The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has expressed extreme disappointment with Health New Zealand’s decision not to integrate nursing graduates into their workforce.

As part of its ongoing “cost-containment” measures, Health New Zealand is freezing the employment of graduate nurses into the hospital system, the NZNO said.

The mid-year intakes for the Nurse Entry to Practice and Nurse Entry to Specialist Practice programmes, which provide essential support and professional development for graduates during their first year of practice, will be paused.

Only those recruited externally into specialist services will be exempt.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter said, “This move will be incredibly disappointing for nursing graduates and shows a lack of commitment from Te Whatu Ora to grow and develop New Zealand’s nursing workforce.

“Te Whatu Ora previously committed to the permanent employment of new graduates through the Safe Staffing Care Capacity Management Accord. It is outrageous that they are now going back on that agreement,” Goulter said.

He said New Zealand is still facing a nursing crisis, with insufficient numbers of domestically trained nurses to meet the country’s needs, resulting in a heavy reliance on internationally qualified nurses.

“We desperately need more homegrown nurses,” Goulter added.

“This move by Te Whatu Ora will reduce our current and future workforce and risks us losing these nurses to other countries. It also puts the education of our new graduates at risk due to not being able to develop skills learnt during training.”

Goulter highlighted the importance of increasing the number of Māori and Pasifika nurses to ensure culturally appropriate healthcare.

“Nurse Entry to Specialist Practice programmes provide specialised support for Māori and Pasifika new graduates. With the freeze on intakes to these programmes, we will not be adding more of these much-needed nurses to our workforce.”

He said while some graduate nurses might find employment in other areas of the health system, they would be disadvantaged by wage disparities compared to what they would have earned within Te Whatu Ora.

“We know that nursing students face significant barriers to completing their studies, particularly around finances, stress, and cultural support – and it’s costing us nearly a third of our new nurses. Not being able to gain employment on graduation will be yet another disincentive to become a nurse.”

Goulter called upon the Government and Te Whatu Ora to reverse this “short-sighted decision,” stressing the importance of encouraging New Zealand students to complete their studies with the assurance of employment upon graduation.

A nursing student told Chris Lynch Media she was shocked by the announcement.

“Can you believe this? After three years of study, nursing graduates are left with no jobs even though we’re at the crisis of nurse staffing in our hospitals. They’ve increased the intakes this year but no jobs.”

Another student said, “As a student in my final semester, I have no idea what my future holds now.”

Health NZ has been approached for comment.