Eighty nurses join action in Albury by the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Albury Base Hospital Branch member Geoff Hudson co-ordinated local action, starting with a rally at QEII Square and ending with a presentation of their resolution to staff at Albury MP Justin Clancy's office.

"Before COVID, our healthcare system was reaching a breaking point," he told the group.

"We've seen so many colleagues leave the profession.

"We want nurses in ED to have three patients, and we need nurses in the medical surgical-adult wards to have four patients - and a one to three ratio in paediatrics.

"We know right now in paediatrics, they can have one nurse to eight patients.

"We have RNs working with 10 patients - that's six minutes per patient and that is not enough.

"How can we know the ratios will help? We know because they're already doing that in Wodonga right now, where they have one to four (ratios) in Victoria."

Albury registered nurse Andrea Cronk, whose phone rang twice during her address, detailed the strain on local staff.

"I have been a nurse now for seven years ... before COVID hit, we were already in crisis," she said.

"We are not coping with our medication rounds, we're not coping with personal care.

"Mistakes are being made.

"People like the Premier (Dominic Perrottet) say we are coping ... we are not, not only nurses, but doctors, cleaning staff ... it's crushing us completely.

"I've done double shifts, over-time and we can't get our work finished within our work hours."

Ms Cronk told The Border Mail the discrepancies between Victoria and NSW were made more clear on the Border.

"There are enrolled nurses who work in Victoria that sometimes work with us, and they get paid as an enrolled nurse as much as I get paid as a registered nurse, and they also get COVID payments on top of that," she said.

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"They are less qualified than us and getting paid what we are - which they deserve, but why don't we?

"We all deserve to be compensated; there are people with pressure wounds on their noses and behind their ears (from wearing PPE)."

The union raised that in 2020, the year of the nurse and midwife, wages were frozen and is calling on the government to implement a pay rise of at least 2.5 per cent and ratios.

The action was supported by other local union members and community members.

Albury nurse Susan Makepeace, who has worked in the health sector for 48 years, felt driven to attend the action and show her support.

"This is an ideal opportunity to educate the public about the fact that it's not only nurses working in the hospital, it's community nurses working out in rural areas and it's early childhood nurses ... a whole gamut of nurses," she said.

"Although I'm on the cusp of retirement, I just was just busting to come down here and support you.

"It's been over 10 years since a strike this big, and to get 2.5 (per cent pay rise), we're only getting back what we should have got before."

Albury MP Justin Clancy responded to the nurses' action in a statement.

"It has been an extremely challenging time right across our community and particularly for our health care workers."

"I understand that the NSW Health Minister continues to be in dialogue with the union and I trust through ongoing discussions the right outcomes are found."