Lamp April 2017 by NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association

PENALTY RATES

COVER STORY

PRIVATISATION

AGED CARE

REGULARS

Penalty rate cuts hit women, young people

Privatisation victims tell their stories

Consumers’ questions answered

page 16

page 20

page 23

Your rights and entitlements at work Nurse Uncut – your stories What nurses and midwives said Nursing research online

p.33 p.35 p.37 p.39

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 74 NO. 3 | APRIL 2017

IT’S TIME TO IMPROVE RATIOS

THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 1

COVER STORY

2 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

CONTENTS Contacts NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association For all membership enquiries and assistance, including Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office. Sydney Office 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au W www.nswnma.asn.au Hunter Office 8-14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2300 NSWNMA Communications Manager Janaki Chellam-Rajendra T 1300 367 962 For all editorial enquiries letters and diary dates T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnma.asn.au 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 Produced by Hester Communications T 9568 3148 Press Releases Send your press releases to: F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au

VOLUME 74 NO. 3 | APRIL 2017

COVER STORY

It’s time to improve ratios Government-employed nurses across NSW have voted to campaign for greater quality and equality in public health services.

Editorial Committee Brett Holmes, NSWNMA General Secretary Judith Kiejda, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Coral Levett, NSWNMA President Peg Hibbert, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care Richard Noort, Justice Health Advertising Danielle Nicholson T 8595 2139 or 0429 269 750 F 9662 1414 E dnicholson@nswnma.asn.au Information & Records Management Centre To find archived articles from The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNMA nursing and health collection, contact: Jeannette Bromfield, Coordinator. T 8595 2175 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au The Lamp ISSN: 0047-3936 General Disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSWNMA. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSWNMA. Statements of fact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibility is accepted for them. All material appearing in The Lamp is covered by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission. The NSWNMA takes no responsibility for the advertising appearing herein and it does not necessarily endorse any products advertised. Privacy Statement The NSWNMA collects personal information from members in order to perform our role of representing their industrial and professional interests. We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information. Personal information is protected under law and can only be released to someone else where the law requires or where you give permission. If you have concerns about your personal information, please contact the NSWNMA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained, you can contact the Privacy Commission. Subscriptions for 2017 Free to all Association members. Professional members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $30. Individuals $82, Institutions $138, Overseas $148.

66,436

Average Net Distribution per issue. The Lamp is independently under the AMAA's CAB Total Distribution Audit. Publisher's Statement for the period: 01/04/2016 - 30/09/2016

P ENALTY RATES Penalty rate cuts hit women, young people

Low-paid women and young people are tipped to be the biggest losers from cuts to penalty rates in four industries. Who’s next?.

20 23

PRIVATISATION Privatisation victims tell their stories

Inquiry hears ‘raw, confronting’ testimony on disability care.

AGED CARE

Aged care questions answered The NSWNMA has produced a series of leaflets to help consumers navigate their way through the complex process involved when transitioning a loved one into residential aged care.

REGULARS

5 6 6 28 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 46

Editorial Competition Your letters News in brief Ask Judith Nurse Uncut Facebook Nursing Research Online Crossword Book reviews Movie reviews Diary dates

PENALTY RATES

COVER STORY

PRIVATISATION

AGED CARE

REGULARS

Penalty rate cuts hit women, young people

Privatisation victims tell their stories

Consumers’ questions answered

page 16

page 20

page 23

Your rights and entitlements at work Nurse Uncut – your stories What nurses and midwives said Nursing research online

p.33 p.35 p.37 p.39

UNION WIN Big back pay win at Royal North Shore

Fifteen nurses at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital will get back payment of the in charge of shift allowance they were denied for more than four years.

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 74 NO. 3 | APRIL 2017

IT’S TIME TO IMPROVE RATIOS

THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 1

OUR COVER: NSWNMA members Heather Franke, Kelly Crosby and Sabrina Sharp stand up for improved ratios. Photographed by Sharon Hickey. THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 3

sometimes you just want more Based on a starting income of $50,000 and a starting account balance of $50,000 HESTA has delivered $18,725 more to members than the average retail super fund over the past 10 years*. This was because of both lower fees and higher investment earnings.

hesta.com.au/betteroff

Issued by H.E.S.T. Australia Ltd ABN 66 006 818 695 AFSL 235249, the Trustee of Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia (HESTA) ABN 64 971 749 321. This information is of a general nature. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or specific needs so you should look at your own financial position and requirements before making a decision. You may wish to consult an adviser when doing this. Before making a decision about HESTA products you should read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (call 1800 813 327 or visit hesta.com.au for a copy), and consider any relevant risks (hesta.com.au/understandingrisk). *Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance and should never be the sole factor considered when selecting a fund. Comparisons modelled by SuperRatings, commissioned by HESTA. Modelled outcome shows 10 year average difference in net benefit of the main balanced options of HESTA and 75 retail funds tracked by SuperRatings, with a 10 year performance history, taking into account historical earnings and fees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; excluding contribution, entry, exit and additional adviser fees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; of main balanced options. Outcomes vary between individual funds. Modelling as at 30 June 2016.

4 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

EDITORIAL

Brett

Holmes GENERAL SECRETARY

NSW can afford improved ratios Strong economic growth means the NSW government can afford to improve safe patient care through improved ratios and the federal government has no excuse for not protecting the penalty rates of the lowest paid. Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in March show that the Australian economy is buoyant. The national economy grew by 3 per cent in the December quarter – the third best quarterly growth in 28 years. In NSW, economic growth is outpacing the rest of Australia with healthy budget surpluses forecast for the next four years. Yet, the benefits of this strong economic growth are not being shared by all. Those same ABS figures showed that the amount of money going to wages fell by 0.5 per cent.

IT’S TIME TO IMPROVE RATIOS This is the economic backdrop to our claim for improved ratios in the public health system (see pp 8-13). Seven years ago, chronic understaffing of nurses and midwives placed enormous pressure on our public health system and was the catalyst for our first nurse to patient ratios campaign. NSW nurses and midwives won ratios in 2011 after strike action and bed closures convinced the ALP Governernment to act. Over 1800 FTE nurses were added to the NSW public health system with a funding injection

‘The Victorian and Queensland Governments have been convinced that ratios are so important for patient safety that they needed to be enshrined in legislation. It is time the NSW Government stopped denying their importance and instead expand and improve them to deliver safe patient care in this State.’ One economic commentator, Greg Jericho, points out that “the total amount of wages has been falling at the same time that profits rose faster in one quarter than they have for 40 years”. These results are consistent with the latest OECD report on Australia which showed that in the decade of the mining boom from 2004 to 2014 the wealth of the lowest fifth of the population grew by 5 per cent while for the richest it surged by nearly 40 per cent. Inequality has been growing rapidly in Australia and continues to do so.

of over $500 million. However, all our subsequent Award claims to improve and expand ratios have been refused. Ratios in regional and rural hospitals were only partwon in 2011. These hospitals are still struggling to deliver high level patient safety through adequate nursing care. Specialties such as emergency departments, paediatrics and intensive care units are yet to receive nurse to patient ratios. Year on year, the NSWNMA has lobbied the NSW Coalition government for improved and expanded minimum, mandated nurse to patient ratios as

part of our public health system Award talks. The Victorian and Queensland Governments have been convinced that ratios are so important for patient safety that they have enshrined them in legislation. It is time the NSW Government stopped denying their importance and instead expand and improve them to deliver safe patient care in this State.

PENALTY RATES MUST BE PROTECTED The decision by Fair Work Australia (FWA) to reduce penalty rates for workers in retail and hospitality is unconscionable and will only worsen the gaping divide between the haves and the have-nots. Women and young workers will take the brunt of this poor decision (see pp 16-19). Workers in accommodation, food services and retail are already the very ones that have been left behind as inequality has widened. It is natural and reasonable for workers in other low paid sectors like aged care to now fear for their penalty rates. ACTU polling shows over two thirds of Australians disapprove of the FWA’s decision to cut penalty rates. Two thirds also want the government to change the laws to protect penalty rates. FWA’s decision is typical of the economic policy – with its focus on reducing labour costs – that has driven inequality in Australia. The latest economic figures show that greater economic growth does not necessarily translate into improved incomes for many working people. Prime Minister Turnbull has an opportunity and a responsibility to respond to this attack on people’s incomes and should legislate to protect penalty rates. ■ THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 5

YOUR LETTERS

Cruise around Sydney Harbour taking in the spectacular

Have your

Say

A dissenting voice on penalty rates

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Captain Cook Cruises exclusive offers for NSWNMA members for Vivid Sydney Vivid Sydney Lights Cruise $22 (normally $39pp). Departing Darling Harbour enjoy a 1 hour cruise nightly during Vivid Sydney (valid 26 May – 17 June 2017). Vivid Sydney 7.30pm Dinner & Drinks Cruise $89 (normally $149 pp). Departing from Darling Harbour, enjoy a 3-course dinner and drinks cruise disembarking at either Circular Quay or Darling Harbour where you can stroll along the Vivid Lights walk (valid 29 May – 1 June, 5-8 June and 13-15 June 2017). To book go to www.captaincook.com.au/sydney-harbourcruises/whats-on-in-sydney/vivid-festival and enter promo code L6EBL8A

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For one lucky member we are giving away 2 complimentary tickets to the Gold Dinner cruise. Included in the prize is 6 course degustation menu, vintage Australian wines to complement each course, house spirits, beer & soft drinks and live music. Valued at $410*

To enter the competition simply provide your name, address and membership number and email your entry with the subject: Vivid Sydney to lamp@nswnma.asn.au

The union opinion [on cuts to penalty rates] is not actually the opinion of all members. I agree with the government’s proposed changes to penalty rates (for non-essential service industries). It is decades since Saturday and Sunday were family days back in the 60s, 70s and 80s, and being asked to work them was deserving of additional penalties. I have never understood why the Monday–Friday worker was paid less than the uni kid working a few weekend shifts and getting ridiculous penalties. Businesses choose to open on weekends – it is not essential for them to do so. Staff only available or wanting to work weekends should not be treated more generously than the hard-working weekday staff. In my opinion, the only industries that should receive weekend penalties are essential services who have no choice but to be a 24/7 roster (health, defence, utilities like water / electricity / sewerage). Where is the voice of the reasonable union member? Martin Bryant RN, Chatswood EDITORIAL RESPONSE: Many would disagree with you that weekends have stopped being family days. For the overwhelming majority of families, the weekend remains the one moment of the week to enjoy together in rest and leisure. It is also disputable that many businesses ‘choose’ to open on weekends – the laws of competition have something to say on that and many businesses are dependent on weekend consumption. Many would also argue that workers for these businesses have little to no choice about their availability to work. The right to a weekend is one of the great victories of the union movement. We should not assume that right always existed. We believe that it is critical that unions defend that hard-won right to a weekend and the right of ALL workers to be paid compensation for working unsociable hours.

A standing ovation for Sally Whitney I am so proud to call myself a nurse and was very pleased to read the article entitled “If we can nurse you, surely we can marry too?” This article was extremely well written and I am happy to support and be a member of any union that supports marriage equality. Please forward my thanks to Sally Whitney for having the courage to stand up and share a part of her life in the public forum. Her passion, dedication and selflessness blows me away. If I could, I would give you a standing ovation. Kudos Sally! Lisa Hennessey RN, Bligh Park

*Conditions apply. Offer valid for the duration of Vivid Sydney 2017 and dates specified. Winning prize must be redeemed by 30 November 2017. Competition entries from NSWNMA members only and limited to one entry per member. Competition opens 1 April 2017 and closes 30 April 2017. The prize is drawn on 1 May 2017. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be 6 to| 3THE LAMP APRIL 2017 held up months from the original draw date. NSW Permit no: LTPM/17/01625

If there’s something on your mind, send us a letter and have your say. The letter of the month will WIN a gift card No room for apathy on penalty rates The recent ruling of the FWC on the reduction of penalty rates for Sundays and public holidays is a despicable attack on our lowest paid, most vulnerable, non-unionised workers. This is the single biggest issue facing the Australian workforce and can negatively impact the lives of a considerable number of Australian workers and their local communities, not to mention the impact on all our lifestyles. The apathy that is apparent amongst nurses and midwives who think the FWC’s ruling will not impact them is nothing short of appalling. If we do not stand up and support the lowest paid, most vulnerable workers in our community now, we deserve to lose the hundreds of dollars a week we face losing from our pay! I appeal to all nurses and midwives to get behind and support the ACTU campaign to ‘Save Our Weekend’ and prevent these socially unacceptable attacks on workers and communities. Enough is enough. This federal government needs to be put on notice. We will not accept any further attacks on the average Australian family. Shaen Springall CNS, Goonellabah EDITORIAL RESPONSE: To get involved in this campaign, please go to www.nswnma.asn.au/ get-involved/save-our-weekend.

Letter of the month The letter judged the best each month will win a $50 Coles Group & Myer gift card! Union Shopper offers members BIG savings on a wide range of products! unionshopper.com.au 1300 368 117

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SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Editorial Enquiries EMAIL lamp@nswnma.asn.au fax 9662 1414   MAIL 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017. Please include a high-resolution photo along with your name, address, phone and membership number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space. Anonymous letters will not be published.

