Kelera Ditaiki 
[file/photo]
Nurses are calling for clearer pathways for returning nurses as part of the review of the Nursing Act.
During the public consultation, submissions were made for the Act to include clear licensing provisions for nurses returning from overseas or those who have been out of formal employment.
Licensed nurses proposed that the law provide options such as inactive licenses and clearer guidelines for re-entry into the workforce.
Ame Kaloutagitagi, a registered nurse, has proposed that nurses should retain their registration and licence even when working overseas or in non-clinical roles, without being considered as having “broken service”.
“The Act must ensure that terms such as broken service, which is not a thing as nurses who go overseas for joint practice outside of government, remains with active registration and licensing. There must be provision for inactive license, where nurses are given the option to seek.”
Kaloutagitagi says, this will make it easier for qualified nurses to return to the workforce while preserving their professional standing.
Committee member Laisiana Tupati says, re-entry processes already exist, but the review is a chance to strengthen them in the new Act.
The recommendation aims to make it easier for qualified nurses to return to practice while ensuring they meet professional standards
