By FRANCESCA MOLD and ELEANOR BLACK
The country's public hospitals are running out of nurses.
There are 574 nurse vacancies and overseas agencies are poaching workers with promises of fat pay packets. Ministry of Health statistics show Auckland needs 200 more nurses.
One overseas agency, Pulse, is offering free flights, help with registration, visas, work permits, accommodation, tax and banking advice for jobs with London-based Royal Hospital of St Bartholomew.
Lakeland Health, which operates hospitals at Taupo and Rotorua, needs 18 nurses for its complement of just over 500. The surgical and emergency departments have been stretched by shortages.
One emergency department nurse, who did not want to be named, said nurses at Rotorua Hospital were paid at least $4 an hour less than their counterparts in other centres. She said experienced nurses were burned out, sick of the way they were treated, and could make $10,000 to $20,000 more a year in the private sector.
Working in the department was made no more appealing by the lack of security which meant nurses were verbally and physically assaulted by members of the public, said the nurse.
Carolyn Duncum, who has worked in Britain, has returned home to find her pay rate has increased only $10 an hour in the 16 years she has been away. The emergency department nurse believes New Zealand's healthcare system could be heading for a disaster if quality staff are not rewarded with fatter pay packets.
"I've seen the future and it's scary. England is so desperate for staff they want to plunder the rest of the world."
Auckland Healthcare director of nursing Mia Carroll said it was natural for nurses to want to travel and work overseas, but she said it was vital they were attracted back to New Zealand.
She said the problem of overseas recruitment had been compounded by British health authorities, who wanted 20,000 new nursing staff. Australian agencies wanted to recruit about 5000 nurses.
"We must monitor this very closely, accept we are an international market but find ways to encourage nurses to come back to New Zealand. Without them, we can't provide good care," she said.
Ms Carroll said Auckland Healthcare had a number of projects under way aimed at recruiting and retaining nurses. Key issues were the provision of childcare, allowing for flexible working hours, improving pay, and providing programmes for nurses returning to work after long breaks.
Ms Carroll said Auckland Healthcare hoped to expand creche facilities and make them more flexible.
Alternative rostering systems were also being looked at.
Nurses' Organisation northern area manager James Ritchie said nursing shortages had been caused by a lack of workforce planning over the past decade.
"The previous Government had the philosophy of believing the market would resolve the problem, leaving it largely up to the individual employer. That just hasn't been successful."
Mr Ritchie said he supported the development of a health workforce advisory committee but said it must involve doctors, nurses, unions, employers and the Government if it was to be successful.
The health industry must also look at ways to make nursing a more attractive career option for young people.
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