Lamp July 2019

REGIONAL HOSPITALS

Rural towns fight to save services page 10

PRIVATE HOSPITALS

Leave rights protected at St Vincent’s Health page 14

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Time for action on violence page 16

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 76 NO. 6 JULY 2019

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

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COVER STORY

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CONTENTS Contacts NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association For all membership enquiries and assistance, including The 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 76 NO. 6 JULY 2019

Hunter Office 8–14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2300 NSWNMA Communications Manager Janaki Chellam-Rajendra T 1300 367 962

8

For all editorial enquiries, letters and diary dates T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnma.asn.au 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017

COVER STORY Bed closure move wins more staff

Produced by Hester Communications T 9568 3148 Press Releases Send your press releases to: F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au Editorial Committee Brett Holmes, NSWNMA General Secretary Judith Kiejda, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary O’Bray Smith, NSWNMA President Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care Richard Noort, Justice Health Printed by Ovato Print Pty Ltd 37-49 Browns Road, Clayton VIC 3168 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 2019 Free to all Association members. Professional members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $30.

Individuals $84, Institutions $140, Overseas $150.

John Hunter ED nurses get workload relief after voting to close ambulance bay beds.

10 12

COVER STORY Rural towns fight to save services

Forbes, Parkes nurses lead community campaign to safeguard maternity, surgical services.

REGIONAL HOSPITALS Ballina bed closures bring

14

management to table The Northern NSW Local Health District agreed to talks with nurses at Ballina Hospital after they closed beds over a staffing shortage in a busy ED where only one nurse is rostered overnight.

PRIVATE HOSPITALS Leave rights protected

16

at St Vincent’s Health St Vincent’s Private and Mater nurses block an attempt to downgrade working conditions in new agreement.

Avg Net Distribution per Issue

The Lamp is independently audited under the AMAA's CAB Total Distribution Audit.

Audit Period: 01/04/2017 - 31/03/2018

5 6 6 28 32 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 46

Editorial Your letters Competition News in brief NSWNMA Education Ask Judith Nurse Uncut Facebook Nursing Research Online and Professional Issues Crossword Book Club At the Movies Diary Dates

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE Time for action on violence

22

Multiple reviews, roundtables and inquiries have failed to stem the endemic violence that permeates our public health system.

THE SPECIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE DRUG ‘ICE’

I ce – no detox without jail State’s most disadvantaged youth must be in custody before they can access a detox program, nurse tells inquiry.

26

REGIONAL HOSPITALS

Rural towns fight to save services page 10

PRIVATE HOSPITALS

Leave rights protected at St Vincent’s Health page 14

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Time for action on violence page 16

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

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

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 76 NO. 6 JULY 2019

YEAR OF THE NURSE AND THE MIDWIFE

34

WHO urges investment in nursing and midwifery The work of nurses and midwives will be celebrated worldwide next year, with the World Health Organization declaring 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

INTERNATIONAL

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REGULARS

Fiji targets nurses in crackdown on unions Nurse leader detained, office raided ahead of protest over sackings and privatisation.

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OUR COVER

Remi Black and Kieran Patterson

Image by Sharon Hickey THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 3

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EDITORIAL

Brett

Holmes GENERAL SECRETARY

Ratios remain our long-term goal The NSWNMA welcomes the government’s commitment to fund more nurses in the 2019-20 budget but we still maintain ratios are the key to safe patient care.

First the good news. In the 201920 budget, the state government has committed to fund the 5000 extra nurses for our public health system that it promised during the election campaign.

We are still waiting to receive any specific details from NSW Ministry of Health regarding the election commitment to significantly increase resources across Peer Group B and C hospitals across the state.

The increase in nurse and midwife numbers will go some way towards meeting the ever-increasing demand on public health facilities and give a boost to nursing hours per patient in many metropolitan and regional hospitals.

We acknowledge this as a positive contribution and a good first step towards fixing NSW’s creaking public health system.

But much more needs to be done. We still believe there will be ongoing staffing issues in our public health services until the government overhauls its preferred staffing model.

The current mechanism has proven fallible to management manipulation. It requires constant action by nurses and midwives to force management to act to fill glaring shortfalls in staff.

In this month’s Lamp we look at several examples of nurses closing beds in order to get local managements to act on, or at least to acknowledge, the data that exposes the failure to meet increasing demand with appropriate resources.

This is why we will continue our long-term campaign for real

‘ There will be ongoing staffing issues in our public health services until the government overhauls its preferred staffing model.’ nurse-to-patient ratios, guaranteed shift by shift.

We know that without minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, nurses and midwives will continue to struggle to meet demand and maintain safe patient care.

There were other measures in the state budget which should put nurses and midwives on the alert.

The government flagged that it will axe almost $3.2 billion from other areas of the public service, with thousands of jobs to go and aspects of long-service leave entitlements on the list to be abolished.

