Observations November 2022 - Wellbeing in Nursing and Midwifery

OBSERVATIONS

FROM

THE SECRETARY

How do we regain a sense of ‘balance’

so we can experience life’s joys and find satisfaction in our personal and working lives?

The last six months have been some of the most difficult of the COVID-19 pandemic for health workers.

Nurses, Midwives and Assistants in Nursing have been at the forefront of the response since the beginning of the pandemic, continuing to act as the last line of defence against the disease. At the risk of infection, workers in the professions continue to provide essential care to those in our aged care and health systems, including nursing homes, hospitals, walk-in-centres, HITH, and community health centres.

The cumulative effects of the pandemic on Nurses and Midwives have been significant, and we’ve seen that it has had negative impacts on their mental health, family life, and general sense of wellbeing.

With the pandemic presenting so many challenges inside and outside of the professions, and the uncertain state of the world, how do we hold on to our sense of wellbeing?

In times of great stress and uncertainty in my life, I’ve relied on exercise to get me through. Over many years, I’ve found that running long distances while listening to music counteracts the repetitive thoughts that can come with difficult situations. At the start of a run, my mind can be racing with thoughts of life’s challenges, but by the end, I experience a wonderful sense of stillness and clarity of thought. Similarly, I’ve found that focusing on the line at the bottom of the pool lane when swimming laps has an equally meditative effect.

However, I have experienced moments when exercise hasn’t been entirely effective. At these times, I draw on a saying once told to me by a wise friend: “This too shall pass.” Repeating these simple words to myself helps me recognise and acknowledge my discomfort, but also reminds me that different emotions will come and go with time.

The most important wellbeing lesson I’ve learned is that achieving a ‘balance’ isn’t something that just happens; it’s something you have to work at. While exercise is what I’ve found works for me, I understand it may not appeal to everyone. But, through sharing my own experience, I hope to encourage others to seek out what works for them.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of looking after our mental health and the need to seek help when we need it.

Employers have a responsibility to provide psychologically safe work environments under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, and the ANMF ACT will continue the rollout of programs and initiatives, such as the annual psychosocial wellbeing survey of members, to ensure that risks are identified, and employers are meeting their safety obligations to workers.

When things feel overwhelming, Nurse and Midwife Support is available as a 24/7 national support service for Nurses and Midwives that provides access to confidential advice and referral. The service is an initiative of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and run by Turning Point, independent of the Board and AHPRA. I encourage all members to reach out or visit the site at www.nmsupport.org.au.

The ANMF also has a wide range of resources available, some of which are outlined in this edition of Observations. These resources, as well as the support of various teams, members, and workplace delegates, are available to all members. I encourage members to take advantage of these resources and support networks whenever they feel needed.

I hope you enjoy reading this edition of Observations, and through it, understand different perspectives on wellbeing and find resources or tips that can help you maintain your own.

Matthew Daniel ANMF ACT Secretary

FROM THE PRESIDENT

ANMF ACT Branch President, Athalene Rosborough, has been part of the healthcare industry since 1981. With over 40 years of experience in the industry and with the Union, Athalene has been vital in supporting the ANMF ACT in all the work they do. She has long been dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of Nurses, Midwives, and Assistants in Nursing. Since becoming Branch President in 2010, she has worked tirelessly to continue the fantastic work of the ANMF ACT.

For this issue of Observations, we got in touch with Athalene to hear her thoughts on the relationship between the professions and wellbeing, and the focus of the Branch moving forward.

What have the last few months been like for the professions?

Across all work areas, the past few months have been an extremely busy time for all Nurses, Midwives and Assistants in Nursing (AIN). Even with staff shortages, workloads continue at a high level, with limited access to extra staff. Many Nurses and Midwives go above and beyond, working beyond their regular hours to ensure workplaces are safely staffed, and their colleagues are supported. Without them, the entire health care system would come to a standstill.

What has the ANMF ACT done to support members during this time?

