John MacDonald: Under-staffed departments in overrun hospitals

The news today that half of the departments at Christchurch Hospital are operating below full staffing levels doesn’t surprise me.

In some departments, they are less than 80 percent of what they should be.

So, if I’m not surprised, does that mean my expectations of the hospital system are pretty low? The answer to that is “yes”.

I expect that the basics are covered and that’s about it. That our hospitals are full of brilliant people doing their best, stretched to the limit, covering the basics.    

The nurses union is describing the staffing situation as “alarming”. One of its delegates has told our newsroom that it constantly feels like they don't have enough staff. And it would be great if they didn’t have to move staff around departments to try and cover everything.

Health NZ says it gets that. But it’s dealing with increased demand (more patients) and it’s struggling to hire people.

Here are some numbers for you. Child health, oncology and intensive care unit nursing have around 30 full-time equivalent vacancies. With two of those departments having roles vacant for more than a year.

But none of that surprises me anymore.  

Just like I’m not all that surprised by the news that Christchurch Hospital is getting relatives of patients to go in and sit with them and help out where they can.

Again - is that because of my low expectations? That I’ve come to expect that the basics will be covered and that’s about it?

But here’s where Health NZ’s sob story about not being able to hire staff starts to wear a bit thin.

There are a whole bunch of nursing graduates ready to work, who haven’t been hired to work in our hospitals.

Fifty-five percent of graduate nurses looking for graduate roles in a hospital have received rejection letters. Many of them for the second time.

The mid-year intake has just been finalised - with 722 applying but only 323 getting placements.

One of the ones who have received a rejection letter is Melanie McIntyre, of Christchurch. She came back here from Australia in 2019 to begin nursing training. She did a pre-health course in 2021 and started her degree in 2022.

She says she thought nursing was a safe career but, three years down the track, she is disheartened and unemployed.

After her first rejection, she spent eight months sitting in what they call the national talent pool. Which is, effectively, a waiting list for employers across the health sector looking for  entry-level nurses.

But that’s been a no-goer for Melanie and, since February, she’s been volunteering at a charity hospital.

She is so disheartened, that she would like to move back to Australia.  

But she’s in her 40s and her kids aren’t keen on going back to Australia. So here she is in Christchurch, with a nursing degree, can’t get work in a hospital, and is doing volunteer work instead.

She says: “It’s just so disheartening. I actually struggle to get out of bed because I’m not sure what else to do.”

I bet. But I suspect that, what we’re seeing here, is the impact of hospitals not having enough senior people to supervise the new nurses on the wards.

And, if that’s the case, then I don’t see things changing anytime soon. If at all.

Which is why my expectations of the hospital system are, what you could describe, as pretty low. That it’s brilliant for the basics - but that’s about it. And only as long as the people doing the doing are prepared to keep going.

But how do you rate your expectations of the hospital system? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from NEWSTALKSB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Here's a question up and asking myself this morning. Grappling
with it, I've been wondering whether my expectations of our
hospital system have reached such a low point that this
news out today about half of the departments at christ
Church Hospital operating below full staffing levels doesn't surprise me.
In fact, staffing levels in some departments are less than

(00:35):
eighty percent of what they should be. Only one department,
one department at christ Church Hospital is operating at one
hundred percent staffing level. So if I'm not surprised, does
that mean that my expectations of the hospital system are
pretty low? And the answer to that is yes. My

(00:59):
expectations are that the basics are covered and it's about
it that our hospitals are full of brilliant people, that
christ Jet's hospital is full of brilliant people doing the best,
stretched to the limit, but covering the basics. And the Nurses'
Union is describing the situation at christ Jet Hospital as
quote alarming. In fact, one of its delegates has told

(01:23):
our newsroom that they constantly feel like they don't have
enough staff, and it would be great if they didn't
have to move staff around departments try and cover everything.
Health New Zealand, What does Health New Zealand say, Oh, yes,
Health New Zealand says, oh, we get that, but we're
dealing with increased demand, i e. More patients. It's also

(01:45):
struggling to hire people. And here are some numbers, by
the way, from christ Juet's Hospital, Child Health Oncology and
Intensive Keygunit Nursing have around thirty full time equivalent vacancies,
with two of those departments having roles vacant for more
than a year. But none of that surprises me anymore,

(02:07):
just like I'm not all that surprised by the news
that Christian's Hospital is getting relatives of patience to go
in and sit with them and to help out where
they can. Again, is that is that because my low
expectations that I've come to expect that the basics will
be covered and that's about it? Answer is yes. But

(02:28):
here's where Health New Zealand sob story about not being
able to hire staff starts to wear a bit thin.
Did you know there are a whole bunch of nursing
graduates out there ready to work who haven't been hired
by Health New Zealand to work in our hospitals. Fifty
five percent fifty five percent of graduate nurses looking for

(02:49):
graduate roles in a hospital have received rejection letters, many
of them for the second time round. So the midyear
intake's just been finalized. Seven hundred and twenty two applied,
only three hundred and twenty three got placements, and one
of them is Melanie MacIntyre. One of the graduates who
who have received a rejection leader as Melanie McIntyre of

(03:09):
christ Church Now. She came back here from Australia in
twenty nineteen to begin her nursing training. She started with
a pre health course in twenty twenty one and she
started her degree in twenty twenty two. And she says
she thought nursing was a safe career. Guess what three
years down the track she is disheartened and she is unemployed.

(03:30):
After her first rejection letter, she spent eight months sitting
in what they call the National Talent Pool, which is
effectively a waiting list for employers across the health sector
looking for entry level nurses. But that's been a no
goer for Melanie. And get this, since February, she's been
volunteering at a charity hospital and she is so disheartened

(03:51):
that she would like to move back to Australia. She says, quote,
I can't just sit here and wait. Problem is she's
in her forties and her kids aren't that can on
going back to Australia. So here she is in christ
Church with a nursing degree, can't get work in a
hospital and doing volunteer work instead, and she says, quite
it's just so disheartening. I actually struggle to get out
of bed because I'm not sure what else to do.

(04:12):
I bet that I suspect that what we're seeing here
is the impact of hospitals not having enough senior people
to supervise the new nurses on the wards. And if
that's the case, then I don't see things changing anytime soon,
if at all, which is why my expectations of the
hospital system are what you could describe as low. That

(04:35):
the system's brilliant for the basics, but that's about it,
and only as long as the people doing the doing
are prepared to keep going.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
For more from Caterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to news talks. It'd be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio