Enrolled nursing programmes are attracting steady interest despite many of the first graduates of the new diploma struggling to find work.
A survey late last year by nurse educator group NETs found that of the first EN graduates only 56 per cent were working as enrolled nurses and only a few of those had found jobs in public hospitals.
While demand is steady for the training programmes, nursing schools are limiting intakes to the 18-month diploma to ensure supply does not outstrip demand for the new wider EN scope.
Willem Fourie, head of Manukau Institute of Technology’s nursing school, said it already had more than 100 applications for the 22 places in its third EN diploma intake starting in July. He said it chose not to offer a February intake as it wanted to keep pace with demand and turn out graduates who were likely to get jobs.
Waikato’s Wintech nursing school is also only offering a July intake and is reporting high levels of interest for the 30 places available. Likewise Whitireia Community Polytechnic has a mid-year intake and is reporting quite strong interest already, including students who do not meet the entry criteria for the BN programme.
Jane Anderson of NorthTec said it had 20 students for its second diploma intake beginning in March and it had not had a “huge number” of applications. Graduates from its first intake had struggled to find work, with only one taken on by the district health board.
Waiariki Institute of Technology’s nursing school head Ngaira Harker-Wilcox said interest in its EN programme had not been as strong as its BN programme and at the end of February had filled 16 of the 20 places in its latest intake.
Sue Gasquoine, head of Unitec’s nursing school, said it had a full EN diploma programme that got underway in February.
Cathy Andrew, head of CPIT’s nursing school, said it was still processing applications for its March intake, which will be its only intake for the year.
Southland Institute of Technology has had a steady stream of interest in its EN diploma, with strong support from local employers ensuring a good job success rate. School head Sally Dobbs said the last intake got underway in October 2012 and its next intake will not be until February 2014.
UCOL nursing head Penny O’Leary said 11 out of 15 of its first cohort of EN graduates from Whanganui had successfully found jobs.
