02.03.03.01. Does migration play a role in the availability of health care workers? What are the migration patterns? | New Zealand

02.03.03.01. Does migration play a role in the availability of health care workers? What are the migration patterns? | New Zealand

15 Sep 2022

There were 14,475 practising internationally qualified nurses on the Register on the 31st of March 2019: 104 Nurse Practitioners, 14,180 Registered Nurses, and 191 Enrolled Nurses. This represents 27% of the overall practising nurse workforce, 28% of Nurse Practitioners, 27% of Registered Nurses, and 8% of Enrolled Nurses (Nursing Council of New Zealand, n.d.).

MCNZ registration data indicate that the proportion of IMGs in the workforce as of 30 June 2017, was 42.6 percent. Although some IMGs only come to New Zealand for short periods, many are relocating permanently (Medical Council of New Zealand, 2018). The distribution of hospital doctors and GPs throughout the country is largely consistent with the NZ population spread. However, regions that are harder to staff tend to have a higher proportion of IMGs.

References:

Medical Council of New Zealand. (2018). The New Zealand Medical Workforce in 2018. Wellington Medical Council of New Zealand. Available from: https://www.mcnz.org.nz/assets/Publications/Workforce-Survey/434ee633ba/Workforce-Survey-Report-2018.pdf

Nursing Council of New Zealand. (n.d.). Tatauranga Ohu Mahi, Workforce Statistics. Available from: https://www.nursingcouncil.org.nz/Public/Publications/Workforce_Statistics/NCNZ/publications-section/Workforce_statistics.aspx?hkey=3f3f39c4-c909-4d1d-b87f-e6270b531145.