The New Zealand Government has added aged care and mental health to its voluntary bonding scheme in a bid to bolster nursing in the embattled sectors.

The scheme encourages health graduates to establish careers in hard-to-staff specialties and communities in the country through student loan write-offs or cash incentives for three to five years.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said adding aged care and mental health to the list of specialties would encourage more nurse graduates to work in the community.

And he said those graduates will have priority over existing hard-to-staff specialties such as cardiothoracic, intensive care, theatre and surgical.

Mr Ryall also announced four new areas have been added to the midwifery hard-to-staff list including Hawkes Bay, Hutt Valley, Taranaki and Waitemata but said there were also difficulties in attracting staff to Northland Wairarapa, Counties Manukau, Whanganui, Taupo, South Canterbury, West Coast and Southland.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation applauded the move.

NZNO mental health section member and manager of Queenstown’s community mental health team Verona Cournane said the announcement would be "very good" for the specialty.

"It recognises the difficulties ofrecruiting and retaining staff in these areas," she said.

NZNO gerontology section member and nursing lecturer Gill Meek said she was pleased to see aged care made a priority under the scheme.

"While this is one way to encourage new nurses to begin a rewarding career in nursing older people, ensuring parity of pay and conditions with nurses working in district health boards would further secure staff retention in the sector," she said.

Around 1400 nursing, midwifery and medical graduates are signed up to the government scheme.

Mr Ryall said this year’s intake would be limited to 350 graduates due to financial constraints.

Registrations close April 29. For more information visit www.moh.govt.nz/bonding