Staffing shortages were so bad at Dunedin Hospital over the weekend, 21 students were called in from the Otago Polytechnic Nursing school to cover a total of 27 hospital aide shifts.
The students weren't paid for their work, due to an inability to add them to Te Whatu Ora's payroll system, so each student was given a $200 Countdown grocery voucher for each shift worked.
Jenny Hanson, the Southern Director of Nursing for Te Whatu Ora, says the hospital is grateful to the students for their support.
But the Nurses Organisation has criticised the arrangement, saying it placed the students under unacceptable risk by being asked to do patient watch work.
Nurses Organisation president Anne Daniels spoke to Corin Dann.
