Stretched emergency departments, working conditions for senior nurses, frustrations around visa applications for incoming nurses and poor intakes for nursing courses at domestic universities all discussed.
Verrall says she agrees that change is needed.
“I knew many of the nurses I sat down with today. When I hear their stories I can imagine exactly what it will be like because they’re going back to the wards I used to work on myself. It’s very important that I take these regular moments to check in with people who are on the coalface.”
She says today’s celebration of nurses receiving up to $10,000 as a lump sum payment, and the 14% pay rises for many registered nurses, is a sign of good progress.
It also draws New Zealand nurses closer, if not on par with their Australian counterparts.
But the pay rises aren’t across the nursing board, with senior nurses receiving a significantly smaller boost.
Ryan Taehan’s got over two decades of nursing experience, but has reached a point where he doesn’t recommend it as a vocation in New Zealand any more.
“We feel let down. It’s not just about the pay, it’s actually just about the day to day running of the hospital. It’s just not professional to treat nurses like this.”
He says the way the new pay equity agreement is structured, he would be better off resigning from his senior nursing role, and re-joining the force as a registered nurse on a hospital ward.
“Why would you want the extra responsibility of running a hospital, running a ward, when you’re actually paid less than the registered nurses on the ward… It would be better for me to resign my job and use my expert portfolio…(as a registered nurse)… that would be a pay rise for me.”