A recent audit of Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) nursing practice in New Zealand revealed a severe shortage of nurses’ country wide. Despite this shortage, 100% of the IBD nurses are given only part-time, rather than full-time, positions (typically 0.4 – 0.6 FTE*). Compounding the problem is that IBD nurses often have other clinical responsibilities such as liver care, endoscopy, and general gastroenterology which takes significant time away from their IBD practice.

After doing this audit, the New Zealand IBD Nurses Group Committee wrote a ‘Call to Action’, highlighting the above shortage, as well as the recent resignations of 6 nurses nationwide. It was sent to CCNZ and the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology in May 2022, requesting their support to address this shortage.

IBD Nurses and Nurse Practitioners are passionate about the work they do. They work tirelessly to ensure that they meet the needs of their patients by providing access via phone and email, running nurse-led clinics for education and support, and reviewing patients when they are acutely unwell. Our nurses are skilled and experienced within the specialty and have post-graduate qualifications to underpin these advanced nursing roles. Despite this, some nurses are leaving due to understaffing and being overworked. It is devastating to lose these experienced senior nurses who cannot easily be replaced.

NZSG president Dr Zoe Raos, was sympathetic to our ‘Call to Action’ and we collaborated with NZ Gastroenterology Nurses College to write a letter to the Minister of Health, Andrew Little in November 2022. In this letter we outlined the importance of the role of IBD Nurses in the care of patients with IBD nationwide and highlighted the current workforce challenges. We identified that the total nationwide workforce is 10.25 FTE IBD Nurses in Aotearoa/New Zealand which is extremely low in comparison to other countries. With an estimated 20,000 patients with IBD in Aotearoa/New Zealand and using the recommended nurse-to-patient ratio of 500 patient to 1 IBD Nurse, we fall short by 23 IBD Nurses nationwide. CCNZ's National IBD Care Working Group has made this issue its top priority for 2023.

The NZIBDNG will continue to work on this issue so that all patients across Aotearoa/New Zealand have equal access to IBD Nurses to support them. We would also encourage you, or any active patients or parents of those with the condition to get vocal and support the need for further IBD nurses across the country by contacting us directly.  

Written by Marian O’Connor

On behalf of the NZIBDNG Committee 

Email: marianibdnurse@outlook.co.nz

*FTE = Full time equivalent