DOZENS of Kempsey nurses reaffirmed their solidarity with colleagues around NSW on Wednesday as the campaign for formal patient ratios stepped up another level.
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Waving placards, cheering and applauding speeches from NSW Nurses and Midwives Association officials, staff from every department at Kempsey District Hospital rallied at a live video link-up from Sydney.
Stop-work action at the hospital meant many of their colleagues’ workloads were increased, but local branch secretary Dianne Lohman said patient care had not been compromised.
“We have ensured all our patients were cared for by skeleton staffing levels and that life preserving measures were maintained,” she stressed on Wednesday.
“Nurses on duty gave 200 per cent today, as they always do.
“A lot of us have given up a day’s pay and taken money from our own families’ mouths to improve our hospital system.”
The association has been calling on the state government to implement nurse-to-patient ratios, to improve care for those in the public hospital system and to avoid staff becoming ‘burnt out’ before quitting their jobs.
The webcast link-up at Kempsey Golf Club from an association special meeting at Homebush featured messages of support from overseas colleagues as far afield as the USA, Canada, Guatemala and Ireland.
It was one of 178 across NSW.
There were also messages from other unions and prominent public figures, including the world of entertainment.
Association officials urged members to help reach a target of 100,000 petition signatures so the matter can be given high priority for debate in Parliament.
More than 30 staff from Kempsey were joined by 10 from Macksville and union officials.
They cheered loudly at the news the campaign would feature prominently in a day of action on September 17 by nurses around the world.
“We are doing this for the community,” Mrs Lohman said.
“We’ve all agreed to do this until the ratio is the same in every hospital or postcode.
“We’re sick of the government shunning its responsibilities and saying that most nurses are happy.
“We just shake our heads - it’s a fairytale.”
Mrs Lohman said local nurses planned to organise street stalls at Kempsey and South West Rocks to attract more petition signatures.
