Extra funding towards healthy workplaces welcomed by nurses

Media Release
26 July 2011

Extra funding towards healthy workplaces welcomed by nurses

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) welcomes the Health Minister’s announcement today of an extra $800,000 over two years to support the implementation of Care Capacity Demand Management programmes in DHBs.

NZNO associate organising manager, Glenda Alexander explains why this funding is so important, “NZNO has been working with the nurse-led Safe Staffing, Healthy Workplaces Unit for several years to make sure that patients receive the right care, by the right person, at the right time, in the right place. Effective Care Capacity Demand Management is required to ensure that happens.”

“As well as improving patient care, Care Capacity Demand Management systems can make life much less stressful for health staff by creating a safe and healthy work environment with streamlined rostering and the right staff skill mix to match demand.”

“The Minister’s commitment to the implementation of Care Capacity Demand Management, with funding and prioritisation, will enable this crucial project to deliver,” Alexander says.

NZNO and other health unions are currently negotiating collective agreements with DHBs and care capacity demand systems was one of the major issues on the table.

Alexander says, “This announcement of extra funding for healthy workplaces is very much welcomed by the joint unions negotiating team. It means that we can focus our energies on working with DHBs to address other issues that are pressing for our members, such as the large amount of off-duty time nurses are required to be on-call, and fairness and equity issues for part-time workers.”

ENDS

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