Lamp July 2017

COVER STORY

AGED CARE

MENTAL HEALTH

REGULARS

ED violence sparks community campaign

Aged care blighted by premature death

Mental health care under scrutiny

page 10

page 14

page 20

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

p.37 p.39 p.41 p.43

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 74 NO. 6 | JULY 2017

PROGRESS ON SAFER HOSPITALS Print Post Approved: PP100007890

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 1

COVER STORY

THE ONLY HEALTH FUND CREATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR NURSES & MIDWIVES Nurses & Midwives Health is an industry-based health fund, open to members of the NSWNMA. Eligibility also extends to family members of eligible members.

We are a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to caring for the carers 2 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

* Eligibility criteria and conditions apply. See website for full terms and conditions. Nurses & Midwives Health Pty Ltd ABN 70 611 479 237.

SIGN UP NOW AND GET 6 WEEKS FREE* at nmhealth.com.au or call 1300 344 000 A Registered Private Health Insurer. NMH-LAMP-04/17

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

VOLUME 74 NO. 6 | JULY 2017

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

8

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

COVER STORY

Progress on safer hospitals It took a shooting incident to spark action but serious work to reduce hospital violence is finally underway.

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

10

COVER STORY ED violence sparks community campaign

14

AGED CARE Aged care blighted

17

Nurses push an anti-violence message in the remote town of Nyngan.

by premature death More people in nursing homes are dying prematurely – and the true numbers could be much higher, researchers say.

N SWNMA Short Story and

18

Poetry Competition winner Kensington registered nurse Rebecca Noonan awarded first prize.

REGULARS

5 6 6 32 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 50

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

NSWNMA 2017 SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

The fifth NSWNMA Short Film Festival held last month showcased the flair, imagination and storytelling talent of our membership.

20 22

COVER STORY

AGED CARE

MENTAL HEALTH

REGULARS

ED violence sparks community campaign

Aged care blighted by premature death

Mental health care under scrutiny

page 10

page 14

page 20

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

p.37 p.39 p.41 p.43

MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health care under scrutiny Nurses must drive changes to reduce seclusion while ensuring safety.

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 74 NO. 6 | JULY 2017

PRIVATISATION

Regions reject hospital privatisations Packed public meetings show health care privatisation is a hot topic in regional communities.

PROGRESS ON SAFER HOSPITALS Print Post Approved: PP100007890

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 1

OUR COVER: Nick Turnell Photographed by Gerrit Fokkema THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 3

The Lamp Advertisement.pdf 1 19/06/2017 4:41:56 PM

Mid North Coast Local Health District

National Health Innovation and Research Symposium

C

M

Coffs Harbour 3 - 4 August 2017

Y

CM

Surround yourself with inspiring people and like-minded creative thinkers who lead health innovation and research nationally. Join Dr Karl Kruszelnicki AM for the Symposium Gala Dinner presentation.

MY

CY

CMY

K

Visit the Symposium website to register: mnclhdevents.com.au

MASTER OF NURSING Avondale’s Master of Nursing is designed to extend and deepen a registered nurse’s knowledge, skills and appreciation of advanced practice within complex health care environments. Students are given the choice to develop nursing specialist qualifications in either Clinical Nursing, Clinical Teaching or Leadership and Management.

Mode: Distance education (Online)

APPLY NOW FOR 2017 for August intake.

To find out more, visit www.avondale.edu.au/nursing, phone +61 2 4980 2377, or email study@avondale.edu.au

4 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

EDITORIAL

Brett

Holmes GENERAL SECRETARY

Advancing reconciliation The NSWNMA will do its utmost to help improve the health and lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders just as we are committed to improving the health and lives of all Australians.

In this issue of The Lamp we have a special insert on Indigenous health and union issues as a part of our celebrations for National Reconciliation Week.

Reconciliation Australia – an independent, not-for-profit national expert body set up in 2001 – has the goal to build relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

It also aims to inspire and enable all Australians to contribute to reconciliation and to break down stereotypes and discrimination.

These are goals we strongly support.

NSWNMA has a long history of supporting the cause of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We will continue that support in whatever way we can.

A key feature of the NSWNMA’s strategic plan is about promoting a world class, high quality health system. This goal will never be realised without measures in place that close the gap in health outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the rest of the community.

We are a health professional organisation and we have a responsibility to understand and address the root causes of the very poor health outcomes we see in Indigenous Australians. We are also doing this because we are a trade union and we believe in social justice and we also have a responsibility to carry on the trade union movement’s mostly proud history of supporting this cause.

Our commitment to further the cause of reconciliation has a conscious focus on Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander employment, retention, cultural awareness and procurement in the health sector.

AN AGED CARE CRISIS In this issue of The Lamp we also report on a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia which should set the alarm bells ringing about the state of aged care.

The study found that the number of preventable deaths in aged care quadrupled in the thirteen years between 2000 and 2013. The most frequent causes of premature death were falls (81.5 per cent),

The ANMF also commissioned a comprehensive National Aged Care Staffing and Skills Mix Project in conjunction with health academics which has produced an appropriate skill mix for aged care: 30 per cent RNs, 20 per cent ENs and 50 per cent AiNs. This is the basis of a sound plan to take the sector forward.

Aged care is a long, long way from reaching these staffing levels needed to deliver safe care. In fact the trends have been in the opposite direction and politicians and providers have been stubbornly

‘ A key feature of the NSWNMA’s strategic plan is about promoting a world class, high quality health system. This goal will never be realised without measures in place that close the gap in health outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the rest of the community.’ choking (7.9 per cent) and suicides (4.4 per cent).

These numbers are staggering, frightening and unacceptable.

The study is consistent with research that the ANMF has commissioned which found that residents were “frequently missing out on essential care and treatment”.

Underpinning this sorry scenario is chronic understaffing which has reached critical levels.

resistant to improvements.

The NSWNMA has been relentless in its efforts to get a better deal for aged care, especially for the retention of RNs in the sector.

We will continue to fight for aged care and our colleagues throughout Australia share our concerns for the sector and our commitment to improve staffing so older Australians get the care they deserve in their twilight years.■

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 5

YOUR LETTERS

W

Have your

e

to

in

axing two-night e l e r a sca p

Say

Concerns over employment equity I am a student nurse and will graduate at the end of this year. I have some serious concerns about equity of the current employment system and prospects for graduates.

I have become aware that the new graduate programs are essentially a requirement of employment of NSW hospitals. Not technically, but every Director of Nursing I’ve spoken with has been very clear that they don’t employ 1styear nurses because it’s too risky. Therefore, they only employ graduates via the graduate program. That’s confusing, because we are either qualified nurses or we are not.

an idyllic escape in a tranquil setting Clarendon Forest Retreat is a scenic, luxury retreat nestled between the Manning Valley and Forster in the Kiwarrak State Forest. It offers secluded cottage accommodation for couples, families and groups – perfect for short breaks and weekend getaways.

Revitalise your soul in the ‘well being’ eco lodge. A 3-bedroom lodge with a spacious verandah that wraps itself around the lodge, providing an entertaining area, a private heated spa pool and 180 degrees views of the forest and rolling hills.

Win

The Lamp is offering NSWNMA members the chance to win two night’s accommodation (Sunday to Thursday) in the three bedroom Talawahl Eco Lodge including breakfast daily (for two people) and a cheese platter upon arrival valued at over $800.

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

The consequences of this are causing considerable concern for many students because: 1. We were not made aware of the new graduate ‘system’ by the university and so enrolled in the course unaware that we would need to undertake a new graduate program in order to secure employment in a NSW Health hospital.

2. New graduate programs in NSW Health are only offered full time. This is prohibitive to many women who have undertaken nursing studies later in life and are either unable or do not want to undertake a full-time position when they graduate. Therefore, many outstanding students are unable to start a career in nursing because they can’t gain the necessary experience without undertaking full time employment.

3. A number of students will not obtain positions in new graduate programs.

Therefore, many students will graduate without the prospect of employment in a NSW Health hospital. That is a major issue and one that needs to be considered in terms of the professional and ethical standards of the current system.

Bec Logan, Watson’s Bay

Kudos for the short film festival Thank you for a wonderful evening at the NSWNMA Film Festival and Short Story and Poetry Competition 2017. It was fabulous to hear those poignant stories and we truly enjoyed the winning films. I worked a night on Monday and we left home at 13:30 to get there and drive back home that night. It was absolutely worth the lack of sleep! Great atmosphere, great food and talent galore. Many thanks for the invitation. I have always wanted to attend.

Janine Power RN, Oallen

*Conditions apply. Rooms subject to availability. Prize must be redeemed by 15 December 2017 and is valid for stays Sunday to Thursday nights (not valid during long weekends, NSW School Holidays or Public Holidays). The voucher is non exchangeable, non transferable and not redeemable for cash. Voucher must be presented on arrival. Competition entries from NSWNMA members only and limited to6one| entry perLAMP member. JULY Competition opens 1 July 2017 and closes 31 July 2017. The prize is drawn on 1 August 2017. If a THE 2017 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

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

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 No care without a caregiver The recent decision by NSW Parliament to not pass the bill to maintain the presence of registered nurses in aged care residential facilities 24/7 has many ramifications.

The decision will enable: 1) T he removal of qualified, professional clinical oversight and care manager (i.e. DON) position.

2) T he removing of the RN who actively plans, leads, delivers specialised care, e.g. S8 as required medications, insulin, wound care, etc. and oversees care from enrolled nurses, AiNs and other named care givers.

3) T he removing of the RN who recognises the deteriorating condition of those in her care and can, in a timely manner, co-ordinate others to effect appropriate treatment, care or escalate to notify doctors and/or arrange urgent transport to hospital.

4) The removing of the RN as the qualified facilitator for referrals to GPs and allied health specialists e.g. physio, dietician, podiatry, etc.

More complex care means more pressure Thanks for the hard work!

Working in community care we see how long people are remaining at home supported by home care packages.

Particularly with the changes to the way we manage funds with CDC, our very unwell clients who have multiple hospital admissions during the year end up with large contingencies and as a result are better able to fund living longer at home: a fantastic outcome for clients who wish to remain at home and to continue to live the Aussie dream.

Clients are only transitioning to residential when they become too unwell to remain in the community. This coupled with long waiting lists and financial strain,

5) T he removing of the RN who communicates with families about their loved one’s care needs and ongoing issues.

6) T he removing of job opportunities for many RNs in the workforce. N.B. with an ever-increasing aged population requiring care, why would you be deskilling your workforce?

7) T he shifting of the cost of care giving onto the public health system by default when aged care providers should be providing more than a basic token effort of care giving.

8) Importantly, this decision shows total lack of recognition and respect for the role RNs play in aged care.

Frail, vulnerable aged residents are not in care just to pass time till their demise. They require and are paying for nothing less than appropriate, qualified care at all times.

Providers in aged care now need to clarify just how they can provide appropriate care when the qualified, professional caregiver is removed from the equation.

Unqualified staff will never be a substitute!

Debbie Lang RN NSWNMA Councillor, Green Point I believe is going to cause a trend towards more complex care requirements in residential than ever before. I am genuinely concerned about the amount of pressure placed on our ENs in residential and also the pressure put on RNs to oversee more than one facility (and possibly remotely).

Given that RNs are not specifically trained to be leaders or managers as a part of our undergraduate training, I feel the skill set of RNs currently is not adequate for the push to senior management roles. In addition to this, Australia is a long way away from true connectivity with regard to video conferencing.

Ebony Ranclaud RN CSM, Wallsend

Advertise in The Lamp and reach more than 66,000 nurses and midwives.

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!

To advertise, please contact Danielle Nicholson 02 8595 2139 / 0429 269 750 dnicholson@nswnma.asn.au

unionshopper.com.au 1300 368 117

Union Shopper Letter of the Month.indd 1

23/02/15 11:53 AM

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 7

COVER STORY

Progress on safer hospitals It took a shooting incident to spark action, but serious work to reduce hospital violence is finally underway.

S

ixteen months after a dramatic Code Black incident at Nepean Hospital put the issue high on the agenda, the Ministry of Health and health unions have met to review progress on measures to reduce violence at health facilities.

NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes and Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda attended the meeting to review progress in implementing a 12-point action plan.

The Ministry and unions adopted the plan in February 2016 following the shooting of a policeman and security guard inside Nepean Hospital’s emergency department a month earlier.

Judith Kiejda told a recent NSWNMA committee of delegates’ meeting that while there was no “quick fix” the union was “confident that the Ministry understands its responsibilities for workplace safety and security” and was committed to making hospitals safer.

ED AUDIT The 12-point plan included a security audit of 20 hospital emergency departments and self-assessments of all others.

Judith said all 57 audit recommendations are being implemented and some have been completed.

She said the Ministry was “not pleased” with the results of the audit, which showed failure to comply with security requirements across the Local Health Districts.

“The Ministry will play a tighter monitoring role, which will include random spot checks to ensure future compliance,” she added.