Letter of the month

How we can win

I am writing to express how proud and appreciative I am of the Byron Central Hospital branch executive, members, Reasonable Workloads Committee, our NSWNMA organiser and NSWNMA industrial support. The Byron Central Hospital branch is relatively newly formed. Our first historic combined branch meeting was at the Ewingsdale Hall in December 2015. Right from the get go, before the move to Byron Central, we had some significant wins, giving the newly elected combined branch executive the confidence to pursue an outstanding issue that we were told by local and LHD management was unwinnable. The branch wanted to ensure patient safety by releasing the new After Hours Nurse Manager from having an allocated patient load in the Emergency Department and instead, allocating extra clinical hours to the ED so that the AHNM could be freed up to provide a supportive clinical role where necessary and provide needed support to other areas of the hospital. Local and LHD management were adamant this would never happen. In late February, it did happen. The branch won the additional hours to the ED, freeing up the

AHNM to meet the responsibilities of their position description. This was done by the branch executive utilising their own industrial knowledge, including timely access to the media and politicians, often at short notice, consistent support and advice by our NSWNMA organiser and the wider NSWNMA industrial team. In particular though, it was the knowledge that the branch exec had the trust of branch members who had our backs and had the courage to collect much-needed data to support our campaign, often in the face of some managerial opposition. There are ongoing concerns that will need to be addressed. However, the incremental wins have given the branch increased courage to act where necessary and a sense of agency and power, knowing they can trust that their elected branch representatives and NSWNMA employees have the industrial acumen to know how to fight for appropriate staffing to provide safe patient care and discern what issues are winnable. I write this to provide an example to all branches, new or experienced, who are told by local and LHD managers that their cause cannot be won. These wins were achieved by everyone having faith in each other. United we stand. Elizabeth McCall RN Byron Bay

Advertise in The Lamp and reach more than 66,000 nurses and midwives. To advertise please contact Danielle Nicholson 02 8595 2139 / 0429 269 750 dnicholson@nswnma.asn.au THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 7

COVER STORY

It’s time to improve ratios Government-employed nurses across NSW have voted to campaign for greater quality and equality in public health services.

ne hundred and seventy seven NSWNMA branches overwhelmingly voted ‘yes’ to endorse the union’s 2017 ratios and pay claim. The claim puts nurse-topatient ratios at the forefront of our 2017 campaign. NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes said the vote reflected NSW nurses’ deep concerns for patient safety due to understaffing. “Our claim seeks to extend nurseto-patient ratios to health services that still don’t have them,” he said. “A lot of regional and rural hospitals were not included when the union’s first ratios campaign won mandatory ratios for many units of metropolitan and rural hospitals in 2011. “Also not included were specialty areas such as emergency departments, units for paediatrics, intensive care, high dependency and neonatal intensive care, community nursing and community mental health nursing. “All are crying out for a safer clinical working environment for both nursing staff and patients.” “We aim to bring staffing levels in non-tertiary hospitals up to the same level as tertiary referral city hospitals. “This would ensure patients

8 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

receive the same level of care regardless of where they live or are treated.”

NO IMPROVEMENTS IN HOSPITAL STAFFING SINCE 2011 Brett said the campaign also focuses on services that have ratios but are being undermined by measures such as replacing registered nurses with lesser-qualified nurses and failing to allocate additional nursing hours to patients who require specialised one-to-one care.

“Too often ‘specials’ are not provided, or lower-skilled classifications are used. “It is clinically inappropriate for specialised care to be within rostered nursing hours because it takes time away from other patients.” He said the government had done nothing to improve hospital-staffing ratios since the union’s 2011 win resulted in the employment of more than 1800 FTE nurses. “Year on year, we have lobbied the NSW Coalition government for

‘With budget surpluses forecast over the next four years the Berejiklian Government can afford to give residents of NSW safer ratios. ’ — Brett Holmes “Shor t-sighted attempts to cut budgets by employing lower skilled staff result in higher rates of hospital-acquired infections, adverse events and failure to rescue. Evidence-based academic research has proved this repeatedly. “Likewise, the pressure to make do without additional nurses is unacceptable and unsafe. “Patients clinically assessed as requiring a special should not have their care compromised.

improved and expanded ratios, but the government has stubbornly sat on its hands. “With budget surpluses forecast over the next four years the Berejiklian government can afford to give residents of NSW safer ratios. “The evidence is clear that better ratios save lives and there is no reason why the NSW government should be lagging behind Queensland and Victoria.”■

COVER STORY

PUTTING PATIENT SAFETY FIRST: Gunnedah District Hospital registered nurse Heather Franke, Dubbo branch

delegate Kelly Crosby, and Sabrina Sharp, NSWNMA delegate at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Our ratio claims

Ratios save lives

Under the public health system award, Peer Group A medical and surgical wards are currently staffed at 6 nursing hours for each patient per day. That is equivalent to ratios of 1:4 on morning shifts, 1:4 on afternoon, shift and 1:7 on night shifts, with some shifts including an ‘in charge’ nurse without a patient allocation. This year we are calling on the state government to extend the same level of nursing care to patients at all Peer Group B, C and D hospitals, as well as the acute beds of Multi-Purpose Service facilities throughout NSW. Ratios must also be extended to speciality units such as emergency departments, intensive care and high dependency units, paediatric and neonatal intensive care units. New staffing models must be introduced into community and community mental health nursing, drug and alcohol units and small birthing units.

International research increasingly shows that lives are saved when hospitals employ more nurses. Research, published in The Lancet, showed the greater the number of registered nurses, the lower the number of patient deaths. When hospitals are understaffed, patients die, get infections, get injured, or get sent home too soon without adequate education about how to take care of their illness or injury. The research shows:

Other states show the way

7% lower mortality

Victoria and Queensland have committed to minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in their public health awards. They have also enshrined ratios in legislation. Under the Queensland legislation and regulations, which take effect in July, medical, surgical and mental health wards must maintain a minimum of one nurse to four patients for morning and afternoon shifts, and one nurse to seven patients for night shifts. Queensland Health expects to recruit an additional 250 nurses to staff these ratios and the government says it will consider whether ratios should be extended to other wards and facilities this year.

7% increase in deaths

Every one patient added to a nurse’s workload is associated with a 7 per cent increase in deaths following common surgery.

Every 10 per cent increase in universityeducated nurses is associated with 7 per cent lower mortality.

3500 less deaths

If all hospitals in nine European countries studied had at least 60 per cent university-educated nurses, with no more than six patients each, more than 3500 deaths a year might be prevented.

THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 9

COVER STORY

AT A GLANCE

2017 PHS AWARD CLAIMS To deliver safer patient care the government must improve and extend legally enforceable, mandated minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.

Here’s what you say is needed: RATIOS-RELATED CLAIMS I mprove ratios in all NSW hospitals to the same level as Group A city hospitals Introduce ratios in paediatric and neonatal intensive care units Introduce ratios in EDs, EMUs and MAUs Introduce ratios in intensive and critical care units Introduce a ratiosequivalent system in community and community mental health Extend ratios to more mental health units, and improve ratios in specialised mental health hospitals Introduce ratios for shortstay wards – High Volume and Day Only Introduce ratios for Drug and Alcohol units – Inpatient and Outpatient

Introduce guaranteed staffing arrangements for non-Birthrate Plus maternity services Introduce guaranteed staffing arrangements for outpatient clinics Employ an additional 275 Clinical Nurse/ Midwifery Educators Employ Assistants in Nursing/Midwifery only where clinically appropriate Replace the ‘midnight census’ for nursing hours calculations with a system that accurately reflects patient numbers Staffing for specials to be separate and in excess of mandated ratios or rostered staffing

PAY AND CONDITIONS CLAIMS 2.5% increase in wages and salary related allowances per year. Next increase due July 2017. Pay superannuation to nurses and midwives on paid parental leave Pay nurses who provide clinical advice when not rostered to attend work

10 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

I ncrease sick leave to 15 days per year Pay Higher Grade Duties for every shift Increase the minimum notice for displaying rosters from 2 to 4 weeks

COVER STORY

Protect our skill mix Our public hospital system badly needs a better skills mix to take some pressure off our most experienced registered nurses and registered midwives to guarantee patient safety. And there is an alarming lack of support for beginning practitioners in many areas. The government can and must do more to help by funding more clinical nurse/midwifery educators – and not just on day shift. As part of our 2017 claim we seek the employment of an additional 275 clinical nurse/midwifery educators working across seven days and all shifts. That would help to keep transitional registered nurses in the system and working safely. It would also aid the retention of experienced nurses and midwives in the medium term. Evidence based academic research has repeatedly shown that short-sighted attempts to cut budgets by employing lower skilled staff result in higher rates of hospitalacquired infections, adverse events and failure to rescue. Assistants in nursing/midwifery should be used only where clinically appropriate. Our claim calls for AiNs to be introduced only in accordance with the ministry’s own ‘2010 Health Service Implementation Package for AiNs in Acute Care’. The government’s refusal to adopt these measures would erode the improvements nurses won in the 2011 introduction of ratios.

‘ Patients are at risk when RN and RM absences are not replaced ‘like for like’.’

Download Ratios signs from our website http://www. nswnma.asn.au/get-involved/ratios-put-patientsafety-first/, fill them out, snap a photo of yourself or with colleagues, and send them to photos@nswnma.asn.au so we can post it on Facebook.

I cared for

I believe in safe patient care because

www.nswnma.asn.au

Authorised by B.Holmes, General Secretary, NSWNMA

In 2017 we want the Berejiklian government to accept that staffing for patients clinically assessed as needing a ‘special’ must be separate and in excess of mandated ratios or rostered staffing. The pressure to make do without additional qualified nurses is unacceptable and unsafe.

Things you can do

Authorised by B.Holmes, General Secretary, NSWNMA

‘Special’ patients need special care

www.nswnma.asn.au

Like our Ratios put patient safety first Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ safepatientcare?ref=hl Sign up to get regular information about our ratios campaign: http:// action.nswnma.asn.au/ page/s/ratios-put-patientsafety-first-newsletter Contact your NSWNMA organiser/branch official if there’s a staffing or ratiosrelated workplace issue you want to get active around

For more information

www.nswnma.asn.au THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 11

COVER STORY

‘It’s not right that smaller country hospitals are still fighting to get what we have.’ Westmead Hospital’s midwifery service benefited from staffing increases achieved through Birthrate Plus, a staffing tool for maternity services won for major hospitals in the union’s 2011 award negotiations. In 2014, Birthrate Plus achieved a 29 per cent staff increase across the birthing unit, maternity ward, antenatal clinic, and home visits service of Westmead, the state’s second biggest maternity hospital. Westmead midwife Joanne Robertson, the hospital’s branch secretary and delegate, says it is now time to support the union’s current award claim for guaranteed staffing arrangements at non-Birthrate Plus maternity services. “The state government must fund smaller hospitals and services to employ adequate staff so that all women and babies across NSW get the care and education they need,” she says. After 2014 Westmead’s staff ratios and skill-mix gradually eroded until the gaps were filled by recent recruitments based on Birthrate Plus calculations. “Before the recent intake it wasn’t uncommon to find three or four assistants in midwifery under the supervision of one midwife looking after 41 women and babies. “Due to the shortage of midwives we had to get assistants in nursing, endorsed nurses and registered nurses from the casual pool to replace people on sick leave. “A lot of our recent recruits are new midwives and 3rd year bachelor of midwifery students employed as AiMs. “So it’s quite common to be the only senior midwife on afternoon shift in a full ward. “Fortunately, the hospital has just employed an after-hours educator to cover the maternity and antenatal wards on afternoon shifts, which will help take a bit of pressure off the staff.” “The increasing acuity of patients makes it more important to guarantee safe staffing of all hospitals across the state. It’s not right that smaller country hospitals are still fighting to get what we have.”

12 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

‘ The state government must fund smaller hospitals and services to employ adequate staff so that all women and babies across NSW get the care and education they need.’ — Joanne Robertson, Westmead Hospital ‘Specials put a huge load on what is already a very busy, high-stress department.’ “Every patient deserves the right to excellent, timely and safe nursing care. As a senior nurse I sometimes feel we are letting people down due to staffing constraints,” says Sabrina Sharp, NSWNMA delegate at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. An emergency nurse, currently on secondment to another department, Sabrina strongly supports the union’s push to introduce nurse-to-patient ratios in hospital emergency departments. “The union’s claim is for a 1:3 ratio in EDs, plus a triage nurse and an in-charge nurse. We feel our patients are entitled to that level of care,” she says.

“Currently the ED can have two nurses looking after over 30 people in the waiting room. Some of them should be in beds on monitors but because of bed block there is nowhere to take them. “The ED never closes its doors. When we are full we are still taking ambulances and attending to increasing numbers of walk-ins. Inadequate staff numbers force us to prioritise people who are in pain, distressed, and need timely treatment and other interventions. It seems like we’re juggling a lot of the time. “Elderly people could be sitting in the waiting room for hours because of the acuity of other

COVER STORY

Government neglecting the bush “Our patients should be entitled to the same level of care as patients in the big city hospitals, but the state government doesn’t seem to care about the bush,” says Gunnedah District Hospital registered nurse Heather Franke.

‘ We are about to start a campaign to tell local people what’s going on. It’s important to get them onside.’ — Heather Franke, Gunnedah District Hospital

patients who don’t stop coming through the door. And if we don’t have appropriate staff numbers those patients can face lengthy delays to treatment.” Sabrina says ratios would help to protect the ED skill mix by reducing high staff turnover partly due to some staff leaving in search of less stressful roles. “The ED gives nurses great opportunities for education and our senior nurses are highly trained. “The nurses in ED are very passionate about their work and are motivated by their desire to help people. “Losing them is so wasteful because it’s a huge cost training people to a high level. “And our junior nurses can’t properly learn if there are too few senior nurses to guide them.” Sabrina says ED nurses now perform certain tasks previously

Heather, acting secretary of the hospital’s NSWNMA branch, says the government’s refusal to extend nurse-to-patient ratios to small regional hospitals disadvantages her patients. “Extended ratios would help to overcome the serious, longterm under-staffing that puts the safety of both patients and nurses at risk.” The hospital serves Gunnedah’s 10,000 residents plus workers at area mine sites. Heather works in the emergency department and 25-bed general ward. “In ED we only ever have one RN on each shift and at night that

person has to cover both the ED and general ward. And sometimes you’re designated in charge of the hospital as well. “When you’re working in ED at night you might not get down to the ward until 3am. Usually that leaves just two endorsed enrolled nurses unsupervised on the general ward.” “When we ask for another RN for night shift, management offers to reassign someone from elsewhere, which is not what we want. We want to gain a staff member, not lose one from some other part of the hospital, which is also understaffed. “Morale here is pretty low but the situation is not well known in the community. We are about to start a campaign to tell local people what’s going on. It’s important to get them onside.”

attended only by medical staff. This was aimed at improving both the flow of ED and outcomes for patients. “We enjoy working at a high level and it benefits the whole department, but if we’re getting bogged down by sheer numbers we’re not able to do that.” The NSWNMA claim calls for additional nursing hours to be allocated when a department provides ‘specials’ for patients who require one-on-one care. “Specials are needed every day and if we have 20 nurses at the start of a shift and three end up assigned to specials, it puts a huge load on what is already a very busy, high-stress department. “Our staffing claim is based on achieving positive nursing environments where nurses feel they can always deliver the safe and timely care our patients deserve.”

