Nurses across the state, including at Yass Hospital, are once again striking to make the government listen to their pleas for more staff. With a battle cry of ”1:3 in ED!” nurses continue to drive home that current hospital staffing ratios are not just unsafe but a matter of life or death. Frustrated by the NSW government’s unwillingness to negotiate on nursing and midwifery ratios, public sector members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) have taken 24-hour strike action. Nurses and community members rallied at Yass Hospital and marched down the main street. Councillors Mayor Allan McGrath and Deputy Mayor Jasmin Jones also marched in solidarity.
Local union representatives state Yass Hospital remains dangerously understaffed and recounted how recently the hospital had only one nurse on shift across the entire hospital.
Paul Haines, President of the Nurses and Midwives Association Yass Branch, spoke during the strike, explaining that when nurses contacted the Health District, the written reply stated that the whole hospital, staffed by one nurse, on her own, ”remained safe.”
“It just proves that they’re not willing to listen or act. If every single member of a hospital are telling you that the hospital is unsafe, why do you then go on record by saying it is safe?” he said.
Cathy Grear, who has worked as a nurse at Yass Hospital for 12 years, also spoke at the strike rally.
“We are fed up with not being taken seriously and sick of feeling undervalued. We will continue to voice our concerns about unsafe ratios until we are heard.”
“We just want our hospitals safely staffed. You, the community, deserve this. We are exhausted and cannot continue to work safely at the growing capacity presenting, the continual extra hours, extra shifts, and call-backs overnight, then be able to function and perform our daily roles safely,”” she said.
Ingrid Nasralla has worked as a nurse at Yass Hospital for 7 years and has 20 years of nursing experience behind her. She explained that despite the bad conditions and lack of staff, what keeps her persevering as a nurse is being there for her colleagues, her community and keeping things safe. Additionally, Nurse Nasralla perseveres in nursing as her daughter is now studying to become a registered nurse.
“I cut down my hours here because I found it really difficult to work without a doctor and to work in such a high ratio of patients per staff members.
“We’re striking for ”1:3 in ED”, and that is not what is happening; there’s times where you cannot keep up with the triage, you cannot keep up with maintaining a safe workload”, she explained.
Paul Haines said that after moving to rural Yass Hospital from an urban hospital, he quickly realised that the nurses here are much more than just nurses.
“Not only do they have to be incredibly dynamic, knowledgeable and caring as nurses, but there are also times where we have to be administrators, pathologists, security, cleaners, and sometimes even doctors. All with very little to no support.”
Sharing a personal story, Nurse Haines told the community of when he had to rush one of his children to Yass Hospital in the middle of the night because of life-threatening croup.
“I was lucky that night, because the nurse on duty was incredibly competent and knowledgeable, and worked very quickly to administer the drugs that saved my son’s life. Thank you, Deb. I will never, ever forget what you did for my child.”
However, the chances of getting the right nurse in the hospital at the right time are becoming less likely as time goes on. With the government’s refusal to acknowledge the situation, nurses at Yass Hospital and across NSW are not expecting improvements any time soon.
“We as community members and nurses need to come together and demand effective care in our hospital. If we continue to fight, we will get better services for this wonderful town,” said Paul Haines.
Joining crowds of members and supporters in Gosford, Newcastle, Bankstown and Westmead during the day, NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said the NSW government’s refusal to consider ratios to improve patient outcomes and guarantee a safe working environment sends a message that nurses and midwives are not valued.
“It is a shame on this state that we have to continue to demonstrate, in order to give patients the care that they deserve,” said Ms Candish.
“The longer this government stalls on adopting safe nurse-to-patient ratios, the more we’ll continue to see more nurses and midwives leaving the profession. We want ratios, safer workplaces and fair pay.
“The evidence is clear from Queensland and Victoria that ratios do save lives, ratios save money, and ratios will keep nurses in health and midwives supporting mums and babies.”
“Over 3,000 nurses and midwives have moved interstate in the past few years. It’s time we caught up with the rest of the country and provided these highly skilled health professionals with the support they need to deliver the clinical care our communities deserve.”
NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary, Michael Whaites, said nurses and midwives were sick and tired of being told to keep quiet, keep working short staffed, accept overtime and turn up shift after shift, day after night.
“Nurses and midwives are constantly understaffed on their wards and units right across the state and because of this, bad patient outcomes are occurring,” said Mr Whaites outside St George Hospital.
“This is not a public health system at the top of its game. This is not a system that’s the envy of other states – nurses and midwives are leaving in droves because the health workforce has been neglected, the conditions are abhorrent, and the staffing system needs an overhaul.”
“We need safe staffing ratios in every ward, on every shift, in every hospital and health service. We need a government brave enough to accept advice from the same clinicians who have carried this state on their shoulders and are in the business of saving lives every single day.”
This is the third time this year that thousands of nurses and midwives across NSW have striked for the fight for safe staffing ratios. How many more will it take to make the government listen?
Southerly Jones
