Staff at Dargaville Hospital are sick and tired of working in fear because of the unavailability of an on-site doctor. Therefore, members of New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) will strike for one hour to voice their frustrations on 29 August.
Without an on-site doctor, Dargaville Hospital is currently "defaulting" to cover by a telehealth service and nurses overnight, with critically ill patients transferred to Whangārei.
NZNO delegate and registered nurse at Dargaville Hospital, Shayna Mariscal says staff are extremely worried about community and staff safety.
"We’re quite stressed about having no doctors because of not knowing what walks through the door and managing that without a doctor on site is terrifying.
"Even Prime Minister Christopher Luxon admitted we are under tremendous pressure but still nothing is being done about it."
"We really need doctors on-site rather than a telehealth service. You can only do so much as a nurse, and while we are grateful to have help, it's not the same as having a hands-on doctor to actually do a physical assessment. And so, you feel really helpless and you're just waiting for someone to come and help you, which doesn't always arrive."
She acknowledges Dargaville being a rural hospital makes hiring permanent staff more difficult, but the doctor shortage was related to management’s unwillingness to pay locum doctors a worthwhile rate.
"We relied heavily on locums to fill in our gaps, especially on sick leave and holidays but now the locums aren't getting paid that same rate. They're not willing to pay up for the shifts.
"But how can you think about cutting costs when lives are at risk?"
Fellow NZNO delegate, registered nurse and health and safety representative at Dargaville Hospital, Rachyl Randell says the doctor shortage is having a big impact on nursing staff.
"We are also struggling with a shortage of nursing staff overnight and high workloads. If a patient is transferred to Whangārei, it means a nurse is taken off the floor to transfer them. The amount of sick calls since the doctor shortages has increased significantly due to the impact this is having on nurses’ wellbeing, mentally, emotionally and physically.
"I became a registered nurse to provide the best possible care I could for each and every one of my patients, not leave work in a state of wondering what if or what else could I have done with the current conditions we are working in."
The strike takes place at Dargaville Hospital on 29 August 2024 from 1pm to 2pm.