‘ The ED never closes its doors. When we are full, we are still taking ambulances and attending to increasing numbers of walk-ins.’ — Sabrina Sharp, RPA

THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 13

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14 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

COVER STORY

Dubbo junior nurses “set up to fail” Dubbo Base Hospital has three times the intake of transitional RNs than other base hospitals in the Western NSW LHD.

significant lack of senior clinicians on shift at Dubbo Base Hospital is compromising junior nurses who are placed in “unsupported and unsafe situations” the hospital’s NSWNMA branch has warned. Junior nurses “are required to make decisions beyond their level of experience and clinical expertise and consequently are being set up to fail,” says an open letter from the branch to executives of Western NSW Local Health District. The letter calls on the LHD executive to urgently intervene to provide additional education resources and warns: “We are significantly concerned for patient safety and we believe our ability to provide safe patient care is currently compromised.” In order to fill vacancies, the hospital has employed 18 transitional registered nurses for the second year in a row, with no additional educational support, the letter says. That is more than three times the intake of transitional RNs at other base hospitals in the LHD.

Emergency department nurses in particular are being rushed through clinical pathways programs to address a skills shortage without sufficient time or support to consolidate their knowledge and gain experience. The branch letter says more than 12 FTE (full-time equivalent) nurses have gone on maternity leave since January 2016 resulting in vacancies across the hospital. “These were planned vacancies which should have been recruited much earlier and this is now further impacting on an already strained workforce.”

RATIOS ARE BEING UNDERMINED Branch delegate Kelly Crosby said the practice of replacing nurses with lesser-qualified staff is undermining the hospital’s nurse-to-patient ratios. Kelly, an endorsed enrolled nurse on the surgical ward, said a serious imbalance between ENs and RNs had developed over the past 12 to 18 months. “ICU and maternity are really struggling but the lack of staff is across the board.

‘Overnight on the surgical ward we often have two RNs and one EN for 24 patients.’ — Kelly Crosby

Dubbo branch delegate Kelly Crosby

This has forced senior clinicians to cover all clinical workloads while trying to care for their own patients “thereby increasing the stress and anxiety of the in charge of shift.” “Several staff have been forced to fill vacancies in ICU and maternity, which are not their current specialties.” New nurses “are left vulnerable, often having to learn new local policies and procedures in an unfamiliar environment” while clinical nurse educators face the impossible task of trying to educate “multiple junior nurses, working 24/7 who require intensive levels of support and training.” Midwifery students are frequently used to fill in for sick leave and short-term rostering gaps “impeding their ability to gain required supernumery experience.”

“Overnight on the surgical ward we often have two RNs and one EN for 24 patients. “New grads are being rushed through their courses and educators are often taken away from their educator roles and given a patient load. That means juniors and new staff aren’t getting the education they need. “That puts extra work onto other senior staff who have to leave their patients to help the new grads. “There is absolutely no replacement of ‘like for like’ for the different nursing classifications which ultimately means that skill mix is eroded. “Our morale is terrible – the worst it’s ever been. But hospital management refuse to recognise there is a problem.”■

THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 15

PENALTY RATES

Penalty rate cuts hit women, young people Low-paid women and young people are tipped to be the biggest losers from cuts to penalty rates in four industries. Who’s next?

ears of campaigning by employer lobby groups and Coalition politicians paid off when the Fair Work Commission cut Sunday and public holiday penalty rates by 25 to 50 per cent for workers under hospitality, fast food, retail and pharmacy awards. Up to 700,000 low-paid workers will lose money from July 1 – and the cuts may soon extend to other industries. Restaurant employers could not convince the commission to reduce Sunday penalty rates for their employees, but it did agree to cut their public holiday rates. The commission invited restaurants to restate their case for Sunday cuts later this year and left the door open to review penalty rates for hairdressers and beauticians.

In agreeing to reduce Sunday rates, the Fair Work Commission found working on Sunday was more adverse to workers than Saturday but “much less than in times gone past”. The commission cut Sunday rates to narrow the gap between Saturday rates, which it did not change.

GENDER PAY GAP WILL GET WORSE Some commentators asked why the commission did not also raise Saturday rates so that workers wouldn’t miss out. “A cut in penalty rates isn’t anything to do with equalising Saturday and Sunday and whether we go to church on a Sunday. It’s actually just a pay cut for young people and women,” said Caitlin Fitzsimmons, the “Money” editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. The ACTU pointed to the effect

‘ The before tax earnings of a permanent part time shop assistant doing eight hours every Saturday and Sunday while studying at university will fall from $505.44 a week to $427.68 – a yearly wage cut of $4043.52 or 15.38 per cent.’ The Fair Work decision came after the Coalition government asked the Productivity Commission to review penalty rates. It recommended that Sunday rates be reduced to the same level as Saturday rates. 16 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

of the commission’s decision on a permanent part time shop assistant doing eight hours every Saturday and Sunday while studying at university. That person’s earnings before

tax will fall from $505.44 a week to $427.68 – a yearly wage cut of $4043.52 or 15.38 per cent. Caitlin Fitzsimmons called the decision “a huge blow to working women. It’s likely to make our gender pay gap even worse, because the cuts disproportionately target women.” Marian Baird, professor of gender and employment relations at the University of Sydney business school, agreed that it would have a “disproportionate and negative impact on women” who make up more than 54 per cent of employees in retail and hospitality. Marie Coleman, from the National Foundation for Australian Women said the Fair Work Commission’s decision was a “fair smash at younger women and female-headed families”. “It is a very rough deal,” she told the Herald.

WAGES IN SHARP DECLINE WHILE PROFITS SOAR Lyn Craig, director of the University of NSW Social policy Research Centre told the Herald penalty rates are being reduced at the same time welfare and family payments are also being cut. “This will impact on single parents and young people who depend on those things at a time of the lowest wages growth we’ve had for a long time,” she said. Wages have suffered their sharpest decline in eight years, while company profits have surged to

PENALTY RATES

PENALTY RATE CUTS: Robert Harris, Rachel Smith, Jane Cooper and Glen Hayes at

a rally in Sydney with other NSW unions to protest against the penalty rate cuts.

record highs. The three months to December 2016 saw a 20 per cent jump in profits, while wages fell 0.5 per cent – the largest decline since mid-2009, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Wage Price Index. Over the course of 2016, company profits rose 26 per cent. Despite this the Turnbull government is pushing for a $50 billion company tax cut. Following the commission’s decision, James Pearson from t he Aust ra lia n Cha mber of Commerce and Industry claimed reducing penalty rates would help businesses “open their doors longer, take on more staff and give them more hours”. However, some businesses gave evidence at the commission hearings that it was unlikely they would put on more staff if penalty rates were cut. Citigroup bank last year conducted financial analysis which found big retailers including Myer and JB Hi-Fi were likely to pass any savings from penalty rate cuts directly to shareholders rather than hire more staff. ■

STOP PRESS Sonic Health in Queensland threatened to cut nurses penalty rates but backed down after action by the ANMF branch on social media.

Where our politicians stand The federal government declined to make any submission to the Fair Work Commission’s penalty rates hearing. However Prime Minister Turnbull in 2015 described Sunday penalty rates as a “historical anachronism”. Other prominent Liberals who publicly argued for penalty rate cuts include Employment Minister Michaelia Cash, who claimed that penalty rates “deter weekend work”, and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg. In 2014, 10 Liberal/National MPs demanded that then PM Tony Abbott do something about “job-killing” penalty rates. That was despite the hospitality sector growing twice as fast as the rest of the workforce in the last five years and becoming the biggest user of the 457 temporary visa system for foreign workers. Pauline Hanson said her One Nation party will support lower penalty rates. The Labor Party unsuccessfully argued against any penalty rate cuts in its submission to the Fair Work Commission. After the commission’s ruling Labor leader Bill Shorten vowed: “We will do everything in our power, in the parliament and in the courts, to remedy this bad decision.” Greens MP Adam Bandt said he would introduce legislation to stop the cuts. “Coffees won’t get any cheaper on Sunday, but young people will find it harder to pay the rent,” he said.

Sunday penalty cuts FULL AND PART TIME

CASUAL

Retail

200% down to 150%

200% down to 175%

Hospitality

175% down to 150%

No change

Fast-food

150% down to 125%

175% to 150%

Pharmacy

200% down to 150%

200% to 175% THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 17

PENALTY RATES

‘I couldn’t pay the bills without penalty rates.’ Aged care assistant nurse Joane Reyes studies parttime for a nursing degree. She works a permanent Saturday to Wednesday roster so she can attend university on weekdays. Joane has been doing weekend work for about nine years. “I couldn’t pay the bills without penalty rates,” she says. “In any case uni doesn’t operate on weekends so I have to work Saturdays and Sundays if I want to attend weekday classes and be an economically independent woman.” Joane is the NSWNMA branch president at Mark Moran Little Bay nursing home. “The decision to cut penalty rates was very unfair. Some of my colleagues suggested calling the Nurses Association when they heard the news. I explained it doesn’t apply to nurses – at least not yet. But sure enough it will come to the health sector one day. “This will really hurt a lot of hospitality and retail workers. A lot of them are struggling to put themselves through uni and pay the rent.”

‘It doesn’t apply to nurses – at least not yet. But sure enough it will come to the health sector one day.’ — Joane Reyes, AiN and student nurse Joane believes the penalty rates cut will be “quite damaging” to single mothers and other women who work weekends when family members are available to look after their children. “This will affect a lot of women because there are so many of them in retail and hospitality jobs and because there are often more childcare options at weekends. “If they are not paid properly for their work on weekends, when most people are enjoying time with family and friends, how can they earn enough to support their families?”

SIGN THE PETITION AND SAVE OUR WEEKEND

The Fair Work Commission has handed down a decision that cuts the pay of hundreds of thousands of retail and hospitality workers. You could be next. Malcolm Turnbull did nothing to prevent this. He refused to stand up for working Australians at every step. Sign the ACTU petition and tell the Prime Minister that he needs to act now to protect the pay of weekend workers.

ABOVE: Aged care AiN Joane Reyes 18 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

https://www.australianunions.org.au/weekendworkers-dont-deserve-a-pay-cut

PENALTY RATES

‘It won’t stop at hospitality and retail. It will flow on to other areas for sure.’ Nurse and midwife Jacquie Myers says the decision to cut penalty rates for Sundays and public holidays will force many young people to work more hours just to get the same income. “It’s a blow to a lot of people who will have to work longer hours and have even less of a social life. “And it will widen the gap between those who get decent penalty rates and those who get lower rates or none at all. “It won’t stop at hospitality and retail. It will flow on to other areas for sure.” Jacquie and both her adult children have at various times relied on penalty rates to make ends meet. “I did 13 years of night nursing at Gosford Hospital because it was difficult to get child care early enough to cover the day shift. There was no child minding at work in those days. “I worked unsociable hours every Saturday and Sunday so I could afford to bring up my kids. It’s only fair that we

get proper compensation for working when most other people are sleeping or enjoying time with their families.” Jacquie’s children, both in their thirties, previously worked weekends in cafes and restaurants to help pay for tertiary studies.

POLL SHOWS PENALTY RATE CUTS ARE ELECTORAL POISON

“Penalty rates helped my daughter Bec put herself through uni. She worked as a fitness trainer and did penalty shifts at a café for the extra money.

Penalty rates were a key factor for voters in the recent Western Australian state election according to ACTU polling.

“Sunday was when she earned big money so she could buy some decent clothes and run a car. “At that time, we all lived on the central coast where public transport is poor and almost non-existent after hours. “Kids there need those jobs (paying penalty rates) so they can afford to run a car to get back and forth to work and uni.”

‘I worked unsociable hours every Saturday and Sunday so I could afford to bring up my kids.’ — Jacquie Myers RN/RM

52.2%

More than half of voters considered the penalty rates decision as important to how they cast their vote.

61.6%

of all voters said that the federal government should legislate to protect penalty rates, including 86.7% of ALP voters and 74.4% of Greens voters. Even 30 per cent of Coalition supporters said the government should legislate to protect penalty rates.

71%

of all voters disagreed with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s support for the penalty rate cuts.

68.1%

of voters said penalty rate cuts will spread to other industries. Voters showed concern that the cuts would spread further than retail, pharmacy and hospitality.

ABOVE: Nurse and midwife Jacquie Myers THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 19

PRIVATISATION

Privatisation victims tell their stories Inquiry hears ‘raw, confronting’ testimony on disability care.

avid Hetherington was not expecting to hear disabilities, sometimes from birth. Even with a good care “emotionally harrowing” testimony from vicframework they do it tough,” David said. “When you remove that care framework, when you tims of the outsourcing of public services when he chaired Australia’s first national People’s Inpull the rug out from under them, it’s an absolute kick quiry into Privatisation. in the guts. But evidence from families and carers of disabled “Patients get used to particular staff members and people in particular shocked David and the other panel routines and suddenly their families are told, ‘we don’t members of the inquiry: Yvonne Henderson, a former know where you are going to end up but it probably won’t Equal Opportunity Commissioner, and Archie Law from be here.’ Action Aid. The inquiry heard evidence about “a lack of consulta“I don’t think any of us three expected that an inquiry tion, of waiting three years or more for answers, uncerinto privatisation, which many see as quite a dry topic, tainty about where a loved one’s home will be, of choices would generate such raw emotionbeing taken away, of being told that al testimony,” said David, from the if you’re not happy, just find another public policy think tank Per Capita. provider.” “We didn’t expect to come across “It’s taking an horrific toll stories that were so confronting.” on ordinary Australians who we The inquiry heard from families believe have a right to expect a of people with profound and comdecent standard of disability care. — David Hetherington plex disabilities who depend on “Changes that are being made NSW Ageing, Disability and Home for ideological or financial reasons Care service (ADHC) centres. It also heard from their carare trickling down in very real ways to people’s lives. ers, including NSWNMA members. “They are having an impact far beyond what is underThe state government is breaking up ADHC services stood or thought through in the Treasury and finance and putting them out to tender. departments which push these changes.” It claims they will no longer be needed because David said the NDIS is a “significant improvement” clients will be funded to purchase services under the for many Australians with disabilities. National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). But the accompanying privatisation has removed The government has rejected pleas by families and choice for people in state care. staff to maintain core operations as a safety net for some “Their choices should include the right to continof the most seriously disabled people in NSW. ue arrangements that in some cases have served them “For decades, people have relied on the state system for decades. to care for family members who have very profound

‘Privatisation is taking a horrific toll on ordinary Australians.’

