Aged Care Workforce Highlights Staff Shortages

21 JUNE 2007

Aged Care Workforce Highlights
Staff Shortages on Shortest Day

Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation working in residential aged care have chosen today, the shortest day of the year, to highlight continued staffing shortages in aged care facilities.

A snapshot survey conducted last week shows that staffing levels have not improved at all since an earlier survey in 2005 and could be even worse.

NZNO spokesperson Huia Welton says the snapshot results show staffing levels fall well below voluntary guidelines included in a 2005 Ministry of Health report.

“It is of huge concern that staffing levels of registered nurses in particular and staffing levels generally continue to fall below the lowest acceptable minimum,” she said.

“This shows that voluntary guidelines do not work and enforceable staffing levels are necessary to maintain standards of safe and quality care for our elderly.”

Huia Welton said voluntary guidelines set in early 2005 were not enforceable because aged care providers were adamant they were not necessary. The Ministry of Health report noted “most providers already work within the recommended staffing levels.”

Acting on concerns that minimum staffing levels were not met in the sector, NZNO surveyed aged care facilities in September 2005.

“The 2005 result showed nursing numbers in aged care facilities fell well below the lowest level of staffing and caregivers routinely performed the work of registered nurses,” said Huia Welton. “Members consistently tell us nothing has changed and The Shortest Day Snapshot confirms our fears.”

Huia Welton said the 2007 snapshot of four sites showed a significant shortage of registered nurses in all sites, with one site only filling 51% of registered nurse hours.

Although caregiver hours were closer to minimum staffing level, they fell short in every site and were probably inflated by the use of caregivers to perform the role of nurses.

ENDS

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