Nurses in New South Wales' south-east say throwing money at health workers will not improve working conditions as they continue to push for more staff per shift.
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association South East Regional Hospital branch delegate Diane Lang said the state government's budget announcement that almost one billion dollars will be spent luring workers to the bush via its regional health workforce incentive scheme does not go far enough in improving work conditions.
Ms Lang said while the extra training opportunities and a package of up to $10,000 with additional leave and relocation reimbursement may attract people to the bush, they will unlikely stay if they are still overworked and stressed.
"What we want healthcare workers to do is move, stay, and become part of our community," Ms Lang said.
Nurses went on strike across the state earlier this year, again calling for a ratio of one nurse to every four patients on every shift.
It was the first statewide strike in more than a decade.
Ms Lang said more nurses were needed to be rostered for each shift or workers from the city are unlikely to stay in rural areas, and may even leave the profession altogether.
"I think what they are filling is the empty gaps we already have," she said.
Ms Lang said moving to the bush has traditionally been a lifestyle choice rather than a career move, but that should change.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the move would ensure rural residents would have access to high quality healthcare in the future.
"These incentive packages will be tailored to not only attract more clinicians to these services but help retain those hard-working staff and encourage them to put down roots," he said.
Ms Lang said rural communities are in desperate need of more medical professionals, and rural nurses were "frustrated, tired, and exhausted".
"We want to feel that when we leave work we've done a good job and the patients have had all the care they should have,' she said.
