NZNO Kaiwhakahaere in New York calls again for a Māori nursing workforce strategy

1
11

In New York this morning NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku addressed the United Nations forum of the United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous People (UNDRIP). Ms Nuku repeated her message that without a Māori nursing workforce strategy, the aim to attract and retain thousands more Māori nurses into nursing would never be realised.

“It is unacceptable that nothing has been done to attract more Māori into nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand since I last addressed the UNDRIP forum two years ago,” Ms Nuku said.

“It is clear that matching the demographics of the workforce to population, ethnic makeup improves health outcomes. Culturally appropriate health services are economically sensible and the right thing to do for our indigenous people.

“Māori nurses offer a whānau and holistic approach to health and wellbeing and this is proving effective for Māori, particularly in deprived areas. I don’t see a decent commitment to rolling out this approach where needed, or the funding commitment to pay Māori nurses working with Māori health employers on a par with other health providers.
“Some nurses working in DHBs and other primary health care services have pay rates up to 20 percent higher than those paid to nurses working for Maori/ iwi providers.
“Clearly, the Government is not fulfilling its obligations under Article 20, Convention 169 of the International Labour Organisation agreement to do everything possible to prevent discrimination between workers, and achieve equal remuneration for work of equal value,” she said.

In addition, Ms Nuku says currently Māori nurses make up seven percent of the nursing workforce yet the Māori population is around fifteen percent.

“I am calling again for a Māori nursing workforce strategy so that the eight percent shortfall can be recruited to the New Zealand nursing workforce.

“We will need over ten thousand more Māori nurses by 2028 to match population need. Where is the vision and drive to achieve that? I believe the under representation of Māori in the health workforce is structural discrimination and NZNO has lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission about this,” Ms Nuku explained.

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

1 COMMENT

  1. Well I hope its better than the one school for all police national stratagy, or better than our national water startagy and so on.

    Shit id settle for one quality number ten and one quality number 7 for the Auckland Blues. Whats amazing about the blues is theyve started recycled boots programs and food programs so basically the blues are running there own social programes to boost the pool of skills and players because you cant have hungry kids playing agianst each other in sport because you lose quality games and skills. The crusaders nurtures its talent differently as well as the Chiefs and so on. Because Christchurch is smaller than Auckland they can afford to keep player combinations in the same teams for longer just by being smaller. Christurch boys high has over ten 1st 15’s for example where auckland high schools have one 1st 15 each so scale produces differing results.

    The police pretty much has one school for the whole nation and that produces gaps in capabilities of investogation and arrest because national standards are just a bench mark to bounce off of because learning never stops. I hear story after story of officers in grief recalling times when if they had of gone a little bit outside thier training but with in the law a little girl might be alive right now.

    So national standards are wishy washy but they are a ligit way of capturing crown funds because crown funds are allocated to different standards set by people who have to worry about things that dont always concern the medical fraternity.

Comments are closed.