Fortunately, for now, the upper house non-Government members voted down the government’s first attempt to enact these changes.

But it is not unreasonable to ask: “When will they be coming for our long-service leave again?”

THE SCOURGE OF VIOLENCE PERSISTS Ratios are not only needed to improve clinical safety in our health system they are also, at least, a part of the solution to the endemic violence in our hospitals.

In this month’s Lamp we look in depth at the unresolved crisis of violence that continues to jeopardise the safety of patients and health staff (pp 16-25).

Over the years there have been a procession of inquiries, reviews and roundtables that have failed

to make a dent in the number of violent incidents.

Research by Dr Jacqui Pich from UTS has shown the magnitude of the problem with massive numbers of nurses and midwives exposed to violent incidents on a regular basis.

Frighteningly, there is a tendency to accept and adapt to the violence as “part of the job”.

A recent incident at RPA when three nurses and an elderly patient were attacked and stabbed with a pair of scissors by a mental health patient, but within a medical ward, threw into stark relief the seriousness of the problem.

The attacker had been specialled by an agency AIN, a situation the Association strongly believes was inappropriate.

We understand that the issue is complex and there is no silver bullet to the problem of violence.

But one can argue that penny pinching by local managements contributes significantly to this crisis by failing to provide the right number of nurses with the right training to deal with violent emergencies.

Reports in other states have recommended adequate funding and resources to counter violence in hospitals. Having the appropriate number of staff with the right skill mix is an obvious part of the solution. n THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 5

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Say

Devastating election or not, we have to keep advocating for our communities To say the result of the Federal election was devastating would be an understatement, not only for nurses and midwives but the whole country, on so many levels, not the least of them being the inequities of aged care services.

I have to say that I was nervous before Saturday 18 May 2019, the day that sounded a death knell for an egalitarian Australian society for at least the next three years. This anxiety was borne out as I distributed how-to-vote cards in Byron Bay, a microcosm of Australia’s economic and societal demographic.

I was increasingly disheartened as I witnessed people from all ages grabbing every how-to-vote card on offer, openly admitting that they didn’t, at this late stage, know who they were going to vote for. While I believe implicitly in everyone’s democratic right to vote as they choose, is it too much to ask that they do their homework first?

Vested interests won the day this time, preying on the unprepared, uninformed and uncaring.

Money that could have been better spent in so many different ways in altruistic hands was squandered to ensure that Australia remains divided on matters that desperately need bipartisan support – climate change, vastly improved care for the vulnerable elderly and disabled in our communities, meaningful wages growth, a fairer taxation system, a humanitarian approach to refugees – the list is far too long.

We need all our political representatives to work for the entire population in a way that puts aside ideological differences in matters that will ensure a fairer society, not one increasingly separated by money and power.

However, in the meantime, nurses and midwives must stand together and continue to advocate strongly for our communities – no-one else knows health like we do.

Liz McCall, RN

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 Unify, and fight for what is right Waking up the day after this hardfought campaign was a humbling and agonising experience. After the results of both the state and federal elections my immediate thoughts were, do people actually think about what the ramifications of their vote are?

Does greed always win over compassion?

I continue to ask: don’t voters stop to see the wider picture, or are they just voting on how policies will impact on them only and not for the greater good of all? Have we become such a selfish and narrow-minded society? Like everyone else I want to make sure I am comfortable and can spend and enjoy the fruits of life. I love shopping, but not at the expense of the whole society.

There are two things I can do: sit back and say well we lost the fight so there is nothing that can be done until the next elections, or wipe the tears of frustration away and fight for what I see is right. It is obvious that both governments are belligerent and unyielding, and will not give an inch, so if others and I choose to fight, the battle is truly going to be bloody hard.

The NSWNMA lives and dies by the collective action of our members. People must have hope. We need to find that hope again and work as a unified, organised team.

We’ve got to move forward and continue the longprotracted fight to improve healthcare by introducing ratios in hospital and aged care, we need to continue the fight to defend trade unions, and we need to find hope in the fight against climate change. All of this can be done if we stand together as a union.

Di Lang, RN

Letter of the month The letter judged the best each month will win a $50 Coles Group & Myer 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 The waste that is bottled water I read with interest your articles in Vol.76 No.5 regarding a National Strategy on Climate and Health and recycling initiatives introduced into Sydney hospitals by nursing staff.

As someone deeply concerned about global warming, public health, recycling and waste management I can only applaud any initiatives that have a positive impact in these areas. I work in the cardiac cath lab at a public hospital where we have been separating and segregating our waste for several years now and currently fill at least one 240-litre bin for paper/cardboard and one 240-litre bin for plastic every day.

But how can we reconcile CAHA’s strategy for a national framework to take action on climate change with our state government’s decision to give patients bottled rather than tap water?

