New staffing figures for the Greater Southern Area Health Service, (GSAHS) provided to the NSW Nurses Association (NSWNA), confirm the State Government is pushing ahead with a plan to replace Registered Nurses and Enrolled Nurses (RNs and ENs) in NSW public hospitals and community health services with unlicensed Assistants in Nursing (AiNs).
NSWNA officials, including General Secretary Brett Holmes, are in the Greater Southern AHS this week discussing the issue with local nurses.
The new Greater Southern figures confirm replacement of and ENs with AiNs.
The proposed reductions include a reduction for Braidwood MPS of -0.56 RNs, and -2.16 ENs to be replaced by 1.51 AiNs.
NSWNA general secretary, Brett Holmes, said "these figures show clearly that the nursing skill mix is being altered considerably and ...the total number of staff is being reduced as well."
Mr Holmes said that the proposal indicates "a loss of at least 51 RN and 55 EN positions across the AHS and an increase of 52 AiNs" in the GSAHS.
Mr Holmes said "These proposals show the level of disregard for safe patient care in emergency situations faced by our small rural hospitals and Multi-purpose Centres."
"The NSWNA will now ramp up its Right Nurse Campaign across the Greater Southern AHS" he said. "All the research shows there is a direct link between RN numbers and patient outcomes."
Mr Holmes called the proposal "unacceptable." "AiNs are just that - assistants in nursing. They are not RNPs - Registered Nurse Replacements."
The proposals fly in the face of assurances last month from GSAHS that there would be no reduction of RNs at Braidwood, as well as assurances from Member for Monaro Steve Whan that the emergency room at Braidwood would remain open.
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