Nurses are health professionals in their own right, no longer playing the role of bringing doctors' care instructions to the bedside. Nurses are the backbone of every health system, and are not just involved with but also running the national Covid vaccination clinics. New Zealand loses nurses to Australia – where rates of pay and career paths are substantially better – on an ongoing basis. Nurses will continue to demonstrate for more equitable pay using all the tools at their disposal, including 24-hour strikes. This is a sad indictment on a government that says it is committed to the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders, including nurses.

Source: Stuff August 10, 2021 01:52 UTC