It is just hypocritical.

A recent Guardian article quotes a new study that estimates that people who drink bottled water ingest 90,000 additional plastic microplastic particles annually compared to those who drink tap water, which puts only an extra 4000 particles into their bodies.

An article in Forbes Magazine recently stated that, globally, humans buy a million plastic bottles per minute and 91 per cent of all plastic is not recycled.

All these pallets of water (in our hospitals) are also shrink-wrapped in plastic and trucked to every hospital in NSW, exacerbating climate change at every turn. Then you must also consider the manufacturing process of the bottles and the fact that plastic is a petroleum-based product. I don’t know how much this one government policy is increasing the carbon footprint of NSW Health, but it must be significantly.

Andrew Bartlett, RN

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THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 7

COVER STORY

Bed closure move wins more staff John Hunter ED nurses get workload relief after voting to close ambulance bay beds.

E

mergency department nurses at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital have won a major staff increase above the award after warning management they would close beds in the interests of safety.

Hunter New England Health (HNE LHD) agreed to fund an additional five full-time equivalent (FTE) nursing positions, which gives the ED an extra 24 hours of frontline nursing staff per day.

The decision ca me a f ter NSWNM A members voted unanimously to shut three of five ambulance bay beds until they were given sufficient nurse numbers to staff them safely.

The branch's main demands were: • T he three resuscitation beds be covered by three experienced resuscitation registered nurses permanently 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

• Triage nursing hours be increased permanently to ensure there are two triage registered nurses on shift 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

The branch called off the closures after HNE LHD agreed to these demands.

8 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

‘ We got a huge turnout at branch meetings ’ — ED nurse Remi Black

HNE LHD has started to recruit the additional permanent staff and is using voluntary overtime – mostly from casuals and part-timers – to fill the positions during the recruitment process.

NSWNMA’s John Hunter branch.

NURSING HOURS BOOSTED

“Br a nch memb er s vo te d unanimously for the bed closures in a secret ballot and we got a huge turnout at branch meetings.”

The win means resuscitation nursing hours are boosted by 16 hours per day, seven days per week.

The three resuscitation beds are now staffed by three nurses on all three shifts as compared to three on afternoon shift and two on night and day shift.

Triage nursing hours have increased by eight hours per day, seven days per week. That gives night shift a triage nurse and clinical initiative nurse (CIN) instead of just one nurse who could be responsible for up to 45 patients.

“We’re really happy with the outcome,” said ED nurse Remi Black, an alternate delegate for the

“Management is acting quickly to recruit more nurses and until that happens, casuals and part-timers are picking up a lot of extra hours,” she said.

ED nurse and branch alternate delegate Kieran Patterson said nurses had sent the branch many messages of thanks for the work done to achieve the result.

“The outcome has really changed the way we work and made our jobs and the level of care we can provide so much better,” Kieran said.

“People can already see the benefits of the new arrangements.

One nurse wrote to say how much better night shift was even on a very busy night.”

COVER STORY

ED NURSES REMI BLACK AND KIERAN PATTERSON

MANAGEMENT LISTENED She said the branch spent about six months arguing for a staff increase before deciding to take action.

“We put our case at meetings of the workloads committee and showed how we had rejigged the roster and staff placements to try to safely cope with the patient load.

“Our managers were ver y supportive and were doing what they could do with no extra funding. We worked with them to write business proposals for the additional staffing and had multiple meetings with senior management.

“We had regular branch meetings on the issue and the numbers in attendance built up over time.”

In a letter to the hospital’s director of nursing and midwifery, Sally Milson-Hawke, NSWNMA branch secretary Suzanne McNeill and vicepresident David Pfanner thanked management for “listening to the professionals working in John Hunter ED and providing the increase in nursing hours on a permanent basis to allow nurses to continue to provide the quality of care required for the people of Newcastle and surrounds.” ■

‘ The outcome has really changed the way we work and made our jobs and the level of care we can provide so much better.’ —ED nurse Kieran Patterson Above-average rise in John Hunter ED presentations The number of people attending John Hunter Hospital ED during January to March was up 7.8 per cent from the same time last year, to 20,947.

The increase exceeded the 5.9 per cent rise in ED attendances across the state, according to the Bureau of Health Information.

The bureau said the “timeliness of care” provided to patients had declined on a statewide level.

At John Hunter, the number of patients using a resuscitation bed increased from around 470 in the month of January 2016 to over 500 in December 2018. Occupancy rates over the same period increased from around 50 per cent to about 62 per cent.

In 2018, new clinical handover arrangements took an additional 20 nursing hours off the ED floor in any 24-hour period.

No extra staff were provided other than a “navigator” nurse position for a trial period to assist with patient flow. This position was later removed.

