Nurses not interested in New Zealand despite need

New Zealand is failing to attract the nurses its health workforce desperately needs, with new data showing both interest and arrivals from overseas-based nurses is well down.

Immigration NZ has revealed visa applications and acceptances from nurses and arrivals have plunged in recent months.

Figures provided to AAP show a major drop-off after August 2022, when numbers more than halve.

In the eight months from January to August last year, an average of 126 nurses arrived each month, but in the seven months since, the average is just 59.

Applications are down by a similar amount (averaging 127 each month to August 2022 and 59 each month since) as are approvals (from 124 to 59).

Just 49 nurses arrived last month, an insignificant number considering the nurses union (NZNO) believes the 55,000-strong workforce is short by around 4000-5000 already.

Kerri Nuku, the union's. organiser, said those numbers fit with her anecdotal experience.

"We're just not seeing the same interest in New Zealand at the moment," Ms Nuku told AAP.

Compounding New Zealand's struggle is a surge of interest among its workforce moving to Australia.

Last month, Radio NZ reported 4951 Kiwi nurses had registered with Australian health regulator AHPRA since August, a necessary step before crossing the ditch.

Ms Nuku suggested the total nursing workforce was shrinking at a time when it needed to grow.

"It doesn't feel like we're getting more people coming across from Australia than we have seen exiting," she said.

"I've heard of student nurses that are graduating and they've not even looked for jobs in New Zealand.

"When we've got students we're wanting to bring on board and become nurses and we can't keep them here, they're some worrying signs."

On Saturday, the NZNO is planning a national day of action for nurses, with rallies in 20 cities expected to draw thousands.

The government has made steps to keep nursing staff, agreeing to a number of pay deals.

The latest will see over 8000 community nurses - typically lower paid than those in the national hospital system - getting wage hikes of up to 15 per cent.

"I'm very pleased nurses in aged residential care, hospices, home and community support services, along with those in Maori and Pacific healthcare, will soon be receiving more money in their pockets," Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said.

However, New Zealand relies on a steady stream of overseas nurses to maintain its health workforce, and the new immigration figures show they aren't arriving, or even interested.

In December last year, Immigration Minister Michael Wood designated registered nurses on the "green list" as a profession that would receive automatic residency.

However, the data provided to AAP show applications and arrivals dropped in the first three months of 2023 from the final three months of 2022.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who announced a further widening of the green list last week, said there was "strong interest in moving to New Zealand".

"This certainly makes us very competitive in terms of the immigration pathway, and then we'll continue to work with health providers around how they make sure they are providing attractive offerings to people to want to come here."