Newspaper Article 1997 – Nursing jobs end

Nursing jobs end

The jobs of enrolled nurses in the maternity units at Hastings and Napier hospitals come to an end on Sunday, the first to disappear as Health Care Hawke’s Bay introduces a new ward staffing structure.

In April the Crown health enterprise decided that 77 enrolled nurse jobs in acute areas of care would go by the time the regional hospital was in use next year.

The tasks of enrolled nurses would be divided between registered nurses and a new position of clinical associate.

Midwife manager Sylvia Wood said that over the next few months new staff structure would be introduced gradually into the maternity units at the two hospitals in preparation for the move into the new unit at the regional hospital on October 7.

The last three enrolled nurses left on the wards would finish on Sunday and four newly-trained clinical associates would begin work the following day.

Ms Wood said about 75 per cent of the 15 enrolled nurses in the two units at the beginning of the year, had decided to take redundancy.

Another three had left in June to begin an EIT bridging course to upgrade their qualifications to enrolled nurse. Three others had found other jobs, one was taking time-out and four had trained as clinical associates for the maternity unit.

“Quite a few were encouraged to apply for clinical associate jobs, but chose not to. They seemed to have the feeling that they couldn’t stop being a nurse,” said Ms Wood.

Those who did become clinical associates would continue to receive their present income for the next two years.

The process of disestablishing the enrolled nurse’s jobs and deciding what each should do, had been “fairly heart-rending,” especially leading up to the decision.

“But since then things have worked out quite well considering the huge upheaval it’s been for a lot of very dedicated staff. It has been fairly peaceful and there hasn’t been a lot of axe-grinding and agro,” said. Ms Wood.

Photo caption – Pictured on their last day at the Hastings hospital are, from left, obstetrics nurses Rae Maney, Havelock North, with 15 years of service at Hastings, Margaret Cornes, Hastings, with 20 years of service and Margaret Hibbs, Hastings, with 14 years’ service.