Chinese nurses could help shortage
5:00AM
Wednesday April 09, 2008
By Craig Borley
The expected influx of Chinese nurses will bring multiple benefits to New Zealand's health system, experts say. Photo / Reuters
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The nursing shortage could be slashed by this week's signing of the free trade agreement with China.
Up to 1000 Chinese workers, in 20 trades classified as being understaffed in New Zealand, can now live here for up to three years, provided they meet qualification standards.
Nursing is one of those trades, and the expected influx of Chinese nurses will bring multiple benefits to the country's health system, experts told the Herald yesterday.
With nurse vacancies at all the country's district health boards - and some of those vacancy levels extreme - the Chinese nurses would be welcome, Ministry of Health nursing chief Mark Jones said.
New Zealand had a unique ability to get the best out of its foreign-trained nurses, and the new arrivals would be no exception.
He said there had been tension in the past with a belief in some quarters that there were too many foreign nurses in New Zealand.
"But we really welcome the added value these foreign nurses bring into the country. We're really positive about this move."