20 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

PRIVATISATION

“Families are very scared about the implications of losing that choice. It will radically reshape their lives.” David said most families who gave evidence felt it was too early to judge the standard of any alternative non-government care provided. “However, in other sectors where public services have been outsourced to non-profit or for profit operators, the quality does slip over time.” He cited the “very high quality public TAFE system which we threw open to competition. “Everyone will tell you now it’s been an unmitigated disaster. “It’s cost billions in wasted subsidies. Employers say the quality of teaching has slipped enormously.” He said staff in privatised disability services could expect to see pay and conditions come under pressure. Hospitals and aged care had also been damaged by privatisation. “Nationally, seven privatised public hospitals have failed and been subsequently handed back to the government, sometimes at great cost. “At least another four hospitals have had services badly affected because of privatisation. Outbreaks of infections and poor services have been directly attributed to the push for profits over care. “Within aged care, privatisation is linked to plummeting levels of staff, especially qualified staff, and resultant decreases in the levels of care.” The inquiry, which was called for by Australian affiliates of Public Services International, visited 12 cities and towns including Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong and heard 112 oral submissions. There have been over 100 online comments on the inquiry’s website and over 40 formal written submissions from individuals and organisations. David said it revealed just how extensive the privatisation process has been. In NSW it includes services as diverse as health care, home care, the land titles office, sport and recreation camps, prisons, ports, housing, the government trustees’ office, TAFE, the electricity grid and cleaning services – to name just some. “Inquiries into aspects of privatisation usually take a narrow economic or financial perspective. It’s very similar to the Treasury perspective, which usually comes down to how can we spend the least amount of money possible. “One reason I was interested in chairing our inquiry was I felt there were a set of personal and community stories out there about what privatisation was doing to people. I wanted to give them a voice.” The inquiry is expected to publish its report in April/May. ■

PEOPLE’S INQUIRY INTO PRIVATISATION: David Hetherington, Chairman of the People’s Inquiry into Privatisation, says he wants to give a voice to those who have been harmed by the privatisation of our social and human services.

FIND OUT MORE Sign up for updates about the People’s Inquiry into Privatisation and receive news and ideas about how to get involved. http://www.peoplesinquiry.org.au/

THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 21

Gather. Share. Give.

Thursday 25th May 22 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

AGED CARE

he NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association has joined forces with doctors’ organisations, and with aged care experts and advocates, to produce a series of leaflets to help consumers navigate an increasingly complex aged care system and choose an aged care facility wisely.

NSW nursing homes,” Brett said. “We heard evidence from clinical experts and community advocates about care failures arising from the absence of registered nurses from residential aged care and of the impact on the public health system due to inappropriate hospital admissions.”

culture or to attend religious events relevant to me? How many staff are rostered on at any one time and what are their qualifications? What are the rules around visitors? What is the approach to palliative care? “Navigating the process of transitioning a loved one into a residential aged care facility anywhere in New South Wales is no simple task and is often compounded by raw emotion,” Brett said. Arming consumers with knowledge, an understanding of their rights, and the ability to ask the right questions is an important step in improving standards in the aged care sector, Brett said.

‘ Arming consumers with knowledge, an understanding of their rights, and the ability to ask the right questions is an important step in improving standards in the aged care sector.’— Brett Holmes “As the aged care sector moves further down the path of a consumer-led care model, we are hopeful the 10 Questions series will assist consumers to ask the right questions when looking for suitable care,” said the General Secretary of NSWNMA, Brett Holmes. Although elderly people entering residential aged care facilities now are older, frailer and have more complex care needs, the NSW government is introducing changes to the aged care sector that are reducing staffing levels and the skills mix in residential facilities. “Last year the State Government stated their intention to remove longstanding protective legislation that requires a registered nurse on site at all times. This is despite contradicting evidence from an inquiry into registered nurses in

DOCTORS AND CARERS AUSTRALIA NSW ARE PARTNERS

This leaflet is part of a series writtenThis by leaflet is part of a series written by This leaflet is part of a series nurses, doctors and experts with experience nurses, doctors and experts with experience written in aged care. The series aims to make in aged yourcare. The series aims to make yourby nurses, doctors and journey into residential aged care easier. journey into residential aged careexperts easier. with experience in aged care. Look for other leaflets on questionsLook to ask for other leaflets on questions to series ask The aims to make your journey about specific care needs. These can about be specific care needs. These can be into residential aged care easier. downloaded at: www.10questions.org.au downloaded at: www.10questions.org.au

There are six leaflets in the series, It’S youR IT’S YOUR It’s your RIght to ASk right to ask covering topics on staffing, GPRIGHT TO ASK services, culturally specific needs, palliative care, contracts and fees, to Ask My Aged Care My Aged Care Questions to Questions Ask toQuestions Ask 1800 200 422 1800 200 422 and facilities and lifestyle myagedcare.gov.au in aged myagedcare.gov.au About A b ou t ABOUT care facilities. More leaflets are curyour cultural StaffingPALLIATIVE CARE in ReSidential rently being produced including on IN RESIDENTIAL needs residential aged CaRe AGED CAREinaged LGBTI and dementia care. care They have been developed by the NSWNMA in partnership with www.10questions.org.au www.10questions.org.au www.10questions.org.au a number of organisations, including the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners NSW Faculty, FIND OUT MORE the NSW Cancer Council and Carers The 10 Questions leaflets, Australia NSW, to name just a few. which are aimed at the Each leaflet contains ten queswider community as well as tions to ask before choosing resinursing professionals with dential aged care, such as: What loved ones entering aged care, can be downloaded additional costs can I be charged at www.10questions.org.au beyond my basic fee? What right do I have to be served food specific to my Look for other leaflets on questions

You may find these leaflets useful when: You may find these leaflets useful to when: ask about specific care needs. • Searching for a high quality residential • Searching aged for a high quality residential aged These can be downloaded at: care facility care facility www.10questions.org.au • Reviewing the quality of your current • Reviewing the quality of your current residential aged care facility residential aged care facility you care require advocacy or specialist advice The best way to find a residential aged Thecare best way to find a residential If aged Moving into a residential aged care • Deciding between two residential• aged Deciding care between two residential aged care facility that suits you is to visit a few. facility that suits you is to visitabout a few. any matter not covered in this leaflet: home may often be a difficult and facilities that appear similar. facilities that appear similar. To find your local ones, or for more find your My Aged Care emotional decision. MostToaged carelocal ones, or for more By law, residential aged care facilities By are law,not residential agedinformation care facilities are not about aged care services information contact about aged care services contact 1800 200 422 required to have registered nurses required so it’s to have registered nursesservices so it’s must be accredited to myagedcare.gov.au operate important to ask the right questionsimportant if you to ask the right questions if you but there is a big difference need nursing care. need nursing care. in the way each is run, so it’s Translating and Interpreting

important Many staff wear similar uniforms. Just Many because staff wear similar uniforms. Just becauseto ask the right questions someone looks like a nurse does not someone mean looks like a nurse does when not mean looking for a home. they are. Here are the differences: they are. Here are the differences:

Service (TIS) 131 450

LOGO VARIATIONS

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

This leafletMost has been developed and endorsed This by:need leaflet has by: importantly, you will tobeen developed and endorsed This leaflet has been developed and endorsed by:

A Registered Nurse (RN) has undertaken A Registered Nurse (RN) has undertaken a home that will provide you with a minimum three-year Bachelor of Nursing a minimum three-year Bachelor offind Nursing course. They can undertake nursingcourse. They can undertake nursing care that is culturally and linguistically procedures, manage pain medication procedures, and manage pain medication and responsive, inclusive, sensitive and Professor help prevent unnecessary hospital admissions. help prevent unnecessary hospital admissions. Professor Dimity Pond Horizontal logo

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

Stacked logo

‘Endorsed by’ logo (if required)

ENDORSED BY

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

meets your individual needs. Dimity Pond

Professor Dimity Pond

LOGO VARIATIONS

PhD BA MBBS FRACGP

PhD BA MBBS FRACGP An Enrolled Nurse (EN) works under An Enrolled Nurse (EN) works under The best way to find a home that the direction of an RN. Both are licensed the direction of an RN. Both are licensed by a regulatory body. Licensing ensures by a regulatory body. Licensing ensures suits you is to visit a few different professional standards are maintained professional and standards are maintained and homes. To find homes in your area protects the public. protects the public. ENDORSED BY

ENDORSED BY

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

CLIENT

Palliative Aged Care Network NSW

PROJECT Branding Concepts

DATE

PhD BA MBBS FRACGP

LOGO VARIATIONS

21.02.2017

ROUND 1

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

Horizontal logo

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW PALLIATIVE AGED CARE

Stacked logo

‘Endorsed by’ logo (if required)

For a full list of supporting organisations Forvisit a full list of supporting organisations please visit you can use the Myplease aged Care

For a full list of supporting organisations please visit www.10questions.org.au www.10questions.org.au Assistants in Nursing (AIN)/Care Assistants Workers/ in Nursing (AIN)/Careaged Workers/ Care home Finder by calling www.10questions.org.au PALLIATIVE PALLIATIVE AGED CARE Care Service Employees (CSE) are Care Service Employees (CSE) areabout a residential agedIfcare CARE NETWORK NSW If you have concerns you facility have concerns contact: about a residential aged care facilityAGED contact: 1800 200 422 or visit NETWORK If you have concerns about a residential aged care facility contact: unlicensed. They provide most of the unlicensed. care in They provide most of the care in NSW myagedcare.gov.au 1800 550 552 1800 550 552 residential facilities and communityresidential but their facilities and community but their 1800 550 552 NSW@agedcarecomplaints.gov.au NSW@agedcarecomplaints.gov.au level of training is variable. level of training is variable. NSW@agedcarecomplaints.gov.au PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

ENDORSED BY

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

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ENDORSED BY

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

ENDORSED BY

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

NETWORK NSW

Stacked logo

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SARAH MARSDEN GRAPHIC DESIGN

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

ENDORSED BY

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

CLIENT

Palliative Aged Care Network NSW

PROJECT Branding Concepts

CLIENT

PALLIATIVE AGED CARE NETWORK NSW

DATE

Palliative Aged Care Network NSW

PROJECT Branding Concepts

21.02.2017

ROUND 1

SARAH MARSDEN GRAPHIC DESIGN

DATE

21.02.2017

ROUND 1

SARAH MARSDEN GRAPHIC DESIGN

THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 23

Family Planning NSW

Upcoming courses for nurses NEW Reproductive and Sexual Health Course for Midwives

90 CPD hours

Increase your ability to provide holistic care for women and their families during their reproductive years with this course written by midwives for midwives. Specifically focused at midwives and registered nurses working in and around the maternity field, this is a 16-week blended learning program which includes a 2 day interactive workshop and online learning modules. Online course commences 24th July 2017 Workshop Hunter (May 2017) & Ashfield (Sept 2017)

Well Women’s Screening Course 40 CPD hours

This blended delivery course helps nurses, midwives and enrolled nurses develop confidence and competence in the provision of cervical screening. Course content includes current and future cervical screening methods, history taking and breast awareness. Orange: 28 April • Ballina: 21 July

Clinical Forum/Nurse Education Day

7 CPD hours

Update your knowledge on the latest in reproductive and sexual health at one day forums for nurses and other health professionals. Orange: 29 April • Ballina: 22 July • Newcastle: 18 August • Wagga Wagga: 11 Nov

Now taking enrolments. For more information or to enrol now, visit www.fpnsw.org.au or email education@fpnsw.org.au

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION ONLINE

Bigger & Better The ANMF’s Continuing Professional Education (CPE) website has provided quality, affordable online education for nurses and midwives for over 9 years.

The CPE website has had a makeover and now provides you with more educational tools to assist you to meet your CPD requirements and we are very excited to announce our new and refreshed website is now live. Immediately you will notice streamlined menus, simple navigation and access to the courses and information you need, any time of day. There is a whole host of other impactful changes such as videos, webinars, journals and resources, all to make your experience on the ANMF CPE better for you. Have a quick look at the user guide on the website to help you to navigate the new system.

Visit the CPE website today at http://anmf.org.au/cpe CPE.indd 1 24ANMF | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

7/03/2017 8:31 AM

UNION WIN

Big back pay win at Royal North Shore Fifteen nurses at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital will get back payment of the in charge of shift allowance they were denied for more than four years.

ospital management finally agreed to the back payment after the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association filed an industrial dispute in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission. The 15 nurses worked in the post-anaesthesia or recovery unit on the afternoon shift. Back payments for some of them will total several thousand dollars. A member of the unit, Michelle Keith RN, said nurses were very happy with the result. “Some people don’t even know it’s coming, so they might get a nice surprise when they see their pay slips,” she said. “The union staff did amazing work – they were so supportive of us.” Michelle and Edward Makepeace, the RNSH branch secretary, were on the NSWNM A team that negotiated with management over the back payment. The public health system award for nurses and midwives says a registered nurse who is designated to be in charge of a ward or unit when the Nursing Unit Manager (NUM) is not rostered for duty, shall be paid an allowance – currently about $30 per shift. The award also says the allowance must also be paid when the NUM is rostered on duty but the day to day clinical management role for the shift is delegated to a designated registered nurse/midwife.

