Hundreds of Perth nursing graduates who have been unable to find work will relocate to Britain under a five-year deal struck by the WA Health Department to address an oversupply of nurses.

It comes as new figures reveal almost 70 per cent of applicants for graduate jobs in WA public hospitals this year missed out.

Dozens of nurses unable to find work have told The West Australian they feel betrayed by the system as they believed Australia was “screaming out for nurses.” On graduating, many have encountered an extremely competitive jobs market in a tightening economy.

WA universities defended their enrolment numbers, warning of a looming nurse shortage across Australia and calling on governments to introduce longer term workforce planning policies.

Over the past five years the number of nurses applying for graduate program positions has risen from 1488 to 2112, according to WA Health. Over the same period the success rate has fallen from 62 per cent to 33 per cent.

There were 2127 applications for 721 registered nurse, enrolled nurse and midwife graduate positions for this year, with recruitment for another 31 positions to take place this month.

The department’s graduate program is not compulsory but is the most common pathway into the workforce. Newly qualified nurses can apply for other roles across the health sector, but many said this process was frustrating as these jobs often required 12 months experience.

Dr Robina Redknap, WA Health’s Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, said there continued to be an oversupply of graduates versus positions.

She revealed the Nursing and Midwifery Office had entered into a five-year partnership with the National Health Service Grampian in Scotland — which is desperate for workers — to provide jobs for newly qualified registered nurses who could not find work in WA.

“We want to do everything we can to ensure that we do not lose our novice nurses and midwives to other professions, and are confident that upon completion of their training, many will return to the WA health system with greater knowledge and experience,” she said.

Recent changes to British legislation, meaning overseas nurses are no longer required to have 12 months experience, have opened the door to graduates. The first cohort of 108 students will leave in May for two years following a recruitment drive late last year.

Among them will be 30-year-old Erin Fleetwood. Ms Fleetwood went into nursing thinking she would almost be guaranteed a job.

She had always planned to travel once graduating from Edith Cowan University last year but had hoped to gain a graduate position first. When that didn’t happen, she jumped at the chance to move to Britain.

“There are so few graduate prospects in WA (and Australia wide) so this was one of my only options,” she said.

“It feels like a bit of a betrayal to be honest, you go through a degree and they never really mention the lack of graduate positions until your final year.”

“The Government needs to increase funding for positions so the hospitals can open up more (jobs) and the unis need to either reduce their intake or at least raise the bar so it’s harder to get in.”

Jobs in the private sector are also highly sought after, with St John of God Hospital giving graduate placements to 92 enrolled and registered nurses at its hospitals. More than 1000 people applied.

Edith Cowan University School of Nursing Executive Dean Professor Di Twigg said the university capped the number of offers it made, in part to recognise how the current economic conditions affected job opportunities.

“A tightening economy often means nurses choose to remain in the workforce for longer, or move from part-time to full-time work. We need longer term workforce planning policies from governments to smooth out the peaks and troughs in demand for nurses,” she said.

Curtin University School of Nursing Professor Phillip Della said it was understandable that some graduates may feel disappointed, but pointed to nursing shortages, particularly in NSW. “Given the projected shortage of nurses, restricting intakes would impact on the supply of nurses required to provide care in the future,” he said.

Associate Professor Karen Clark-Burg, from Notre Dame School of Nursing and Midwifery, said many nurses who missed out on the graduate program went on to find employment with private hospitals, aged care homes, small day clinics and in rural communities.

“It’s important to take a broader view of the entire job market,” she said. “If you look at specialty fields of nursing like mental health, peri-operative or aged care and at rural and remote areas, there is in fact a shortage of nurses qualified to work in these areas.”

Murdoch University’s Head of Nursing, Professor Catherine Fetherston, said the university worked closely with public and private employers to gauge current and future demand.

“We also encourage our graduates to take a flexible approach to their job searches, and ensure they apply directly for roles in regional and rural areas, and in aged care and primary care, as well as for graduate programs,” she said.

Healthcare Australia recruiter Ian Newell said nurses who did not make the graduate program often ended up in other roles where they did not necessarily get the support they needed in their first year of nursing.