'It's discriminatory in its nature,' Nurses Organisation kaiwhakahaere says
A public hospital in Waikato has drawn flak for asking its nurses to only use English in the clinical setting after alleged concerns across the workforce.
Radio New Zealand reported on Tuesday a memo from the hospital issued last week reminding nurses that "English is the spoken language in the clinical setting."
"Consistent use of one language reduces the possibility of missed care, misunderstanding of clinical requirements, and enhances safe teamwork," said the memo, as published online by RNZ.
The memo also said there have been concerns raised across the nursing workforce about the "variety of spoken languages being used in the clinical setting."
According to the memo, Te Reo and/or sign language could be utilised in other settings where decision making, planning treatments, and evaluating interventions are not the prime purpose.
"However in the clinical setting, English language, both spoken and written, supports clinical safety and, as such, the expectation is this will be adhered to."
Nurses Organisation kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku said the memo was "really disappointing."
"It's an overreach. It's discriminatory in its nature, and it's unfair," she told 1News in a television interview.
Health Minister Shane Reti also said the memo was not from the government and distanced his stance from the hospital's instruction.
"My view is that nurses that want to speak their first language to each other and/or to patients where they feel it's clinically safe and apply their clinical judgment, so they should be able to," Reti said as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.
A later report from the New Zealand Herald further revealed that the Waikato public hospital wasn't the only one to issue the memo, as there was also a similar directive in Christchurch and Auckland earlier this year.
Health NZ chief executive Margie Apa, who confirmed a similar instruction was issued in Christchurch, said she understands how the directive can cause concern among some of their staff.
"I will be sending a message to staff this afternoon to ensure that, where it is clinically safe and appropriate for patients and working in teams, they exercise their professional judgment on the appropriate language to be used," Apa said as quoted by the Herald.
"They are professionals, and we trust their judgment."
The controversy comes after Health NZ was recently called out for initially accepting a patient's request to not receive care from any staff of Asian ethnicity.