As a result, nurses were often left alone with several patients while the second nurse transferred a patient to the ward.

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 9

REGIONAL HOSPITALS

Rural towns fight to save services Forbes, Parkes nurses lead community campaign to safeguard maternity, surgical services.

R

esidents of the central west towns of Forbes and Parkes have joined nurses and midwives at public rallies to protest against downgrading of local health services.

The well-attended rallies were organised by NSWNMA branches at Forbes and Parkes district hospitals, which are 33km apart.

Parkes maternity service has been “temporarily” closed and shifted to Forbes due to a shortage of GP/obstetricians and anaesthetists.

Management said the closure would last two months.

However, it follows a review of maternity services within Lachlan Health Service, which covers both hospitals.

‘The state government needs to step in and help the health district to encourage doctors to come to our regional areas.’

— Forbes branch president Kristin King

union consultative committees to examine options for change.

Forbes' NSWNMA branch also called for an emergency plan to manage the increased maternity workload and workflow affecting the rest of the hospital.

It said current staffing levels are unsafe to cope with a doubling of birth numbers.

ANOTHER BLOW TO THE BUSH

The review recommended Parkes maternity service be downgraded from Level 3 to Level 2 and elective surgery possibly shifted from Forbes to Parkes.

Nurse Kristin King, president of the NSWNMA’s Forbes branch, sa id dow ngrading hea lt h services threatens the viability of rural communities.

Parkes shire has a growing population of about 15,000 and Forbes shire’s population is around 10,000. Each maternity service handles about 150-160 low to medium risk births per year.

“This is not a fight between Forbes and Parkes. Both towns deserve a decent medical service,” she said.

NSWNMA branches at both hospitals have called for the formation of joint management/ 10 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

“Management say they are looking at ways of managing the Lachlan Health Service budget blow out.

“The state government needs to

step in and help the health district to encourage doctors to come to our regional areas, and if necessary offer incentives to help keep them.”

Kristin said Forbes operating theatre has averaged 640 cases per year over the last three years.

“Losing elective surgeries would have an enormous impact on Forbes and the surrounding district. Some patients will choose to go to Orange or Dubbo instead of Parkes and there is no guarantee our surgeons will go to Parkes.

“With all maternity cases coming to Forbes we also have to provide emergency theatre staff.

We don’t know how we will do that if our theatre staff are made to go to Parkes.”

She said Parkes maternity patients should not have to travel to Forbes or vice versa.

“The two maternity units ran quite successfully for a very long time. The thing that has brought

REGIONAL HOSPITALS

HANNAH WILTON AND KRISTIN KING AT THE FORBES RALLY

Parkes undone is they have lost their doctors.

“What is the health ministry doing to solve the doctor shortage in country areas other than closing down hospitals and taking services away from country people?

“Take away hospital services then the teachers and other workers leave too. If your job is movable and you have other options why would you stay in a town without a fully functioning hospital?”

DOCTOR SHORTAGE “LONG FORESEEN” M idw ife Ha nna h Wilton, NSWNMA branch steward at Parkes hospital, said the two-month closure, with no anaesthetists or obstetricians booked thereafter, meant the maternity service had been effectively downgraded without any risk assessment or consultation with staff and the community.

and families.

“This will affect the ability of women to receive timely, appropriate and cost-effective care in their community.

“A lot of our mothers don’t have their own transport, and there is no public transport. Even if we take them to Forbes by ambulance, how do they get home?”

Hannah sa id r e du c i n g the Parkes service to level 2 would restrict births to category A (low risk) women with no obstetrics coverage.

“That would effectively make the MGP non-operational.” she said.

“Parkes midwives have not been trained to work without an obstetrician. Even a low-risk woman with a secondary degree tear would have to be sent somewhere else to be sutured.

Parkes midwives who work under a midwifery group practice (MGP) must now travel with their patients to Forbes, which faces a doubling of its birth numbers.

“By dow ng rading Pa rkes midwifery service to level 2, we would be unable to treat obstetric emergencies on sight and the lack of infrastructure would prevent timely transfer of women to a higher level of care.”

She said this was a blow to many local women, including Aboriginal women, who would be removed from local support services

Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith said the doctor shortage had “long been foreseen” and “should have been proactively planned and

managed by Western NSW Local Health District.”

“We certainly feel confident in the ability of the amazing team of Parkes midwives. However, they should be supported by a suitably qualified doctor,” he said.

Councillor Keith said the community had done its part to attract doctors by raising over $100,000 through programs such as the GP Working Group and fundraising initiatives like the GP Cup. The Forbes Advocate newspaper said Scott McLachlan, chief executive of Western NSW Local Health District acknowledged the closure of Parkes maternity unit had been “sudden, and not communicated well.”

“I know it has been distressing for our communities, pregnant mums, and our staff, and I apologise,” Mr McLachlan told the paper.

