International Nurse Migration: Impacts on New Zealand

Abstract

As a source and destination country, nurse flows in and out of New Zealand (NZ) are examined to determine impacts and regional contexts. A descriptive statistics method was used to analyze secondary data on nurses added to the register, NZ nurse qualifications verified by overseas authorities, nursing workforce data, and census data. It found that international movement of nurses was minimal during the 1990s, but from 2001 a sharp jump in the verification of NZ-registered nurses (RNs) by overseas authorities coincided with an equivalent increase in international RNs (IRNs) added to the NZ nursing register-a pattern that has been sustained to the present. Movement of NZ RNs to Australia is expedited by the Trans-Tasman Agreement, whereas entry of IRNs to NZ is facilitated by nursing being an identified Priority Occupation. Future research needs to consider health system and nurse workforce contexts and take a regional perspective on migration patterns.

Supporting Indian nurses migrating to New Zealand: a literature review

“…Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of international registered nurses (IRNs) in New Zealand (NZ) [World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006]. By 2001, 52% of nurses gaining New Zealand Nursing Council (NCNZ) registration had received their undergraduate nursing education in a cultural context outside NZ (North 2007). Nevertheless, there have been only modest amounts of research into the patterns and rationale for IRN migration, educational needs, acculturation and socialization processes globally, let alone research specific to the IRNs who migrate to NZ.…”

Managing for quality aged residential care with a migrant workforce

“…These views are echoed in findings of a study done on migrant workers in New Zealand by North (2007) in which 98.1% of employers in New Zealand reported that the English language of their immigrant employees was adequate for the job.…”

“…It is important to note that over half the managers perceive their migrant workers to have a very high standard of written English proficiency and that they write very clear accounts of the day or shift’s events. These views are echoed in findings of a study done on migrant workers in New Zealand by North (2007) in which 98.1% of employers in New Zealand reported that the English language of their immigrant employees was adequate for the job.…”

Experience of overseas‐trained health professionals in rural and remote areas of destination countries: A literature review

“…3 This has been widely reported in the USA, [4][5][6] the UK, 7 Canada, 8-10 Australia [11][12][13] and New Zealand. [14][15][16] The overseas-trained health professionals (OTHs) working in these rural and remote areas include doctors, 4,9,17 nurses, 18,19 dentists/dental therapists [20][21][22] and pharmacists. 7,23 Given the continuation of the recruitment and presence of OTHs in rural and remote areas in many countries, this literature review sought to explore what is known about the OTHs in these areas and what issues are raised by their presence.…”