South Coast aged care nurses say ongoing staff shortages are pushing them to the brink and have demanded urgent reform into the sector.
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Standing in the rain outside the Shoalhaven hospital, a group of 20 red poncho-clad aged care nurses and supporters made the call for improved staff ratios and pay on Wednesday.
Sue Walton, who has worked as an aged care nurse in the Illawarra for more than two decades, said staff shortages have been at "crisis point" for years and have only gotten worse since the pandemic.
She said in some nursing homes the situation was "impossible" with one registered nurse sometimes looking after up to 120 residents during the day.
On night shifts, Sue looks after 40 residents.
"Most people can use a call buzzer which tells me where to go. When you're by yourself, you might have five buzzers going at once," she said.
"You don't get a chance to put eyes on 40 people to make sure that they are safe."
Illawarra aged care nurse, Wendy Carriage, said the lack of staff and resources mean staff often work double shifts without breaks to ensure residents don't miss out on basic care.
"You just keep working through because you know that person will not get a hot meal if you don't," she said.
"We do not have the ability to actually care for the residents and I go home feeling like crap knowing I haven't gotten to people. And I have no choice because my hands are bound."
NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association (NSWNMA) General Secretary, Brett Holmes, said members at rallies across the state were determined to highlight the staffing crisis as a key election issue.
"Aged care must be a focus for all voters this federal election, given the stark differences between the major political party's commitments towards addressing the sector," Mr Holmes said.
"The Morrison Government has repeatedly failed to address the widespread issues in aged care and they've dragged their feet on adopting recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission."
Mr Holmes welcomed Labor's commitment of ensuring at least one registered nurse is on site at all times in residential aged care facilities by 2023.
If elected, Labor would also go to the Fair Work Commission to seek an immediate wage increase for aged care workers.
Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips took to the crowd and said: "I'm ashamed that the government has just done nothing about this for so long."
"But I'm also proud to be part of hopefully a solution that will make long-term change moving forward."
During Prime Minister Scott Morrison's recent visit to the South Coast, he hailed the government's investment into aged care in the recent budget.
Read more: More than $400m to tackle aged care reform
The 2022/23 federal budget revealed $468.3 million would be spent on the government's response to the royal commission.
But NSWNMA members said it does not support their case of a 25 per cent wage increase or commit to safe staff to patient ratios.
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
