Picketing Whanganui nurses plead for more funds and better ratios

Wellington nurse Grant Brookes (back) with Whanganui nurses (from left) Michelle Fairburn, Linda Snelling Berg and Maura Skilton at the protest in Majestic Square. Photo / Bevan Conley

As the population increases, nurses and healthcare staff numbers need to grow too, says Michelle Fairburn, Whanganui delegate for the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa.

Fairburn was part of a group of protesting healthcare workers in Whanganui on Tuesday morning, pleading for improved staff-to-patient ratios, fairer pay and better conditions.

The protest at Majestic Square was part of the NZNO’s national Ratio Justice Bus Tour to raise awareness of the health crisis.

The tour, which started on Monday, June 10, and ends on Thursday, June 20, visits Whangārei, Kawakawa, Kerikeri, Kaitāia, Kaikohe, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatāne, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Waipukurau, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Hāwera, Whanganui, Levin, Nelson, Blenheim, Kaikōura, Christchurch, Dunedin, Balclutha, Gore, Invercargill and Queenstown.

Fairburn, who was 43 when she studied to be a nurse, said current conditions for students were unacceptable.

“It took all of my focus. There’s not a lot of support for these students. I know some people are working two jobs while also training. When I was 43, there’s no way I could have focused on two jobs and training.

“There’s also the case of rural placement, miles away from where the nurses are from, with some of them sleeping in their cars. We have many drop out because of these conditions.”

She said changing to hospital-based training was a clear, simple solution.

“Throughout our training, all we hear is ‘There’s a shortage, there’s a shortage, there’s a shortage’ but, with the way these students are treated, it’s no wonder. Hospital-based training is a simple solution but it seems the Government can’t wrap their heads around it and instead call it a big, logistical nightmare.”

Maura Skilton said training should be free.

“It goes with what Michelle said. Having that free training may be a way to get more nurses and midwives. If we have those paid hospital placements for our nurses and midwives, it’s also another incentive.

“In male-dominated trades, the apprentices are paid to operate the tools. It should be the same with nurses. Nursing is a female-dominated profession that needs more funding to deliver better-quality education. The current way it is, with nurses not being paid to train, leaves it open for debate that it’s a gender-based inequity.”

Midwife Linda Snelling Berg said the shortage of nurses and midwives was severe.

“We have midwives leaving due to burnout. It’s like this right across New Zealand so we’re here to make a stand and ask for better patient-to-staff ratios to decrease the likelihood of burnout and allow patients to be seen quicker rather than sitting in the corridors for ages or waiting long periods to see a healthcare worker.”

Snelling Berg’s father, Tony, was also at the protest to show his support.

“What we need is free healthcare and all the money spent for armaments should instead be used to give better healthcare to those in New Zealand. Rather than a defence force, it’s an offence force.

“When the rest of the world is out fighting each other, we jump in to help. Rather than putting all that money aside for that, we should make better use of those funds and use them to better care for our New Zealand people.”

Linda Snelling Berg said the support from Whanganui had been fantastic.

“Everyone agrees with what we’re saying, we do need more funding and better conditions.”