Challenges for Nurses During the Pandemic

The headline of an article published on the Radio New Zealand site on 17th February, 2022 by Rowan Quinn, reads: “Hospitals consistently understaffed, nurses overworked – report”.

A major independent report has found nurses are overworked and exhausted because of consistent under-staffing and that patients are not always getting full care.

The Safe Staffing review was ordered by Health Minister Andrew Little after pressure from nursing unions.

It found hospitals were regularly short of nurses and that has been made worse because of border closures.

The extra pressures from Covid-19 had taken a significant and lasting toll on the wellbeing of nurses and their whānau, the report said.

“If the number of nurses in the workforce are not increased, it is impossible to achieve safe staffing and positive work environments with the current demand for care,” the report said. “Nurses will remain overworked and exhausted.”