“We’ve struggled for a number of years now to maintain the service with the right number of doctors and midwives and that’s not something that is going to go away any time soon,” he said. ■

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 11

REGIONAL HOSPITALS

Ballina bed closures bring management to table The Northern NSW Local Health District agreed to talks with nurses at Ballina Hospital after they closed beds over a staffing shortage in a busy ED where only one nurse is rostered overnight.

T

‘I’m afraid that one of our nurses will have a career-ending injury or psychological injury, or a patient will have an adverse event because of the unsafe workloads.’

welve years without an increase in staffing despite soaring demand has driven Ballina nurses to action in search of more help on night shift in the hospital’s emergency department.

The action involved closing beds for more than 24 hours and permanently taking away the department’s “treatment” chairs.

It prompted the LHD to sit down with nurses for an emergency meeting to discuss staffing.

“During the action the patients were either moved out of those beds or they sat in the waiting room,” said Suzie Melchior, the NSWNMA Ballina branch secretary.

“If it was an emergency, however, we didn’t withdraw care. We did provide care for a patient with low blood pressure and a patient who was septic. We did not compromise their safety.”

The LHD has promised to review patient statistics in the emergency department and how often the after hours nurse manager (AHNM) works clinically in the ED. In the meantime the hospital 12 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

— Suzie Melchior, NSWNMA Ballina branch secretary

has introduced an “escalation policy” that would see an additional nurse during high demand periods, although the Association is waiting to see this policy in writing.

LOCAL POPULATION GROWS EXPONENTIALLY Suzie Melchoir says members would like to see the hospital employ a dedicated triage nurse overnight with oversight of the 21 chairs in the waiting room area. And they would like to see staffing parity

with other similar sized emergency departments in the Northern NSW LHD. Murwillumbah District Hospital had 126 fewer presentations in the first three months of 2019 and yet it has two nurses on 10-hour night shifts and higher daytime staff levels.

“Ballina’s emergency unit hasn’t had a staffing review or additional staffing in 12 years, but around us t he d i s t r ic t shire is exponentially growing compared

REGIONAL HOSPITALS

to 12 years ago, as is the use of the emergency department by the community,” says Suzie, a Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Ballina Hospital has over 17,000 emergency presentations every year.

Suzie says that in the 17 years she has worked at Ballina, she has seen emergency staff creating stopgap solutions to cope with the demand.

“The department has nine beds and is funded for nine treatment spaces. We actually created additional chair spaces that we were never funded for in an effort to meet KPIs such as length of stay, transfer of care time and time to treatment, but in doing that we created extra work for ourselves that we were never staffed for.

“I’m afraid that one of our nurses will have a career-ending injury or psychological injury, or a patient will have an adverse event because of the unsafe workloads,” says.

BAND-AID SOLUTIONS AREN’T WORKING Currently, during the day, two nurses are rostered in emergency until 10 am and three nurses are

rostered after 10 am, and a nurse is allocated to triage but is required to assist clinically within the unit. But Suzie says the biggest problem is the nightshift, where just one nurse is rostered.

“We don’t have a dedicated triage nurse on the night shift, so one nurse is doing the triage as well as the clinical and clerical work. We don’t have someone to look after people in the waiting room during the night shift. There are no clerical staff to answer phones because they finish at 9 pm.”

Suzie says the hospital has introduced “band aids” to offer relief to the night nurse, such a s introducing a n evening facility nurse. An after-hours nurse manager is also expected to assist the ED nurse, but this means leaving other areas in the hospital unattended.

While a doctor is also rostered on overnight, Suzie says the doctor is often called to another part of the hospital to attend clinical reviews and the nurse is working in isolation.”

according to the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine guidelines. We don’t have a dedicated triage nurse each shift and the ED NUM is not a full-time manager but clinical for three days of the week. There is just one after-hours manager for the whole hospital.”

Suzie says the area’s ambulance service is also short-staffed, which means the emergency department’s workloads increase as patients wait for transfers.

“We have these really drawn out lengths of stay while patients wait to be transferred to the appropriate hospital, and often that means patients staying in the emergency department overnight.”

“We are drawing a line in the sand. We have identified the problem and we are asking for a solution, but we are yet to hear an official word. This is about patient safety and for improved services for the community of Ballina.” ■

Suzie told The Lamp: “I don’t think we meet standards for triage THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 13

PRIVATE HOSPITALS

Leave rights protected at St Vincent’s Health St Vincent’s Private and Mater nurses block an attempt to downgrade working conditions in new agreement.

A

strong stand by nurses and midwives has forced St Vincent's Health to abandon proposed reductions in working conditions including potential cuts to annual leave.

St Vincent’s Health owns t he M ater Ho spit a l, Nor t h Sydney and St Vincent's Private Hospital, Darlinghurst.

