The NSWNMA just received confirmation that funding has been approved to implement the Safe Staffing Levels recommended to the state government for NSW Public Hospitals. However, there are no dates yet for when this will affect the hospitals in the Northern Rivers region, including Lismore.

Currently, the nurses' and midwives' pay rise and improved conditions will have to wait until further negotiations succeed.

In the emergency Department, Safe Staffing Levels are achieved with 1 nurse to each patient in the resuscitation beds, and 1 nurse to 3 patients in generally occupied spaces and beds.

If the required nurses are not available in the Emergency Department, they can be called from other parts of the hospital. This diverts nurses from their regular duties, which can cause shortages and delays in other areas of the hospital.  

NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Michael Whaites describes the process, “At the moment the available nursing resources are stretched a bit thin across the entire emergency department. 

“They might have four resource beds, but only two resource nurses for that shift. We know that if a resource patient comes in, they'll grab the staff, pulling them from other areas of the hospital. This means that treatment time slows down for those other areas. 

“So what the ratios will do is make sure that we've got more resources on hand throughout the 24-hour period, depending on the busyness of the emergency department. And so what we hope to see is more timely treatment, and higher levels of care. Nurses will have more time to spend with each individual patient in the emergency department.”

NSWNMA says that the hospitals where extra nurses will be first introduced are in Sydney at the Royal North Shore and Liverpool Hospitals. “Over the coming weeks around 70 additional full time equivalent (FTE) nurses are being recruited across both sites to meet the minimum ratio.”

NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said the implementation of minimum and enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios meant patient safety would no longer be compromised.  

“After a decade of campaigning, we are very pleased to see this important piece of healthcare reform finally come to fruition in NSW. These shift by shift ratios can’t come soon enough for our nurses and midwives – it’s the reprieve they so urgently need,” said Ms Candish.

“It will provide crucial workload relief for our members, who have been struggling with chronic understaffing for too long. It will also ensure our public hospitals are safer for patients, so they receive the care they deserve.

“We are confident this staffing model will help to rebuild the workforce and lead to higher retention levels, while providing savings within health in the long run.”

Michael Whaites, said while the union was relieved to see ratios begin, there was still a lot of work to be done.

“We are eagerly anticipating the expansion of ratios to other EDs, and then ICUs, adult in-patient wards, maternity services and our state’s multi-purpose service sites, with the government committing to 2480 FTE nurses and midwives to achieve this,” said Mr Whaites.

“We are seeking further funding from the government to ensure these five clinical areas receive ratios. Current funding means the rollout won’t cover all wards and units in every hospital.

“In addition, we look forward to negotiations with the state government after serving our 15% pay and conditions claim, which will make nurses and midwives competitive with other states. The pay claim also takes into account a decade of wage suppression by previous governments.

“Nurses and midwives must not be forced to choose between safe workloads and fair pay. They deserve more in 2024.”

The NSWNMA has been working with the state government on the implementation of this workforce initiative through the Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce since May 2023.

Here is the original story on “The Value of Nurses and Midwives in our Community.”