Just over half of overseas-trained nurses are still nursing in New Zealand six years after registering here, a longitudinal cohort study has found.
In contrast, nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of Kiwi-trained nurses registered in the same year were still actively nursing in New Zealand in 2012.
The Nursing Council study also found that the vast majority had not given up on nursing, or nursing in New Zealand, in the future, with nearly 95 per cent retaining a New Zealand annual practising certificate (APC) in 2012. The recession also appears to have made an impact, with the percentage of non-practising nurses applying for APCs peaking in 2010.
The longitudinal study retrospectively followed the career pattern of nearly 2600 nurses registered in the 2005–06 year by analysing the questionnaire data provided during the annual renewal of their APC.
The Nursing Council commissioned the cohort study to increase its knowledge of the workforce and assist future planning. Council chief executive Carolyn Reed said the study contained some “interesting information” that would become more meaningful as time goes on.
She said the Council was now to follow up the first study by following the 2012–13 cohort of registrants to gain a snapshot of what the similarities and differences were between different cohorts.
“As we know that the IQN (internationally qualified nurse) profile will be different for 2012 registrants than it was in 2005.”
The majority of the IQN 2005–06 cohort was educated in the United Kingdom (52 per cent) followed by the Philippines (10 per cent) and Australia and Zimbabwe (both 8 per cent).
The recession appears to have influenced retention rates and employment patterns for the whole cohort, with the graph showing both dipping before rising and steadying nearly identically as the recession hits, but with the percentage of IQN nurses nursing consistently trailing 18–20 per cent lower than the New Zealand-trained nurses.
Not surprisingly for both cohorts, the most common employer was district health boards, though this declined noticeably for the New Zealand-trained new graduates over the six years. The percentage working in primary healthcare settings increased for both cohorts over the same time frame.
The study findings may also reflect a Nursing Council statistical breakdown of nurses seeking to cross the Tasman in 2007–08 (provided at Nursing Review’s request back in 2008). That breakdown showed that – despite overseas-trained nurses making up less than a quarter of the New Zealand workforce – overseas-trained nurse made up nearly half of the 866 nurses looking to work in Australia that year.
Nursing cohort retention rates 2006-2012*
NZ-trained cohort
• 1,323 NZ-trained nurses registered in 2005–06.
• Average age at registration: 28 years old.
• 84% were actively practicing in 2007.
• 72% were actively practicing in 2012.
• But nearly 96% still maintained a NZ APC.
Overseas-trained cohort
• 1,273 overseas-trained nurses registered in 2005-06.
• Average age at registration: 34 years old.
• 69% were actively practicing in 2007.
• 53% were actively practicing in 2012.
• But nearly 93% still maintained an NZ APC.
*Source: 2005/2006 Nursing Cohort Report
Comparison with 1998**
• 58% of NZ-trained nurses still practicing 3–5 years post-registration.
• 56% of overseas-trained nurses still practicing 3–5 years post-registration.
**(NB In 1998 the overseas-trained retention rate plummeted to 19 per cent 6–8 years after registering in New Zealeand while the NZ-trained only dropped to 53%).***
**Source: Cohort Remainder Rate from Nursing Council Workforce Data Report 2000 (includes midwives)
