Report of the Ministerial Taskforce on Nursing

Report of the Ministerial Taskforce on Nursing
Date of publication: August 1998

Foreword
In February this year I announced the establishment of the Ministerial Taskforce on Nursing to undertake the first major review of nursing in New Zealand for more than 15 years.

I chose to establish the Taskforce in response to calls from nurses and nursing organisations who had been telling me that there were obstacles to the nursing profession realising its full potential with respect to health service delivery. I thought it was important to make sure that the health sector effectively uses what nurses have to offer.

I believe that there can be much smarter utilisation of nursing skills. The nursing profession needs to continue to adapt to meet the challenge of radically changing delivery of health care.

My intention was that the Taskforce would consider a whole cluster of inter-related issues pertaining to health care and nursing. The Taskforce has now completed that exercise and this report documents their findings, recommendations for the Minister of Health, and suggested strategies for change.

The Taskforce has faced a mammoth task and a short timeframe. I am aware of the many hours of work which the Taskforce members have put into meetings, consultation and drafting this report. The completion of this report is no small measure of the dedication shown by those involved.

The process employed by the Taskforce has encouraged dialogue and has brought the issues to the attention of some of the key players. It is my hope that the release of this report will continue to encourage debate and discussion about the role and potential of nursing. I hope that nurses will take the time to read this document and think about the opportunities for them to help paint the picture of a health sector which can deliver quality health services in a more responsive, innovative, effective, accessible and collaborative manner.

I look forward with interest to considering the recommendations and strategies contained in this report.

Hon Bill English
Minister of Health

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