Also, future construction and renovation projects will have to be supported by documented 8 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

‘ If the duress alarm is ineffectual, does not work, or is faulty, the employee has a responsibility to document and report it.’ safety assessments. This will apply to all departments, not only EDs.

DURESS ALARMS Judith said the audit showed employees at many facilities did not wear duress alarms, left potentially dangerous implements lying around and failed to lock plaster rooms and other areas containing implements that could be used as weapons.

Workplace visits by the NSWNMA and the Ministry showed “many staff do not take the wearing of duress alarms seriously.”

“Some systems are less than perfect and there are even cases where they do not work, however an employee must use whatever has been supplied.

“If the duress alarm is ineffectual, does not work, or is faulty, the employee has a responsibility to document and report it and the employer has a responsibility to fix it.

“If the unit is faulty but works occasionally, the employee must wear the duress alarm in line with workplace policy.”

Judith said this approach would prevent management from blaming nurses for the outcome of any incident.

COVER STORY

Clinical unit and hospital managers were to be “trained to understand and give effect to their workplace health and safety obligations and ensure their local workplaces had a zero tolerance to violence”.

“The Ministr y now acknowledges that systems must work and these are being upgraded where necessary.”

POLICE HANDOVERS The Ministry and police are working on a new agreement that goes beyond the current mental health scope and improves handover procedures.

Judith said the new “memorandum of understanding” would require both health ser v ices a nd police to cha nge current practices. Breaches will be dealt with by the local health district chief executive and the police local area commander.

TRAINING Judith reported that the Ministry is rolling out a comprehensive package to train ED nursing, security and medical staff in the management of disturbed and aggressive behaviour.

She told the delegates that so far, 89 staff had gone through a one-day “train the trainer” course supported by online resources such as videos.

Clinical unit and hospital managers have received training to ensure their workplaces have a zero-tolerance approach to violence.

SECURITY GUARDS Security staff have been put through a three-day training course designed for health services and 30 additional security staff have been recruited.

The Ministry is reviewing its policy on forcible removal of non-patients from hospitals. The aim is to identify the circumstances in which security staff are able to remove people who are acting aggressively and causing disruption.

The Security Action Plan In early 2016 health unions and the NSW government agreed to a Security Action Plan that included:

An audit of 20 hospital emergency departments to examine and recommend on a number of issues including compliance with policy and training requirements, adequacy of ED design in managing aggressive patients, adequacy of security staff, and liaison with police including handovers.

The plan also involved an “intensive program of multi-disciplinary training” of ED nursing, security and medical staff.

Clinical unit and hospital managers were to be “trained to understand and give effect to their workplace health and safety obligations and ensure their local workplaces had a zero tolerance to violence”.

Recruitment and training of security officers was to be improved.

A group of expert clinicians was to look at ways of improving the management and treatment of patients presenting to EDs under the influence of psycho stimulants such as ice.

Incident management reporting systems were to be improved.

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 9

COVER STORY

ED violence sparks community campaign Nurses push an anti-violence message in the remote town of Nyngan.

T

here was a time when nurses in country towns weren’t too worried about violence in the workplace. Nurses at small rural facilities often knew many of the locals on a first name basis.

Nyngan, with about 2000 permanent residents served by a multi-purpose health service (MPS), is one such town.

Almost 600km northwest of Sydney, Nyngan MPS has an emergency department, six acute beds and about 30 residential aged care beds including a lock-up dementia unit.

Like health services everywhere, it has not escaped increasing violence in emergency departments, which is often related to drug and alcohol use.

An increase in aggressive incidents over the last eight months has prompted the NSWNMA Nyngan branch to take a public stand against violence.

The branch has begun a campaign to educate the community that violent behaviour is ‘not okay’.

“Years ago, you knew everybody in town, drugs and alcohol problems weren’t big problems, people were a bit more predictable,” says Nyngan MPS Branch Secretary, Paulette Meldrum.

“Now there is a bigger proportion of transient people around and we don’t know their backgrounds. Use of ice and other drugs seems to be out of control.”

NUMEROUS AGGRESSIVE INCIDENTS One serious Saturday night incident saw people smash their way into the ED through an 8mm glass window. In other incidents nurses and doctors have been verbally abused and physically threatened and intimidated.

10 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

‘ We decided to launch a community campaign to spread the message that aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated.’

— Nyngan MPS Branch Secretary, Paulette Meldrum “When there are only three of you on duty to care for 36 patients you can’t always get to the front door immediately,” Paulette said.

“We are also hampered as the police are not on duty 24/7, which leaves us feeling quite alone at times.

“In the weeks after someone smashed through the ED window I really didn’t want to come and do an afternoon shift. Every time the ED doorbell rang I felt agitated about responding to the door.”

The nurses organised a NSWNMA branch meeting and staff from the union’s head office in Sydney, including assistant general secretary Judith Kiejda, went to Nyngan to help find solutions.

“We decided to launch a community campaign to spread the message that aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated,” Paulette said.

“We need to let people know we’re not going to put up with it. Not only at the hospital – it’s not acceptable anywhere.

“We didn’t want to make it just about us nurses so we decided to bring together all affected services at a public

COVER STORY

Nyngan nurses take their anti-violence message to the community gathering in a park on the main street, which got good media coverage.

Authorised by B.Holmes, General Secretary, NSWNMA

“We got support from the police, fire brigade and our local council, which helped to organise support from local businesses.

“The union took the initiative from the get go. They have been out to see us several times and they are always available to talk to us.

“A senior manager from the Local Health District attended a union branch meeting to reassure us of their support and discuss our needs. They have been very supportive in their meetings with the union.”

SOME SAFETY MEASURES INTRODUCED The LHD agreed to several safety improvements.

The door has been reinforced with thicker glass, the voice intercom has been replaced with a video intercom so nurses can see who is out front, and new duress alarms have been ordered.

The mayor of Bogan Shire, Ray Donald, told ABC radio the nurses have council’s full support. He says council is worried that safety concerns will make it even harder to attract people to take up emergency services jobs in the district.

stop the violence

A council meeting resolved to contact the CEO of the Western NSW Local Health District, Minister for Health Brad Hazzard and local member for Barwon Kevin Humphries on the issue of nurses’ security.

The resolution said the council “wholeheartedly supports our local nursing staff in the vital services they provide to our community and strongly condemns the alleged threats of violence to them and their families.” ■ THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 11

COVER STORY

Anti-violence training underway A statewide program to reduce hospital violence includes more training for emergency department nurses.

N

SW Health is training emergency department staff to manage “disturbed and aggressive behaviour” in the wake of serious assaults in the state’s hospitals.

Training packages for nursing, security and medical staff are being implemented for EDs across the state.

Nurses are being put through a “violence prevention and management program” which consists of three e-learning modules and a face to face workshop followed by 12 practice sessions.

The modules are designed to help nurses assess risk, communicate with aggressive patients and de-escalate potentially dangerous situations.

In addition, the ministry has put 89 ED staff through “train the trainer” programs so they can deliver aggression management training.

The training push is part of a 12-point plan to combat hospital violence agreed between the ministry and health unions following a shooting incident at Nepean Hospital ED in 2016.

TRAINING PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR NEW ED NURSES Clinical Nurse Specialist Nick Turnell says the workshop on preventing and managing aggression in emergency departments should be particularly useful for new ED nurses.

Nick works at a major Sydney hospital and attended the workshop run by the Health Ministry’s Centre for Education and Workforce Development.

The workshop teaches verbal means of managing and de-escalating aggressive behaviour along with techniques for physical self-defence.

12 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

Nick, who has almost eight years experience of ED nursing in Sydney and on the Central Coast, was familiar with much of the course content.

“The self defence stuff, such as techniques to free yourself if someone grabs hold of you, was new to me.

“I had already worked out the rest of it on the job even though it was never formally taught.

“It is one thing to learn in a cool, calm environment but you don’t get much time to think about how to react when you’re grabbed by an aggressive patient.

“After some time working in ED you do learn ways of handling aggression.”

Nick’s workplace is one of the busiest EDs in the state. In recent years, he has seen a colleague bashed and require surgery to her nose and another nurse knocked unconscious.

“It is easy to say to a nurse on a training course, tell the patient this or do that.

“Reading a text book does not tell you what it’s like to have an aggressive person come at you. Not every situation unfolds in a textbook manner.”

He says his ED is fortunate to have “a pretty good skill mix. We only hire people with at least a year or so of ward experience.”

“We train each other on the floor. Senior staff tell junior staff how they would handle someone, based on their experience.

“You look for red flags that suggest agitation or aggression. You aim to verbally de-escalate the situation, get the patient seen to as soon as possible and get them gone.

“You don’t want to get physical, you don’t want to have to take someone down.”

COVER STORY

PHOTOGRAPH BY GERRIT FOKKEMA

‘ You don’t want to get physical, you don’t want to have to take someone down.’

Clinical Nurse Specialist Nick Turnell

A VISIBLE SECURITY PRESENCE IS IMPORTANT Nick says it is important for security staff to have a high visible presence in EDs.

e-learning modules from the violence prevention and management program

“Our security guards do a lot of walk throughs which is good. Patients tend to behave better when they see two people with security written on their backs.

“And ED staff do feel safer when they see security doing their walkthroughs.”

Frustration over long waits to see a doctor is a common cause of aggression.

“We can’t tell people how long they will have to wait to see a doctor because things are always changing in the ED. “It can be a very vulnerable place to work because it’s always full and we are exposed to a lot more people than the nurses on the wards get to see.

“On the positive side, we do get more staff and security are more visible.

“If it comes to the point where we have to take someone down in ED there is not a lot of waiting.

“I feel for nurses on the wards because there are fewer of them and it takes a lot longer to get a security guard up there.”■

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 13

AGED CARE

Aged care blighted by premature death More people in nursing homes are dying prematurely – and the true numbers could be much higher, researchers say.

T

he number of premature deaths in nursing homes from preventable causes increased by 400 per cent in the 13 years between 2000 and 2013, Monash University researchers have found.

Deaths by “external” and preventable causes quadrupled from 101 to 417, while the rate of such deaths rose from 1.2 per 1,000 admissions to 5.3.

Lead researcher Professor Joseph Ibrahim said the increase was partly due to changed reporting requirements.

He added the true figures could be much higher because some deaths may have been misclassified as natural cause deaths.

The Monash study found the most frequent causes of premature death were falls (81.5%), choking (7.9%) and suicide (4.4%).

‘ Most people tend to take the view that if you’re in a nursing home, then you’re simply waiting to die.’ — Professor Joseph Ibrahim By law, all nursing home deaths resulting from non-natural causes must be reported to a coroner. The study only examined deaths in this category.

In an article in the Medical Journal of Australia the researchers say a national policy framework is needed to tackle the problem and should involve governments, nursing home staff and owners.

They recommend the establishment of a lead 14 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

authority responsible for reducing harm by improving practice in nursing homes.

“Although aged care in Australia is actively monitored by a range of mechanisms, no one entity is responsible for reducing harm by improving practice,” they write.

AGED CARE GOVERNANCE AND STANDARDS QUESTIONED The findings “raise an important question about governance structures for the care and safety of nursing home residents”.

“Our data challenge the misperception that all deaths of frail, older persons with multiple comorbidities living in residential care are natural.

“Effective planning for high quality aged care requires accurate data about preventable harm, as well as acknowledging that negatively value-laden judgements about the worth of an older person’s life do not justify inaction.”

“The concept of dying well encompasses a death free of avoidable suffering” and “a person’s life should not be prematurely shortened.”

In an interview with ABC television Professor Ibrahim said the increase shows nursing homes have not improved their care standards.

“Most people tend to take the view that older people are going to die and if you’re in a nursing home, then you’re simply waiting to die.

“There is not an emphasis on looking at why these injuries occur and there is certainly not a lot of effort put into preventing them.

“These are not the natural biological processes.

Someone has either done or not done something that has shortened your life.”■

AGED CARE

‘The staffing shortfall means that aged care residents are frequently missing out on essential care and treatment.’

— Annie Butler ANMF acting federal secretary

The staggering rise in preventable deaths

5.3

preventable deaths per 1,000 admissions

2001

2013

1.2

preventable deaths per 1,000 admissions

National aged care staffing and skills mix project model based on each patient or resident receiving an average four hours and eighteen minutes of care every day

50%

AiNs

30% RNs

20% ENs

Research backs union findings The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) says the Monash University study highlights the urgent need for mandated staff-to-patient ratios for both nurses and carers.

ANMF acting federal secretary Annie Butler said the research confirmed the findings of the union’s own National Aged Care Staffing and Skills Mix Project, which showed the devastating effects of chronic understaffing and produced Australia’s first aged care staffing model.

The model is based on each patient or resident receiving an average four hours and eighteen minutes of care every day with a skill mix of AiNs 50 per cent, RNs 30 per cent and ENs 20 per cent.

Annie Butler said the ANMF study found “gaping holes across the system with frequent episodes of missed care”.