STAFF PRESSURE PAYS OFF The hospital paid an in-charge allowance for the afternoon shift

‘ The hospital finally agreed to full back payment when the case went to the Industrial Relations Commission. It was a good outcome but it was ridiculous that it had to get to that point.’ — Edward Makepeace, RNSH Branch President.

until August 2010 when a second NUM was appointed to the anaesthesia and recovery units. “We desperately needed a NUM in each department but we were told we would have to sacrifice our in-charge allowance for the afternoon shift in return,” Michelle said. “However, despite the appointment of a NUM, management continued to designate a RN to be in charge of the afternoon shift. “At meetings with management over the years we questioned the non-payment and were told it wasn’t up for negotiation. “It was finally reinstated in February 2015 after a lot of pressure from the staff. But we were told back payment was out of the question. “When a manager tells you it’s not up for negotiation you tend to accept it. But there was a strong feeling among the staff that it wasn’t right.” Michelle took the problem to the hospital’s NSWNMA branch, which approached management and got an offer of three years back pay. Edward said the branch believed members were entitled to full back payment and “tried to negotiate a local solution. But we weren’t able to agree so we got the union head office involved and went into dispute. “The hospital finally agreed to full back payment when the case went to the Industrial Relations Commission. “It was a good outcome but it was ridiculous that it had to get to that point.”■

THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 25

EDUCATION@NSWNMA

what’s ON Quality Surveyor and Senior Quality Surveyor APS 5 and 6 broadband Ongoing/non-ongoing Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (Quality Agency) is responsible for holding aged care providers accountable against the Accreditation standards for residential aged care, the Home Care Standards for home care services, Quality Review of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Care Services (NATSI Flex) and also supporting service provider performance through education, training and compliance assistance. The Quality Agency is offering full-time ongoing and non-ongoing opportunities in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, to become a Quality Surveyor/Senior Quality Surveyor. The non-ongoing positions are for a minimum 12 month period. Successful candidates will be provided with a training program that is internationally accredited by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare, (ISQua) leading to registration as a Quality Assessor. The following are the key responsibilities of a Quality Surveyor: • Assess the quality of care and services provided through aged care services against the applicable standards • Interview care recipients and their representatives about the quality of care and services provided through an aged care service. • Collect, synthesise, and analyse evidence to make findings; • Prepare and write accurate reports to inform statutory decisions; • Work effectively as a team member to accomplish organisational goals; • Manage internal and external stakeholder relationships effectively; • Represent the Quality Agency with credibility and professionalism; • Provide information and training to aged care services to improve performance against the standards, promote high quality care and continuous improvement. Eligibility: The Quality Agency is seeking people with backgrounds and experience in the following roles: • Systems auditors • Human service managers, e.g. disability services, indigenous services, services delivered to culturally and linguistically diverse consumers • Quality Improvement managers • Health professionals • Professional standards or human services investigators • Complaints managers • Aged Care sector experience, home care, community care and residential care • Adult educators To succeed, applicants will have strong inter-personal and communication skills, an ability to understand, analyse complex situations, and sound IT skills to write reports using mobile device technology. A driver’s licence is mandatory. These roles involve regular travel away from home within each state to aged care services in rural and regional centre’s with consecutive weeknight stays each fortnight. These roles are broadband classified APS5/6 and as such the range of salary will commence at $70,220.00 up to a maximum of $92,265.00. The salary offered will be subject to experience of the successful candidate/s and upon registration as a Quality Surveyor. In addition, 15.4% superannuation will be paid. The diversity of our staff is very important to us. We welcome and actively encourage applications from people with disability, women, and people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. We recognise the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and the unique knowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees bring to our workplace, policy development and service delivery. We welcome and actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Only candidates who hold Australian citizenship can apply. Refer to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website www.border.gov.au for further information. Appointment is conditional on successfully completing a national police check. How to apply? Please refer to the Positions Vacant page on our website www.aacqa.gov.au to download and read the Quality Surveyor Recruitment pack. Please complete an online application form and submit your resume to https://agedcareassessor. submittable.com/submit/77494/aged-care-quality-surveyor-aps-5-6-broadband-ongoing-non-ongoing by 5:00pm (local time) This is an open recruitment drive till August 2017. Ensure you outline your relevant work-related experience, and provide examples to show how they align with the required selection criteria • Please make a statement of claim as to how your capabilities, background and experience will contribute to your success in the Quality Surveyor role. • In this role, you are required to have strong inter-personal and communication skills. Please describe a situation where you have demonstrated strong inter-personal and communication skills. • Provide an example that demonstrates your ability to understand and analyse complex situations. Only completed applications will be accepted i.e. a completed application form, a current resume and you have addressed the above selection criteria. This advertisement is advertising positions that are both ongoing and non-ongoing, applicants should clearly state in their application which option they are seeking. For enquiries, please contact Iana Jerdetski – Human Resource Officer on (02) 8831 1071 Further information: For further information about the Quality Agency, office locations and other related resources, please visit http://www.aacqa.gov.au. For more information on the Australian Public Service, please visit http://www.apsc.gov.au/publicationsand-media/current-publications/cracking-the-code/factsheet-4 and http://www.apsc.gov.au/publicationsand-media/current-publications/cracking-the-code. 26 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

FINANCIAL WELLNESS SEMINAR This free half day seminar is designed to assist people in their decision making regarding their financial future. Subjects covered on the day are detailed below and cater for all ages.

PROGRAM

• Superannuation Guarantee • Government CoContributions Scheme • Contribution Limits • Salary Sacrifice • Consolidation of Multiple Accounts (Rolling Over) • Insurance (Income Protection / Death Cover / Total and Permanent Disability / Binding Nominations / Nominated Beneficiary) • Investments (Asset Classes / Volatility etc) • Transition to Retirement • Help Links (e.g. MyGov Website / Money Smart Website) • ASFA Retirement Standard (the difference between a modest and comfortable retirement) • Centrelink (General Information e.g. income asset tests) • Q&A •

WAGGA WAGGA

NEWCASTLE

WATERLOO

DUBBO

PORT MACQUARIE

SHELLHARBOUR

PARRAMATTA

BALLINA

Thursday 27 April Wagga Wagga RSL

Wednesday 24 May NSWNMA Tuesday 13 June The Westport Club Thursday 15 June Parramatta RSL

Tuesday 1 August Noah’s on the Beach Tuesday 29 August Dubbo RSL Thursday 21 September The Shellharbour Club Wednesday 1 November Ballina RSL

Time: 9am to 2pm Lunch & refreshments provided Nurses and midwives: this seminar will not attract CPD hours. Numbers are limited in some locations. Pre-registration is essential.

bit.ly/ NSWNMAeducation For enquiries contact NSWNMA Metro: 8595 1234 Rural: 1300 367 962

OBITUARY

1938 – 2017

Regis Maria McKenzie A nurse leader with grace and dignity

t was with great sadness that friends and former colleagues of Regis McKenzie learned of her passing on 12 February this year. Regis had been ill for some time, but her passing was quite sudden following a fall at her home and admission to Coffs Harbour Hospital. Regis left a very large mark professionally and in her considerable contribution to organisations associated with various aspects of nursing. Regis spent forty years in the profession of nursing. She undertook her General Nursing certificate and Midwifery certificate at the Mater Hospital in North Sydney and went on to do her Public Health Nursing Course and Diploma of Nursing education at the NSW College of Nursing. Amongst her many achievements, she worked in operating rooms as well as community nursing education. Before moving to Sydney to work, she spent some seven years working in Canberra as the Assistant Nursing Officer and Acting Chief Nursing Officer of ACT Health. She went on to be the Nurse Adviser and Assistant Director of Nursing of the Commonwealth Department of Health. At about this time of her life, she met Don McKenzie, whom she subsequently married and with whom she enjoyed a long and happy marriage. When Regis moved to Sydney, she became the Director of Nursing of Sydney Home Nursing Service in 1977, a position that she held with distinction for eighteen years. It would be fair to say that this part of Regis’s professional life was overwhelmingly important to her. But what Regis brought to Sydney Home Nursing Service cannot be summarised easily. Regis was, without doubt, a leader in community nursing in Australia and left her mark on hundreds – maybe thousands – of community nurses in this country. In her forty years in nursing, she was very active in the broader profession as well, serving three terms as Treasurer of the NSW College of Nursing. She was also the foundation secretary for the Joint Committee of the two colleges located in the ACT. That Joint Committee became a chapter of the Royal College of Nursing Australia. It was the work of people like Regis that laid the foundations for the College as we know it today – a national organisation. Regis joined the Institute of Nursing Administrators of

NSW and ACT and held the presidency between 1983 and 1985, and became a Fellow of that institute in 1988. Her memberships of the NSW Nurses’ Association and the Australian Nursing Federation went back as far as 1967. Regis’s commitment to the NSW Nurses’ Association was very deep. On the not very frequent occasions that it was necessary for Regis to have disciplinary discussions with staff members, it was her practice to recommend that the staff member bring a representative of the NSW Nurses’ Association to the meeting, such was Regis’s commitment to being as scrupulously fair as she could be in dealing with staff. She was an active surveyor with the Australian Council on Healthcare standards and was a major influence in the development of the standards used for accreditation, particularly in community nursing services. Regis was the President of the Australian Council of Community Nursing Services for some years. Even when Regis retired and moved to Coffs Harbour, her commitment to health services did not stop. For some years, she served on the Mid North Coast Area Health Service Board, sharing her deep understanding of health and community services. Her appointment to many, many expert and advisory committees was testimony to her wide-ranging expertise. It is not difficult to see why Regis was honoured in 1984 when she was awarded an A.M. – Member of the Order of Australia – for her services to nursing. Regis made over thirty contributions to nursing literature, which encompassed the areas of quality, accreditation, primary health care, gerontology, policy development, lobbying, negotiation, incontinence, technology, home care, community nursing, decision making, staffing patterns, as well as other areas. A list – however extensive – of Regis’s prodigious accomplishments in her nursing career and the years after her retirement does not capture the grace and dignity of Regis. She was a woman of style and warmth and she was certainly one of the finest friends anybody could have. Regis was loyal to all with whom she worked and, she influenced many, many nurses and others. Those of us who had the privilege of being Regis’s friend will long remember her. ■ Carol Cowan THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 27

NEWS IN BRIEF

Edith

Cavell

BRITAIN

90 is the new three score and ten

TrusT BequesTs

People in developed countries are living longer and longer, with 90 being the new normal forecast for 2030. A study conducted by the UK Medical Research Council and the US Environment Protection Agency and published in The Lancet (February 2017) found that women born in South Korea in 2030 are forecast to have a life expectancy of 90.

he Edith Cavell Trust is now able to receive nontax deductable donations/ bequests.

The study predicted a significant rise in life expectancy in most of the 35 developed countries studied, with the United States a significant exception.

The Trust – named in honour of edith Cavell – assists in the advancement of NsW nurses and midwives through further studies and research, made available through scholarship. The knowledge and expertise gained by nurses and midwives, supported by the edith Cavell scholarships, is an asset to the care of their patients and clients. Bequests to the Trust would continue to support this important work.

Universal healthcare coverage and public health successes are credited as the reasons behind this increased life expectancy. The lack of a universal health care system is the primary reason for America’s slower improvement relative to comparable countries.

edith, a British nurse serving in Belgium in WWI, is a hero to most nurses and midwives. she helped some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium. Her actions saw her arrested, accused of treason, found guilty by a court-martial, and sentenced to death. Despite international pressure for mercy, she was shot by a German firing squad.

The most impressive results came from South Korea, some western European countries, and some emerging economies.

“Not only does the US have high and rising health inequalities, but also life expectancy has stagnated or even declined in some population subgroups,” the authors noted.

The high projected life expectancy in Australia, Canada and New Zealand was attributed to high-quality healthcare to prevent and treat cancer and heart disease, few infant deaths, and low smoking and road traffic injury rates, says the report. The authors say the projections raise serious questions about the health and social care that will be needed by large numbers of the population living through their 80s.

NAme ADDress

‘ The high projected life expectancy in Australia, Canada and New Zealand was attributed to highquality healthcare.’

PHoNe emAIl BequesT/ DoNATIoN AmouNT

Preferred method of payment ElEctronic Fund transFEr account namE: New south Wales Nurses and midwives’ Association Bank: Commonwealth Bank BsB: 062-017 account no: 10017908 crEdit card I authorise the NSWNMA to debit my credit card for the amount of mastercard

Visa

CArD No NAme oN CArD sIGNATure of CArDHolDer

28 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

exPIry DATe

FOR MORE INFORMATION “Future life expectancy in 35 industrialised countries” – The Lancet. http://thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/ PIIS0140-6736%2816%2932381-9/fulltext

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

Families pay $200 a year more for private health insurance The federal government has authorised an increase of 4.84 per cent for private health insurance premiums. This will impact 13 million Australians. For a single person, the average yearly increase – which took effect from 1 April – will be about $100, and for families about $200. The price increase far exceeds inflation, which rose 1.5 per cent in the past 12 months, and inflation in the health sector, which registered a 3.7 per cent rise. Health insurance comparison service, iSelect, estimated average premiums have increased by more than 50 per cent since 2010. “It’s important that policy holders understand that the increase is an average only, with many Australians expected to be hit with increases well above this average, depending on their provider and the type of policy they hold,” iSelect spokesperson Laura Crowden told The Guardian. Last year the Turnbull government approved premium rises of 5.59 per cent on average. This led to 9000 people abandoning their private health insurance. The federal government pays about $6bn a year in private health insurance rebates.

AUSTRALIA

Australian drug prices “unacceptably high” A report by the Grattan Institute has found Australia pays 3.7 times the global benchmark for medicines, with prices twice as high as Britain and 3.1 times higher than New Zealand. The institute compared the Australian prices for 19 drugs with those in the UK, New Zealand, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Alberta. The study, led by health economist Stephen Duckett said: “This report identifies savings of hundreds of millions of dollars a year that can be made if the government pursues a better drug deal.” The report proposed that the government adopt a policy of “international benchmarking” used by Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and much of the European Union. This would see the government establish an independent pricing authority that would set a price for each drug based on an international benchmark. The report also called on the government to expand a policy known as the “therapeutic group premium”, which the Grattan Institute described as being far too narrow. Under that policy, different drugs used to treat the same condition are clustered into a therapeutic group. The government then subsidises the cheapest drug within that therapeutic group. This puts pressure on drug companies that manufacture the most expensive drugs in the group to lower their prices. The government could save an extra $205m a year if it increased the number of therapeutic groups to 18 (from the current seven), Stephen Duckett told The Guardian (March 2017).

