and continuity of care they desperately need.
And it isn’t only IQNs who are leaving. Many New Zealand-trained nurses are also either leaving the sector altogether or heading overseas in search of better pay and better opportunity. This dual loss deepens the crisis: New Zealand is not only struggling to hold on to those it attracts, but also those it educates and trains.
Any sustainable workforce plan must address both sides of this challenge, making nursing in Aotearoa a viable, rewarding long-term career for everyone.
A WORKFORCE PLAN
We need a conscious, urgent workforce plan that moves us from being a stepping stone to a destination. This means a multi-faceted approach:
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A realistic path to competitive remuneration:
While closing the pay gap with Australia overnight is a complex challenge for an underfunded system, we need a transparent, committed plan. This effort must also look inward to address the significant pay parity gaps between Te Whatu Ora and nurses in other sectors, particularly aged care and primary care. A nurse’s pay should not be a lottery based on their employer; equal pay for equal work is a fundamental principle we must uphold.
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Investing in holistic support and flexibility:
There is more to retention than money. We need dedicated career development, cultural mentorship and pastoral care for IQNs, creating clear pathways to leadership. Furthermore, we need policies that support all nurses raising families such as truly flexible working arrangements, better parental leave support, and affordable childcare. This is especially critical in aged care, where flexibility can be limited due to the demanding nature of the work. Supporting nurses to build a life, not just a career, is a core retention strategy.
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Fixing the fundamental conditions:
Mandating safe staffing levels (not care minutes) in law across all sectors, especially aged care, is critical. Better pay means little if you are too exhausted and stretched to enjoy it. Unsafe staffing ratios compromise patient safety, lead to moral injury for nurses, and are a primary driver of burnout.2 Safe staffing is the foundation upon which any other retention strategy is built; without it, we cannot provide the quality, compassionate care we were trained to give.
My story of return should not be an anomaly. IQNs are a workforce rich with global experience and a desire to belong. We need a system that supports us, values us and encourages us to stay. It’s time for New Zealand to be the destination, not just a stepping stone.
Rabikah Begum, RN, PGDip Nurs, Master of Gerontology, is a nursing advisor and educator for the Aged Care Association.
References
- Buchan, J., Prosser, L., Huntington, A., McEwan, M., & Byrne, C. (2025). International nurse migration: implications for the New Zealand nursing workforce. Nursing Council of New Zealand — Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa.
- Schlak , A., Rosa , W., Rushton , C., Poghosyan , L., Root, M., & McHugh, M. (2022). An expanded institutional- and national-level blueprint to address nurse burnout and moral suffering amid the evolving pandemic. Nursing Management, 53(1), 16-27.