During negotiations for a new enterprise agreement (EA), NSW NM A bra nches at bot h hospitals carried resolutions calling on the company to withdraw its proposed changes.

Opposition to the changes led management to stop a vote on the EA a few hours before voting closed.

The company then resumed negotiations with the NSWNMA and made a better offer, which nurses voted to accept.

NSWNMA Assistant Secretary Judith Kiejda said the improved offer was a result of nurses getting active and voting no to the company’s first proposal.

“The hard work of NSWNMA members right across St Vincent’s Health brought about this win,” she said.

“Our branch officials did a great job organising meetings and communicating with members in other ways.”

14 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

‘ Managers are more open to working with us and there have been some improvements.’ — Jeannette Gonzalez, midwife A THREAT TO ANNUAL LEAVE

across seven days.”

Judith said some employees could have lost up to two week’s annual leave because management wanted to change the definition of a shift worker.

Management's proposed EA also would have restricted union access to the Fair Work Commission.

“The company wanted to change the eligibility test for six weeks leave from a requirement to work, or be available to work on a seven-day basis to being regularly required to work over seven days.

“There was a risk that if you didn’t meet this new test, your leave could be cut.

“We sur veyed nurses and midwives at both hospitals and got more than 400 responses. They indicated that many nurses and midwives could lose annual leave.

“Management said they didn't intend to cut anyone’s leave but refused to remove the new wording from the proposed EA. “The final agreement accepted by members includes a clearly worded clause that protects nurses’ entitlement to six week’s annual leave if they are required to work

“The previous EA allowed us to go to the commission about any matter.

The company wanted to allow access only on matters covered in the EA,” Judith said.

“If members had not stood their ground we would not have been able to represent them on many important matters.”

A COMMITMENT TO ACORN STANDARDS Judith said the new EA includes a written commitment that ACORN standards will be taken into account when determining staffing levels in perioperative services.

M a t er Ho s pit a l m idw i fe Jeannette Gonzalez, a member of the NSWNMA negotiating team, said it was her first experience of EA negotiations.

“I think members were happy with the outcome of the negotiations and I learned a lot by getting

PRIVATE HOSPITALS

Branch plays vital role in new agreement Strong turnout at meetings helps staff to follow negotiations and have their say.

LUCY JANDURA AND JEANETTE GONZALEZ

‘ We have learned that having a strong branch and working out ways to communicate and network with members who can’t attend meetings is very important.’

— Mater Hospital branch secretary Lucy Jandura

involved,” Jeannette said. “I recommend every member should try to get involved and learn how it all works.

“Our union officials gave us valuable advice throughout the negotiation process, which was very welcome.”

She said it was important to stop the proposed change to the definition of shift worker and maintain the right to go to the Fair Work Commission on all matters.

“If we had lost that, the union would have found it more difficult to help us resolve problems.”

Jeannette said the negotiation process had resulted in a better understanding between management and staff in maternity services.

“Managers are more open to working with us and there have been some improvements, including to staffing arrangements in the delivery suite. We are working on other changes.

“At the Mater Hospital we strive for excellence and we have to work together to ensure that staff are happy.” ■

Mater Hospital NSWNMA branch meetings had the highest attendance levels ever recorded during negotiations for a new enterprise agreement (EA) this year.

“Our members were keen to hear what was happening during the process and express their ideas about what they’d like to see changed,” branch secretary Lucy Jandura said.

“We have learned that having a strong branch and working out ways to communicate and network with members who can’t attend meetings is very important.

“Several members acted as a delegate for their ward at branch meetings and relayed information back to nurses in their department who were unable to attend meetings.”

Lucy said the branch set out to ensure all nurses were educated and informed during the negotiation process.

“Our union bargaining campaign officers put together fact sheets on how the proposed changes would affect staff, which we distributed to all departments.

“The union communicated with all branch members via email and SMS to ensure all staff received the important facts.

“The EA bargaining process resulted in more staff becoming aware of what the EA is, its scope and their rights – and how to use the EA as a reference point when bringing up issues with management.

“Since the negotiations, many staff say they feel there is more dialogue and improved communication between staff and management.

“We are discussing with management the possibility of forming a joint consultative committee that would meet biannually.

“We would hold a branch meeting so members can freely discuss ideas and improvements they would like to see, then members of the branch executive would meet with management.

“The executive would relay members’ ideas in order to help management understand staff sentiment so they can work on making improvements to things that really matter to our nurses.” ■

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 15

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Time for action on violence Multiple reviews, roundtables and inquiries have failed to stem the endemic violence that permeates our public health system.

I

n the middle of May, three nurses and an elderly patient were attacked with a pair of scissors by another patient at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (see page 18).

It was not an isolated violent attack.