“The staffing shortfall means that aged care residents are frequently missing out on essential care and treatment. Only 8.2% of the study’s 3000-plus respondents said that staffing was always adequate.

“This is a situation that is increasingly distressing for our members as well as for residents and their families and it’s one we are battling to change.

“The more evidence, such as this research, we have, the more politicians will have to listen.”

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 15

AGED CARE

‘(The NSW government) has put some of the most vulnerable people in our community at huge risk.’

— Annette Peters

Poor staffing is mainly to blame “Inadequate staffing is definitely the main factor in premature deaths,” says retired nurse Annette Peters, president of the Quality Aged Care Action group.

“It all comes back to staffing. People don’t seem to want to acknowledge that but it’s true.”

Annette recently completed a 50-year career as a registered nurse including 25 years in aged care.

She says nursing home falls are inevitable but far more likely to happen when insufficient staff are on duty.

She describes the lack of registered nurses in aged care as “a huge problem”.

“When I worked in aged care I could have been responsible for 30 to 100 residents at any one time.

“I know nurses now who are responsible for 150 residents.

That’s an impossible task. It’s unsafe for patients, other residents and the nurses themselves.”

RNS ARE VITAL IN AGED CARE Annette calls the NSW government’s refusal to support legislation to reinstate the mandatory rostering of nurses 24/7 in aged care “the worst thing that could happen to aged care”.

“They have put some of the most vulnerable people in our community at huge risk.

16 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

“Most AiNs (assistants in nursing) I’ve worked with are wonderful, caring people but they are not skilled to manage assessment of patients with high care needs – for example, with falls, choking, and pain management.

“They need supervision and support, which requires an RN to be available at all times.

“Nursing homes used to employ enrolled nurses who supported the RN. You could delegate things to them because they had more training than an AiN and could cope with a lot of situations.

“Now it’s unusual to find an EN in aged care.”

Annette says nursing homes generally don’t have enough skilled staff to provide good palliative care, which can only be done by trained and experienced RNs. She says the replacement of directors of nursing with nonnursing “facility managers” has eroded any career structure for RNs. That in turn is largely responsible for the scarcity of younger nurses in the sector.

“The younger ones will not work in aged care and I don’t blame them. There’s little opportunity for advancement and you get more money if you work in acute care with much less responsibility.”

NSWNMA SHORT STORY AND POETRY COMPETITION WINNER

a final farewell KENSINGTON REGISTERED NURSE, REBECCA NOONAN, WAS AWARDED THE $2000 FIRST PRIZE, SPONSORED BY FIRST STATE SUPER. SHE SAT IN the stark, chilled room located off

as he breathed his last breaths. It was duty that was both difficult and effortless. It was an honour to the side. Hidden away from the main ward like and a privilege to provide warmth, comfort and an enigma; a shameful secret that no one wanted a presence during a person’s last moments but to acknowledge out loud. The lights were dimmed heartbreaking at the same time. As a nurse, every and the only sound was the soft whooshing of death is a failure of sorts. Even when she knows the ventilator and the occasional muted dings the baby will be free of pain and suffering, would of alarms yet the whispers and furtive glances not have been able to highlighted the sadness survive outside these four and desolation to “IT WAS NOW THE IMMENSE walls, the losses still hurt. everyone around.

The busyness of the day AND NOBLE RESPONSIBILITY Each one takes up a small space in her heart and had given way to the OF THE NURSE TO OFFER mind, never forgotten, but hushed stillness of the night. The never-ending WARMTH AND COMFORT TO each one gently nudged to the side to make room for darkness outside the THE BABY AS HE BREATHED the next charge. window providing a She sits for hours in the reflection of her room; HIS LAST BREATHS.” chair, rocking back and providing a black abyss forth, back and forth. that was mirrored back Sometimes whispering to him, into her eyes as she primed her mind for the tasks sometimes humming a that lay ahead. She gathered everything she would melody. Listening need and laid her supplies out precisely and as his breathing orderly. Linens in the warmer, bathing equipment becomes waiting patiently, an outfit chosen specially, laid fainter and out reverently and carefully. The stethoscope the rise and around her neck the only medical tool required. fall of his One by one, she turned off the machines, silencing chest slower their alerts and darkening their screens. Each and slower lead and wire was gently removed, careful, so as until it stops. not to damage the fragile skin. Finally, there was He is gone. only the sound of the ventilator left. The slow, soft She will now bathe swish or air moving in and out, a measured, gentle him and gently pace keeping in time with the rise and fall of the dry him, dress pale, thin chest in front of her. It was time. him carefully She turned the ventilator off and tenderly in the outfit he removed the tapes and then the tube. She deftly was meant to wrapped the newborn and lifted him out of his wear home, crib. She smoothly sat down in the rocking chair and wrap him and laid the baby on her chest. Slowly she began to snugly in a rock back and forth. warm blanket.

The baby’s parents had said their goodbyes and A single, silent gone home to grieve for their child, to mourn the tear, her final loss of their hopes and dreams for his future, to farewell. try and gain some comfort in each other’s arms. It was now the immense and noble responsibility of the nurse to offer warmth and comfort to the baby

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 17

FILM FESTIVAL

the creative spirit THE FIFTH NSWNMA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL WAS HELD LAST MONTH AS PART OF THE CELEBRATIONS FOR 2017 INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY AND INTERNATIONAL MIDWIVES DAY. IT SHOWCASED THE FLAIR, IMAGINATION AND STORYTELLING TALENT OF OUR MEMBERSHIP.

And the winners are…

Registered nurse, Samantha Clutsom, from Illawong in Sydney’s south claimed the First State Super sponsored first prize award of $5000 for ‘Stock Room ER’, a hilarious short film which follows the lives of staff and patients in an unconventional emergency department.

Winners are grinners 18 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

Blaxland Clinical Nurse Educator, David Pearce, won the $2000 Hester Communications second prize with his short film ‘The Future of Nursing’, which follows a nursing research team in the year 2317 when antibiotics have failed to control super bugs and a galaxy-wide search is underway for organisms to help fight disease.

Brett Holmes, Michael Keyte from First Judge Patrick McInerney State Super and Samantha Clutsom

FILM FESTIVAL All the films can be viewed at www.nswnma.asn.au/ short-film-festival-2017/

Redfern registered nurse, Ciara Rafferty, was awarded the NSWNMA sponsored third prize of $1000 for ‘I was just thinking…’, which captures the dedicated heroes who work on the frontline of healthcare everyday with little acknowledgement.

This year’s $1000 Maureen Puhlmann Encouragement Award was taken out by Glenn Chapman, a clinical nurse consultant from Earlwood, for ‘A Little Respect’, an upbeat music video showcasing diversity in the nursing profession, violence in the workplace and a call for respect towards nurses.

Judge Lucy Gaffy from NIDA

A star in the making

Winners...

SHORT STORY AND POETRY COMPETITION Kensington registered nurse, Rebecca Noonan, was awarded the $2000 first prize, sponsored by First State Super, for her short story ‘A Final Farewell’ about the empathy and professionalism of a midwife following the tragic loss of a newborn.

The two $500 runner-up prizes were won

by Marayong clinical nurse specialist, Sara Karacsony, for her short story ‘The Invisible Man’ about loneliness experienced by some aged care residents and ‘Light and Shade’ by registered nurse, Alexandra Ryan of Kensington, about the highs and lows midwives can experience first hand alongside their patients.

Rebecca Noonan and Brett Holmes

Winner Rebecca Noonan with finalists in the Short Story and Poetry Competition THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 19

MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health care under scrutiny Nurses must drive changes to reduce seclusion while ensuring safety.

T

he NSWNMA wants nurses to contribute to a state government review of the use of seclusion, restraint and observations in mental health facilities.

The review is being carried out by a six-person panel including the NSW Chief Psychiatrist Dr Murray Wright.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the review would consider whether existing legislation, policy, clinical governance and practice standards are “consistent with national standards, international best practice and the expectations of patients and the community”.

“We need to know appropriate policies are in place in our hospitals and mental health facilities and the extent to which staff actually adhere to existing policies and protocol,” he said.

NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes said the union welcomed the inquiry and acknowledged the work being done by many agencies to reduce the use of seclusion nationally.

“The NSWNMA holds the view that the use of seclusion and restraint can be reduced in NSW, but only with the right support and resources in place,” he said.

“Safety of nurses and patients has always been our priority, along with evidence-based clinical practice that provides best care for mental health clients.

“Too many nurses incur injury during restraint and seclusion procedures.”

‘ Too many nurses incur injury during restraint and seclusion procedures.’

— Brett Holmes to the inquiry panel as they visit mental health facilities across NSW. The list includes questions on staffing, skill mix and training.

“Mental health nurses need to drive the changes required to help reduce seclusion and restraint across NSW and ensure the safety of mental health clients through evidence-based best practice,” Brett said.

“This will require campaigning for the resources needed to achieve this.”

He said the review would also examine observations in mental health units.

“It is a timely reminder that failures in following local policy and requirements for patient observations have very serious consequences for patients and disciplinary issues for our members.”■

INQUIRY WILL VISIT HOSPITALS Members of the inquiry panel will visit hospitals, acute mental health units, mental health intensive care units, and declared emergency departments and review past cases of seclusion and restraint.

The public will be able to make submissions and “there will be the opportunity for face-to-face consultations through public workshops” according to minister Hazzard.

The union has circulated a list of questions to members to help them prepare their comments and responses 20 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

HAVE YOUR SAY The NSW Government has established an inquiry into the use of seclusion, restraint and observation of patients with mental illness in NSW mental health facilities.

The NSWNMA encourages members to actively participate in this review.

For more information on the inquiry visit: http://www. health.nsw.gov.au/patients/mentalhealth/Pages/ default.aspx

MENTAL HEALTH

‘ Semi-trained staff are being put in dangerous situations they’re not trained to handle.’ — Jack Schwartz New grads exposed to danger “ We don’t seclude people unless we absolutely have to,” says Jack Schwartz, a mental health nurse of 40 years’ experience.

Jack works at the in-patient psychiatric unit of Coffs Harbour Health Campus.

He is president and delegate of the union’s Coffs Harbour mental health branch and a member of the NSWNMA mental health reference group.

Jack says patients are usually secluded because they cannot control themselves, are a danger to themselves and, or others and have assaulted someone.

“Some patients are so out of control they need to be restrained and placed in seclusion by a large team of police and HSAs (health services assistants).

“The need to restrain such patients is greater at night when we have only four nurses and one HSA on duty.”

Jack says his unit’s seclusion room is too small, the ceilings are too low and the only access to a toilet is through a locked door and across a hallway.

A SHORTAGE OF TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED NURSES The unit suffers from a shortage of trained and experienced mental health nurses and staff frequently do double shifts or extra shifts.

“We have a lot of great junior nurses but they have little or no training in mental health. They are lucky if they get 2–3 weeks’ university training.

“These semi-trained staff are being put in dangerous situations they’re not trained to handle.

“We are so busy here with our own patients that we often do not get enough time to help the new grads with theirs.

“This is contributing to a high turnover of new grads. It’s not their fault and it’s not the fault of those of us who are trying to look after them. It’s a system problem.

“Many of us who have the ability to train and do counselling are nearing retirement age and leaving the service, so who is going to train the new nurses?”

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 21

PRIVATISATION

Regions reject hospital privatisations Packed public meetings show health care privatisation is a hot topic in regional communities.

People were angry – they just disagree 100 per cent with the idea of privatisation.”

That’s how nurse Laura Valenzuela summed up the mood of a public meeting called to discuss the proposed privatisation of Shellharbour Hospital on the NSW south coast.

About 300 people packed the Shellharbour Club to hear speakers including representatives of the NSWNMA, state MPs and local councillors.

The Liberal member for Kiama, Gareth Ward, sidestepped a questioner who asked him: “If it’s clear that this community does not want a PPP (public-private partnership) will you support the wishes of your community?”

“I don’t know what’s going to come out of this process,” he replied, to the obvious anger of the meeting.

Shellharbour mayor Marianne Saliba told Mr Ward: “Why did the state government put this hospital out for a tender process in the first place? You are trying deliberately to destroy this city.”

Shellharbour is one of five regional public hospitals to be converted to PPPs under a NSW Coalition government program announced in late 2016.

The then Health Minister, Jillian Skinner, invited expressions of interest from private and not-forprofit operators to build and run Maitland, Wyong, Goulburn and Shellharbour hospitals and to operate Bowral Hospital.

At the time of the announcement General Secretary of the NSWNMA, Brett Holmes, said the “appalling” decision meant the government was effectively gifting the hospitals to private companies.

He warned patient care and patient safety would now be subordinate to the profit motive of private

Glenn Hayes 22 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

‘ Why did the state government put this hospital out for a tender process in the first place?

You are trying deliberately to destroy this city.”

— Shellharbour mayor Marianne Saliba to local Liberal MP Gareth Ward

operators, pushing the health system further towards the American model.

