NZNO to Rally tomorrow

Media release 12 April 2018

Hundreds of garden city nurses set to rally

The word is that hundreds of nurses are turning out for the Christchurch Hospital rally 11.30am tomorrow (Friday) with placards and purple flags to add their voice to the nations’ DHB nurses, midwives and health care assistants. Rallies are also happening today in Wellington, Dunedin and Whangārei.

They are rallying to bring attention to the public their dissatisfaction about the government’s under investment into quality patient care, nurses pay and safe staffing.

NZNO delegate and mental health nurse Kathryn Brankin brings over 41 years of nursing experience to the profession and says things are not rosy at present.

“I will be there wearing my, ‘nurses are worth more’ badge that I wore at least twenty years ago, and here we are again still feeling undervalued,” she said.

“But this rally is not only about pay, we are seeing much more people with complex needs in mental health and working in more unsafe situations as nurses, who also working in buildings that are not fit for purpose.

“We have to keep ourselves well to help others so we can nurse. The underfunding of the health system impacts on how well we can nurse,” she said.

NZNO campaign activities are planned throughout New Zealand to show the government that New Zealanders need it to prioritise rebuilding a quality public health system by investing in nursing, the largest health workforce.
www.healthneedsnursing.nz

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