Nurses carry a system in collapse by Abby Buckthought

NURSES CARRY A SYSTEM IN COLLAPSE

‘As the pandemic has made clearer than ever, these are the people we will rely on to keep us alive and functioning as a nation . . .’

ABBY BUCKTHOUGHT compares two essential career options and asks why there is no equity.

Many women live and work in a badly wounded system of social and gender disorder in critical careers. New graduate registered nurses in a district health board start on a salary of $54,034 per year. After PAYE, this is $44,052 per year, which is $847 per week, or $21.18 per hour. The starting salary for a police officer is $61,325, which becomes $49,055 after PAYE, then $943 per week, or $23.58 per hour. They also receive a superannuation subsidy of $6,245, as well as up to $7,500 in allowances, overtime, and other payments. To become a registered nurse, one must undergo three years of full-time study, during which they complete level 5, 6, and 7 papers in a tertiary environment, and gain 1,200 hours of practical experience before they must sit the Nursing Council of New Zealand’s State Examination to become registered and practice. This costs $20,000 before living expenses, not to mention the fact that placement is often unpaid. To become a police officer, an individual must complete 16 weeks of training at the Royal New Zealand Police College, and a 12-week university distance learning course. During their 16 weeks of training, they receive an annual salary of $44,980, as well as a superannuation subsidy of $4580, and an insurance subsidy of $280. They then undertake an ‘on-the-job development programme,’ where they are supervised, supported, and assessed throughout the first two years of their career, though they are paid $61,325 straight out of Police College. It is worth drawing parallels between the two careers because the responsibilities are somewhat similar. Both jobs serve the public sector, require shift work, and involve challenging, even dangerous situations. The biggest factor explaining pay disparity between the two roles is that nursing is a female-dominated field while policing is a male-dominated field. This is no coincidence – other male-dominated positions such as bus drivers and trade apprentices are paid throughout their training. Midwifery, teaching, and childcare are among similarly under-compensated female-dominated career pathways. In a country priding itself on being modern and progressive, this inequity and blatant systemic sexism expose our collective truth – and we should be ashamed. For students, a future in healthcare in Aotearoa looks increasingly unappealing, and with an ageing population, this is not just a crisis waiting to happen, but one visibly in action. Any healthcare worker will be able to tell you this. Yet, Prime Minister Ardern has labelled a wage increase for nurses ‘unsustainable’ following nurses strikes, saying that ‘as much as she wishes she could reward everyone who has worked so hard throughout the pandemic, it has cost the country too much to afford to pay nurses more’. Equity is no reward and the conditions in which nurses labour is what is unsustainable, especially during the cost-of-living crisis we are currently enduring. As the pandemic has made clearer than ever, these are the people who we will rely on to keep us alive and functioning as a nation. We owe nurses their own livelihoods in return, at the very least. Our healthcare system is a cornerstone to society, and it needs to be rightly prioritised. We are nothing without our health.