JOHN Hunter Hospital's emergency department is next in line for a boost in nursing staff numbers as part of a promised rollout of major reform . Login or signup to continue reading The Safe Staffing Levels initiative aims to improve patients' experience and boost the retention and capability of staff in NSW's public hospitals. It involves minimum staffing levels on every shift to enable a one-to-one nursing care ratio for generally occupied emergency department (ED) resuscitation beds on all shifts.
The NSW State Government also promises the initiative will deliver one nurse to three in ED treatment spaces and short-stay ED beds. Gosford Hospital is also on the list of 12 hospitals ear-marked for the next phase of the roll out which priorities EDs which treat the most critically ill patients as part of an effort to deliver 2480 full time equivalent nurses over four years to June, 2027. The Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce, made up of leaders from the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, NSW Health, and local health districts, are working to determine exactly how many extra staff will be needed at each site to deliver the reform.
Staff at Maitland and John Hunter hospitals have been vocal in highlighting understaffing issues, amid ongoing "fatigue and frustration". The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association has welcomed the reform but questions how the government will achieve it in the current climate. It will mean about 40 new FTE staff at the John Hunter Hospital alone, says long-time ED nurse and JHH branch delegate Kieran Patterson.
It will mean an estimated 12 to 13 extra nurses per shift, Miss Patterson said, with final figures to be determined by the taskforce. "That will be a game changer," Miss Patterson said. "I have worked in the ED for 15 years and it's in the worst state I have ever experienced it, so these extra nurses will be absolutely incredible for patients to get the care they deserve and for nurses who are suffering burnout.
" Nurses are leaving their shifts feeling "absolutely awful" Miss Patterson said, because they are unable to give people the care they deserve. "You can only do the best you can with what you've got," she said. The extra staff will mean the ED's most critically ill patients, like people with cardiac arrest, will have a nurse to travel with them through their journey so nothing will be missed, she said.
"The family will have that person to go to, and you'll be able to do everything on time," Miss Patterson said. "Simple things like getting antibiotics to people who need them immediately, not having to run around to find people to help manage that." It was unclear, however, where the extra nurses would be coming from.
"Our management have sought to find nurses overseas, and they have been doing a recruitment drive ...
but I don't know how they are going to do it, there are not that many available." I don't know how they are going to do it, there are not that many available A nursing colleague left on Wednesday night (August 7) she said to work in Queensland where the pay was better. NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Michael Whaites echoed her concerns, and repeated the union's call for a 15 per cent across-the-board pay increase.
"In order to honour the election commitment made to nurses and Midwives' last year, the government must address the recruitment and retention barriers of poor pay, Mr Waites said. "It is very clear that a 15 per cent one year pay increase is the solution to rebuilding the nursing and midwifery workforce in NSW." Community health & welfare, social justice, investigations, general news.
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