Research confirms the realities for health workers

14 November 2011

Research confirms the realities for health workers

Latest research released from Massey University showing that six out of 10 New Zealand nurses have quit jobs because they are burnt out or because they face unmanageable distress is no surprise to unions representing health professionals.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Industrial Adviser, Lesley Harry says, “Here is the evidence that backs up our experience and describes the reality for nurses and health professionals working in the health system. The research is backed up by the responses to the research which have flooded in describing the daily stress that nurses and health professionals are under and showing that the call to move to Australia is very attractive.”

“The reality we know is that nurses and health professionals are facing escalating stress and it is the same for our members in the public health and in mental health sectors,” says Public Services Association (PSA) National Secretary, Richard Wagstaff.

“We think the Government’s narrow focus on targets and reduced waiting lists and increased surgery numbers is about show and not substance. It is hiding significant cracks in the system,” Wagstaff says.

Harry says that focussing obsessively on targets is just resulting in problems being displaced and arising in another part of the system. “Take for example the target to reduce waiting times in Emergency Departments – this can often just result in patients spending more time waiting in corridors to be assessed. This is very stressful for nurses who know they aren’t able to deliver the care that people need and it does end up in health professionals feeling professionally compromised.”

“We need systems in DHBs that measure the time required to give patients quality care and the numbers of nurses required on any day to ensure workloads are manageable and safe.”

Wagstaff agrees, “the research shows the need for this as a priority in health policy and this is an election issue. A major focus must be on health spending which went down in real terms in 2010 and 2011. DHBs are all struggling as they collectively work with $111 million a year less. We need to increase our health spend to ensure that we retain and look after our health workforce as happened during most of the 2000s when health spending increased to recognise the pressures on the health workforce.”

ENDS

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