The ANMF ACT has spent a lot of time focusing on the issues currently facing Nurses and Midwives across health and aged care systems. One of our major campaigns has been the implementation of Ratios, calculating the number of patients that can be assigned to one Nurse or Midwife at a time. There’s also been ongoing lobbying for improved staffing and better skill mix across all workplaces.

A significant recent win for the ANMF ACT has been the establishment of the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit inquiry responding to safety and workload concerns. The ANMF ACT has provided ongoing support to staff in all work areas concerning workplace safety and has also been involved in consultation to support positive change across the health care system to assist with the pandemic response.

What are the priorities for ANMF ACT?

ANMF ACT is prioritising the continuation of the implementation of Ratios, as well as continuing to campaign for better staffing resources across the sector. Our major priority is placing a strong focus on Nurse and Midwife wellbeing. The recent wellbeing survey results showed that many Nurses and Midwives are concerned for the wellbeing of themselves and their co-workers due to the daily emotional and physical demands placed on them. The results appear to indicate that staff continue managing everyday clinical activity with limited resources, funding, and capacity.

How important is wellbeing in the professions?

Wellbeing is extremely important to Nurses, Midwives and AINs, as it also allows us to value our quality of life. As Nurses, Midwives and AINs, we are constantly trying to support each other, and our patients, to ensure the highest possible quality of life. The ANMF ACT is dedicated to promoting wellbeing for our members. Health and wellbeing are also dependent on standard of living – which can be achieved through reasonable pay, good health, work life balance, and a sustainable work environment.

How does ANMF ACT support Nurses, Midwives, and AINs’ wellbeing in the professions?

The work that the ANMF ACT does, through campaigns and activities, is focused on the needs of members. We fight for justice, to allow all Nurses and Midwives to have a sense of worth within their profession, and a sense of wellbeing and health. The Union’s activities focus on how we are as individuals and as a community, how we have an opportunity and ability to lead lives of value with time to enjoy the things in life that really matter. Being able to see positive progress greatly affects our wellbeing as well.

DEALING WITH WORKPLACE ISSUES

With Nurses and Midwives spending as much time as they do at work, it is important that their profession is not only purposeful, meaningful, and fulfilling, but also respected and valued.

For ANMF ACT members, nursing and midwifery are more than just jobs, they are vocations. Members want to feel safe and positive in their working environments, as it directly impacts their psychosocial health and wellbeing, job satisfaction and patient outcomes.

The ANMF ACT Organising Team are a vital part of the ANMF ACT Branch, building on the power within the union. With the leadership of Workplace Delegates, the Organising Team works with members to achieve positive outcomes in the workplace and help solve workplace issues through organising.

What is organising?

In their work towards creating safer, fairer, healthier workplaces for members, the Organising Team acts as a vehicle for members to turn their issues into action. When members are empowered to be activists in their workplaces and are given the opportunity to play an active role in shaping a positive work environment, it can greatly improve their psychosocial health and wellbeing, and ability to provide patient care. They are much better prepared to deliver the care they strive to give, and that the community can depend on.

The Organising Team encourages workplaces to be active and member-led. A unionised workplace is where members are consulted on workplace changes and are empowered to have their say on issues such as safety and scope of practice and members feel safe to report issues that are important to staff and patient safety and wellbeing. Unionised workplaces are focused on improving working conditions and ensuring that staff feel valued and respected through the actions of their employers.

Where the Industrial Team assists members with individual matters, the Organising Team supports members on workplace issues that many members in the workplace widely and deeply feel. Where there might be an issue in the workplace, members are encouraged to identify the issue at a member meeting, and the Organising Team, Workplace Delegate and the Workplace Organising Committee will strategise on an action plan. This action plan can include working with management to resolve workplace issues, bargaining to win certain workplace conditions, initiating a workplace dispute, or possibly collective industrial action.

ANMF ACT Organising Team, Jessie Price, Thom Mason, and Sam Oram

What is an example of the work of the ANMF ACT Organising Team?

