‘We are sick and tired of being burnt out’ — safe staffing bus tour starts with a sizzle in the far North

The ratio justice bus tour runs from June 10 to 21 and is part of NZNO — Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa’s campaign for mandated nurse/midwife-to patient ratios across the health system.

‘ Most days are not safe — it’s very scary.’

In Nelson, nurse Jackie Diago said she and colleagues were demanding safe workplaces, for staff and patients.

“We are sick and we are tired of being burnt out and we can’t provide the care we want to for our patients. It’s not safe — most days are not safe.  It’s very scary,” she told Kaitiaki.

‘It does make us feel a bit horrible if we can’t deliver the patient care we want.’

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Diago said the hospital was regularly understaffed, forcing staff to rush which risked things being missed.

But in Nelson today, she said they were “having a blast” kicking off the campaign with an atmosphere that was a mix of anger, frustration and people “happy we are taking steps”.

Speaking from Kawakawa, Northland nurse Chantelle Thompson said in the hospital where she worked, staffing had been okay until the recent Te Whatu Ora budget-tightening which had left them short-staffed again.

“It does make us feel a bit horrible if we can’t deliver the patient care we want,” she said. “Especially if someone needs some TLC or extra support, and we don’t have enough staff.”

Thompson said it had already been difficult to fill night shifts before and now staff were being put in professionally risky situations without enough hands.

“The higher our workload, the higher the safety risk for us — and for people we want to delivery quality care to,” she said.

In Palmerston North, mental health nurse Saju Cherian said nurses were enjoying lots of public support despite “pretty crap” weather.

‘This tells me we have the power of the public behind us. And this campaign — we will win it.’

NZNO president Anne Daniels said from Nelson members were enjoying “amazing” public support.

“People seem well informed about how hard nurses have to work just to keep people safe.  This tells me we have the power of the public behind us. And this campaign — we will win it.”

Daniels said it was not only about numbers, but skill mix and culturally safe care for everyone, including Māori and Pacific. More Māori and Pacific nurses were needed to care for those growing populations.

Aged care and primary health also had high need of safer staffing levels, she said.

Last month’s Budget did little more than “keep the lights on . . . and it’s not going to meet the needs and aspirations of the Pae Ora [Health Futures] Act [2022], which is to have a healthy country, not a sick one”, Daniels said.

“This Government is one of broken promises and people are actually aware of what it’s going to take to get the care they need, particularly in primary health care.”

Recent Te Whatu Ora data released to NZNO showed how consistently understaffed hospitals were, which made it difficult for nurses to provide safe care as required by their nursing competencies, Daniels said.

“It’s about giving patients the care they deserve.”

NZNO is campaigning for legislated  nurse-to-patient ratios, as have been introduced California, British Colombia (Canada), Ireland, Wales and many parts of Australia.

Queensland introduced patient ratios in 2016 for acute medical and surgical wards, and some mental health units, after nearly 10 years of lobbying by the Queensland Nurses & Midwives Union (QNMU). In 2019, it was extended to all adult acute mental health wards.  In 2023, Queensland also committed to implement midwifery ratios in all public maternity wards by 2026.

NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter said evidence showed ratios brought better health outcomes for patients and less burnout for health workers.

One Kiwi nurse recently described to Kaitiaki her experience of working with mandated ratios in Queensland, saying they allowed her to give proper patient care.