Rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of Central Coast nurses and midwives as they gathered outside Gosford Hospital on December 8 to protest unreasonable workloads and ongoing delays to resolving dangerous staffing levels.
The rally followed a similar gathering held at Wyong hospital on December 6.
The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) says members fear patient safety is being compromised as fatigued nurses and midwives regularly work overtime to meet chronic staffing shortfalls.
NSWNMA Gosford Hospital Branch President, Meg Pendrick, said nurses and midwives wanted to provide patients with the best care possible, but it was increasingly difficult due to the unreasonable workloads.
“For 22 months, we’ve been working to keep our community safe from COVID-19 and we are not receiving the support from management we need to continue this work,” she said.
The NSWNMA is continuing to campaign for nurse-to-patient ratios on every shift and safe staffing levels in maternity units.
Mandated ratios would help to ensure staffing was adequately linked to the number of patients in a ward, it says.
The union says both Gosford and Wyong Hospitals continue to suffer dangerous staffing shortfalls and routinely fail to meet the minimum number of nurses and midwives required on shift.
“With each site having approximately 80 vacant nursing and midwifery positions, nurses and midwives have no choice but to regularly work overtime to cover gaps in the roster,” a spokesperson said.
“Unplanned leave is rarely backfilled, only compounding the risks to patient safety.”
Pendrick, said nurses and midwives are routinely being asked to go above and beyond with no staffing reprieve in sight.
“Staffing shortages at Gosford Hospital have risen to unprecedented levels and nothing is being done to fix it,” she said.
“Nurses and midwives want to give patients the best care in a safe manner, but it becomes very difficult to deliver when we almost always face unreasonable workloads.
“Nurses and midwives are resigning because of the dangerous workloads and compromised patient care.”
Source:
Media release, Dec 7
NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association
This situation is partially preventable. Year after year newly graduated registered nurses cannot get jobs. Most jobs require the completion of a new grad position that lasts 12 months. There are not nearly enough new grad positions So many just walk away and that is so unnecessary. They have a University degree and are willing to work. It’s so sad and unfair. Perhaps make the new grad positions only 6 months and increase the practical learning at universities. Some University courses have very minimal on hands teacher and this also needs to change
Experienced,highly skilled nurses have and are leaving due to unsafe and unmanageable workloads.many new graduate nurses leave the profession within 2 years.our patients deserve better.management need to acknowledge the staffing crisis