Nurses graduating in Fiji between 2001 and 2010: sufficient supply for Fiji's health service demands?

SETTING

Fiji's schools of nursing and government health services, 2001-2010.

OBJECTIVES

To report on 1) the number and characteristics of nurses who graduated in Fiji, 2) the proportion of vacant nursing positions in the government health services and 3) attrition among nurses.

DESIGN

Descriptive study involving a retrospective record review of Ministry of Health annual reports and nursing registers.

RESULTS

Over the period 2001-2010, a total of 1500 nurses graduated, with the overall trend being a gradual increase in newly qualified nurses year on year. Available data from 2007 onwards showed relatively low vacancy rates (range 0.4-2%), with a sharp rise to 15% in 2009. Complete data on nurse attrition were available only from 2007 onwards, with rates of attrition ranging from 4% to 10%; the most common reason for attrition was resignation.

CONCLUSION

While it was unable to directly assess whether Fiji's supply of nursing graduates has been meeting the country's health service demands, this study provides a series of baseline data on Fiji's nurse graduate and nursing workforce. In addition, it identifies some of the challenges and gaps that need to be considered to better assess and address nursing staff shortages.