Nurses And Midwives Invited To Return To Practice Under Supportive Initiative

Nurses and midwives who have left the workforce are being invited to return through a supportive Return to Practice Programme at MidCentral DHB.

An open day to discuss the Return to Practice Programme for both nursing and midwifery professions will be held at Palmerston North Hospital on Saturday, 6 November .

Nurses and midwives will have the opportunity to learn more about how they can return to practice and be able to discuss their options with senior MDHB staff.

MidCentral DHB Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery Celina Eves said there had never been a more exciting time to return to nursing or midwifery with the COVID-19 vaccination rollout having put nurses and healthcare workers in the public eye.

“However, we are still predicting shortages of experienced nursing and midwifery staff, and Māori nurses in particular, as the health system works towards health equity.

“We know that qualified nurses and midwives who have left the workforce already have the skills and experience to make a big difference to our people and their whānau, so we are keen to get them back.”

To support the return to practice, MidCentral DHB is offering a supportive programme that will assist in updating any required knowledge and skills so experienced nurses and midwives can return with competence and confidence.

Ms Eves said there were different opportunities and support available depending on each person’s situation, how long they had been out of practice and if they were still registered.

“Anyone can come along to our open day to meet with our senior nursing and midwifery staff to discuss opportunities and how we can support you,” she said.

Clinical, theoretical and cultural support is on offer as part of the programme.

MidCentral DHB’s Return to Practice midwifery programme offered the unique opportunity to work across both secondary hospital maternity care and primary birthing at Te Papaioea Birthing Centre.

“We want to boost our midwifery workforce with experienced staff who have done this before and are ready to return to a supportive working environment,” Ms Eves said.

“We are offering a generous development package to support you back to the profession and give you the best possible chance to return to midwifery.”

The Return to Practice open day will be at the MidCentral DHB Board Office, at Palmerston North Hospital, Gate 2 entrance off Heretaunga St, on Saturday 6 November from 10.30am to 2pm.

For Frequently Asked questions on our Return to Practice Nursing Programme, please click here.

You can RSVP to the drop-in session on Facebook here: https://bit.ly/3BiSwhT.

For more information, contact Yvonne Stillwell on yvonne.stillwell@midcentraldhb.govt.nz.

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