At the beginning of May, a security guard was stabbed in the face at Calvary Mater Hospital. At the end of the month, a paramedic was punched in the face in Surry Hills.

There are hundreds of other assaults either not reported or not exposed to public scrutiny.

In 2016, the then-health minister Jillia n Sk inner convened a roundtable of sta keholders, including the NSWNMA and other health unions, to formulate a response to the growing violence across our public health system.

The product of these talks was a 12-point plan that centred on the problems of aggression in EDs, but which also recognised that violence was endemic across the entire system.

NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes says three years later the cold, hard statistics and the very real human tragedies highlight that not enough has been done to reduce the violence.

“The NSWNM A is extremely concerned that this plan has not proven effective in ensuring the safety of members working in NSW Health workplaces,” he said.

“Our members continue to report increasing levels of exposure to

16 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

‘ The unions which represent health care workers are, quite rightly, fed up with a government that after every incident tries to calm things down with reviews but which never acts properly on their findings.’ — Daily Telegraph editorial 1 June violence as well as an increase in the severity of the incidents that are experienced.”

Other voices share the Association’s concerns. In June a Daily Telegraph editorial said: “Our hospital and health care professionals are under siege from a rising tide of violent behaviour that has seen the very hospital workers who are trying to help members of the public become their victims.

“No one deserves this sort of treatment, least of all those who have dedicated their lives and careers to helping others.

“The unions which represent health care workers are, quite rightly, fed up with a government that after every incident tries to calm things down with reviews but which never acts properly on their findings.”

TIME TO WALK THE WALK Former NSW State MP Peter Anderson conducted the latest government review following a shooting at Nepean Hospital last year. He delivered a 21-page

report in January.

Brett Holmes says the Anderson report fails to address key issues that are pivotal if violence is to be reduced.

“We understand the issue is complex and that there is no silver bullet.

But that is no excuse for dithering.

There has been plenty of talk but not enough action to reduce the violence.

“There was a plan put together three years ago that needs to be fully implemented. But a successful implementation requires the government to commit funds and resources, including sufficient staff with the appropriate skills.

“We are yet to see any such commitment while the violence continues to spiral.”

Brett says the original 12-point plan and the Anderson report had their limitations.

“There was a focus on emergency departments despite violence being experienced more broadly across NSW hospitals. There also needs

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

It recommended the establishment of an Occupational Violence Prevention Fund that would provide funding for the safety and security of public health system staff.

“It is absolutely pa ra mount that this money is used for the dedicated purpose of addressing violence a nd securit y issues within public hospitals. Under no circumstances should this money be used for discretionary spending unconnected with the priorities of security and safety in the hospital,” its report said. ■

76%

perceived that the frequency of violent episodes was increasing

Violence is widespread throughout the health system A comprehensive study – “Violence on the Job” – conducted by Dr Jacqui Pich from UTS involving over 3500 nurses and midwives in NSW found that exposure to violence is not restricted to nurses working in emergency departments or in mental health, but exists in all areas of nursing and midwifery.

Clinical area/specialty experienced violence in the last six months 94%

94% 94% 85%

82%

80%

79%

MENTAL HEALTH

DRUG AND ALCOHOL

AGED CARE

59%

ICU / HDU / CCU

MEDICAL / SURGICAL

https://www.nswnma. asn.au/wp-content/ uploads/2019/01/ Safe-and-SecureAnderson-Review-ofNSW-Hospitals-withAppendices-Jan2019.pdf

58%

MIDWIFERY

Read the NSWNMA’s submission to the Anderson Inquiry:

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

More information

64% 56%

REHABILITATION / DISABILITY

A Victorian state government inquiry into violence placed strong emphasis on the need for adequate funding and resources to counter the violence in its hospitals.

80 per cent of nurses and midwives had experienced violence at work in the six months prior to completing the survey

PERIOPERATIVE

to be more transparency and an improvement in incident reporting.”

80%

FAMILY AND CHILD HEALTH

of nurses and midwives had experienced violence at work in the week prior to completing the survey

COMMUNITY HEALTH

47%

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 17

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Three nurses stabbed in RPA mayhem A vicious attack by a mental health patient while being specialled by an AiN highlights systemic deficiencies in managing violence in our hospitals.

T

hree nurses and an elderly patient were stabbed with scissors and attacked with air mattress equipment during an assault at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on 4 May. There had been clear escalating behaviour from the patient leading to the attack with two previous code blacks in the couple of hours before the incident.

The patient’s family had also raised concerns about her agitated behaviour when they had seen her the day before.

In the third incident she assaulted three nurses and one patient with scissors. She grabbed the scissors, stabbed one nurse in the back when she was on the ground, and the other two in the chest and in the arm. She then went into another room and stabbed an elderly patient in the face.

The only duress button available was in the nurses’ station. The attacker was being specialled at the time by an agency AiN. The other staff on shift were new graduates.

