Oamaru registered nurse and NZ Nurses Organisation delegate at Oamaru Hospital, Jojan McLeod, said they had a good turnout for their industrial action on Tuesday, which involved them mounting a public demonstration on State Highway 1 outside the hospital, with "fabulous support" from passing traffic.
"Community support is strong for our hospital and staff," Ms McLeod said.
They were among the 36,000 Nurses Organisation members nationally who downed tools in the strike over patient safety concerns following plans by Health NZ raised in recent collective bargaining.
Ms McLeod said all of the Oamaru staff were very concerned at the Te Whatu Ora plans to pause a key component of its Care Capacity Demand Management (CCDM) programme.
This would put staff, patient and whānau safety and wellbeing at risk.
"Pausing CCDM will compromise patient safety which is a No1 priority," she said.
NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter said Te Whatu Ora proposed pausing full-time equivalent staff calculations for the CCDM programme.
CCDM calculates the number and the range of skills nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and kaimahi hauora need based on how sick patients are and how much nursing care they require.
Mr Goulter said they were concerned this would leave few safeguards on staffing levels and will result in fewer healthcare workers on duty.
"Ultimately, patients will pay the price for hospitals that are continuously understaffed and under-resourced," he said.
Oamaru Health NZ workers will stage another picket next Wednesday from 1-2pm.
Life-preserving services will continue to be provided.
