Psychiatric nursing staff to hold stop-works

Press, 7 December 1981, Page 2

Psychiatric nursing staff to hold stop-works

PA Wellington Nursing staff and .colleagues in psychiatric hospitals will hold stop-work meetings just before Christmas to discuss proposals for an imposition of bans on some of their duties, according to the president of the Public Service Association, Mr D. H. Thorp. These staff and those in psychopeadici hospitals had been told that their employers. hospital boards, had not been able to decide what to do with a working party report, Mr Thorp daid. The report established means of providing an acceptable minimum standard of nursing care. Mr Thorp said the working party agreed that some aspects of the present situation fell short of acceptable mimimum. It emphasised the need for statutory authorities to act promptly to remedy the situation. “Our figures show that we cannot even meet an acceptable minimum standard of nursing care, and many more registered nurses are needed throughout New Zealand,” said Mr Thorp. “Steps must be taken to overcome the severe shortage. and time wasting by the employers will not help.” Association members would consider implementing bans on the administration of certain drugs by non-regis-tered staff; on acting up into more senior positions, and on non-nursing duties. They would consider such action unless the boards were prepared to accept the main conclusion of the working party report and were prepared to start negotiations on the basis of the report.