Nurses struggling with stress

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Nurses struggling with stress

3News NZ

The demands on nurses has grown so great many feel they can't provide the level of care required for patients

The demands on nurses has grown so great many feel they can't provide the level of care required for patients

By 3 News online staff

Nearly half of New Zealand's nurses have thought about leaving the profession because they're feeling morally distressed, a recent study has found.

The demands on nurses has grown so great many feel they can't provide the level of care required for patients - and in some cases, nurses have had to chose between patients with one missing out on care.

“The difficulties, the complexities, the workload has become untenable in many cases,” NZ Nurses Association professional services manager Susanne Trim told Firstline this morning.

Ms Trim the increasing age of New Zealand citizens, as well as the number of patients, are placing stress on the New Zealand health system.

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Comments

19/08/2012 4:03:08 p.m.

NurseBetty wrote:

Hey ...I am a senior RN in a very busy system, yes we are constantly told to help the hospital "tighten its belt",save $5.00 here...save $5.00 there...we are constantly rostered ungodly shifts..6 on 1 off 5 on 2 off...afternoons one day, morning the next..night shift one day, a sleep day and then back on mornings,we are told to ring fellow workmates on days off when we have a roster shortfall due to illness...or take 6 patients when our workload can barely stretch to 4 or 5....but let me tell you right here and now... i have NEVER chosen to do less for a patient so that I can priortise care for another....I may very well be spread thin...but damn sure I am spread evenly!...and one day... i might even go home at the end of my shift on time!...

18/08/2012 8:43:24 a.m.

Nat wrote:

Why have we got so many Managers at the top who get paid for keeping staff levels dangerously low? Why do cuts always happen on the bottom and never from that rank? With Health being run as a business no doubt they get bonuses for cost cutting!!

15/08/2012 3:23:37 p.m.

Jules wrote:

Maybe it is because they are not trained adequately to cope with the pressure on the hospital wards. When nurses trained in the hospital and started from ground up the learnt routines and how to manage their time so much more than no. There were always juniors to do the basic care which left seniors the cares requiring more expertise.

15/08/2012 11:25:35 a.m.

iron side wrote:

Nurses and other frontline medical staff do face extreme moral dilemma forced upon them from above. Much of this is around low income and low socio folk especialy children annd babies. The moore affluent apparently are to be given more appropriate care from state tax payer funded services because thhey hhave more recourse to complain and the contacts to have their complaints acted on. There is also a dangerous discriminatory attitude from higher up that pparticular sectors of citizenry are not worthy of care , clogging the system and possible even drug seeking. Death and permanent disability from preventable causes are far higher in these groups, primarily stemmming from nnegligence of medical care. Staff get threatened with their jobs and means of income over these issues. This can be from dismissal,redundancy or workplace harrassment. Frequently they are instructed not to assist, to deny refferals/ admissions and demand patients/ parents leave the hospital or clinic. That is how children and babbies die. Nuurses on the whole are naturallly distressed to be involved or forced to observe this.

15/08/2012 11:04:43 a.m.

jono wrote:

Meanwhile John Key is in the US watching his son play baseball. A bit like Nero fiddling while Rome burned. Nothing new under the sun.