Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:615;Page:11593] 
10.  
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Does she support the introduction of mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient ratios as proposed by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation in their report  
Nursing the system back to health 
; if not why not? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 No. I support the principles of the magnet hospital programme a programme that the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and the Ministry of Health introduced me to in November 2002 and that has been shown to work in those countries that have introduced it. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Is she aware of research from the University of Pennsylvania that found that every additional surgical patient in a nurse’s workload increases the risk of death by 7 percent; and in light of the compelling evidence that nurse-to-patient ratios can affect patient safety why will she not accept the nurses’ sensible proposal for mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient ratios? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Because there are a number of ways to address this issue and as I just said in my primary answer I support the magnet hospital programme which where it has been introduced works extremely well and produces things such as reduced mortality rates for patients in hospital lower rates of nurse burnout lower rates of needle stick injuries for nursing staff higher rates of nurse job satisfaction and higher nurse ratings of quality care. 
Lynne Pillay 
: When will magnet hospitals be implemented? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The Hutt Hospital was the first to embark on the magnet hospital project. It has already applied to be surveyed by the magnet surveyors comprising American and New Zealand experts towards the end of this year. If it passes the survey it will be the first officially accredited magnet hospital in New Zealand. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Given that it will be many years before magnet hospitals are in place throughout New Zealand what is the Minister’s response to Senior Staff Nurse Ruth Love from the National Women’s Hospital who said on Monday on the radio that she often finds herself looking after eight to 10 patients on a shift and said: “You are basically running all day. While I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping someone when you can’t care for them in a way that you feel is safe you go home feeling dissatisfied. It is very demoralising especially when it’s day in and day out.”? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Although the Hutt Hospital will be the first to be accredited as a magnet hospital next year following the survey I need to tell that member that a number of hospitals around New Zealand have moved into the magnet programme. I expect to see it multiply very quickly around New Zealand—not in a number of years. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Is she aware that the introduction of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in Victoria Australia resulted in an influx of nurses who had previously left the profession because of understaffing and burnout and will she concede that the nurses’ proposal for minimum nurse-to-patient ratios will make nursing a whole lot more attractive to nurses who have left the profession as a result of burnout and stress; if so why will she not respond positively to the nurses’ very constructive proposal? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I responded very positively to the Magnet New Zealand hospital proposal which the New Zealand Nurses Organisation brought to me—along with Dr Linda Aiken who had done the research on it—and I accepted it as a proposal for nurses in New Zealand because it had a whole lot of advantages for nurses and for patients. So in fact I have accepted a proposal from the Nurses Organisation. That organisation has subsequently said it would like to have minimum mandatory ratios. The research is not strong to show that that is the best way to go.