QUALITY AND COST OF PRIVATE CARE QUESTIONED AT SHELLHARBOUR At the Shellharbour meeting, Glenn Hayes, president of the Illawarra mental health branch of the NSWNMA disputed the government’s claim that privatisation would not affect standards of care.

“I don’t know how this can occur. No private provider in NSW provides ratios for patient care,” he pointed out.

There was no answer to Shellharbour Hospital nurse Nadia Rodriguez’s question about how much access public patients would get under a PPP model. “I would like to know how many beds are going to be allocated to private patients and how many to public patients, knowing that the majority of people in the Illawarra do not have private health insurance,” she asked.

Shellharbour nurses were supported at the meeting by NSWNMA branch members from nearby hospitals.

Nilda Miranda, a member of the Port Kembla hospital branch said: “I’ve seen what privatisation can do to

Clare Bolton

PRIVATISATION

‘ We must make it clear to the NSW government that handing over public hospitals to private corporations is totally unacceptable.’

— Dr Geoff Murray, Clinical Director of Rehabilitation Services for the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.

a country. I’ve seen people handing over not their credit card but a cheque at the front of the clinic. And if they can’t provide that they get no services.”

Wollongong Hospital nurse Naomi Hayes said privatisation of Shellharbour Hospital would hurt Wollongong Hospital too.

“Everyone is concerned about what’s going to happen if Shellharbour Hospital is privatised. What’s going to happen to the services and the care? Everyone is concerned for the community.

“Wollongong is already under pressure because of the growth in the area. The main thing is, don’t give up the fight.”

The meeting finished with an overwhelming vote against privatisation.

BOWRAL TOLD PPPS “FAIL REPEATEDLY” Earlier, at the Bowral Memorial Hall, 200 people heard Dr Geoff Murray, Clinical Director of Rehabilitation Services for the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, described how the PPP model of care had “failed repeatedly”.

“Port Macquarie Hospital, La Trobe in Victoria, St Vincent’s Robina – all of these had to be bought back by their governments,” he said.

“We must make it clear to the NSW government that handing over public hospitals to private corporations is totally unacceptable.”

Bowral Hospital nurse Margaret Samuel said the meeting showed that residents were “concerned about what the PPP actually means, what services are going to be lost or added and how is the $50million for redevelopment of Bowral Hospital going to provide for a proper redevelopment.”

“A lot of the questions weren’t answered. Maybe that’s

because they don’t have the answers yet, I’m not sure.”

One community member asked Liberal MPs: “How can we the public believe you will made an unbiased consideration when we know that Ramsay made considerable donations to help you get elected?”

200 PEOPLE ATTEND MAITLAND FORUM In Maitland, the local newspaper the Mercury hosted a public forum that drew around 200 people anxious to hear details of the government’s plan for the local hospital.

The CEO of Hunter New England LHD, Michael di Rienzo, told them: “We are awaiting a decision from government to determine if we will proceed past the expression of interest phase and into a request for a proposal.”

Michael Lawler, a member of the John Hunter Hospital branch of the NSWNMA, said that response was disappointing.

“They have already had four to six years and they really can’t give us any more information and any guarantee about when the hospital will be built and when it will take its first numbers.”

Another John Hunter branch member, Clare Bolton, said evidence showed that “privatisation – complete or partial – of public services does not provide more efficient services, does not provide safer patient care, and certainly does not provide a better outcome for the staff that work in those services.”

“I asked the panel whether or not they could guarantee that there would be no negative impact on service provision to the community, safety of patient care or degradation of staff employment terms and conditions.

“There was no guarantee there would be maintenance of nurse-to-patient ratios or maintenance of skill mix ratios within the wards and clinical services.” ■

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 23

PRIVATISATION

Farce upon farce A privatised hospital still being built is already delivering top outcomes in the surreal world of the NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Scot MacDonald.

A

classic clip from the television political sitcom “Yes, Minister” turns on the minister’s visit to a brand-new hospital.

Minister Jim Hacker is appalled to discover the hospital is “open” and fully staffed but has no patients.

“It’s a very good thing in some ways. Prolongs its life, cuts down running costs,” explains the administrator, Mrs Rogers.

When Hacker threatens to close the hospital unless it gets some patients Mrs Rogers counters: “But minister, it’s one of the best run hospitals in the country.”

For “Mrs Rogers” substitute Scot MacDonald, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, the Central Coast and the Hunter in the NSW Liberal government.

MacDonald was on stage at the Wyong Leagues Club on a recent Thursday night.

The occasion was a community forum on his government’s plan to privatise Wyong Hospital as a “public–private partnership” (PPP).

A member of the audience asked him: “Can you give us an example of where this PPP has worked?”

“My understanding is Northern Beaches is working well,” MacDonald replied.

Unlike the fictional hospital in “Yes, Minister”, the Northern Beaches PPP is still being built and 24 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

will not open until 2018.

BEYOND THE LAUGHS, ANGER Amid laughter from the audience MacDonald added: “It is still being developed. You asked for an example. I’m offering that to you as an example.”

As Wyong nurse Craig Gross commented, “You can’t use something that isn’t operating, that isn’t proven, as a shining example of what a PPP is.”

Craig said the meeting showed that “People are angry that this is a community built, community funded hospital that the government is now looking at privatising. People don’t feel that’s right. We will keep on campaigning. Nobody wants this.”

A member of the NSWNMA’s Central Coast mental health branch, Graeme Miller, said the forum revealed the government did not want to give the community a choice.

“The question was directly asked – why not let the community vote on what is happening with the hospital? And they would not answer it,” he said.

Collette Brennan, a member of the union’s Wyong hospital branch, said community members came to the meeting seeking answers.

“We didn’t really get any good answers. They fumbled around a lot and tried to avoid answering the questions,” Collette said.

‘ My understanding is Northern Beaches is working well.’

— NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Scot MacDonald She urged people opposed to privatisation to attend protests and write to the government.

Wyong nurse Jacinda Farrell was dubious of government claims that a PPP would make no difference to the way public patients are treated.

“We’ve been told that public patients will be treated as per normal with no hidden costs or extra fees. I guess that is yet to be seen,” she said.■

Federal Budget 2017 summary What you need to know If you’ve heard a lot of information about the Budget, but are feeling overwhelmed, First State Super has got you covered. Find out more about how the key announcements may impact you. Here’s our guide to the issues affecting Australians.

T

$42,000 $47,191 $50,022 $53,024 $56,205

REPAYING HELP LOANS The income level at which students will start repaying HELP loans will be reduced.

Currently, students start to repay debt when they earn more than $55,000.

From July 2018, they will start to repay HELP loans once earnings reach $42,000. The rate starts at 1% at $42,000 and rises until it reaches 10% at the maximum threshold of $119,882. These thresholds will now be indexed by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rather than Average Weekly Earnings (AWE), meaning the thresholds will increase more slowly as CPI typically increases more slowly than AWE. It is estimated that the new thresholds will bring an additional 183,000 people with HELP loans into the repayment stream in 2018–19.

Proposed HELP thresholds based on salary*

$44,520

Salary

he Federal Budget released on Tuesday 9 May contained a number of measures that should help Australians, especially those with families or moving towards retirement. These measures that we have highlighted are in the areas of education, health, child care and housing. We have prepared this summary under these broad headings. The Budget announcements outlined in this article have not been legislated yet. The details are still to be worked through, and both Houses of Parliament need to pass legislation before taking effect.

$59,577 $63,152 $66,941

0%

1.00%

2.00%

3.00%

4.00%

5.00%

Repayment rate Charlie is a nurse, earning $50,000 and not repaying any of his HELP loan. Under new rules he will repay at a rate of 2% because his income is over the new threshold of $42,000. *Source: Data obtained from The Higher Education Reform Package published by the Australian Government (May 2017)

This is general advice only. Consider our product disclosure statement before making a decision about First State Super. Call us or visit firststatesuper.com.au for copies.

FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 11 118 202 672 ASFL 293340 is the trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme (First State Super) ABN 53 226 460 365. Financial planning advice is provided by First State Super Financial Services Pty Ltd ABN 37 096 452 318, AFSL 240019.

THE LAMP JULY 2017 |

25

FEDERAL BUDGET

INCREASE IN MEDICARE LEVY To help fund the NDIS, the government will increase the Medicare levy by half a percentage point from 2.0 to 2.5% of taxable income from 1 July 2019. Other tax rates that are linked to the top personal tax rate, such as the fringe benefits tax rate, will also be increased.

LOW-INCOME THRESHOLDS From the 2016-17 income year, the government will increase the Medicare levy low-income thresholds for singles, families, seniors and pensioners. For this year’s income tax returns, these thresholds will apply. The increases take account of movements in the CPI so that low-income taxpayers will generally be exempt from paying the Medicare levy as they are now.

Tax payer category

New Medicare levy thresholds from 1 July 2019

Singles

$21,655

Families For each dependent child or student Single seniors and pensioners

$36,541 plus $3,356 $34,244

Family threshold for seniors and pensioners For each dependent child or student

$47,670 plus $3,356

FAMILIES AND CHILDCARE A single, means-tested Child Care Subsidy will replace the Child Care Benefit (CCB) and Child Care Rebate (CCR) on July 2018.

Families earning $65,710 or less will receive a subsidy of 85 per cent of the actual fee charged. For family incomes above $65,710, the subsidy tapers down to zero per cent when family income reaches $350,000 or more.

Eligibility will be determined by a three-step activity test providing for up to 100 hours of subsidy per fortnight. Activities include paid work, being self-employed, doing unpaid work in a family business, looking for work, volunteering or studying.

Exemptions will exist for parents who legitimately cannot meet the activity requirements.

Low income families on $65,710 or less a year who don’t meet the activity test will be able to access 24 hours of subsidised care per fortnight without having to meet the activity test, as part of the Child Care Safety Net. These thresholds will be increased by CPI for implementation in July 2018.

Families earning more than $65,710 may still receive a subsidy that tapers down to 0% once their income reaches $350,000+

$65,710 Families earning less than $65,710 may receive a subsidy of 85% of their child care fees

This is general advice only. Consider our product disclosure statement before making a decision about First State Super. Call us or visit firststatesuper.com.au for copies.

FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 11 118 202 672 ASFL 293340 is the trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme (First State Super) ABN 53 226 460 365. Financial planning advice is provided First2017 State Super Financial Services Pty Ltd ABN 37 096 452 318, AFSL 240019.

26 | THE LAMPby JULY

DOWNSIZING HOMES FOR THOSE OVER 65 From 1 July 2018, people aged 65 and over will be able to make a non-concessional (after-tax) contribution to superannuation of up to $300,000 from the proceeds of selling their home.

The following voluntary contribution rules for people aged 65 and older will not apply to contributions made under the new downsizing cap: • work test for 65-74 year olds • no contributions for those aged 75 and over • restrictions on non-concessional contributions for people with balances above $1.6 million.

This measure will apply to a principal place of residence held for a minimum of 10 years. Both members of a couple will be able to take advantage of this measure for the same home, which means a couple could contribute up to $600,000 to super under the proposed downsizing arrangement.

Sale proceeds contributed under the cap will count towards the Age Pension assets test.

These contributions will be in addition to any other voluntary contributions that people can make under the existing contribution rules and caps.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? This measure will encourage some people to downsize into housing that is more suitable to their needs, freeing up larger family homes, and improving standards of living in retirement.

It will assist people aged 65 and over who are currently unable to contribute all or any proceeds of the sale of their home into superannuation because of the existing restrictions and caps.

People aged 65 and over may be able to make a non-concessional (after-tax) contribution to superannuation of up to $300,000 from the proceeds of selling their home.

This is general advice only. Consider our product disclosure statement before making a decision about First State Super. Call us or visit firststatesuper.com.au for copies.

FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 11 118 202 672 ASFL 293340 is the trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme (First State Super) ABN 53 226 460 365. Financial planning THE LAMP JULY 2017 | advice is provided by First State Super Financial Services Pty Ltd ABN 37 096 452 318, AFSL 240019.

27

Winner.

Outstanding value Superannuation.

28 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

firststatesuper.com.au/feelfutureready | 1300 650 873 Winner of the Canstar award for the Personal Super product.

Consider our product disclosure statement before making a decision about First State Super. Call us or visit our website for a copy.

FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 11 118 202 672 ASFL 293340 is the trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme ABN 53 226 460 365.

OBITUARY

Pele Pelenaise Lutui-Palmer 16 January 1955 – 17 April 2017

I

t was with overwhelming sadness that we learned of the death of Pelenaise LutuiPalmer, or Pele as we all knew her, on 17 April this year.

Pele was born in Tonga in 1955. After completing her schooling, she went on to study nursing at Vaiola Hospital, Tonga.

In 1978 she moved to New Zealand and worked as an enrolled nurse in Wellington.