In an ACT healthcare facility, a Workplace Delegate and members identified workplace issues that they wanted to organise around. It had come to their attention that missed meal breaks not being paid was a widespread issue affecting several members within that workplace.

The Organising Team and the Workplace Delegate formulated a plan of action to resolve the issue by raising it at the Workplace Consultative Committee (WCC). In this forum, the committee seeks to resolve matters that cannot be resolved at the local level. In addition, ANMF ACT members formally wrote to the head of the organisation, outlining the employer’s obligations to provide the relevant entitlements under the enterprise agreement.

Through collective action, members achieved payment for missed meal breaks and associated entitlements. In addition, it was identified that there was a possibility for backpay where unpaid meal breaks had been occurring for a significant period.

Through the power of organising, members were able to achieve their goal and change the matters that had been affecting them, with a great result. The ANMF ACT Organising Team are dedicated to helping Workplace Delegates and their members in all types of situations and strive to empower members to unlock their power to organise.

The Organising Team have assisted Workplace Delegates and their members across many workplaces in the ACT. This work has helped to create safer and fairer workplaces for members, their patients, and the community.

Contact the Branch on 02 6282 9455 to find out more about how you can start organising for positive change in your workplace.

Workplace Delegates and Branch Councillors with the Organising Team, at the ANMF ACT 2021 Biennial Conference

YOUR WELLBEING MATTERS

Implementing appropriate and effective wellbeing practices in the workplace has become a priority for businesses, departments and companies across all sectors, as they shift their focus to people and culture, after a difficult few years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For many healthcare workers, focusing on wellbeing and implementing practices to better allow healthcare workers to do so, is something that still requires work.

Patrice Murray, a Registered Nurse, and Branch Councillor at the ANMF ACT, has been working on better understanding workplace culture and safety for Nurses and Midwives for the past three years. After joining the ACT Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office, Patrice began work on the ACT Nurses and Midwives: Towards a Safer Culture Strategy (TASC). The strategy is led by the ACT Health Directorate, in association with Canberra Health Services and Calvary Public Hospital Bruce. The ANMF ACT has been a key stakeholder, engaging with ACT Health to successfully develop and progress the strategy.

“I worked quite closely with members of the ANMF ACT. I really have enjoyed building that relationship with them because at the end of the day, we all have the same goals in mind. We want to improve workplace culture and safety for Nurses and Midwives.”

It was the efforts of the ANMF ACT’s lobbying that led to the ACT Legislative Assembly committing in 2016, in the ninth parliamentary agreement, to create and develop what was then known as the Nurse Safe Strategy.

Throughout her career, and 13 years as an ANMF ACT member, Patrice has worked to understand and improve workplace culture and safety for Nurses and Midwives. Her experiences and learnings have taught her that wellbeing is not a singular idea –it’s multi-faceted.

“Wellbeing is not just one single thing. It is unique, and I think that it’s something that we actively have to work on.”

What’s become especially evident to Patrice is just how important wellbeing is for others in the professions.

“I think that it’s really important for us to be able to maintain our own mental health and wellbeing as Nurses and Midwives. We are that pillar in the community. It’s vital that our workforce is taken care of, so that we can care for the community and do our job correctly.”

Patrice said that for Nurses and Midwives, it’s not uncommon to deny themselves time to rest, or to not prioritise taking time off. With staff shortages and extended shifts, sometimes it can feel like there are no other options but to take on the extra work.

“We’re just continuously working without integrating workplace practices to rest and recover.”

ANMF ACT member and Branch Councillor, Patrice Murray

This continuous push is something that seems to be unique to nursing and midwifery. Where other professions can schedule downtime and separate their work and home life with clear boundaries, the nature of working in the healthcare sector means prioritising your wellbeing is often tricky.

“We work in the healthcare system. We’re looking out for the health and wellbeing of others. I sometimes think we put ourselves last and don’t actually look after ourselves properly.”

Through her work, Patrice has seen that the best way to ensure health and wellbeing is prioritised is to encourage teams to look after each other.

