My name is Emma, and I am a third-year registered nurse, and I like many of my colleagues I am struggling to make ends meet. This is why I need a real pay rise.

Before the pandemic, a salary of $70,000 was considered reasonable and comfortable for a single person. Today, it is not.

As a nurse earning $70,000, I have a take-home pay of approximately

$2,100 per fortnight after tax and salary packaging. However, after accounting for basic living expenses, I cannot afford to live in NSW.

The average rent in Sydney is $627 per week, or $1,254 per fortnight. This leaves me with just $846 to cover all other expenses. My commute to work, including parking, costs me an additional $180 per fortnight, reducing my available funds to $666. The average cost of groceries for a single person is

$193 per week, or $386 per fortnight. This leaves me with just $140 per week to pay for expenses like car registration, utilities, medical expenses, internet.

You do the maths Premier Minns and Treasurer Moohkey – $140 a week doesn’t cover this. So, I’m left each week with less than nothing.

Recently, Chris Minns said the government would not entertain our request for a wage increase, because we had “chosen” safe ratios over a pay rise.

The reality is that we are being asked to choose between our own survival and the survival of our patients. We are not being paid enough to make ends meet, and we are not being given the resources necessary to provide safe care.I love my job so much. I worked so hard for years to get here. I am deeply committed to my patients and the nursing profession. However, I am now faced with a harsh reality: I cannot afford to continue working in a system that undervalues my contributions.

If I am forced to leave the workforce, it will not be because of my dedication to patient care, but because the government has failed to adequately support the healthcare system and the people who work within it.

So, pay us more. We deserve it. Of course, we deserve it. It’s a human right to be able to live. We clearly have the money. The average politician makes

$211,250. You’re not picking between rent and food each week I bet. That must be nice.

Emma, RN