In 1979, at age 24, Pele came to Australia with her young son. Pele worked extremely hard to support herself and her son, while also studying to further her career in nursing. After first arriving in Sydney, she worked at Eversleigh Hospital in Petersham for a short time and then found work at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. She then took on further study at Gosford Hospital.

In 1984 she commenced work at Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital. Here she completed her nursing certificate in Ophthalmology and became Nurse Unit Manager of the Ophthalmology ward. She also completed her Masters Degree.

Professionally, Pele was strong and resilient. But this strength did not overshadow her generosity and warmth. Her welcoming, beautiful smile will

be remembered by all of us who knew her. We also remember her calmness, even when things got tough.

She had a mischievous sense of fun. Morning coffee at the Courtyard Café at Sydney Hospital & Sydney Eye Hospital with the other NUMs was always enjoyable with Pele. The café staff were very familiar with her particular coffee order. She also loved to bake treats for her work colleagues. Her rocky road slice made a regular appearance.

As well as being active in the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association, Pele had been president of the Nursing & Midwifery Unit Managers’ Society of NSW. She was also very involved with the Tongan Nurses’ Association and was instrumental in organising the International Tongan Nurses’ Conference held in Tonga in 2012.

Pele also joined the NSW Justices Association and became a Justice of the Peace. This is where she met Stephen, also a JP, who later became her husband.

We remember her as a devoted grandmother who made frequent trips to Brisbane to visit her son and grandchildren.

With hard work and a generous spirit, Pele created a wonderful life for herself and her family.

It was a privilege to have shared time with her and we will miss her deeply. ■ Ann Ausburn

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 29

9.00 – 9.30

Introduction & welcome to country Dr Norman Swan 9.30 – 10.30

The impact of colonisation on health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Janine Mohamed & Melissa Sweet 10.30 – 11.00

Q&A

Dr Norman Swan 11.00 – 11.30 : Morning tea 11.30 – 12.10

Local, regional and international advocacy to advance women´s rights Kate Lappin, APWLD

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

ND

PROFESSIONAL DAY

12.10 – 12.50

How unconscious bias effects Aboriginal and other ethnic groups in the Australian healthcare system Professor Yin Paradies 12.50 – 1.00

Q&A

Dr Norman Swan 1.00 – 2.15 : Lunch

IN HEALTHCARE

19JULY 2017

WEDNESDAY

!

REGISTRATION CLOSES

WEDNESDAY 12 JULY 2017

Rosehill Gardens Racecourse Grand Pavilion

9am to 5pm

Registration opens at 7.30am COST members $100 non-members $150 students $20 (limited places)

Register Online 30 | THE LAMP JULY 2017 www.nswnma.asn.au/education

2.15 – 3.15

Our Place in the World: Australia today and the challenges for the future George Megalogenis 3.15 – 3.30

Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer address Jacqui Cross 3.30 – 4.00 : Afternoon tea 4.00 – 5.00

Organising for social change in health Hahrie Han 5.00 : Finish

Dr Norman Swan

Dr Norman Swan is a multi-award winning, medically-qualified broadcaster and journalist. He is the host of the Health Report on ABC Radio National, presenter of Health Minutes on ABC NewsRadio and health commentator, speaker and facilitator of ABC Television’s Catalyst.

Janine Mohamed

Janine is a proud Narrunga Kaurna woman from Point Pearce in South Australia. In June 2013, she commenced her current role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM). Over the past 20 years, Janine has worked in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector in nursing, management, workforce and health policy, and project management.

Prior to commencing her CATSINaM role, she worked as the Manager of Projects for the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO). Janine also spent two years with the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in North Adelaide as a registered nurse and research assistant.

Melissa Sweet

Melissa is the founding editor of the social journalism project for health, Croakey.org, that reports on Indigenous health, climate change and health, public health, health policy, equity concerns and the social determinants of health. She is the founding member of the Public Interest Journalism Foundation, and specialises in covering public health matters, with a particular focus on under-served areas and issues. Prior to becoming a freelancer in the late 1990s, Melissa covered health and medicine for The Sydney Morning Herald and Australian Associated Press. She is also involved in various research and teaching activities,

and have an honorary appointment as Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney.

Kate Lappin

Kate Lappin is the Regional Coordinator of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), a network of more than 200 women’s rights organisations and movements working in 26 countries of Asia Pacific. She has worked for more than 20 years in the promotion of women’s human rights for organisations such as Amnesty International and a state Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.

Kate has been active in feminist, refugee rights and trade union movements, is a member of UN Women’s Asia Pacific Civil Society Advisory Committee and sits on the Executive Committee of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition.

Professor Yin Paradies

Professor Yin Paradies is Research Chair in Race Relations and Deputy Director (research) at the Alfred Deakin Research Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University. He conducts interdisciplinary research on the health, social and economic impacts of racism as well as anti-racism theory, policy and practice. With a focus on Australia and Brazil, his work is conducted across diverse settings, including workplaces, schools, universities, housing, the arts, museums and healthcare.

George Megalogenis

George Megalogenis is an author and journalist with three decades’ experience in the media.

His work examines the political, economic and social history of Australia and his book, The Australian Moment, won the 2013 Prime Minister’s Literary Award

for Non-fiction, the 2012 Walkley Award for Non-fiction, and formed the basis for his ABC documentary series Making Australia Great.

George has been a regular guest on the ABC’s political analysis program Insiders, and in 2015 wrote and presented the documentary tribute to former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser, Life Wasn’t Meant To Be Easy.

Jacqui Cross

Jacqui Cross began as Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for NSW Health in July 2016. Jacqui brings a breadth of experience to the role, having worked within public health at a hospital and LHD level, as well as in the Ministry of Health. She has held a variety of nursing roles within NSW Health, including as RN, NUM and Nurse Manager. Jacqui was DON at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead 2012-2015 and Director of Nursing and Midwifery at South Western Sydney LHD. Jacqui has been a strong advocate for nursing and midwifery leadership and practice development.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Hahrie Han Hahrie Han is the Anton Vonk Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

She specialises in the study of civic and political participation, collective action, social change, and democratic revitalisation, particularly as it pertains to social policy and environmental issues.

She has published three books: How Organizations Develop Activists: Civic Associations and Leadership in the 21st Century; Groundbreakers: How Obama’s 2.2 Million Volunteers Transformed Campaigning in America; and Moved to Action: Motivation, Participation, and Inequality in American Politics.

Her award-winning work has been published in the American Political Science Review, American Sociological Review and American Journal of Sociology.

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 31

NEWS IN BRIEF

‘ Seven out of 10 respondents believed that working people do not have influence on how the rules of the economy are set. Eighty per cent say the economic system favours the wealthy rather than being fair to most.’

AUSTRALIA

Job insecurity and inequality top global concerns A global poll commissioned by the 181 million-member International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), found three in four people fear for their jobs.

The ever-increasing gap between working people and the very rich is clear in the poll:

WORLD

WHO elects its first African leader Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, from Ethiopia, is the new director general of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr Tedros is the first African to head up the UN agency, after winning the most votes from 186 member states. He replaces Margaret Chan, who stepped down from her 10-year tenure at the end of June.

Addressing the World Health Assembly before the vote, Dr Tedros promised to respond to future emergencies, such as the Ebola epidemic, “rapidly and effectively”, reported the BBC. He also promised to stand up for the rights of the poor.

“All roads should lead to universal health coverage.

I will not rest until we have met this,” he said.

Dr Tedros, 52, was previously the Ethiopian minister of health and chairman of the board of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria. He is an internationally recognised malaria researcher, with a PhD in community health.

He said his five top priorities in the new job were: • Advancing universal health coverage.

•E nsuring WHO responds rapidly and effectively to disease outbreaks and emergencies.

• Putting the wellbeing of women, children and adolescents at the centre of global health and development.

• Helping nations address the effects of climate change on health.

•M aking the agency transparent and accountable.

• 74 per cent are worried about rising inequality; • 80 per cent say the minimum wage is not enough to live on; and • 80 per cent of people have falling or stagnating incomes.

The poll also shows deep levels of uncertainty about job security, with: • 73 per cent of people worried about losing their jobs; • 49 per cent don’t have enough money for basic essentials or are barely getting by; and • 38 per cent have experienced unemployment or reduced working hours in the past two years.

Driving these concerns is a fundamental belief by seven out of 10 people that working people do not have influence on how the rules of the economy are set. Eighty per cent say the economic system favours the wealthy rather than being fair to most.

The poll covered 16 countries representing 53 per cent of the global population.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said the poll reflected research about Australians’ attitudes on these issues.

“The power imbalance between the very rich and working people is a global issue, but it is being felt locally here in Australia with issues such as corporations not paying their fair share of tax, penalty rates cuts, job insecurity, stagnant wage growth, wage theft, and the inability to pay for a decent standard of living becoming a major problem.”

32 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

‘ All roads should lead to universal health coverage. I will not rest until we have met this.’

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, new — WHO director general

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

OECD: Australian workers aren’t paid for their productivity An OECD report shows that the gap between productivity and pay is wider in Australia than almost any other developed economy, including the United States.

Research released last month by the OECD showed that Australia has achieved some of the strongest productivity growth in the world over the past five years, but it has not led to similar growth in workers’ incomes.

The gap between productivity growth and worker compensation since 1995 is actually worse in Australia than in the USA. “That’s a pretty damning indictment of our IR system – our workers are getting less reward for productivity benefits than the USA,” said economics commentator Greg Jericho.

The OECD also found that in Australia, there are “higher employment rates but lower average hours per worker, which points to more part-time working, often in low productivity jobs”.

Jericho says the average hours worked by all people aged over 15 “fell to its lowest level since 1994. In April (2017), the per capita weekly hours worked was just 21”.

“Australia has produced comparatively good productivity growth since the GFC, but as we have seen, workers’ wages have continually grown by less during that period, and real wages have now been flat for over four years,” he said.

Labour productivity and components average annual growth

2.44% 2.00% 1.65%

1.71%

1.60%

1.00% 0.79%

1990-1995

1995-2000

2000-2005

2005-2010

2010-2015

SOURCE: OECD

‘ That’s a pretty damning indictment of our IR system – our workers are getting less reward for productivity benefits than the USA.’ — Greg Jericho, economics commentator

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 33

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

Women depend on the family home in retirement Women are more likely than men to have their assets tied up in a family home. This means their finances are more precarious, and they have less saved for retirement according to new research.

This vulnerability in retirement is exacerbated by the gender pay gap and an increase in a gender wealth gap that more than doubled between 2002 and 2014.

The latest data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey show the family home accounts for close to half of the total assets held by single women, and only 39 per cent of the total assets held by single men.

Without the home, the age pension and superannuation balances are unlikely to meet the day-to-day living needs of many retirees according to researchers Rachel Ong from Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre and Siobhan Austen from the School of Economics and Finance, Curtin University.

The gender gap, they wrote in The Conversation, is a result of a “care penalty” from taking paid leave or moving into part-time jobs to cater for the needs of children or family combined with policies such as the recent tax concessions for superannuation which “have done more for the wealth of men than women”.

Furthermore, women are less likely than men to have access to the support of a spouse in their old age. Only 15.2% of women, compared to 54.5% of men, have a surviving spouse when they die. This means they are more likely to need external aged care services.

‘ The family home accounts for close to half of the total assets held by single women, and only 39 per cent of the total assets held by single men.’

AUSTRALIA

Careers Australia another privatisation disaster One of Australia’s largest vocational education providers, Careers Australia, has gone belly up with nearly a 1000 job losses and classes cancelled for 15,000 students across the country in another spectacular failure of privatisation.

Although vocational training is critical for young Australians and the economy, a large proportion of the sector has been given over to private providers like Careers Australia with little oversight or scrutiny.

According to the ABC’s 7.30 Report: “At its height, Careers Australia was raking in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding for expensive training courses”.

7.30 had previously revealed “the company was targeting vulnerable students using door-todoor sales offering so-called free computers as inducements to sign up.

“When that sales tactic was banned by the Federal Government, Careers Australia allegedly moved to telemarketing, online competitions spruiking free iPads and employment websites to obtain people’s contact details without their knowledge,” it reported.

A month before it went into administration, the Federal Government denied Careers Australia access to its new vocational education scheme because of its poor track record, which included the company admitting to breaking consumer law.

The privatisation of vocational training has seen a massive drop in TAFE’s share of funding. In Victoria, for example, TAFEs now have only 27 per cent of enrolments.

‘ At its height, Careers Australia was raking in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding for expensive training courses.’

34 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

NEWS IN BRIEF

UNITED STATES

“Impressive benefits” from prostate cancer therapy An American study has found that combining two existing therapies could extend the life of men with advanced, high-risk prostate cancer by 37 per cent.

Researchers combined standard hormone therapy with a drug called abiraterone, which is often used only for cancer patients whose disease has stopped responding to standard hormone therapy. The research was conducted as part of an ongoing randomised trial conducted in the UK and Switzerland.