“The teams that I think really look after their health and wellbeing, support each other. They have a really good workplace culture, they put their people first. One another’s health and wellbeing come first.”

In terms of bringing this vision to reality, Patrice said it goes beyond tokenistic gestures.

“Organisations want to see genuine partnership and collaboration amongst these teams to help support their health and wellbeing. It’s actually having an interest in their colleagues. It’s getting to know one another, taking the time to appreciate the challenges or successes of our peers. In this day and age where we’re incredibly busy, we can’t be too busy for one another.”

Patrice said that one of the easiest things managers can do to promote wellbeing amongst their staff is to remind them of the support available. Better yet, they can go a step further to support their team in actually engaging with these resources.

ANMF ACT members have been vital in campaigning for more support and resources to become available to Nurses and Midwives, with fantastic results seen across multiple government initiatives, including TASC.

Patrice said that ANMF ACT members have played a vital role in helping to prioritise Nurse and Midwife safety and wellbeing. They help empower Patrice and others to challenge the status quo, asking the necessary questions to see real change.

“It’s important to challenge the status quo and question traditional ways of working. Why do we do things the way that we do them? Why has it always been that way, and can it be better? When it comes to prioritising our health and wellbeing, I think that we should always be striving for better.”

ANMF ACT Branch Councilors, Patrice Murray, Janine Davidson, Susana Lloyd, Wendy Burton, Vanessa Hoban, Lyndsey Ohman, Leanne Ehrlich, Donna PrestonBond, Carol Sandland, Jessie Price, Athalene Rosborough, and Matthew Daniel

FINDING BALANCE

Hospitals are known to be both rewarding and high-pressure workplaces.

As with most careers, Nurses, Midwives and Assistants in Nursing (AIN) face the challenge of balancing work demands with personal life. When the pressures of work begin to mount, it can be difficult to find that balance, ensuring there is still time to look after your wellbeing. With knowledge, resources, and tangible support from their workplace, Nurses, Midwives and AINs can significantly improve their experience of finding a work-life balance, despite the demands or pressures of work.

Connor Lynch, Registered Nurse and ANMF ACT Workplace Delegate, says that wellbeing is as much a state of mind as a physical state.

“Wellbeing is the personal state of contentment. It’s the absence of worry or injury or illness. But it’s also a state of flux. It’s the balance of managing life’s stressors, and your mental and physical health.”

In the professions of nursing and midwifery, Connor said that wellbeing is fundamental. In both professions, you are consistently confronted with diseases and trauma, sometimes on the daily, which can affect your worldview.

“In this career path, you’re constantly confronted by people who are in traumatic scenarios, or are extremely unwell, which can be very distressing. You have to remind yourself that most people are out there living a relatively healthy and happy life.”

Connor said that in these cases, personal wellbeing is essential –as Nurses and Midwives often have to deal with distressing instances of disease, trauma and death.

“You have to look after yourself and sometimes put yourself first to maintain your own wellbeing. Otherwise, it’s very challenging.”

Connor emphasised the importance of wellbeing in his own career, touching on how it can be up to both the individual and the workplace to ensure wellbeing is factored into your work.

“Wellbeing at work is about my ability to keep myself healthy, but also my workplace ensuring that I’m cared for, and I feel well so that I can do my job. Wellbeing is about ensuring that the workplace is safe, so that I can thrive, I’m happy to be here, and I can do my job. That’s essential. Then productivity increases, work satisfaction increases - it’s far better for everyone.”

While Connor welcomes efforts to create pockets of relaxation or fun for staff at work, he said that attention needed to be paid to the root causes of stress for Nurses and Midwives – namely staff shortages and the challenging nature of the work.

Registered Nurse and ANMF ACT Workplace Delegate, Connor Lynch

“One of the hardest aspects of the work is where you may have to deal with weeks of immense pressure, because you’re working at a deficit of multiple things. You might be short staffed, or have a skills shortage, which is then complicated by demand for beds and capacity, but you’re deadlocked by the current landscape of the healthcare system. You’re working against the odds.”

