Nurses trained in India and the Philippines may have to sit an exam and face tougher English language requirements to nurse in New Zealand.
The Nursing Council of New Zealand has released a consultation document proposing a third and tougher registration “pathway” for overseas registered nurses not trained in countries with a similar nursing education, RN role, or health care system to New Zealand.
The consultation document said “frequent concerns” have been expressed over some overseas-trained nurses’ communication skills despite the nurses having met the current English language test requirements.
It also notes the trend in the past five years away from the United Kingdom being the dominant source of overseas-trained nurses to now being the third after the Philippines and India.
The Council said there are “inherent difficulties” in comparing nursing qualifications when the education and health care systems are very different to those of New Zealand. It also stated the role of an RN in other countries can be “significantly different” in terms of the accountability, responsibility, and leadership that is expected of a New Zealand graduate. The Council was consulting on new qualification and registration standards for internationally qualified nurses (IQNs) to ensure they were sufficient to protect public safety.
At present, there are two pathways – reciprocal registration for nurses registered in Australia and a separate pathway for all other IQNs, including an English language assessment and being assessed as meeting the New Zealand RN education standards.
The Council proposes a separate, second pathway for nurses educated in English-speaking countries with similar RN training and health systems, including Canada, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the USA. These applicants would have to prove educational equivalence but would no longer be required to sit an English language test or be required to undergo a competence assessment programme (CAP) or sit an exam.
Unlike nurses qualified in all other countries, including India and the Philippines, who will be assessed under the proposed third pathway, which includes a tougher English test and a CAP that may be longer, more theory intensive, and include an exam.
In particular, nurses from countries considered not to have a similar education preparation or health care system to New Zealand may be required by Council to pass an examination to help verify that their nursing knowledge meets New Zealand standards. The Council is also considering changing CAPs to include assisting overseas nurses adapt to nursing in the New Zealand health system and may increase the theory, assessment and length of clinical placements in such programmes.
It also proposes that nurses on the third pathway will have to achieve a score of seven in the speaking, listening, reading, and writing bands of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in just one sitting rather than within 12 months as currently allowed. Likewise, they would have to gain a B or A pass in all areas in one sitting of the Occupational English Test (OET).
The Council noted that CAP providers “frequently” reported that some applicants found it “challenging” to communicate with the often elderly clients they work with during their clinical assessment, despite having met the Council’s English language requirements.
Other proposed changes include the requirement that all future applicants must possess a nursing degree at the same level as a New Zealand degree (or a diploma accredited by the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council). Applicants may also be required to have two years post-registration clinical experience and current registration.
The consultation document can be downloaded at the Nursing Council website www.nursingcouncil.org.nz Submissions close on June 30.