“These are the most powerful results I’ve seen from a prostate cancer trial,” said Nicholas James, the lead author of the research that was presented at a conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

“Abiraterone not only prolonged life, but also lowered the chance of relapse by 70% and reduced the chance of serious bone complications by 50%,” he said.

“Based on the magnitude of clinical benefit, we believe the upfront care for patients newly diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer should change.”

The study looked at a group of 2,000 men.

Patients who received both abiraterone and normal hormone therapy were significantly less likely to die, compared to patients who received only hormone therapy.

Comparatively, 83% of men assigned abiraterone therapy survived versus 76% of men on standard hormone therapy.

“The potential benefits of giving some men abiraterone alongside hormone therapy are clearly impressive,” said Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK. In 2014, there were 3102 deaths in Australia caused by prostate cancer, accounting for 13% of all cancer deaths in men according to the Cancer Council.

‘ These are the most powerful results I’ve seen from a prostate cancer trial.’

AUSTRALIA

Medicinal cannabis shown to reduce seizures in children An international study has found that a form of medicinal cannabis, cannabidiol, has significantly reduced convulsive seizures in a group of children with a severe form of epilepsy.

The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, focused on Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy beginning in infancy that is associated with drug-resistant seizures and a high mortality rate.

An international team of researchers including University of Melbourne Chair of Paediatric Neurology, Professor Ingrid Scheffer, studied cannabidiol for the treatment of their seizures.

Known as CBD, cannabidiol is a natural compound found in cannabis seeds, stalks and flowers. Studies have shown it does not have the psychoactive properties of THC. The trial involved 120 children and young adults across the US and Europe.

They received cannabidiol oral solution or a placebo, in addition to standard antiepileptic treatment.

Seizure frequency was measured over a 14-week treatment period. The median frequency of convulsive seizures per month decreased from 12.4 to 5.9 with cannabidiol, compared with a decrease from 14.9 to 14.1 with placebo.

The percentage of patients whose convulsive seizure frequency fell by at least 50 per cent was 43 per cent with cannabidiol and 27 per cent with placebo. Five per cent of children became seizure-free.

“Until now, there has only been anecdotal evidence but now we have scientific evidence proving that cannabidiol is definitely effective in severe epilepsy,” said Professor Scheffer.

‘ Until now, there has only been anecdotal evidence but now we have scientific evidence proving that cannabidiol is definitely effective in severe epilepsy.’

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 35

EDUCATION@NSWNMA

what’s ON MANAGING OVERTHINKING – 1 Day n WAITARA (HORNSBY) Monday 10 July Members: $85 | non-members: $170 ARE YOU MEETING YOUR CPD REQUIREMENTS? – ½ Day n DUBBO Wednesday 12 July n WAGGA WAGGA Thursday 27 July n COFFS HARBOUR Tuesday 29 August 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 & PROFESSIONAL ISSUES FOR NURSES & MIDWIVES – ½ Day n DUBBO Thursday 13 July n WAGGA WAGGA Friday 28 July n COFFS HARBOUR Wednesday 30 August Learn about potential liability, disciplinary tribunals, NMC and HCCC complaints, Coroners Court, and more.

Members: $40 | non-members: $85 PREPPING FOR INTERVIEWS – ½ Day

n WATERLOO Friday 28 July To prepare all nurses and midwives (including undergraduate nurses and midwives) for interviews.

Members: $10 | non-members: $30

PRACTICAL, POSITIVE WAYS IN MANAGING STRESS AND BURNOUT – 1 Day n LIVERPOOL Friday 11 August Members: $85 | non-members: $170

POLICY & GUIDELINE WRITING FOR NURSES & MIDWIVES – 1 Day

n WATERLOO Friday 1 September Members: $85 | non-members: $170

MENTAL HEALTH AND DRUG AND ALCOHOL NURSES FORUM – 1 Day

n WATERLOO Friday 8 September Hear from a range of speakers, network with colleagues and share experiences across the mental health and drug and alcohol arena.

Members: $30 | non-members: $60

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FORUM – 1 Day

n RANDWICK Friday 15 September Members: $60 | non-members: $85 | associate members: $30

Register online

www.nswnma.asn.au

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 •

NEWCASTLE

SHELLHARBOUR

DUBBO

BALLINA

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: 9.30am to 2pm Registration from 9am Lunch & refreshments provided Nurses and midwives: this seminar will not attract CPD hours.

Numbers are limited in some locations.

Pre-registration is essential.

Click on the education tab. Scroll down to the education session you would like to register into and click Register Online.

For enquiries contact NSWNMA • Metro: 8595 1234 • Rural: 1300 367 962

YOUR RIGHTS

Ask

Judith Breaking News Healthy food and drink framework in public health The Ministry of Health recently announced it would be the first state in Australia to remove sugary drinks from health facilities when it launched a healthy food and drink framework aimed at all food outlets in public hospitals. Sugary drinks with no nutritional value will be phased out

by December 2017. This has already commenced in some LHDs. The Association supports this move to reduce the consumption and availability of sugary soft drinks in health facilities. Too much added sugar in the diet can contribute to a range of preventable health issues.

But nurses and midwives often need an energy boost during long, shiftwork hours and therefore access to a variety of healthy, nutritious food options including fruit, nuts and other items from the five food groups should be made available.

Accordingly, the Association is keen to ensure that removing one type of food or drink due to health concerns is accompanied with heathy food and drink options being alternatively made available.

Under the framework, nurses and midwives can still bring their own food and drinks to work from home.

Overpayment in a public hospital I work as an assistant in nursing in a public hospital.

I recently had an amount of money deducted from my pay, and when I asked why, was told that I had been overpaid some shift penalties previously. Is this right?

No. Clause 27(b) of the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2015 sets out the specific process to be adopted with overpayments.

This includes that if an overpayment is said to have

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

occurred, the employee shall be provided details as to how the overpayment arises and the amount involved. This should occur prior to any deduction. A schema for how any subsequently verified overpayment is to be repaid is set out in this Award clause as well.

Disciplinary process in Ramsay Hospital I am a registered nurse working in a hospital operated

by Ramsay Health Care. I recently was investigated following a complaint by a patient but was not happy with how it was managed.

Is there a process they need to follow?

Clause 2.5 of the Ramsay Health Care Australia Pty Limited, and NSW Nurses & Midwives’ Association /ANMF Enterprise Agreement 2015 contains the process and framework that should be adopted. It includes that employees have the right to be provided with the details of any complaint made against them and have the right of reply before any decision is made. An employee also has the right to have a support person present at any disciplinary meeting. After having a look at the clause, and if you believe that the process adopted was incorrect, you should raise the matter with your manager/HR, or alternatively seek the advice of the Association in the first instance.

Refusing overtime I am a registered nurse working in a public hospital.

My ward is heavily reliant on staff doing overtime. Do circumstances exist where I can refuse overtime?

What does that mean?

An employee can refuse to work overtime in certain circumstances – essentially when working such overtime would mean working hours that are unreasonable. Clause 25(i)(c) of the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2015 sets out the criteria to be used to determine whether such additional hours are unreasonable or not. While it includes the needs of the workplace, it also takes into account the circumstances of the individual employee (e.g. family and carer responsibilities), along with the notice given by the employer of the overtime.

Roster Change at Opal I work at a nursing home operated by Opal. At a recent staff meeting, the manager said that a change to rosters could be on the cards. How do we participate in any discussion about rosters?

Clause 8 (and specifically Clauses 8.10-8.15) of the Opal Aged Care (NSW) Enterprise Agreement 2016 sets out the consultation mechanism to be used if there is a proposal to introduce a change to the regular roster or ordinary hours of work. It requires Opal to provide all relevant information about the change; information about what the likely effects of the change on employees will be; and invite relevant employees to give their views about the impact of the change (including those in relation to family or caring responsibilities). Under the clause, employees can notify Opal that they have appointed a representative (such as the Association) to assist in such consultation, who must then be recognised.

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 37

JOURNEY ACCIDENT INSURANCE

REGULARS

Your journey injury safety net

DID YOU KNOW THAT

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.

As a financial member of the NSWNMA you are automatically covered by this policy.

Make sure your membership remains financial at all times, so you’re covered.

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

“

It was nice to know that the Association was there to provide that assistance. I am so impressed and indebted to them for it.

RN Alexis Devine

”

bit.ly/NSWNMA-alexis Watch Alexis talk about Journey Accident Insurance

“

The Association has been absolutely marvellous, helping me step by step throughout the whole process. They also organised and helped me go back to work on restricted duties.

RN Shari Bugden

”

bit.ly/NSWNMA-shari Watch Shari talk about Journey Accident Insurance

www.nswnma.asn.au

38 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

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

A final farewell WESTMEAD RATIOS Cut the red tape! bit.ly/Westmeadratios

Rebecca’s short story about the death of a newborn in NICU won our recent Short Story Competition. http://www. nurseuncut.com.au/a-final-farewellshort-story-by-a-nurse/

I started my nursing degree at 50 At 56, Lorraine is an ‘old, new’ nurse, has just finished her new grad year and is absolutely loving it. http://www.nurseuncut.com. au/i-started-my-nursing-degreeaged-50/

“If you’d told me I’d end up an aged care nurse I’d have laughed” SHELLHARBOUR FORUM Rejecting privatisation. bit.ly/shellharforum 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

In search of sustainability Two NSW nurses, Libby and Bella, went to Denmark in search of tips on hospital sustainability – and found great croissants as well. http://www.nurseuncut.com.au/ libby-nurses-bikes-croissants-andsustainability-in-healthcare/

Sally saw working in aged care as a temporary move – then she discovered she loved it and has stayed on. http://www.nurseuncut.com.au/ if-youd-told-me-id-end-up-an-agedcare-nurse-id-have-laughed-but-ilove-it/

I am your registered nurse – a photo poem The graduating class from Sydney University did a photo project together – their 29 photos form a poem about nursing. http://www.nurseuncut.com.au/i-amyour-registered-nurse-a-photo-poem/

Follow us on twitter @nswnma / @nurseuncut

Robbie is hot

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

Primary care nurse Robbie Bedbrook has become a digital health sensation with his videos and social media stream. http:// www.nurseuncut.com.au/nurserobbie-why-i-created-hot-on-health/

Listen to our podcast NO WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Brett Holmes on The Wire

bit.ly/wireHolmes

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 39

Going to work shouldn’t be like this

Download the NSWNMA App and report your workplace violence incident.

The NSWNMA has a tool as part of our NSWNMA Tool Kit App that allows you to quickly report an incident to the Association as soon as it happens.

It’s an easy fillable form 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! NSWNMA Toolkit App is FREE and available to download from iTunes and Google Play store 40 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

SOCIAL MEDIA

your

Say

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

Try not to die laughing

Make ratios the priority

The first and second prizewinners in our Short Film Festival – Samantha Clutsom’s animation ‘Stock Room ED’ and David Pearce’s sci-fi spoof ‘The Future of Nursing’ – had our audience laughing.

“They’re tired, they’re overworked and they just want to care for their patients but they’re finding it very difficult”...

Westmead members rallied for ratios.

It doesn’t matter how.

So funny and clever.

Congrats :) The last part about the pump and air bubble lol!

Funny and accurate!

It looks stressful in the Stockroom ER! LOL that last 15 secs is actually the bane of my existence.

That was awesome, thanks for the laugh!

Too funny...and way too close to the truth! Well done to all of you...and may ‘the force’ be with us all!

Love it love it love it...

Please keep having fun but don’t give up the day jobs... or night jobs, or split shift/double shift jobs! We need your sense of humour and acting skills in our hospitals!

Ingenious. And yes, I can’t remember the last time I saw a male doctor wash his hands.

What a cracker. Especially loved the Agency security.

Let’s put up a poster bwahaha.

Yes! Loved the mandatory education stuff that no one has done until the week before accreditation.

Is there any health care worker who can’t relate to the ever-increasing need for patient or resident staff ratio? I am so tired of coming home after work knowing I don’t have enough hours in the day to complete the essential tasks and that is after at least an hour of unpaid overtime!

Reduce the enormous amount of senior administration staff throughout Area Health Services and increase nurses. Reduce the repetitive paperwork and allow nurses more time with their patients. Reduce the size of desk space on each ward so staff are on the floor.

Keep it public says Maitland “We need this hospital.

We need it to be public.

We need it to be the proper size and we need it now.”

A public forum against privatisation in Maitland.

Yes, why do I have to fight for my public hospital?

If the new hospital is a replacement for the present Maitland hospital, then it has to be a PUBLIC hospital.

I signed another petition today for a new public hospital. Let’s hope they make a decision soon and start building.

A public hospital is a right NOT a luxury.

The money they are wasting on all this consultation etc could have built two hospitals.

the gallery

/1

/2

/3

A bit of a fizz The news that NSW Health is to phase out sugary soft drinks from all facilities didn’t go down well with everyone, even though, under the framework, staff can still bring their own food and drinks to work.

So they can’t sell soft drinks, but can sell diet soft drinks which are full of chemicals.

How is this ok?