As an ANMF ACT member and Workplace Delegate, Connor has also witnessed first-hand the importance of union support in encouraging wellbeing practices and the importance of having a work-life balance.

“Being part of the ANMF ACT has allowed me to be heard. It’s hard to quantify just how essential that’s been in my ability to raise issues and achieve goals, knowing I’ve always got the support of the union. When you understand how systems work, you can better navigate them. The ANMF ACT helps illuminate some of the mystery, and it makes it easier to know what to do or where to go when you need that help.”

Connor said he has found that the only way to relieve some of this pressure on the individual level is to realise the importance of balancing work and personal life, and practice being able to leave the stresses of work behind.

“I think you have to get really good at training yourself to leave the worries of work at work. At the end of the workday, whether you practice mindfulness or meditation or listen to music or podcasts in the car, you must close the book on the day. You need to be able to say: okay, that was work. Now I’m going to go on living my life.”

Connor also advocates for giving yourself proper time to rest and recharge.

To do this successfully, Connor said it was important to identify what brings you joy, and focus on cultivating hobbies that you can spend time on outside of work.

Connor Lynch at the 2021 Biennial Conference

“What do you love? What do you like to do? What do you genuinely find joy, contentment and stillness in? That’s what’s good for the mind and body.”

LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS LOOKING AFTER WOMEN AND FAMILIES

When Remy Peters is asked what the most rewarding aspect of her work as a Midwife is, she says that the answer people usually expect is: “seeing babies being born”.

While fulfilling, Remy said that for her, the most rewarding aspect of her work is bearing witness to the incredible physical and mental strength shown by people in labour.

“It’s seeing women and birthing people harness this power from within themselves somewhere to get through all of that pain, and finish that journey with such grace. It’s an incredible thing to see.”

Midwifery is emotional and at times, gruelling work. While there are incredible highs to working as a Midwife, Remy also expressed that there can be extreme lows. Long and strange hours, difficult and emotionally draining situations and the overarching pressure of the job while trying to maintain a work-life balance can sometimes become too much. It requires Midwives to harness the same power they witness in the people they help.

Finding this power can be difficult. In a world still grappling with COVID-19, prioritising wellbeing in the workplace has become more important than ever. In the midwifery profession, putting your physical and mental wellbeing first is paramount as Midwives must take care of themselves to continue to provide exceptional care for women and families.

For Remy, wellbeing is extremely important to her and her profession.

“It’s really important. It’s hard to do our job when we’re not feeling our best. It’s a lot easier to get burnt out when you’re feeling mentally and physically unwell.”

Remy has been a Midwife for five years, launching straight into work after finishing her Bachelor of Midwifery, which she started straight out of high school. Working through COVID-19, she had to learn to understand and prioritise her wellbeing, even when, at times it seemed undoable.

Trying to manage your daily life on-top of shift work and an unpredictable schedule, the idea of holistic wellbeing can seem unachievable.

Remy Peters at the 2022 ANMF ACT Action Day Rally

“Sometimes you’re just too tired, and you just do not have the mental capacity to even take a shower, sometimes going for a walk or trying to eat healthily, or even getting a full night of sleep is impossible with the work that we do.”

It was the build-up of pressure that led to Remy taking mental health leave so that she could look after herself. It was a decision she made after noticing how her state of mind was not only affecting her personally but had started to have an impact on her work.

During her time off, she gained a new perspective on how she viewed wellbeing. She now understands it isn’t always a simple matter of ‘me-time’ or having a self-care ritual, sometimes it means having difficult conversations and choosing to take actions for your mental health.

“Wellbeing is more than just surviving. For me, wellbeing is acknowledging that there’s a problem, and working on that. Whether that be seeking help from friends or speaking to a mental health professional, taking that step means you are prioritising your mental health.”

While Remy was able to acknowledge her problem and seek help, she understands how daunting that can be, especially when it means asking for time off or telling senior colleagues about your situation. Remy said that support from friends and colleagues is essential.

