New Zealand is experiencing a critical nurse shortage. According to the Ministry of Health, the nation requires up to 2500 more nurses. This shortfall strains the health-care system by prohibiting nurses from providing the level of care for which they are educated. It also implies that many individuals are unable to obtain health care when they are most needed. To address this issue, we must all work together. We must support efforts that encourage nurse recruitment and retention in our communities, as well as guarantee that those who are already in the profession have access to the tools they require.

Due to the absence of pay equity, there is an acute lack of nurses in many sectors, as they shift into higher-paying areas of health or leave the field completely. In New Zealand, there were around 54000 nurses employed, some of whom worked part-time. The anticipated scarcity last year was 4000, but Tewhatu Ora stated they didn't know how the current situation was. The nurses' union requested that money be expressly provided in this year's budget for nurse financing.

Nursing shortages lead to errors, higher morbidity, and mortality rate. moreover, the main factors that affect the nursing shortage are such as nurses’ migration, frozen pay, aging workforce drive projected shortages -job satisfaction, burnout and demographic factors, work environment, commitment, the demand for work, and social support. 

There are three scopes in nursing from New Zealand which are enrolled nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners. Nurses are leaving general practice in record numbers because they can't make ends meet, and the government assuring them they don't need a salary raise has been the final straw for many. Aotearoa New Zealand has an over-reliance on short-term, high-turn over immigration to fill nursing skills shortages according to the nurse journal, as of August 2022, the main factors contributing to the nursing shortage are an increase in the demand for care of the aging population. Many senior nurses approaching retirement age. A high nurse turnover rate to alleviate these issues  they can do a few things such as: 

Listening to nurses’ concerns

prioritizing workplace culture which increases retention

prioritizing nurse retention levels

increasing diversity in the nursing student body

Addressing the need for more Nurse educators

using innovation to address the nursing shortage

Another drawback is that this shortage may continue in the future because, the median age of New Zealand nurses is 46.7 years with over 70% of nurse practitioners, nurse managers, and nurse researchers, and 50% of nurse educators aged over 45 years enrolled nurses,80% are aged over 47 years. Nurses are necessary to take care of and support patients. And they work more hours than other sector workers which are eight to 12 hours shifts, including nights, weekends, and public holidays. Nurses who work in the community or at medical centers usually work a set 40 hours a week which may also be a cause of the shortage issue. On the other hand, salary rates look favorable where the average registered nurse salary in New Zealand is $71,510 per year or $36.67 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $ 64,838 per year, and most experienced workers make up to $78,118 per year

The cost of living in New Zealand, for one person in a major city, is between NZ$3000-nz $5000-nz$6000 per month to live this could be the reason why other country nurses do not prefer to work and stay in New Zealand. If the government wants to focus patients toward primary health care to rebalance the health system away from hospitals, it makes no sense to leave practice nurses out of funding set aside for pay increases. The government must solve this issue immediately since we are losing nurses at a rapid rate, and low pay means we cannot compete when attempting to replace them. All of this comes at a high cost to people's health and well-being in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In conclusion, the nurse shortage in New Zealand is becoming more of a problem for both the nation and the healthcare sector as a whole. Government, employers, and other stakeholders must collaborate to develop workable, long-term solutions to this problem. This involves raising the number of nurses hired, increasing pay to make nursing more alluring, and developing more generous financial incentives for nurses to stay in the field. Additionally, it is crucial to make sure that nurses receive the education and assistance they require in order to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care. It is possible to successfully address the nursing shortage and improve the health of all New Zealanders when nurses have access to the tools, they need to do their jobs.

If you are looking for nursing job vacancies in New Zealand, all you need to do is apply through Medfuture. Go through the website for a comprehensive list of vacancies. Obtain the job you need according to your requirements, capabilities, and qualifications.