A group of North Shore district nurses have been forbidden to speak about an eye-catching item of clothing.
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa — New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) members launched a week-long uniform strike on Monday, ditching uniforms for t-shirts carrying messages about staff shortages.
However delegate and district nurse Lesley Pook said members received an email that morning from management warning they were not allowed to talk to patients about the uniform strike.
The nurses could wear the t-shirts, but they could not talk about the t-shirts — even if asked.
The no-go kōrero
Pook said the service was short of six staff “at least”. “We’re often working late, unpaid. It’s just really stressful as we have to triage on a daily basis about who we can and can’t see. It’s really shocking over winter.”
It led to staff burnout and people simply quitting the job, she said.
“I think we should be able to talk to people . . . because we are speaking out in the public interest. About concerns that are very valid,” said Pook.
The service had lost two “really amazing” nurses already this year, she said. One was a new graduate who loved the job but felt overwhelmed and stressed.
“The other one has gone to Australia.”
Taking a vow of non-silence: A talking strike too
However on Tuesday afternoon, NZNO gave notice of an additional strike — effectively a strike for the balance of the week against the order to not talk about the t-shirts.
Pook said the nurses were really happy with the new tees, and they were “straight to the point”.
If patients asked about the t-shirts, “then we’ll be talking to them”, she said.
Meanwhile nurses from two other regions go on strike this week to halt redeployment to different areas of their hospitals to fill staffing gaps.
Cardiothoracic and vascular intensive care unit (CVICU) nurses at Auckland City Hospital and their colleagues from ward 4 (acute surgical services) at Whangārei Hospital launched a redeployment strike from 7am on Monday to 7am Saturday.
This would allow nurses to stay in wards with their own patients — CVICU patients in particular being very vulnerable.
Last Friday, about 180 Christchurch radiology, perioperative and post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) staff went on strike over unsafe staffing.
It followed a 24-hour strike in July by more than 36,000 members, and news that only 45 per cent of registered nursing graduates were matched to supported-entry roles at Te Whatu Ora after mid-year finals.
‘If patients ask about the t-shirts then we’ll be talking to them.’
On Monday, Robyn Shearer, executive lead industrial relations for Te Whatu Ora, said nurses were given “standard pre-strike advice” that all policies and procedures remained in place.
Te Whatu Ora had advised staff “of expected actions during the strike”. That included communication with patients, “and that it is not appropriate to discuss this strike action or wider matters relating to the ongoing collective agreement bargaining, with patients, their friends or families”.