“Support from co-workers, friends and family is crucial. Without someone else looking out for you, or someone to go to and say, ‘I’m really struggling here’, I think we would potentially lose people.”

It was for this reason that Remy decided to join the ANMF ACT and become a Workplace Delegate.

Remy said that becoming a Workplace Delegate shortly after taking mental health leave helped her immensely.

“Having the opportunity to speak out and actively be on the floor to assist solving some of the problems that led to my excess of stress has really helped me to heal because it doesn’t feel as hopeless.”

As a Workplace Delegate, Remy hopes to advocate for herself and her colleagues in a way that emphasises the importance of taking care of yourself, and to take time off if necessary.

“I’d encourage people to reach out and help themselves before they worry about helping others. It’s never too late to get yourself on a life raft, to make sure you are ok.”

ANMF ACT member and Workplace Delegate, Remy Peters

EMBEDDING WELLBEING PRACTICES FOR BETTER PATIENT CARE

In the wake of COVID-19, surge centres and Walk-in Centres across Canberra have had to deal with increased patient visits, longer hours, and staff shortages. For Alison Wong, Advanced Practice Nurse and Manager of a local Walk-In Centre, ensuring her staff are looking after their wellbeing has been a challenge.

Alison has been a Nurse for ten years. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, she was working in intensive care and oncology, moving into primary health care more recently in a community-facing role. Alison has seen a lot of the healthcare system, and in her time at the Walk-In Centre, almost every aspect of the pandemic.

“Walk-in Centres are unique because you never know who or what is going to walk through the door. The best part of our job is being able to provide health care for the community who are worried, scared, and don’t know what to do.”

With some clinics not being able to see patients faceto-face, Walk-in Centres have had to remain open for the community. Nurses have had to adapt to the increased hours and numbers of patients and put themselves at risk to improve the accessibility of healthcare for their patients. Alison said her staff have been incredible during this period. “They’re just extraordinary. They can adapt, and they will adapt to make sure that the community gets the health care they need.”

While Alison appreciates how the efforts of her staff have positively impacted the community, she noted that these changes have also taken a toll. Now in a management role, the past two years have affected her own views on wellbeing and its importance in the workplace, especially in health care.

Alison recognises that when you are in a position of care, you are so used to prioritising the health and wellbeing of your patients that your own health and wellbeing seems to always come second.

“That’s the problem with Nurses and Midwives. We just don’t take time for ourselves.”

As a champion of wellbeing, Alison encourages her staff to look after themselves. However, she also knows there is a lot of guilt surrounding sick leave or leave to ensure mental wellbeing in the context of staff shortages. As a manager, Alison tries to take on that responsibility, but concerns for patients can lead to staff working through burnout.

ANMF ACT member and Workplace Delegate, Alison Wong

As the healthcare system continues to grapple with COVID-19, Alison has seen more staff shortages, more fatigue, and general exhaustion amongst her staff. While we commend Nurses, Midwives, Assistants in Nursing, and other health professionals who are working harder than ever to provide for the community, short-staffing issues and fatigue are becoming more common.

Alison remains hopeful that this will change, as there is a strong sense of camaraderie and desire to look out for one another amongst her colleagues, and across the healthcare sector in the ACT.

“In the Walk-in Centres, we are really good at looking after each other. As we are all senior clinicians who have been working in the healthcare system for years, we very much recognise burnout amongst ourselves and know when to stop before it gets to that point.”

Aiming to change the stigma of overworking and not reaching out for help within the professions, Alison hopes to see better implementation of wellbeing practices as well as an increase in staff to assist in taking some of the pressure off.

“We can do better when it comes to prioritising and encouraging Nurses, Midwives, and Assistants in Nursing to prioritise their wellbeing. A lot of us won’t put ourselves first. Especially when we are critically short staffed and we pick up extra shifts because we know it’s better for our colleagues and for our patients. Of course we are wellbeing champions but a lot more can be done in that space to protect our Nurses, Midwives, and Assistants in Nursing.”