‘ This report identifies savings of ‘ Average premiums have hundreds of millions of dollars a year increased by more than that can be made if the government 50 per cent since 2010.’ pursues a better drug deal.’ THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 29

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

Opioid abuse on the rise A report by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) claims that addictive pharmaceuticals are Australia’s fastest growing drug problem. Deaths from overdose of pharmaceuticals have doubled in a decade according to research by the ADF. “Chronic pain, anxiety, stress, trauma, and insomnia are all very serious conditions but are often treated long-term with addictive medicine like painkillers or relaxant-type medications,” said the ADF’s Ilka Burnham-King. “Strong painkillers – like codeine, Oxycontin, and Endone – help a lot of Australians manage intense pain after surgery or dental work. But they are also opioids, just like heroin, and they can be fatal. “The scary thing is, almost half of all prescriptions handed out in Australia are not for treating these conditions. People are using opioids for everything from the common headache to dealing with a bad day at work.” The ADF has launched a campaign called “Are you taking a risk?” to inform the public about the addictive nature of opioids and the consequences of their abuse.

‘ People are using opioids for everything from the common headache to dealing with a bad day at work.’ Key facts about pharmaceutical abuse:

• More Australians are dying from pharmaceutical overdoses than from all illicit drugs combined. • In Victoria, 358 people died from pharmaceutical overdoses in 2015, compared to 227 from illegal drug overdoses and 257 in road accidents. • Prescriptions for strong painkillers have increased from half a million in 1992 to 7.5 million in 2012.

30 | THE LAMP APRIL 2017

AUSTRALIA

Injury rates ‘manipulated’ to protect management bonuses The federal government’s workplace safety agency, Comcare, is investigating allegations that Australia Post senior managers manipulated data on injured employees’ absences from work to meet key performance indicators and secure hefty bonuses. The allegations, from former and current Australia Post managers, include senior staff delaying injury claims, recording workers on sick leave when they are really absent on injury, and paying for medical expenses in lieu of workers lodging compensation claims. Senior staff key performance indicators are partly tied to lost time due to injury (LTI) rates. Bonuses of up to $60,000 or 35 per cent of salary can depend on meeting the targets. One current Australia Post manager told The Australian Financial Review managers exclaimed “there goes my swimming pool” or “there goes my trip to France” when injury claims were clocked up. Meanwhile, Australia Post is facing legal action for using a recruitment agency to hire data entry workers at below the minimum wage. The casual workers were paid $19.48 an hour when they should have been paid at least $32.16 an hour, their union has told the Fair Work Commission. Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour recently resigned after widespread criticism of the size of his $4.4million salary – more than 10 times what the prime minister gets – and $1.2million bonus. A Senate committee revealed the multi-million dollar salaries of Australia Post senior executives. Meanwhile Mr Fahour is keeping himself busy with a $5 million renovation of his Melbourne mansion, The Australian reports.

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

Now they’re privatising rape counselling services! As part of the manic rush to privatise everything, rape counselling services that have been provided by the Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia (RDVSDA) for over 40 years have been offered to “the market”. RDVSDA has been supporting victims of domestic and sexual violence for over 40 years. It formed in 1971 through a meeting of 500 women at Redfern Town Hall who established the Sydney Rape Crisis Collective. Unpaid workers provided crucial community services to support women who had been raped. In 1974, with funding from the Whitlam government, the Sydney Rape Crisis Centre was established, and over the next 30 years, the organisation has continuously expanded and improved its services for those affected by sexual, domestic and family violence. The service formally became RDVSDA in 2013.

In 2015, RDVSA sought $2 million from the federal government to fund additional counsellors and telephone hardware that would allow them to answer all calls. Instead, Prime Minister Turnbull and Minister Michaelia Cash provided $5 million to fund a multinational private health insurance fund (Medibank Health Solutions) to provide a triage call centre service for 1800RESPECT.

FOR MORE INFORMATION If you want to support RDVSA’s campaign to stop corporations profiting from rape counselling services, there is a petition you can sign at noprofitfromrape.org.

Start stretching for the Mother’s Day Classic! The NSWNMA will again be entering a team for the Mother’s Day Classic – a national fun run to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

In 2010, RDVSA was funded to establish 1800RESPECT. 1800RESPECT provides specialist domestic violence and sexual assault counselling through telephone and online counselling.

Now Medibank has opened these services to for-profit providers.

AUSTRALIA

The fun run will take place in the Domain in Sydney as well as other venues across NSW. There are both running and walking events to cater for all levels of fitness. If you register and nominate the Association as your team by Wednesday 12 April, you will receive an NSWNMA team running shirt for the day. To register go to www.mothersdayclassic.com.au and: • enter your details and select the event and race •w hen prompted with the page asking you to join a team – select Yes • s earch and select our team name – NSW Nurses’ and Midwives Association – using the team password NSWNMA if prompted. If you want to be a volunteer on the day at either the Domain or Parramatta, contact Miriam Galea at events@nswnma.asn.au

Get more out of life with

Union Member Benefits • Banking • Movies • Gift Cards • Travel

• Wine • Tyres • New Cars • Car Rental

Get the app! www.nswnma.asn.au/member-benefits Unions Member Benefit Third.indd 1

23/11/2016 2:53 |PM THE LAMP APRIL 2017 31

EDUCATION@NSWNMA

what’s ON ARE YOU MEETING YOUR CPD REQUIREMENTS? – ½ Day n GYMEA Friday 7 April n WATERLOO Friday 5 May n NEWCASTLE Wednesday 10 May n PORT MACQUARIE Tuesday 23 May An essential ½ day workshop for all nurses and midwives to learn about CPD requirements and what’s involved in the process. Members: $40 | non-members: $85

LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES – ½ Day n NEWCASTLE Thursday 11 May n PORT MACQUARIE Wednesday 24 May Learn about potential liability, disciplinary tribunals, NMC and HCCC complaints, Coroners Court, and more. Members: $40 | non-members: $85

PRACTICAL, POSITIVE WAYS IN MANAGING STRESS AND BURNOUT – 1 Day n WATERLOO Wednesday 12 April Members: $85 | non-members: $170

POLICY & GUIDELINE WRITING FOR NURSES & MIDWIVES – 1 Day n WATERLOO Friday 21 April n LIVERPOOL Friday 9 June Members: $85 | non-members: $170

Wednesday 10 May • Tweed Heads

Elder

Abuse Hear from a range of speakers, network with colleagues, and gain some valuable CPD hours.

MEDICATION SAFETY FOR NURSES & MIDWIVES – ½ Day n LIVERPOOL Wednesday 26 April n WATERLOO Thursday 18 May Members: $40 | non-members: $85

PROGRAM • Aged Care Update • What is Abuse: Recognising and Responding to Abuse

TOOLS IN MANAGING CONFLICT & DISAGREEMENT – 1 Day n PARRAMATTA Friday 12 May Members: $85 | non-members: $170

AGED CARE NURSES FORUM

• Impact of Elder Abuse on the Worker • Legal Issues • Mindfulness – Looking After Yourself in Times of Stress

ENROLLED NURSES’ FORUM – 1 Day n WATERLOO Friday 26 May For enrolled nurses Members: $30 | non-members: $60

PRACTICAL SKILLS MANAGING DIFFICULT & AGGRESSIVE CLIENTS – 1 Day n WATERLOO Wednesday 31 May Members: $85 | non-members: $170

TWEED HEAD BOWLS CLUB

Cnr Wharf and Florence Streets

9AM TO 4PM

Members $50 Non-Members $75

Lunch and refreshments provided

bit.ly/NSWNMAeducation For enquiries contact NSWNMA • Metro: 8595 1234 • Rural: 1300 367 962

YOUR RIGHTS

Ask

Judith Breaking News The NSW Legislative Council’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice has just handed down its report after conducting a “First review of the workers compensation scheme”. This review followed the gutting of the workers compensation legislation by the then O’Farrell NSW Government, which stripped back injured workers’ rights in an unprecedented way. This was largely based on the need to bring the underlying insurance scheme into surplus. The Association made a comprehensive submission to this inquiry arguing that more needed to be done to protect injured workers and ensure employers abided by their obligation to provide suitable duties to facilitate injured workers returning to the workforce. The Association is still reviewing the report in greater detail, but it seems clear that the Committee, in which all political parties were represented, found the system of handling injured workers’ complaints to be “dysfunctional”, with disputes between insurance companies and injured workers being characterised by delays and inconsistent decisionmaking. The Committee also revealed that the Workers Compensation scheme was $1.87 billion in surplus. It is shocking that rights for injured workers were decimated in 2012. But it adds insult to injury when the remaining rights left are not applied fairly or reasonably, with insurance companies during the inquiry being criticised for overly aggressive surveillance that only heightened the stress and anxiety of injured workers. Premier Berejiklian, roll back the earlier draconian changes and return injured workers to the central focus of any workers compensation laws.

Consultation about significant changes I am a registered nurse and work in a very busy ED of a NSW public hospital. The ED director has indicated that they are going to change our start and finishing times and wants to change the skills mix

When it comes to your rights and entitlements at work, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda has the answers.

of current staffing. Can they do this? Not without consulting with staff and their representatives. As per Clause 6 of the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwifes’ (State) Award 2015, the employer must consult with staff and their representatives should they wish to introduce changes that have a potential significant effect on employees. Some examples provided by the Award clause include: major changes in the composition, operation, or size of the employer’s workforce or in the skills required; changes in employment and/or promotional opportunities or job tenure for a class or group of employees; the alteration of hours of work for a class or group of employees; transfer of a group of employees to other work or location; or the restructuring of jobs.

Notice of roster at a Healthscope hospital I work in a hospital operated by Healthscope. What are the requirements regarding the posting of a roster? Clause 8 of the Healthscope – NSWNMA/ANMF – NSW Nurses and Midwives’ – Enterprise Agreement 2015-2019 sets out that a roster giving not less than two weeks’ notice will be provided to full-time and parttime staff. It should be noted that the roster can be subsequently altered in emergent circumstances, provided that where any alteration involves working on a day that was to be a day off, the replacement day off shall be as mutually arranged. A nurse can also change their roster at short notice for any reasonable ground, but only with the agreement of their nurse/ midwifery unit manager or Director of Nursing.

Time in lieu instead of overtime Recently I completed an overtime shift and my NUM indicated that if I liked, I could have time off in lieu instead of being paid overtime. Is this correct? Clause 25(iv) of the Public Health System Nurses and Midwives’ (State)

Award 2015 does permit a nurse to elect to receive time off in lieu of overtime payments. However, the time off must be taken within three months of it occurring, otherwise it will be paid out as overtime. Nurses cannot be compelled to take time off in lieu of overtime.

Break between rostered shifts I have just started working at a nursing home operated by Bupa Care Services. Can you let me know what the break between rostered shifts is supposed to be? Under Clause 22 of the Bupa Care Services, NSWNMA, ANMF (NSW Branch) and HSU NSW Branch, New South Wales Enterprise Agreement 2013, employees will receive a break of 10 hours between the completion of one ordinary work period or shift and the commencement of another ordinary work period or shift. By mutual agreement, the 10-hour rest break may be reduced to 8 hours.

Multiple assignments I work in a public hospital as an enrolled nurse. I work in two different locations that are quite independent of each other. This has been described to me as having multiple assignments. My hours add up to full time so not sure how this then works out. Under clause 4A of the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwifes’ (State) Award 2015, if you have two or more assignments under the Award within the same facility or Local Health District, then the work you perform in each will be aggregated for the purposes of determining your entitlements. In short, if your hours add up to full-time, you should receive all the benefits under the Award applicable to a full-time employee. The LHD should ensure that each of your supervisors is aware of your other assignment and the requirement to aggregate the hours worked. This is essential to ensure that each is aware of the consequences of allocating you additional shifts (i.e. overtime, break between shifts, possible fatigue issues etc.). THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 33

REGULARS NURSES & MIDWIVES:

There are many benefits of being a financial member of the NSWNMA — did you know that

Authorised by B.Holmes, General Secretary, NSWNMA

YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEES COVER YOU FOR TRAVEL TO AND FROM WORK? If you are involved in an accident while travelling to or from work, NSWNMA’s Journey Accident Insurance provides you with peace of mind. In recent years this insurance has been a financial safety net for many members who have met unfortunate circumstances travelling to or from work. As a financial member of the NSWNMA you are automatically covered by this policy. It’s important to remember however, that it can only be accessed if you are a financial member at the time of the accident. So make sure your membership remains financial at all times by paying your fees by Direct Debit or Credit. Watch Alexis talk about Journey Accident Insurance

JOURNEY ACCIDENT INSURANCE

Your journey injury safety net

UNSURE IF YOU ARE FINANCIAL? IT’S EASY! Ring and check today on 8595 1234 (metro) or 1300 367 962 (rural). Change your payment information online at

34 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

www.nswnma.asn.au

SOCIAL MEDIA

Do you have a story to tell? An opinion to share? Nurse Uncut is a blog written by everyday nurses and midwives. We welcome your ideas at nurseuncut@nswnma.asn.au

New on our Support Nurses YouTube channel Sally just wants the right to marry

SYDNEY MARDI GRAS Parading for equality for the first time ever. bit.ly/nursesMardi

‘I treat the patients equally, that’s my job. So I want to be treated equally and fairly in the eyes of the law.’ http://www.nurseuncut.com.au/sallya-nurse-who-just-wants-the-right-tomarry/

Connect with us on Facebook Nurse Uncut www.facebook. com/NurseUncutAustralia New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association www.facebook.com/nswnma Ratios put patient safety first www.facebook.com/ safepatientcare Aged Care Nurses www.facebook.com/ agedcarenurses Look for your local branch on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/nswnma

Keira was able to find hope in her role as medical team leader in a new clinic for sexual violence care in Nigeria. http://www.nurseuncut.com. au/australian-nurse-in-nigeriaconfronting-powerful-hopeful/

Mother-daughter, mother-son and even father-son nurses

Crying in the pan room WAR ON WORKERS RALLY A huge turnout to protest cuts to penalties. bit.ly/waronpenalties

Nursing in Africa: ‘Confronting, powerful, hopeful’

An AiN fears she is letting her residents down, as understaffing means nurses are too stretched to do the tasks set before them on each shift. http://www.nurseuncut.com.au/agedcare-ain-crying-in-the-pan-room/

Turns out not only are there many motherdaughter nurses, but even some fathers and sons embracing the caring career. http://www.nurseuncut.com.au/ mother-daughter-mother-son-andeven-father-son-nurses/

Handmaiden or professional? The 5 paradoxes of nursing – is it a selfdirected profession or not? http://www.nurseuncut.com.au/ handmaiden-or-professional-the-5paradoxes-of-nursing//

A drug hypothetical for nurses If propofol is locked up, what are the implications in an obstetric emergency? http://www.nurseuncut.com. au/a-drug-hypothetical-for-nurses/

Refugee past inspires nurse’s art and career

Share on Instagram by tagging @nswnma and don’t forget to use the hashtag #nswnma!

