Enrolled nurses must be reinstated
new-zealand-national-party
Thu Jul 05 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Enrolled nurses must be reinstated
Thursday, 5 July 2007, 10:12 am
Press Release: New Zealand National Party
Dr Jackie Blue MP
National Party Associate Health Spokeswoman
05 July 2007
Enrolled nurses must be reinstated
The Government must reinstate the name and status of the Enrolled Nurse says National's Associate Health spokeswoman Jackie Blue.
Dr Blue is commenting on a recommendation by Parliament's Regulation Review Committee. It has considered a New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) complaint over a 2003 Nursing Council decision to change the 'Enrolled Nurse' name to 'Nurse Assistant' for those that had trained post 2000.
The Committee recommended that those nurses who began training or graduated between 2000 and 18 September 2004 retain the title ‘Enrolled Nurse’.
Dr Blue was adamant the recommendation did not go far enough.
“Enrolled Nurses have been a highly valued part of the health workforce for more than 30 years, making up a stable 12.5% of the nursing workforce.
“The Nursing Council's unilateral decision to change the name was a most unusual step to have taken, when there was no actual change in the quality of training and the majority opinion from the sector was to retain the title ‘Enrolled Nurse’.
“The NZNO has insisted that the name change had been detrimental as the nurses felt demeaned, under valued and demoted. They said it had caused a loss of confidence, and confusion with the public and prospective employers.
“A concerning consequence was that the numbers of students in training had dropped significantly. One polytech which offered the training course had to pull its course because of low enrolments.”
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Currently Enrolled Nurses can only train in aged care or long-term rehabilitation.
“The Government must not only re instate the name, but encourage widening the areas they can train and practice in. We face critical shortages in the health workforce and we need to be embracing and fully utilising these highly valued professionals, not turning them away.
“The irony is that in 1999 the Labour Party campaigned on recognising, retaining and developing Enrolled Nurses as an important part of the health work force.
“But the exact opposite has been happening,” says Dr Blue.
ENDS
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