Having joined the ANMF ACT before the pandemic began, working as a Workplace Delegate before taking on a manager role, Alison reflected on how positive ANMF ACT advocacy has been for her staff, and has assisted in efforts to champion wellbeing.

“The ANMF ACT has helped a lot of our staff who have gone through a couple of things. As a union member, I have seen how great ANMF ACT advocacy is for our professions.”

Alison hopes that moving forward, with the ongoing help of the ANMF ACT advocating for members, better standards and practices can be implemented to help protect healthcare workers and assist them in prioritising their wellbeing.

“We’re dealing with a workforce that’s incredibly tired right now. There are a lot of issues with self-care and wellbeing. It’s incredibly hard to look after a patient when you are not in the right headspace.”

Alison Wong at the 2021 Biennial Conference

THE INDUSTRIAL TEAM: FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

The ANMF ACT Industrial Team plays a vital role in representing members, ensuring better work conditions for Nurses, Midwives and Assistants in Nursing (AIN) to continue to focus on doing the job they love. We caught up with Shane Carter, Registered Nurse and ANMF ACT Industrial Advisor, about how the Industrial Team can help ANMF ACT members take better advantage of their entitlements.

How important is wellbeing in the professions?

As Nurses, Midwives and AINs, we tend to neglect our own care. We’re so happy to care for other people, but that often comes at the expense of ourselves. This was already prevalent before the pandemic, and it’s having a significant impact on Nurses and Midwives now. So, I would say wellbeing is essential.

Can you talk to us about the flexible and individual working arrangement provisions available to all members? What are they, and how do they work?

Most nursing and midwifery workers would have a right to request flexible work arrangements – it’s provided for in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

In most ACT Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreements (including the ACT Public Sector Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement), this right is usually extended, with an express mechanism for applying for such an arrangement. A request for a flexible working arrangement is usually

a request made by an employee to their employer, asking for a change in their working practices to allow the employee some flexibility (such as different start and finish time, etc) I believe that these provisions, and in particular, in the Public Sector, are being under-utilised by members.

Why do you believe these provisions are currently being under-utilised by members?

I think it’s because most Nurses, Midwives and AINs are somewhat unaware that they are available to them. I think they don’t realise that they’re able to request more flexible working arrangements. Sometimes, even if they are aware, the expectations we put on ourselves to manage our work can stop us from reaching out to access other options. Often you don’t want to be seen as rocking the boat, but a flexible working arrangement doesn’t rock the boat. In my mind, it’s no different than applying for leave.

(L-R) Oliver O’Brien (Legal Assistant), Shane Carter (Industrial Advisor), Lucy Joselyn (Paralegal)

Utilising flexible working arrangements helps members balance out their lives. We’re busy people; we have busy lives. As Nurses, Midwives and AINs, we must remember it’s okay to care for the carer. We neglect our own health at the expense of trying to help other people. Accessing these provisions helps us regain some control over our lives, and the time we have to spend with ourselves and our loved ones, which can significantly and positively affect our wellbeing.

Other than flexible and individual working arrangement provisions, in what other ways can members’ wellbeing be enhanced with the help of the Industrial Team?

We’re always here to help you out. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always contact us.

Sometimes members are called to meetings by managers, and that’s when we strongly encourage members to contact us before they have these meetings so that we can advise them or even come with you as your industrial representative. You’re entitled to that representation.

Contact the Branch - we’re here to provide support to you. Give us a call, and we can talk you through it. Being a member means we can provide you with information about your rights, support you during difficult processes, or help if you raise a concern or have other issues at work.

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How can these provisions assist members in enhancing their wellbeing?

How can members access these provisions or be better informed on their entitlements?

Oliver O’Brien and Lucy Joselyn

Captions for Inside Back Cover

Top ANMF ACT members at the 2022 ANMF ACT Action Day Rally

ANMF ACT members at the 2022 ANMF ACT Action Day Rally

Want to contribute?

If you have an idea for a story or any topics you would like to see covered in our next issue of Observations, let us know by emailing us at anmfact@anmfact.org.au

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