That’s if you even have a drinks machine...

Did this in NZ years ago.

NSW playing catch up.

I’m not ok with this.

Stand outside any hospital watch how many nurses smoke, start there.

I’ll have to bring my own and stock my locker.

No way I can survive nightshifts without a caffeinated cold beverage or 2.

I’m all for this but are they going to provide healthier food and drink options as an alternative?

It’s a great start. A long way to go though.

/4

/5

/6 1/ N yngan health workers took a stand against violence 2/ D ubbo Base members want better ratios and skill mix, especially more CNEs. 3/ W here’s the hospital upgrade for Concord (and better ratios too)?

4/ Our Tweed Heads forum on aged care nursing was well attended.

5/ Students were eager to join at the UTS Nursing and Midwifery Fair 6/ A bag of union goodies for members at Westmead.

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 41

The Edith Cavell Trust

Scholarships for the academic year 2018 Applications for the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarships are now being accepted for the academic year 2018.

Members or Associate Members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association or the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (NSW Branch) are invited to apply.

All grants, awards or loans shall be made to financially assist nurses, midwives, assistants in nursing, assistants in midwifery (including students of those disciplines), and accredited nursing or midwifery organisations, schools and faculties in the furtherance of: (i) accredited nursing or midwifery studies; (ii) such academic research programs as are approved by the Trustees in the theory or practice of nursing or midwifery work; or (iii) clinical nursing education programs at graduate, post-graduate and continuing education professional development level; in accordance with a number of categories.

Full details of the scholarship categories, how to apply and to obtain the official application form is available from the NSWNMA website.

Prior to applying, please ensure you have read the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarship Rules.

Applications close 5pm on 31 July 2017

www.nSwnmA.ASn.Au – click on ‘Education’ For further information contact: Scholarship Coordinator – The Edith Cavell Trust, 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo, NSW 2017 T 1300 367 962 E education@nswnma.asn.au

Great deals for members at

The Good Guys As a valued Union Shopper member you can now get exclusive access to a new online shopping site with The Good Guys Commercial.

POST GRADUATE NURSING COURSES

You will be able to see ‘live’ discounted pricing on the entire The Good Guys range – that’s great deals on over 4,000 products!

And you will be able to make your purchases online – saving you time and money.

To register for online access to The Good Guys Commercial website,visit www.unionshopper.com.au/the-good-guys/ or phone 1300 368 117

• Graduate Certificate in Nursing (non-specialisation)

• Graduate Diploma of Nursing • Graduate Diploma of Nursing (Specialisation - Paediatric Nursing)

Benefits: • Advance your career with a Postgraduate qualification • On-campus/Online delivery options • Easy payment plans, alumni scholarships available • Study while you work with online delivery • Career assistance available

Institute of Health and Management Pty. Ltd. CRICOS Provider: 03407G I ABN: 19 155 760 437 I ACN:155 760 437

1300 368 117

unionshopper.com.au

42 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

Head Office and Online Learning Centre

Campus

Level 1, 76 - 80 Turnham Avenue, Rosanna, Victoria 3084, Australia

Level 7, 33 Argyle Street, Parramatta, NSW, 2150

Web: www.ihm.edu.au I Email: enquiry@ihm.edu.au Toll Free: 1800 763 757

NURSING RESEARCH ONLINE

Making history On the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum, a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives from across Australia met at Uluru to discuss constitutional reform to support reconciliation with the First Australians.

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS PEOPLES FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA MAKE HISTORIC STATEMENT Media Release: Issued on behalf of the Referendum Council’s Indigenous steering committee

by Pat Anderson 23–26 May 2017 Coming from all points of the southern sky, over 250 delegates gathered at the 2017 First Nations National Constitutional Convention and today, they made a historic statement from the heart in hope of improving the lives of future generations.

The conversation at Uluru, built on six months of discussions held around the country, where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples considered five options presented in the Referendum Council’s discussion paper.

When asked what constitutional recognition means to them, First Nations peoples told the Council they don’t want recognition if it means a simple acknowledgement, but rather constitutional reform that makes a real difference in their communities.

At the Regional Dialogues, consistent themes emerged and these reflected decades of calls for change. These were used to develop Guiding Principles. A ruler was run across all options raised over the course of the dialogues and three emerged as meeting all the principles – these were truthtelling, treaty and a voice to parliament. These became the focus of discussion at Uluru.

Building on years of work and activism, this process gave Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the chance to have their say on constitutional reform and the model they would support moving forward. https://www.referendumcouncil.org.au/event/firstnations-regional-dialogue-in-uluru

In the words of Indigenous Australians Sean Kelly, 29 May 2017 With over 250 delegates coming from all points of the southern sky, I believe it is important for all Australians to engage with the questions now being debated around constitutional recognition. These are not just issues for our First Peoples that the rest of us can safely ignore. That is lazy, and it is disrespectful. (All our attempts to engage) must start with a genuine effort to listen. https://www.themonthly.com.au/today/seankelly/2017/29/2017/1496039300/uluru-statement-heart

The making of the Uluru statement Karen Middleton Behind the landmark Uluru statement are years of conservative negotiation and compromise, led by Noel Pearson.

In early 2014, just as a parliamentary committee was being

established to produce a road map towards Indigenous constitutional recognition, Cape York leader Noel Pearson began his own series of quiet consultations with people he calls “constitutional conservatives”.

With a future recognition referendum in mind, he was looking to connect with some of those who had successfully derailed various referendums in the past and to start discussions aimed at ensuring they didn’t do it this time.

He did not want to see the hopes of Indigenous Australians raised and then dashed yet again. In the vein of politics being the art of the possible, his was not a search for perfect reform, but for compromise. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/ politics/2017/06/03/the-making-the-ulurustatement/14964120004739

Uluru Statement has lit a fuse that cannot go out Kate Galloway The statement is one page long and its language is simple, but it carries significant weight. It is spiritual, social, emotional, legal, and political. It is a document for our times, a declaration both of defiance and selfdetermination, and of generosity and love. It draws a line in the sand with a demand that Indigenous Australians be heard, while setting out the way forward and inviting all Australians to create our future together.

The statement establishes the authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to declare such a pronouncement as a matter of spiritual connection to, and as first possessors of, this land. The law is replete with methods by which to establish right, and these are two known examples. Stripped of legal jargon, the statement’s claim to authority nonetheless represents a pluralistic expression of law.

We are left in no doubt of the anguish experienced by peoples whose children continue to be taken away. This is not only an emotional response to personal loss and the rending of the social fabric of Indigenous Australian communities, though it is that. It is also a political act that challenges the destructive exercise of state power over our fellow citizens according to their race.

The statement’s affirmation of Indigenous Australians’ sovereignty, concomitant with that of the Crown, and its pronouncement of political aspiration, now set the benchmark for reform aimed at giving political voice to Indigenous Australians on their own terms: nothing less than makarrata.

Makarrata is a Yolngu word meaning the restoration of peace after a dispute. The terms on which this will be achieved include substantive constitutional reform, a formalised political advisory body, and treaty. A Makarrata Commission would oversee the treaty process. http://eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=52436#.

WTn_v9NMRaQ THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 43

REGULARS

Recently changed your email?

Classification changed?

online. nswnma. asn.au

Log on Update details Go into the draw*

WIN A

32GB

CELLULAR

iPad *The winner must be a financial member of the NSWNMA

online. nswnma. asn.au

44 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

Log on and make sure all your details are up to date.

You can easily update your address, workplace or credit card details as well as pay fees online, print a tax statement or request a reprint of your membership card – it’s simple!

Everyone who uses our online portal from 1 July – 30 September 2017 to update their details will automatically be entered in the draw to win.

CROSSWORD

test your

Knowledge 1

2

3

4

9

5

10

12

13

6

7

11

14

15 16

18

19

17

20 22

21 24

23

25

27

33

26 28

30

29

32

8

31

34

35 36

37

ACROSS 1. Occurring or operating outside the chromosomes (16) 9. Relating to the tarsal bones and the tibia (11) 11. To bind or mould with applied pressure; to crease (5) 12. Colorectal polyp (6.5) 16. Short-chain fatty acids (1.1.1.1) 18. Light-enhanced respiration in photosynthetic organisms (16) 21. Right ear (1.1)

22. Bi-gendered (1.1) 23. Treatments (9) 25. To tip away from an upright position (4) 27. The conscious sense of the self (3) 28. Symbol for erbium (2) 29. A taxonomic category subordinate to a class and superior to a family (5) 30. Using or manipulating to one’s advantage (10) 32. The mucous membrane lining the uterus (11) 36. A lamp consisting of

a small gas-discharge tube containing neon at low pressure (4.4) 37. Relating to the same lineage or origin; having a common ancestor (16)

DOWN 1. Capable of causing disease in the intestinal tract (16) 2. A plant which leaves contains the drug nicotine (7) 3. A fruit which is high in healthy fats (7) 4. Hypertrophic

osteopathy (1.1.1) 5. Containing or consisting of grain (5) 6. Sinoatrial (1.1) 7. Crescent shapes, as the crescent-shaped cartilages in the knee joints (7) 8. Lymph node angiogram (16) 10. Symbol for density (1.1.1) 13. Subjecting (food) to partial digestion, usually through an enzymatic or chemical process (12) 14. Any of a group of skin diseases in which the lesions are characteristically eroded (5) 15. Hormone released by parathyroid glands (12) 16. A slender probe (6) 17. A short chain or ribbon attached to a watch and worn hanging from a pocket (3) 19. A focal fusiform swelling of the axons of Purkinje cells (7) 20. Sexual assault or abuse (4) 24. Extractable Organic Halogen (1.1.1) 26. Words that are written with three letters (8) 31. An unpleasant feeling occurring as a result of injury or disease (4) 33. A soft, silky, or feathery substance (4) 34. An aluminium silicate mineral that occurs in thin laminated scales (4) 35. Upper extremity (1.1) THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 45

WINTER

WARMERS 4 2

5

3

1

ORDER FORM

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

1 CLEARANCE! Navy Bonded Polar Fleece Vests $15.

Quantity:

Size:

Name

XXL

Address

2 Navy Hoodies $45. Quantity: Size:

10 S

12 M

14 L

16 XL

Postcode XXL

Phone H

XXXL

W

3 Red Hoodies $45. Quantity: Size:

10 S

12 M

14 L

16 XL

MOB XXL

XXXL

METHOD OF PAYMENT Cheque MasterCard

4 Active Soft Shell Navy Jacket $50. Quantity: Size:

10 S

12 M

14 L

16 XL

18 XXL

3XL

5 Bonded Polar Fleece Zip Front Jacket $30. Quantity: Size: L XL XXL XXXL

5XL

Visa

Money Order

Name of card holder Card number Expiry date

/

Signature

Postage and Handling $5 per item. Total cost of order $

TO ORDER » WWW.NSWNMA.ASN.AU 46 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

NOW

15

$

FAX (02) 9662 1414 POST NSWNMA, 50 O’Dea Ave. Waterloo NSW 2017

*

REVIEWS

book club

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

R

T

SPE C

ST RE

Nancy Bundle & Jim Kitay NSW Nurses & Midwives’ Association http://www.nswnma.asn.au/ RRP $39.95. ISBN 9781921326127

S PE

Nurses At Work: A History Of Industrial And INTE Occupational Health Nurses In New South Wales IAL

Back Sufferers’ Bible Sarah Key Allen & Unwin:

http://www.booktopia.com.au/ RRP 29.99. ISBN 9781741751895

The human spine is not well suited for our way of life and as a result, back pain is pandemic – there is hardly anyone who has not been bothered by it at some time. Advanced as we are in other areas of science, with fixing backs we are little further ahead. This book breaks new ground, and is written for sufferers and practitioners alike.

Essential Medicines Management for Mental Health Nurses Deborah Robertson

McGraw-Hill Education: https:// www.dymocks.com.au RRP $59.95. ISBN 9780335263981

This text is an accessible and clinically practical guide to medicines management in mental health for all student nurses and professionals. Making the topic manageable and understandable at undergraduate nurse level, it also encourages a growing understanding beyond this in professional practice too.

A wide range of mental health conditions are covered, along with how medication can be used to manage these conditions, how the drugs work and how they should be given. Exploring the

legal aspects and ethical issues around medication management in mental health, it also discusses other concepts such as medicines adherence and the therapeutic alliance.

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook Glenn R. Schiraldi

PHD, McGraw Hill Education: http://www.angusrobertson. com.au/ RRP $ 39.95. ISBN 9780071840590

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook introduces survivors, loved ones, and helpers to the remarkable range of treatment alternatives and self-management techniques available today to break through the pain and realise recovery and growth.

This updated edition incorporates allnew diagnostics from the DSM-5 and covers the latest treatment techniques and research findings surrounding the optimisation of brain health and function, sleep disturbance, new USDA dietary guidelines and the importance of antioxidants, early childhood trauma, treating PTSD and alcoholism, the relationship between PTSD and brain injury, suicide and PTSD, somatic complaints associated with PTSD, and more.

