Emergency department (ED) nurses at Blacktown and Westmead Hospitals walked out of work on the morning of July 18.
The聽New South Wales government鈥檚 refusal to address severe understaffing prompted the聽nursing聽staff to walk out at the end of their night shift. They were supported by nurses聽from Intensive Care Units (ICU), operating theatres, general wards and midwives.
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) general secretary Brett Holmes said the key issues motivating the nurses were extended patient waiting times聽in overcrowded EDs聽and the聽lack of safe聽nurse-to-patient ratios.
He said the union is being informed of 鈥渉igh rates of burnout and fatigue鈥 due to 鈥渞egular requests for overtime work and constant double shifts鈥.
The rise in people presenting with flu and COVID-19 infections has overwhelmed EDs. He said many senior ED聽nurses have reduced their hours, and others are leaving the profession altogether.
鈥淭here has been little to no reprieve for our members because urgent measures are not being taken,鈥 Holmes said.
The NSWNMA聽said between 50 and 100 unfunded beds were recently opened to help with demand at Blacktown and Westmead hospitals. However, there are not enough聽nurses聽rostered to care for patients in these extra beds.
NSWNMA Blacktown Hospital branch delegate Jess said聽nurses聽were sacrificing their own health and wellbeing. 鈥淲e are constantly short staffed聽and overcrowding is rife. We鈥檝e had upwards of 40 or 50-plus people stuck in our ED waiting rooms during the night, sometimes more. We鈥檙e really worried about non-COVID patients having to wait alongside positive COVID-19 patients.鈥
NSWNMA Westmead Hospital branch delegate Denny Anderson said聽conditions inside EDs were at breaking point. 鈥淲e鈥檙e on the cusp of yet another wave of the pandemic, coupled with increased cases of flu and other viruses, but already we are treating too many patients in corridors, while others are sleeping on the floor.鈥
The NSWNMA said it was continuing to push for safe staffing ratios in EDs, as well as other understaffed specialty areas, including in ICUs, paediatrics and maternity.