North Coast Area Health Service (NCAHS) chief Chris Crawford announced the service would honour the findings of a review into the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) and increase staff as well as implement changes to communication practices and nurse training.

NSW Nurses Association organiser Jo McKeough lauded the efforts of nurses at Kempsey Hospital for their perseverance in a fight that has lasted three and a half years and cost the ED some 13 nurses.

“It’s been a long fight. It’s been a difficult fight,” she said.

“It’s something of a David and Goliath story, they just never gave up.”

Among those recommendations to be approved is the rostering of an extra registered nurse (RN) on the night shift, a nurse practitioner on the day shift and a nurse escort to accompany patients undergoing CT scans for a peak four hour period each day.

“So for seven days per week there will be an extra 20 hours of nurse staffing supporting the ED,” Mr Crawford said.

“As well, during the day from Monday to Friday, an extra health service assistant/orderly will be rostered to support the ED, especially to assist in looking after mental health patients.”

Mr Crawford said in order to improve the skills mix more senior nursing staff would be rostered to the ED.

Other key recommendations to be implemented include the installation of improved communications devices in the ED, more training for ED nurses and a strengthening of the hospital’s escalation plan, which is activated to support the ED, during peak activity periods.

Nurses are still not entirely satisfied with the role the nurse practitioner will play on the ward.

Ms McKeough said nurses believed they would be receiving “on-the-floor staff” where as a nurse practitioner served in a role similar to that of a medical officer.

“They have a client load they would be seeing, so in some situations in probably reduces the workload of the doctors more than the nurses,” she said.

“The nurses really wanted everything. I don’t know if they’ll get that.”

“But we’re absolutely delighted about the night staff and the additional staff in the CT.

“Again, these things were all obvious 18 months ago.

Talks with the area Director of Nursing were continuing about the nurse practitioner role, but Ms McKeough said there was no reason the additional nursing positions could not be advertised straight away.

She said the additional staff had already been rostered into the next roster and the Health Service had given its approval.