ES

Nurses at Work. A History of Industrial and Occupational Health Nurses in New South Wales CI AL provides a detailed history of the role of the IN T E occupational health nurse: what we know today as the registered nurse and previously known as a nursing sister or trained nurse. It describes three distinct eras of occupational health nursing in New South Wales: the early years (1911–1939), wartime and after (1940–1959) and the rise and fall (1960 onwards). The inspiration for this book came from a group of occupational health nurses in the 1970s. It took 30 years to come to fruition.

In Obedience To Instruction: Fany With The Soe In The Mediterranean Margaret Pawley

Pen & Sword Books: https://www.amazon. com/ RRP $65.00. ISBN 9780850526332

This is the story of the two seemingly different organisations that both played vital roles in the Second World War. The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry or FANY, as it was invariably and affectionately called, is not generally perceived in the same light as the far better known Special Operations Executive. SOE immediately conjures up images of daring incursions into enemy-occupied territory for purposes of sabotage, intelligence gathering and other nefarious activities with agents risking torture and death. However, after sterling work in the Great War transporting the injured to hospital and back to England, the FANY became something of a ‘cover’ in the Second World War. While books have described the exploits of agents who served with FANY, such as Odette Churchill and Violette Szabo, the wider role of this tight-knit organisation is not nearly so well known.

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 JULY 2017 | 47

COVER STORY

Are you considering a career in child & family health nursing?

NSW Child and Family Health Nurses have provided a primary health care service to families with young children 0-5 years for over 100 years.

CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH NURSES: • Are registered nurses with postgraduate qualifications and a broad scope of practice working in the speciality of child and family health nursing • Provide child focused family centred nursing care • Use collaborative partnerships with parents and other health care providers to achieve positive outcomes for families • Are uniquely placed in the community to support families by promoting positive parenting practices and provides up-to-date evidenced-based information • Perform child health screening and surveillance to assess child’s physical and emotional development, health and well being • Are ideally situated to identify parental emotional or physical issues and can provide advice, guidance, support and referrals to other health care providers

CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH NURSES WORK IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS: Community child and family health centres that provide universal and targeted home visiting; parenting groups; day stay and residential programs; perinatal mental health; maternal drug and alcohol services and more.

CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH NURSING: • Is centred on a wellness model of care which is underpinned by the principles of primary health care, early intervention and prevention • Promotes the development of a positive parent -child relationship by helping to increase the parent’s knowledge, sensitivity and reflective functioning • Works from a population health framework and monitors the normal growth and development of infants and children in the 0 – 5 year age group • Promotes parental social and emotional wellbeing • Supports families to link purposefully with their local community to sustain family connectedness and self-efficacy

For further information about universities and/or colleges that offer postgraduate child and family health nursing courses visit

www.cafhna.org.au

48 | THE LAMP JULY 2017 cafhna_advertindd 1

7/06/2017 8:30 AM

REVIEWS

at the movies

If you would like to be a movie reviewer, email lamp@nswnma.asn.au

VI

Y

WA

WI N

A

MET R

ER

M

O

EM OM B

E GIV E

With A Ghost Story, acclaimed director David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Pete’s Dragon) returns with a singular exploration of legacy, loss, and the essential human longing for meaning and connection.

Recently deceased, a whitesheeted ghost (Academy Awardwinner Casey Affleck) returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife (Academy Awardnominee Rooney Mara), only to find that in his spectral state he has become unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away. Increasingly unmoored, the ghost embarks on a cosmic journey through memory

and history, confronting life’s ineffable questions and the enormity of existence. An unforgettable meditation on love and grief, A Ghost Story emerges ecstatic and surreal—a whollyunique experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

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

IE

AY

DVD

W

MO

V

MEM AL

R BE

RUR

A Ghost Story

GIV E

A

HINTERLAND SEASON 3 Return to Hinterland, a place where serenity and beauty are a thin veil for the darkness within this scarred landscape.

Detectives Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington) and Mared Rhys (Mali Harries) work the beat, investigating the twisted murders that befall the seaside town of Aberystwyth, a fractured community steeped in folklore.

After the dramatic climax of the last series, Series 3 of Hinterland finds DCI Tom Mathias seeking to heal the physical, as well as the psychological, scars. The hideaway he’d found himself on the wild shores of Ceredigion has been destroyed and he has to relocate to the heart of the seaside town of Aberystwyth. Mathias is thrown back into an old case that has intrigued him since his early days working in Aberystwyth, a case that threatens to drive an irreconcilable rift through the team. As he delves into the past his colleague DS Sian Owens (Hannah Daniel) focus is on a current case as she tries to discover the culprit of the arson attack on Mathias’ home.

Email The Lamp by the 15th of the month to be in the draw to win a DVD of Hinterland Season 3 thanks to Acorn Media. Email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 49

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 National Pain Week Conference 28 July 2017 Loewenthal Auditorium, Westmead Hospital http://www.nationalpainweek.org.au/ SESLHD Breastfeeding Education Day 2 August 2017 Research and Education Centre Auditorium, St George Public Hospital Kirstin.lock@health.nsw.gov.au National Health Innovation and Research Symposium 3–4 August 2017 Opal Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour http://www.mnclhdevents.com.au/ Psychosocial Dimensions of End Stage Kidney Disease Thursday, 10 August, 2017 St George Hospital, Kogarah elizabeth.josland@health.nsw.gov.au Renal Supportive Care Symposium Friday, 11 August, 2017 St George Hospital, Kogarah elizabeth.josland@health.nsw.gov.au Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia’s Nursing Forum 11 August 2017 Sydney http://www.danaonline.org/ National Nursing Forum ‘Making Change Happen’ 21–23 August 2017 Event Centre, The Star www.acn.edu.au/nnf2017 4th International Collaboration of Perianaesthesia Nurses [ICPAN] Conference 1–4 November 2017 Luna Park, Sydney www.icpan2017.com.au Australian College of Critical Care Nurses NSW Branch Seminar 17 November 2017 Colombo House Theatres, UNSW, Randwick https://www.acccn.com.au/events/ event/nsw-critical-care-seminar-17november-2017 Westmead Hospital Critical Care Nursing Conference 3 November 2017 Jennifer Yanga: Jennifer.Yanga@health.nsw.gov.au EVENTS: INTERSTATE Nursing Informatics Australia Conference 6 August 2017 Southbank, Brisbane https://www.hisa.org.au/hic/nia/ 50 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

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.

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/ The Art and Science of Spiritual Care October 2017 Adelaide www.ncfansw.org 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 8th International Nursing and Midwifery Student Conference in Spiritual Care: Spiritual Care – A resource in nursing 21–22 September 2017 Copenhagen, Denmark http://diakonissestiftelsen.dk 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 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 4th Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Conference 12 March 2018 London UK http://www.commonwealthnurses.org/ conference2018 NCFI PACEA Conference ‘For such a time as this – Christian nursing in a troubled world’ 7–11 June 2018 Taipei, Taiwan ncfi.org/conference/ ncfi-pacea-regional-conference

EVENTS: REUNIONS Sydney Hospital Graduate Nurses’ Reunion Lunch 4 October 2017 Parliament House, Macquarie Street Jeanette Fox: (02) 4751 4829 or bekysa@tpg.com.au St George Hospital Graduate Nurses Association 70th Anniversary and Reunion 22 October 2017, 12 noon The Gardens on Forest, 764 Forest Rd, Peakhurst Joan Wagstaff: 02 9771 2508 Prince of Wales, Prince Henry Hospitals and Eastern Suburbs NSW of UNSW 1973 PTS class 17 February 2018, 6 pm Malabar (Randwick) Golf Club Roslyn Kerr: gert@optusnet.com.au Patricia Marshall (Purdy): tapric135@ bigpond.com Tamworth Base Hospital February 1984 Intake 30-year Reunion 25 November 2017 Rachel Peake: Rachel.Peake@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au Vickie Croker: Vickie.Croker@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au Wendy Colley: Wendy.Colley@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au RNSH Hospital July 1977 Intake 40-year Reunion Ann Fincher (Wyllie-Olson): afincher0@gmail.com Linda Tebbutt: lyndagtebbutt@gmail.com Tamworth Base Hospital February 1976 intake 40-year reunion Sandra Cox: sandra.cox@hnehealth.nsw Sean O’Connor: 0408 349 126 Gerard Jeffery: 0417 664 993 CROSSWORD SOLUTION

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 – excluding contribution, entry, exit and additional adviser fees – of main balanced options. Outcomes vary between individual funds. Modelling as at 30 June 2016.

COVER STORY

Kids in

CyberSpace Program

Friday 4 August 2017 • Sydney Town Hall This is essential knowledge for all parents & professionals who work with young people

time

topic

9:00 AM

Tena Davies, Psychologist | Helping Young People Manage Their Time Online This presentation will help professionals and parents’ guide young people to better manage their time online. Tena will provide practical information on how to set realistic boundaries, including which boundaries should be flexible and which are best held Includes 10min Q&A firm. Tena will also provide advice on software and apps to help with this common challenge.

9:55 AM

James Driver, Psychotherapist | Online Gaming: Managing Problematic Overuse Gaming addiction can affect up to 10% of young people who play computer games. James will identify some of the signs and symptoms of gaming addiction as well as the risk factors that are particularly significant with regard to young people, and Includes 10min Q&A hence provide ways to better prevent and manage it.

10:45am – 11:10am Morning Tea (25 mins)

11:10 AM

Chris Seton, Adolescent Sleep Physician, Woolcock Institute | Teens Sleep And Digital Devices The number of students suffering from sleep deprivation problems has doubled in the last decade, largely due to around-theclock use of digital devices. This is causing rising rates of drowsy students in class, falling academic performance, increase consumption of energy drinks and reduced mental health. Chris will explain the importance of good sleep for teens and Includes 10min Q&A practical strategies to re-establish teen’s healthy sleep habits in the digital era.

12:00 PM

Brett Lee, Cybersafety Expert | Sexting – Reunderstanding The Problem And How We Should Tackle It Sexting is on the rise among young people but is it as common as we think it is? By assuming that it is ‘the new normal’ are our messages to young people helping to curb the problem or are we inadvertently encouraging it? These important considerations Includes 10min Q&A will play a major role in whether we should take a preventative or harm minimisation approach.

12:50pm – 1:20pm Lunch (30 mins)

1:20 PM

A/Prof Michael Nagel, Neuroscientist and Teacher, Uni of Sunshine Coast | The Impact of Technology on Education Beyond the hype, what is the true impact of technology in schools? Mike unpacks fact from fiction when it comes to technology, engagement and learning to provide a clear understanding of how technology can be effectively harnessed in schools and Includes 10min Q&A whether or not tech in education is the panacea that everyone seems to think it is.

2:10 PM

Dr Kate Highfield, Early Childhood Researcher | Apps for Engagement: Going Beyond Drill and Practice There are thousands of educational apps available but only a few are well designed, engage the child and also link to specific educational content and curricula. Kate will discuss how to appraise and choose the right educational apps to encourage real Includes 10min Q&A learning and development in classrooms and at home.

3:00pm – 3:20pm Afternoon Tea (20 mins)

3:20 PM

Greg Gebhart, Office of the eSafety Commissioner | Digital Transformation – Where Next in Education?

Greg will discuss how the national approach to improve STEM education in schools can be implemented given future technology trends, focusing in particular on concepts such as ‘coding as literacy’ and ‘students as creators’, and harnessing virtual and Includes 10min Q&A augmented reality, as well as artificial intelligence.

4:10 PM

Dr Kristy Goodwin, Digital Wellness Expert | Healthy Digital Habits Today’s parents are worried and unsure about raising kids in a tsunami of screens. Kristy will de-bunk the myths and misinformation about raising kids in a digital world and provide practical strategies to encourage healthy digital habits in Includes 10min Q&A children and young people.

Program is subject to change without notice. For the most up to date program, visit generationnext.com.au

Special Registration for LAMP readers – $220 by using this special promo code LAMPJULY

Register at www.generationnext.com.au 52 | THE LAMP JULY 2017

SPECIAL PROMO CODE

LAMPJULY

COVER STORY

AGED CARE

MENTAL HEALTH

REGULARS

ED violence sparks community campaign

Aged care blighted by premature death

Mental health care under scrutiny

page 10

page 14

page 20

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

p.37 p.39 p.41 p.43

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 74 NO. 6 | JULY 2017

PROGRESS ON SAFER HOSPITALS Print Post Approved: PP100007890

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 53

COVER STORY

AGED CARE

MENTAL HEALTH

REGULARS

ED violence sparks community campaign

Aged care blighted by premature death

Mental health care under scrutiny

page 10

page 14

page 20

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

p.37 p.39 p.41 p.43

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 74 NO. 6 | JULY 2017

PROGRESS ON SAFER HOSPITALS Print Post Approved: PP100007890

THE LAMP JULY 2017 | 54