Nurses take action for better conditions, better pay, more staff

WE’VE HAD ENOUGH: Gisborne nurses present their case to the public for better conditions, better pay and more nurses at Heipipi-Endeavour Park on Saturday. The rally was part of a national campaign in which the New Zealand Nurses Organisation is asking political parties how they would resolve “the nursing crisis”. Picture by Paul Rickard

Nursing is “horrible” and some go home from Gisborne Hospital crying.

So say two of the Tairāwhiti nurses who campaigned on Saturday for better conditions, more nurses and better pay to resolve a “nursing crisis”.

Nurses met at Heipipi-Endeavour Park, despite the wet weather, and with banners and the support of family members, they walked to Kelvin Park where speakers presented their case.

The rally was part of the nationwide Rise Up or Marangi Mai campaign featuring New Zealand Nurses Organisation members involved in united action, regardless of the area of nursing they work such as hospitals, aged care, Māori and iwi, primary healthcare, Plunket or hospice.

Gisborne Hospital NZNO delegate Teresa Fisher told The Herald that nurses were feeling undervalued.

“We’re being left to it. Wards are extremely short-staffed (Te Whatu Ora-Tairāwhiti had 41 nursing vacancies on March 30). There isn’t any relief in sight.”

Nurses had the support of the public, she said.

“All the patients who come into the hospital can see how busy and stressed everybody is.

“Nurses go home crying at the end of the day because they can’t look after every patient (as much as they want to).”

Ward 5 registered nurse Teri-Anne said nursing was “horrible at the moment”.

They were physically and emotionally drained and “way understaffed”.

She knew some nurses from Ward 9 who had moved to Australia.

“Really good nurses are leaving our ward.”

Registered nurse Andrea Seymour said nurses were leaving and not being replaced at the same rate.

“Staff are turning up to work. There’ll be three on the roster and there should be six.”

Nurses were being deployed from other areas but did not feel comfortable working in an unfamiliar environment.

Ms Seymour criticised the Government for taking so long to give overseas nurses urgent immigration status.

NZNO president Anne Daniels said it was  extremely positive and affirming to hear that people came to support the 19 rallies held across New Zealand.

“Every nurse throughout the country knows what we need and are standing up for that, and it is only going to get bigger and louder.”

She attended the rally in Wellington, where more than 2000 nurses and members of the public were present and marched from Civic Square to Parliament.

The rallies were a great opportunity to call on political parties to have policies this election to address the nursing crisis, she said.