The Philippines trained nurse, who is a lecturer at AUT’s nursing school, was this week announced the joint winner of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation award – a shared trophy and $2000 each – with long-term conditions nurse Rosita Richards.
Montayre said receiving the award gave himself and his fellow IQNs (internationally qualified nurses) in New Zealand a sense that their work was valued. “It recognises our contribution to nursing in New Zealand. It sends a message to all IQNs out there that we are valued and hopefully they will remain nursing in New Zealand.”
The 30-year-old who came to New Zealand in 2011 said he was aware that there were tensions over recruiting more IQNs into the country because of concerns about locally trained new graduates not getting jobs.
“Being a nursing lecturer myself – training the future generation of nurses of this country – I believe that we need to do more and better to retain all nurses currently in the country.”
With international shortages of nurses looming in the future he said every developed country would be looking for nurses and he wondered what New Zealand’s standing would be in the international nursing job market when that time came.
“I think we need to do more about local nurse retention and getting our new graduates jobs but at the same time giving more value and recognition to IQNs contribution to the profession otherwise they will leave.” Montayre added locally trained nurses would also go offshore for work
The young award winner graduated with his nursing degree aged just 19 (after accelerating through the secondary school system) and following around two years working as an acute care nurse began teaching at a nursing school in the Philippines as well as gaining his masters degree. “Teaching has been my passion ever since – I’ve been teaching since my 21stbirthday.”
After talking to some friends already in New Zealand he came here in 2011 and following a CAP course at Otago Polytechnic re-started his nursing career by first working in residential aged care in Invercargill and then on a medical ward in Southland Hospital before gaining a teaching position at SIT (Southern Institute of Technology) in 2012. In 2015 he gained his PhD and took up his current position at AUT (Auckland University of Technology) where he is a lecturer in both the undergraduate and postgraduate nursing programmes. He is also chair of the research committee of the Filipino Nurses Association in New Zealand (FNANZ).
NZNO’s President Grant Brookes said the calibre of this year’s joint Young Nurse of the Year winners proved the future of nursing was in good hands. “They are outstanding role models, passionate about their profession and committed to improving the health of New Zealanders.”
Runner-up in this year’s award is Emily Rushton, a health educator and climate change campaigner, based in Auckland.
