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Five thousand nurses and midwives across the state have vowed they will continue their campaign to get better staff to patient ratios. A mass rally was held at Sydney's Olympic stadium and it was streamed live to other rallies at 17 regional centres. Nursing staff took part in stop work meetings to demand the government increase nurse to patient ratios in hospitals.

Thousands of nurses from 180 NSW hospitals have voted during a statewide strike to launch a fresh round of industrial action in their fight for patient-staff ratios. Three thousand nurses and midwives in Sydney, and 2000 in regional centres, voted on Wednesday to continue their campaign on September 17. The details of what format the action will take is yet to be determined.

More nurses than needed have applied for redundancies in the Metro North Hospital and Health Service. Last week, a letter Health Minister Lawrence Springborg described as "disrespectful" detailed a "badly communicated" plan to offer voluntary redundancies to existing staff to make way for graduate nurses.

Nurses in the New South Wales south east say today's strike action will continue unless the Government takes notice. Nurses and midwives from Batemans Bay, Bega, Bombala, Cooma, Moruya and Pambula hospitals have walked off the job for four hours to pressure the State Government to increase staff to patient ratios.

Nurses have rushed to join a redundancy program and a union protest is unwarranted, Queensland's health minister says. Nurses will rally outside parliament house at lunch time over last week's decision to offer voluntary redundancies to 140 experienced bedside nurses and midwives at the Metro North Hospital and Health Service. They are to be replaced by 140 graduate nurses, who traditionally struggle to enter the market.

Nurses across the state are striking as part of their campaign for extra staff, especially in critical care areas. Two busloads of nurses travelled to a big rally in Sydney, while smaller rallies were held locally. Musswellbrook delegate for the Nurses and Midwifes Association Adrian King spoke to Jill while on the bus on his way to the Sydney rally. ^[audio]

MORE than 200 nurses have put their hand up for a voluntary redundancy since the Metro North Hospital and Health Service announced moves to replace about 140 registered nurses with graduates on temporary contracts.

Nurses will walk off the job at hospitals across New South Wales today as part of their campaign for extra staff, especially in critical care areas. The strike will disrupt elective surgery, but nurses say emergency care will not be affected. The State Government has given nurses a 2.5 per cent pay rise, but does not support the demand for increased nurse to patient ratios in hospital wards.

A union claims local nurses are becoming increasingly frustrated about not providing the care they want to, for local patients. Members of the state's Nurses and Midwives Association will strike at 180 hospitals across the state today including at Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Walgett, over failing negotiations with the O'Farrell Government on a wage and nurse to patient ratio claim.

Thousands of nurses from 180 NSW hospitals have voted during a statewide strike to launch a fresh round of industrial action in their fight for patient-staff ratios. Three thousand nurses and midwives in Sydney, and 2000 in regional centres, voted on Wednesday to continue their campaign on September 17. ^[+video]