A child refugee from Bhutan, now an RN in Sydney’s west, tells his story of hope and resilience, expressed in art. http://www.nurseuncut.com.au/ refugee-past-inspires-a-nurses-artand-career/

Listen to our podcast POSITIVE TIPS Getting people onside. http://bit.ly/ onsideagedcare THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 35

Going to work shouldn’t mean stepping into this.

ARE YOU A VICTIM OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE? Have you or a colleague been assaulted at work? Have you reported your incident?

Download the NSWNMA App and report your workplace violence incident. The NSWNMA has a new tool as part of our NSWNMA Toolkit App that allows you to quickly report an incident to the Association as soon as it happens. It’s an easy fillable form that you can submit from your mobile device and an officer of the Association will be in touch with you. Nursing is considered one of the most dangerous professions. HELP STOP VIOLENCE AT WORK!

36 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

NSWNMA Toolkit App is FREE and available to download from iTunes and Google Play store

SOCIAL MEDIA

your

Say

What nurses and midwives said and liked on Facebook www.facebook.com/nswnma

the gallery

The hospital I worked at looked over a car park in one direction and a jail in the other. It definitely affects staff health, especially in winter. Never feel natural light on your skin, only ever halogens...

The new war on penalty rates

The impact of hospital design on health

Bombshell legal advice shows millions of workers could have their penalty rates cut. Low-paid aged care nurses are especially at risk when their awards come up.

Research shows that patients looking out at trees had shorter hospital stays and took fewer pain medications than those viewing a brick wall.

Aren’t we in aged care already the lowest paid nurses? What a joke to tip us over into the struggling category! I’m a second year EEN in aged care and just scrape $24.55 an hour. I work full time, including one weekend a fortnight. If my penalties get cut I won’t be bothered to do evenings or weekends. What’s the point of missing out on important things in life if the pay rate is the same around the clock? I can barely survive on the pay I receive now. I’m an AiN and I get $20.40 – those penalty rates pay my bills. Lol, can you imagine the ED: “Oh a multi-trauma MVA? Sorry, can you come back Monday morning at 9am because we don’t have any nurses on Sunday evening.” If they have a fall on Saturday morning they’ll just have to wait on the floor till 9 o’clock Monday! Well, join your union and get ready to fight or you will lose them.

I worked in a hospital that had a verandah with doors that opened and allowed fresh air and natural light in. Only recently the majority of the verandah was lost to a bathroom. The adjacent rooms had no natural light or air. The difference in the wellbeing of patients and families was stark. We used to have a massive window in our tea room that had a great view. Anyhow, expansions happened, they walled over our window and now we sit in a cold and depressing room with no view of the outside world. The change in mood and attitude is palpable. I had 12 days in a private hospital. My room was like a cupboard. The window looked directly at a brick wall. I was out of that room every opportunity I got. Nurses should design hospitals rather than architects, quite often light switches are behind doors, doorways aren’t big enough for beds to go through, bathrooms aren’t big enough.

Nursing families Did you follow your mother into nursing or midwifery? Maybe you even followed your father into this profession? Mother, father, myself, two sisters, an aunty, three cousins and brother-in-law are all nurses and have worked at the one hospital and even on the same ward.

My father was a registered nurse and inspired me to take up the profession. I’m an RN/RM, my hubby is now an RN and my daughter is studying her Bachelor of Nursing. My mother was a DON for many years; I am now a Manager in aged care. She is my inspiration. My mother followed me into nursing. I was an RN and she was an EN. We did work with each other at times and she did not like me giving her direction! My son followed me into nursing and is now in his last year at uni. Mother-brother-sistersister! First RN but my dad is a retired paramedic Well you’ve got the double here! Mum and Dad are both nurses!

1/ Academics – Friendly faces of nursing academics at Charles Sturt University, Dubbo. 2/ Transition to workforce – New grads soak up the expertise on offer at our Transition to the Workforce seminar. 3/ Mardi Gras – Hearing your wish for equality loud and clear – just before setting out on Mardi Gras 4/ Bathurst students – Framed! First year nursing students at CSU Bathurst 5/ Dubbo – Meeting their ‘patients’ at CSU Dubbo – good luck with your studies! THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 37

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The Mother’s Day Classic held on 14 May is a national fun run raising money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Come along and join in the fun on Mother’s Day as we make our way around the Domain in Sydney, or around any one of the events held across NSW. There are running and walking events to cater for all levels of fitness.

CALLING ALL RUNNERS, JOGGERS & WALKERS JOIN US ON SUNDAY 14 MAY FOR THE

EARLY BIRD RATES UNTIL 13 APRIL Save up to $20 per registration

MOTHER’S DAY CLASSIC VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Day Classic 2017.indd 38 Mothers | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

Register and nominate the Association as your team. All participating members will receive a NSWNMA team running shirt for the day*.

TO REGISTER 1 www.mothersdayclassic.com.au/register 2 Enter your details and select the event and race 3 When prompted with the page asking if “you would like to join a team” select yes 4 Search and select our team name – NSW Nurses & Midwives’ Association using team password NSWNMA if prompted. *To be eligible for the team running shirt, please register by Wednesday 12 April.

We are also looking for volunteers to hand out water and refreshments on the day at the Domain and Parramatta events. Please contact Miriam Galea at events@nswnma.asn.au 21/03/2017 1:13 PM

NURSING RESEARCH ONLINE

Nurses in war Nurses: from Zululand to Afghanistan Australian War Memorial Australian nurses have been going to war for over 100 years. Never far from the front line, but often far from home, they care for the sick and wounded on land and sea, and in the air. Their expertise saves lives, but often they do not see the results of their care when patients are moved on quickly. The foundations of modern nursing were laid during the Crimean War, when British nurse Florence Nightingale introduced strict practices governing sanitation, training, and hospital organisation. Military nurses have often worked in remote and dangerous places, under difficult conditions. But such service does not come without a cost. Some nurses never return home, losing their lives to disease or at the hands of the enemy. For all, the memories of long hours with wounded or dying patients are hard to forget. Today, both men and women serve as Australian military nurses; all are officers in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). They share a spirit of adventure, a desire to make a difference, and the discipline required to work in a military team. But, most of all, they remain committed to putting their patients first, come what may. https://www.awm.gov.au/ exhibitions/nurses/introduction/

The nurses’ experience of Gallipoli from their letters Gallipoli and the ANZACS For Australians, the image usually associated with 25 April 1915 is that of Australian soldiers charging bravely up the steep and barren slopes of Gallipoli. Less appreciated is the picture of an Australian nurse on that same day attending to hundreds of battered and bleeding men on the decks and in the confined wards of a hospital ship. Wounded men were ferried out to the HMHS Gascon lying off Anzac Cove. Among the nurses, doctors and orderlies who attended them there, was Sister Ella Tucker, AANNS: The wounded from the landing commenced to come on board at 9am and poured into the ship’s wards from barges and boats. The majority

NSW Nurses and Midwives now have their own special place of remembrance for wartime nurses. The Alice Cashin Memorial, which celebrates the heroism and sacrifice of a WWI nurse and her colleagues, can be found at Woronora Memorial Park, 121 Linden Street, Sutherland. still had on their field dressing and a number of these were soaked through. Two orderlies cut off the patient’s clothes and I started immediately with dressings. There were 76 patients in my ward and I did not finish until 2 am. By the evening of 25 April, 557 wounded had been taken on board the HMHS Gascon . Ella Tucker stayed with the ship for the next nine months as it ferried over 8000 wounded and sick soldiers between the Gallipoli Peninsula and the hospitals on Imbros, Lemnos, Salonika, Alexandria, Malta and in England. http://www.gallipoli.gov.au/ nurses-at-gallipoli/nursesexperience.php

World War I: Thousands of Australian nurses missed out on recognition Eliza Harvey, ABC News, Aug 2014 Descendants and historians are calling for recognition for thousands of Australian nurses who served overseas in World War I but were not part of the official nursing deployment. About 5000 Australian nurses are thought to have taken themselves to

In April, as we commemorate ANZAC Day, it is important also to remember the service of Australian nurses who have been going to war for over 100 years.

war, even though the official number is just over 2000. Professor Melanie Oppenheimer from Flinders University says there were two distinct groups of Australian nurses in WWI – members of the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) who left “officially”, and the rest. The AANS nurses – as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) – were initially sent to Egypt, then moved on to France and Belgium. But others were already in London and made their own way to the theatres of war. A group of 20 Australian nurses known as the Bluebirds is one example of those who fell outside the official group. They were also called the “gifts for France” – a country reeling after losing hundreds of thousands of men at the Battle of Verdun. http://www.abc.net.au/ news/2014-08-04/world-war-iaustralian-nurses-missed-out-onrecognition/5642274

Annabelle Brayley honours the Australian nurses of the Vietnam War Conversations with Richard Fidler, ABC Radio National, June 2016 Annabelle is an author and former nurse who lives in Western Queensland. She has collected the stories of Australian nurses, medics and Red Cross ‘girls’ who served in Vietnam. With varying levels of previous nursing experience, they served in civilian and military hospitals in the war zone. The nurses worked with intermittent power and water to save lives and limbs, and to soothe ravaged minds in extraordinary circumstances. For some, serving in Vietnam was the adventure of a lifetime. For others, it was a time of trauma that left deep scars. And just like the soldiers, when these nurses returned, Australia failed to properly recognise their service. http://www.abc.net.au/radio/ programs/conversations/ annabelle-brayley-honoursthe-australian-nurses-of-thevietnam-w/7788604 THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 39

REGULARS

Upd

nline o s l i a ate your membership det aw to win r d e t o t n i & go

5-NIGHT BATEMANS BAY ESCAPE Eurobodalla, land of many waters, sits less than 4 hours’ drive south of Sydney and 2 hours east of Canberra on the NSW South Coast. Eurobodalla is over 110kms of unspoilt beauty. The region is known for award-winning Montague Island; home to thousands of fur seals and colonies of penguins, 83 spectacular beaches and ancient headlands, four major rivers and vast tracts of wilderness, national parks and forest. Abundant wildlife dominates the visitor experience, while vibrant communities and the picturesque historic and coastal villages connect the main towns of Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma. UPDATE YOUR DETAILS ONLINE AT WWW.NSWNMA.ASN.AU AND YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE ENTERED IN THE DRAW TO WIN A 5-NIGHT ESCAPE FOR TWO TO BATEMANS BAY. You and a friend will stay at Corrigans Cove for 5 nights in a gorgeous pool view room with continental breakfast daily. This fantastic package also includes dinner for two on two nights of your stay at Corrigans Cove; entry for two to the fantastic Mogo Zoo; and a double pass to the Original Gold Rush Colony Mogo.

VALU ED AT $150 0.

For your chance to win, simply login online at www.nswnma.asn.au to register or update your details. You can now change your details at a time that suits you, pay membership fees online, print a tax statement, or request a reprint of your membership card – it’s simple! All members who use our online portal from 1 December 2016 until 30 June 2017 will automatically be entered in to the draw to win this fantastic escape. *Conditions apply. Rooms subject to availability. Prize must be redeemed by June 2018 and is not valid for use during school holidays or public holidays. The prize is non-redeemable for cash or any unused portion of the prize. Competition entries from NSWNMA members only and limited to one entry per member. Competition opens 1 December 2016 and closes 30 June 2017. The prize is drawn on 1 July 2017. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date. NSW Permit no: LTPM/17/01625 40 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

CROSSWORD

test your

Knowledge 1

12 14

13 15 17

18 20

21 22

25 26

29 31

30 32

ACROSS 1. Receptors that respond to mechanical pressures or distortions (16) 8. Branched like a tree (9) 11. The measurement of the abrasive particle size (4) 12. Equilibrium Line Altitude (1.1.1) 13. An apparatus for the observation and recording of vibrations (10) 15. Correction of Hemoglobin and Outcomes in Renal Insufficiency (1.1.1.1.1) 16. A malignant tumour composed of

carcinomatous and sarcomatous tissues (16) 19. Treatment (4) 20. Unusually large; huge; vast (7) 21. Dry sterile dressing (1.1.1) 23. Recent or new (3) 24. A tremor or shaking of the head, of cerebellar origin (10) 27. The period immediately preceding a certain event (3) 29. To draw or bring out or forth; evoke (6) 30. A person with access to exclusive information (7)

32. Benzoate carboxylate anion (4) 33. Gastrointestinal (2) 36. Micturition, voiding (9) 37. Inflammation of the ear (6) 38. Symbol for neon (2) 39. Recording of eye movements and eye position provided by the difference in electrical potential between two electrodes placed on the skin on either side of the eye (16)

DOWN 1. To transport (a patient) to a place where medical care is available, especially by helicopter (7) 2. Concealed (3) 3. Ungues (5) 4. Producing inflammation of the brain; typically by hypersensitivity mechanisms (16) 5. A position alongside the rostral portion of the notochord in the embryo (11) 6. Concerning the prevention or correction of bone, joint, ligament, and muscular disorders (11) 7. The liquid lying above a layer of precipitated insoluble material (11) 9. Set or arranged in a new or different determinate position (10) 10. A device for measuring speed, such as the rate of blood flow in a vessel (10) 14. Having two branches (8) 17. The critical stage or crisis of a disease (4) 18. Carbapenemaseresistant Enterobacteriaceae (1.1.1) 20. Notch (8) 22. A sudden kind of pain (8) 25. The acyl radical formed from benzoic acid (7) 26. Osteogenesis Imperfecta (1.1) 28. A carrier, especially one that transmits disease (6) 31. Relating to an ion (5) 32. Basioccipital (2) 34. A passage leading from one anatomic part to another (4) 35. Acute sensory axonal motor neuropathy (1.1.1.1)

THE LAMP APRIL 2017 | 41

WINTER 3

WARMERS

NOW

Autumn is here. Keep warm in NSWNMA winter favourites which are not only stylish & comfortable, but also affordable & sold at cost to members. Fall is here. Keep warm in NSWNMA winter favourites which are not only stylish & comfortable, but also affordable & sold at cost to members.

