English Testing For All Nurses

From 1 January 2009 all nurses who qualified outside New Zealand, including those from English speaking countries such as the UK, USA, South Africa and Canada, will need to pass an English language test before they can register in New Zealand. Nurses trained in Australia are exempt from completing the assessment by the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act.

For some time now, English testing has been required for nurses who qualified in countries where English is not the first language. Applicants have needed to score at least 7.0 in each band of an IELTS test, or a B pass in all categories of the Occupational English Test (OET). (An IELTS score of 7 is same as that required by people from non-English speaking countries who wish to undertake teacher training in New Zealand.)

NZNO (New Zealand Nurses Organisation) chief executive Geoff Annals believes the new language requirement is ludicrous:

“There is a critical shortage of nurses internationally and both public and private sector employers here are desperate for nurses. Our health system depends on overseas nurses but the Council is putting up yet more barriers to registration. Nurses who have responded to NZNO’s research project into the experience of migrant nurses have reported frustration at the delays and difficulties in gaining registration with the Nursing Council. Here is a policy guaranteed to increase those delays and difficulties and it could be the tipping point in turning nurses away from New Zealand.”

“The Fact New Zealand-trained nurses have to sit IELTS to gain registration in the United Kingdom (UK) is equally ludicrous.”

New Zealand’s health workforce has a high proportion of migrant nurses – estimates range from 23 to 27 percent of the registered nursing workforce. Last year, overseas-trained nurses accounted for 59 percent of all new Nursing Council registrations. Almost 40 percent of overseas-trained nurses working in New Zealand are from the UK.

Explaining the policy change, made at its August meeting, Nursing Council chief executive Marion Clark said it was to ensure all overseas-trained nurses were treated consistently and fairly.