Nurses' strike: Hawke's Bay nursing staff at 'breaking point' fear a career-ending mistake is coming

Nurses and supporters at the NZNO strike outside Hawke's Bay Hospital. Photo / Warren Buckland

Sue Wolland receives several calls a day from nurses in Hawke's Bay who fear they will make a career-ending mistake because they've been "stretched to breaking point".

On Wednesday, nearly 400 people including New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) members in Hawke's Bay participated in a strike for better pay, more sick leave and safer work conditions.

Wolland, a NZNO strike organiser, said Hawke's Bay Hospital was "not fit for purpose", needed to be rebuilt, and the safety and wages of staff needed to prioritised.

"There's not enough staff, or beds for the community we care for," she told Hawke's Bay Today.

"We are facing serious workforce issues because the current pay rates don't attract enough staff, and because staffing levels are not what they should be and nurses are stretched so thin, it's not an attractive profession to retain the staff we do have."

She said there were between 900 and 1000 nurses' union members in Hawke's Bay.

"Because staffing levels are not where they should be, we are putting ourselves and our patients at risk," Wolland said.

"Our nurses are staying at work for longer hours, going home shattered, and end up crying from exhaustion."

Wolland said nurses were so tired and stretched, that they feared making mistakes of such significance that they could lose their licence to practice as a nurse.

"Safe staffing is the first thing which needs to be addressed, but that goes hand in hand with proper pay," she said.

"Nurses are not valued, because government is not putting enough money to attract more staff. They are doing increasing number of hours, putting themselves in unsafe situations, and Covid made it worse."

Tarryn Worsley, NZNO convenor and registered nurse for the past 12 and a half years, said during the Covid crisis, Hawke's Bay nurses were made to feel like an asset to the community, but they were undervalued now.

"We feel forgotten about, we are constantly undervalued, constantly on the backfoot," Worsley said.

"The strike is a last resort for us, we don't want to do this but the offer made was simply not good enough."

Strike notices were issued to all 20 district health boards last month by members of the NZNO notifying their intention to strike from 11am to 7pm.

Tarryn Worsley, NZNO convenor, says nurses need to feel more valued. Photo / Warren Buckland

The union wanted a 17 per cent pay rise, five more days' sick leave, and for DHBs to implement "safe staffing" practices.

The DHBs revised their offer with changes to sick leave entitlement and there was a $4000 lump sum in advance on the anticipated Pay Equity settlement.

On Monday, members of the Nurses Organisation rejected the offer and voted to go ahead with the strike.

"We are under a lot of pressure," Worsley said.

"ED is constantly full, it's a daily struggle to get staff.

"We are struggling to fill our rosters, patients don't get the care they need."

She said some of the wards at the hospital needed to be rebuilt, and some were "long overdue for upgrades".

"Nurses need to feel safe, in an environment that attracts more nurses to the profession, and retains them."

Noreen McCallan, a registered nurse of four decades, three of the four at Hawke's Bay Hospital, believed the government needed to step up its offer and make it worthwhile.

"It's frustrating not being able to look after the people we need to. We are a caring profession and we can't care the way we want to," she said.

"Not one of the nurses I know works the contracted hours they are supposed to. Every single one works more hours to support their colleagues and patients."

In response to questions around building upgrades Hawke's Bay DHB told Hawke's Bay Today that a "number of facility upgrades are already well under way and business cases are being prepared for future upgrades of Hawke's Bay Hospital.

"This work will continue at pace with the aim to have the business cases signed off before the transfer to Health New Zealand," a spokeswoman said.

She said the DHB was committed to the "Care Capacity Demand Management System/Safe Staffing" and had agreed to be a pilot site for the full implementation of the programme.

"This is a combined DHB and union partnership, which focuses on the monitoring of care capacity demand for nursing throughout Hawke's Bay Hospital and other facilities," she said.

Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Chris Mckenna said the DHB would like to thank patients and their whānau for their understanding as staff and volunteers work extremely hard to give people the care they need.

"We apologise for delays due to the strike but patient safety remains our number one priority," he said.

"We'd also like to acknowledge and thank over 90 volunteers who have had the appropriate training in advance of today's strike to assist our teams across departments and wards."

In the statement spokesperson for all 20 DHBs Dale Oliff said once the strike was over, DHBs would resume negotiations with the NZNO.

"These talks will be settled by discussion, and we'll be talking to the NZNO about next steps that are likely to include mediation or facilitation," Oliff said.