ORDER FORM

1 Bonded Polar Fleece Zip Front Jacket $30. Quantity: Size: S L XL XXL XXXL 2 Active Soft Shell Navy Jacket $50. Quantity: Size: 10 12 14 16 18 S M L XL XXL 3 Red Hoodies $40. Quantity: Size: 10 12 14 S M L

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unionmotormarket.com.au 42 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

REVIEWS DISCOUNT BOOKS FOR MEMBERS The Library is pleased to announce that McGraw Hill Publishers are now offering members a 25% discount off the RRP! The offer currently covers medical as well as a range of other professional series books. Please see the online Book Me reviews for a link to the promotion code and further instructions, or contact the Library directly for further information.

T ES

S PE

By Hugh Popham with forward by HRH The Princess Royal, Leo Cooper (imprint of Pen & Sword Books) (available through Amazon) http://www.amazon.com RRP $POA. ISBN 0850529344

INTE IAL

ST RE

The FANY In Peace & War: The Story Of The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry 1907–2003 (Revised Edition)

SPE C

book club

All the latest Book Club reviews from The Lamp can be read online at www.nswnma.asn.au/libraryservices/book-reviews.

IN T E

The strangely named First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (F.A.N.Y.) traces its origins to the Great War. As a mark of their outstanding service, they remained in being between the wars. However, it is for their service during the Second World War that they are best known. They worked in a wide variety of roles both at home and overseas, both overt and covert, and today are still making a vital contribution. From eccentric beginnings to today’s streamlined and efficient Corps, they have evolved an uncanny way of anticipating what their use might be in the event of war or a sudden civil crisis.

A Guide to the Standard EMDR Therapy Protocols for Clinicians, Supervisors, and Consultants (2nd Edition) Andrew M. Leeds

Springer Publishing Company (available through Footprint Books): https://www.footprint.com.au RRP $135.00. ISBN 9780826131164

The fundamentals of EMDR Therapy theory, principles and procedures remain unaltered, and as a result, the basic framework of A Guide to the Standard EMDR Therapy Protocols for Clinicians, Supervisors and Consultants remains unchanged. This book is intended to provide an easy-to-use guide to the standard, research-supported EMDR therapy protocols for graduate students, clinicians, consultants, supervisors, instructors and researchers.

Social Work and Community Development Catherine Forde and Deborah Lynch Palgrave: https://he.palgrave.com RRP $66.95. ISBN 9781137308382. ISBN 9781473919280

The aim of Social Work and Community Development is to offer readers an

understanding and analysis of the relevance and importance of community work ideas and approaches in social work practice. It argues that community work offers a form of critical practice that connects well with social work traditions, values, and ideas. The book provides a healthy comparative perspective on social work and community work experience in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Sweden, and Ireland.

Evidence-based Practice for Nurses & Healthcare Professionals (3rd Edition) Janet Barker, Paul Linsley and Ros Kane SAGE Publishing: (available through Footprint Books): https://www.footprint.com.au RRP $58.95. ISBN 9781473925038 (pbk)

This book provides a clear and measured account of the increasing need for clinicians to articulate the knowledge on which they make decisions and the part that evidence plays in driving practice forward. This fully updated new edition of this comprehensive book helps nurses and healthcare professionals understand how to use evidence in all aspects of care, with plenty of examples and activities to help relate concepts to practice.

Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis: The Evidencebased 7 Step Recovery Program (2nd Edition) Professor George Jelinek MD Allen and Unwin: https:// www.allenandunwin.com RRP $34.99. ISBN 9781760112554

Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis explains the nature of MS and outlines an evidencebased 7-step program for recovery. The program is devised from an exhaustive analysis of medical research after Professor Jelinek was first diagnosed with MS in 1999. It has been refined through major ongoing international clinical studies under his leadership, examining the lifestyles of several thousand people with MS, living with MS for years, or with a family member with MS. CORRECTION: In the February 2017 issue of the Lamp there was a review of the publication Healthy Ageing and Aged Care by Maree Bernoth and Denise Winkler. The information supplied about the publisher should have been Oxford University Press and not Palgrave. In addition, the price of this text is $95.00 and not $45.95, and the correct ISBN is 9780195597585.

All books can be ordered through the publisher or your local bookshop. NSWNMA members can borrow the books featured here via the Library’s Online Catalogue: visit http:// www.nswnma.asn.au/library-services. Call 8595 1234 or 1300 367 962, or email gensec@nswnma.asn.au for assistance with loans or research. Some books are reviewed using information supplied and have not been independently reviewed. THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 43

RECRUIT A NEW MEMBER & GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN A 4-NIGHT STAY AT

LOCKYER VALLEY, QUEENSLAND

PRIZE DRAWN 30 JUNE 2017

THE 2016 – 2017 NSWNMA MEMBER RECRUITMENT SCHEME PRIZE The winner will experience all the style and comfort of a luxury retreat with the warmest of country welcomes. A four night (midweek) stay for two with: • Wine and Cheese plate on arrival; • Breakfast daily; • 2 x 2 course lunches; • 2 x 3 course dinners; • 2 x 60 minute facial or massage for 2 guests (4 in total) • 4 wheel drive tour for 2 guests. 44 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

The NSWNMA will arrange return flights for two from Sydney to Brisbane and car hire for the duration of the prize. Spicers Retreat Hidden Vale is a gem, an uncomplicated escape just an hour’s drive from Brisbane. Experience the uniquely revitalising effect of spending time on 12,000 acres of true Australia bush. Space to relax. Space to listen, to laugh and to embark on an adventure amongst the abundant wildlife. Every member you sign up over the year gives you an entry in the draw!

RECRUITERS NOTE:

Join online at www.nswnma.asn.au If you refer a member to join online, make sure you ask them to put your name and workplace on the online application form. You will then be entitled to your vouchers and entry in the NSWNMA Recruitment Incentive scheme. SPICERSRETREATS .COM

Conditions apply. Prize must be redeemed by 30 June 2018 and is for stays outside of School Holiday periods, midweek (Monday to Thursday). Competition opens on 1 August 2016 and closes 30 June 2017. The prize will be drawn on 30 June 2017. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date. NSW Permit no: LTPM/17/01625.

REVIEWS Guest reviewer, Stephanie Di Nallo, RN, gives us the lowdown on Berlin Syndrome. If you would like to be a movie reviewer, email lamp@nswnma.asn.au

O ME TR

WI N

GIV E A W

DVD IE

MEM AL

R BE

RUR

Berlin Syndrome

MOV

BER M

at the movies

GIV E

Strange love in a once divided city

can see no way of escape and she is a prisoner.

Mr Selfridge

In this adaptation of the much- acclaimed debut novel of Melbourne-based Australian writer Melanie Joosten, Berlin in 2006 still holds its secrets well after reunification.

Clare starts to feel her holiday romance is turning into a nightmare as Andi has other feelings towards her than romance and she has the heart-stopping, sinking feeling Andi has no intention of letting her go again… ever.

Nine years have passed and Harry Selfridge is at the pinnacle of his wealth and celebrity and enjoying the frenzy of the roaring 20s. But in this buzzing, fast-evolving world, Harry is splashing his cash in an unprecedented, dangerous way. As he parties and gambles with stage stars, the Dolly Sisters, and pursues risky new business ventures, the trials and tribulations of our other muchloved characters, and a handful of newcomers, also unfold. Lady Mae returns to London to rebuild her life whilst Mardle and Grove thrash out their differences, and Kitty and Frank embark on the biggest challenge to their relationship yet. This final series chronicles Harry’s epic rollercoaster ride as he begins to lose grip on his empire, alongside the fortunes of all those whose lives he has touched.

Berlin Syndrome tells the story of Clare (Teresa Palmer), a young Australian photographer who has been touring Europe and is now settled in Germany. In Berlin, she meets and finds solace in a kindred spirit – Andi (Max Riemer) – a native of Berlin. She is lonely and accepts his offer to show her HIS Berlin. Unfortunately, Andi turns a friendship and a romantic chance encounter into something more destructive and sinister after they spend an erotic, passionate night together. Clare, to her surprise, finds herself locked in in Andi’s apartment. At first she thinks it is an innocent mistake after Andi has left the apartment for work. But panic sets in when she

Quite often there is a problem with films that feature captivity: there are only two ways it can go – the captive either gets away or they don’t! But with a clever trick the director of Berlin Syndrome, Cate Shortland, makes the voyage worthwhile. Berlin Syndrome is a psychological thriller which shifts between Andi’s and Clare’s perspectives, revealing the power of obsession and the kaleidoscopic nature of human relationships.

Email The Lamp by the 12th of the month to be in the draw to win a double pass to Berlin Syndrome thanks to Entertainment One. Email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma. asn.au for a chance to win!

Email The Lamp by the 15th of the month to be in the draw to win a DVD of Mr. Selfridge S4 thanks to NIXCO. Email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win! THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 45

DIARY DATES

make a date

Diary Dates for conferences, seminars, meetings, and reunions is a free service for members. lamp@nswnma.asn.au

EVENTS: NSW

Please send event details in the format used here: event name, date and location, contact details – by the 5th of each preceding month. Send your event details to: lamp@nswnma.asn.au Fax 02 9662 1414 Post 50 O’Dea Ave, Waterloo NSW 2017. All listings are edited for the purposes of style and space. Priority is given to non-profit professional events.

EVENTS: INTERSTATE

Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital Nursing and Midwifery Research Symposium 12 April 2017, Call for abstracts now open Contact Caroline O’Donnell at caroline. odonnell@health.nsw.gov.au 2nd International Day of the Midwife Conference 5 May 2017 Twin Towns Services Club, Tweed Heads Contact the Midwifery Society: midwiferysocietyconference@gmail.com 2017 Westmead Women’s and Newborn Health Conference 5-6 May 2017, Education and Conference Centre, Westmead Hospital WSLHD-Women&newbornhealth@health. nsw.gov/au Nepean Blue Mountains Nursing and Midwifery Research & Practice Development Conference 12 May 2017, Penrith Panthers, Call for abstracts open now (Closing 10 March) Contact Leigh Burns at leigh.burns@ westernsydney.edu.au Melanoma: Understanding Treatments and Implications for Nurses 24 May 2017, Melanoma Institute Australia, Wollstonecraft https://www.melanoma.org.au/newsevents/events/melanoma-understandingtreatments-and-implications-for-nurses/ Resus at the Park 1-2 June 2017, Luna Park, Sydney http://resusatthepark.org.au/ 4th International Collaboration of Perianaesthesia Nurses [ICPAN] Conference 1-4 November 2017 Luna Park, Sydney www.icpan2017.com.au

15th World Congress on Public Health 3-7 April 2017, Melbourne www.wcph2017.com Health and Environmental Sustainability Conference 28 April 2017, Melbourne http://www.anmfvic.asn.au/events-andconferences/2017/04/28/2017-anmfhealth-and-environmental-sustainabilityconference 14th World Rural Health Conference 29 April – 2 May 2017, Cairns https://acrrm.eventsair.com/ QuickEventWebsitePortal/ruralwonca2017/ home/ Australian & New Zealand Addiction Conference 15-16 May 2017, Gold Coast https://www.vision6.com.au/ ch/11035/2wwb1r9/2042597/6ddb9j9tz. html No More Harm National Conference 26-27 June 2017, Brisbane http://nomoreharm.com.au/ 4th National Eating Disorders and Obesity Conference 7-8 August 2017, Gold Coast http://eatingdisordersaustralia.org.au/ 18th International Mental Health Conference 21-23 August 2017, Gold Coast http://anzmh.asn.au/conference/ 20th ACM National Conference 2017 30 October – 2 November, Adelaide http://www.acm2017.org/conference2017/ EVENTS: INTERNATIONAL Patient Safety Congress 4-5 July 2017, Manchester, UK https://www.patientsafetycongress.co.uk 6th World Congress of Clinical Safety 6-8 September 2017, Rome, Italy www.iarmm.org/6WCCS

MEMBER NEGOTIATION & ADVOCACY PROGRAM

2017

Negotiation & Advocacy Pt 1

Negotiation & Advocacy Pt 2

for delegates/activists/members Date: Wednesdays: 17 May, 20 September, 22 November Time: 9am – 4pm Venue: NSWNMA Waterloo

‘The IRC, FWC, AHPRA and You’ Date: Wednesdays: 17 May, 20 September, 22 November Time: 9am – 4pm Venue: NSWNMA Waterloo

Contact: Lyn Stevens or Sara Garrett at the NSWNMA 8595 1234 (Metro) 1300 367 962 (Regional) 46 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

10th European Congress on Violence in Clinical Psychiatry 26-28 October 2017 Crown Plaza, Dublin, Ireland http://www.oudconsultancy.nl/dublin_10_ ECVCP/index.html IHF 41st World Hospital Congress 7 October – 9 November Taipei International Convention Centre, Taiwan https://ihfnews.files.wordpress. com/2017/01/ihf-tapei-call-for-abstracts11jan17.pdf 4th Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Conference 12 March 2018, London UK http://www.commonwealthnurses.org/ conference2018 EVENTS: REUNIONS Tamworth Base Hospital February 1976 Intake 40-year Reunion Contacts: Sandra Cox: sandra.cox@ hnehealth.nsw Sean O’Connor: 0408 349 126 Gerard Jeffery: 0417 664 993 Muswellbrook Aged Care Reunion 29th April 2017 Muswellbrook Golf Club Hilary Tearle (nee Walker): 0429 988 694 Fenny Thompson: 0428 101 986 Royal Prince Alfred Hospital PTS March 1976 7th June 2017 Trish Walcott: 0402 159 352 Reunion.rpa@gmail.com 25-Year Reunion: 1992 UWS Nepean Graduating Class July 2017, Sydney, NSW Bede McKinnon: bede01@bigpond.com Prince of Wales, Prince Henry Hospitals PTS February 1973 Class February 2018 Ross Kerr: gert@optusnet.com.au CROSSWORD SOLUTION

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