NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says the organisation wants government-funded nursing recruitment drives. Photo / Ian Cooper
NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says the organisation wants government-funded nursing recruitment drives. Photo / Ian Cooper
Hawke's Bay has 40 new graduate nurses to replace a void filled by a staff turnover, and their skills are set to be put to the test over the next few months.
New Zealand Nurses' Union Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says the 40 won't be enough to replace the experience Hawke'sBay DHB has lost from its workforce of 1121 nurses in the past year, and predicts they will be under "enormous strain" even before an outbreak of Covid hits.
The Ministry of Health says all DHBs, including Hawke's Bay, had done significant work to prepare for both managing Covid in the community and any surge in case numbers.
It says shortages of nurses is a global issue, and the pandemic has highlighted the importance of growing and maintaining NZ's workforce, for which it has launched several initiatives.
These include $2 million allocated to DHBs to support critical care surge training initiatives covering 1400 staff, increasing DHB nurse educators, increased Nurse Entry to Practice training and new scholarships.
It has also provided priority MIQ allocation of 300 places per month for qualified nurses returning from overseas and an international recruitment campaign targeting ICU nurses led by the DHBs was starting this month.
Nuku, of Ngati Kahungunu and Nga Tai descent, told Hawke's Bay Today she knew around 20 nursing staff with years of experience had left the DHB in the past six months, and there had been 17 resignations of skilled nurses in the past four months.
"It's not just about recruiting more staff. It's about the skill and their capabilities which will be replacing the skills and capabilities of nurses who have left."
A Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) was issued to Hawke's Bay Hospital, on behalf of the ED nurses, in late-September.
The PIN highlighted their concerns around the working conditions at the ED, including patient numbers exceeding department capacity, and low staffing numbers.
The ED PIN has now been closed after recruitment approval for designated security, a change in staff patient ratio approval, and an agreement to create a plan to move patients through ED more efficiently.
But Nuku said safe staffing remains a critical concern.
Nuku said in 2013 she became aware that baby boomer nurses would be retiring close to 2025 but nothing was done.
"We should have done something to recruit and retain, but we didn't."
She said graduate nurses requiring years of support couldn't compete with nurses leaving with years of experience.
"Come Omicron, and come winter, we will see the system collapsing under the strain."
She said there would be requirement of reduction in services, ward closures, elective surgeries would be put on hold as things "buckled" in an outbreak.
"That will mean our Covid patients will not get the best quality care. It will also cause delayed surgeries and cancelled clinics, which will hugely affect the population, especially when it comes to minimising preventable illnesses and treating diseases like cancer."
Nuku said the Government needed to listen and respond to the concerns of health workers at the coalface.
She said NZNO was calling for government-funded nursing recruitment drives, free nursing study, prioritised MIQ spots specifically for nurses and health care workers, supply of the best PPE, rapid antigen testing and robust home isolation procedures.
"We have more than 3500 vacancies for nurses throughout the country, and we are competing with overseas countries to retain them."
She said pay equity should be extended to all nurses regardless of their practice setting.
A Ministry of Health (MOH) spokesperson said continuing to effectively manage the response to the Covid outbreak was key to limiting the demands placed on hospital capacity.
"This includes DHBs undertaking preparedness plans including regional planning to share skills, resources and how to co-ordinate responses.
"DHBs have identified staffing needs and are providing training and refresher courses for staff from across their organisations for this purpose."
They said MoH was increasing its support for people with Covid to self-manage at home and expected most to be able to do so without needing much additional clinical support.
"That will free up clinical services for those who will need more support.
"We recognise that nurses, among other healthcare professionals, are at the front line delivering clinical care to people with Covid.
"We will continue to work with DHBs and the primary care sector to ensure they have the support they need to provide to provide clinical care for those with Covid and that their work can focus on those who need additional clinical support."
Registered Nurse Karl Fontaine is looking forward to helping people with everything he learnt. Photo / Supplied
New nurse Karl Fontaine's aspirations
Newly registered nurse Karl Fontaine has jumped straight into the challenge of working in the acute ward at Wairoa Hospital.
"I love my job, I love learning, I love the variety, and I would love to end up working at the ED or acute medical ward because I love the high-stress environment."
Fontaine said he, like any nurse, is concerned about "safe staffing" if an Covid outbreak were to occur in Hawke's Bay.
"It's hard to know whether we will be able to keep up with the demand," Fontaine said.
"We are already short on staff, we will be in trouble if Covid hits the staff."
He said he wanted to gain a Masters in Nursing and become a Nurse Practioner in Emergency Nursing.
"But I also want to experience a variety of practice roles along the way.
"I want to help people and I cannot see a greater help than for those in our vulnerable communities, in hard to reach emergencies requiring the life flight helicopter, or serious cases requiring transfer to large specialist hospital centres.
"People in these situations are already jumping hurdles for care and are often scared, and a helping hand, a kind heart and an ear to listen to them can make all difference before our clinical skills even come into the picture."