An investigative report of the incident by Safework found that the nurses were “exposed to

18 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

‘ Even though she had just attacked them, (the nurses) just turned around and went to help her and to stop her from harming herself.’

— O’Bray Smith, NSWNMA President

serious risk to their health and safety from patients displaying escalating violent behaviour such as attempting to strangle a nurse, accessing and swinging air mattress equipment, verbal aggression, grabbing nurses’ hair, accessing and using scissors to harm others”.

Safework issued an “improvement notice” and directed RPA to implement a safe system of work which should include: • t he availability of suitably skilled staff for the patient’s medical needs • t he selection and location of the room in which the patient is placed (should be visible) from the nurses’ station

• the access to equipment and other objects which may be used as weapons towards others • t he selection of control measures for managing the patient’s violent behaviour such as medication, restraint and/or the appointment of a security special.

AN INCIDENT THAT WAS FORESEEABLE NSWNMA President O’Bray Smith, says: “You have to ask the question of whether the incident was foreseeable when there were two previous code blacks.”

“The special should have been someone who had done the training.

I think at a very minimum you would have expected a nurse with

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

The system failure that led to a multiple stabbing attack at RPA After clearly escalating behaviour from the patient – with two code blacks – an AiN from an agency rather than an RN was allocated as a special.

mental health training to be looking after her. Someone who knows de-escalation, who is more aware of an escalating patient.”

O’Bray says the nurses deserve the highest praise for their bravery and selflessness during and after the attack.

“Once the incident was over the patient was banging her head against the floor. Even though she had just attacked them, they just turned around and went to help her and to stop her from harming herself.

“It’s a testament to how they coped that straight away afterwards they were looking after the patient,” she said.

O’Bray says there are many lessons to be learned from the incident.

“I’ve heard that at other hospitals they put patients like that on the mental health unit and have an RN with them from medical or surgical as the special rather than putting them on a medical ward and having an AiN special them.

“In a lot of incidents the after-hours management or the staff are blamed but when the ‘F’ word applies to recruitment and there are overtime

bans how can we expect them to provide the necessary care?”

O’Bray says that since the thenhealth minister Jillian Skinner initiated a roundtable on hospital violence in 2016 the issue has been neglected.

“I think the initial response was really good. We had increased security. I’d have to applaud the security department at RPA. They are exceptional. They are fantastic with patients. They respond quickly.

But I don’t think that has happened across NSW.

• Of the three nurses injured two were new graduates and one was an EN, which raises concerns about the level of experience and appropriateness of skills mix on the ward at the time.

• Despite the known aggression risk, no personal duress devices were issued to staff working close to the patient, with only a fixed point alarm available on the unit, not readily accessible from the patient’s room.

• The duress alarm only alerted security and not the other nurses working in the area.

“As for training the staff – I haven’t done it and I don’t think many staff have. It has just fallen over. When you have a large hospital, with a large ED, mental health wards, plus a massive neuro and maternity – you have high-risk areas and just having extra security isn’t enough.

• There was insufficient training for the nurses working with patients with a high incidence of aggression: no practical de-escalation, breakaway or restraint training.

“I think the roundtable was good in theory but I haven’t seen what really came out of it apart from more security.” ■

• There was no appropriate system for managing scheduled mental health patients with physical health needs.

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 19

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Special dangers The specialling of mental health patients using staff without appropriate training is fraught with risk.

T

he stabbing attack at RPA (see page 18) highlights many of the safety risks to nurses and patients arising from the use of specials.

The use of nurses with insufficient training to care for patients with mental health issues and deficiencies in the documentation that would allow management to identify the appropriate skills needed for an aggressive patient requiring specialling are critical issues identified by the NSWNMA arising from the attack.

The Association also believes, more generally, that there needs to be a ban on the use of specialling within numbers, which pushes nurse -to -pat ient rat ios into unsafe territory.

NSW NM A Genera l Secretar y Brett Holmes says there is enough information in both Sydney LHD and NSW Health policies to demonstrate “that it is inappropriate for an AiN to be used as a special for an acute mental health patient with a risk of aggression”.

“The Association has serious concerns that the “special” allocated to provide care for the patient at RPA

20 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

‘ It is difficult to see how the LHD can argue that an AiN has appropriate knowledge and skills to provide care for an acutely unwell mental health patient, particularly given that there is no requirement to undertake any mental health training as part of an AiN’s Certificate 3 course.’ — Brett Holmes was an Assistant in Nursing from an agency,” he said.

“The Association does not support the use of AiNs as patient specials where a risk of violence to others has been identified, particularly where this risk is arising from patients who are acutely mentally unwell, or have significant cognitive deficiencies including acquired brain injuries, intellectual disabilities, dementia or delirium. “ The use of an AiN as a special, in this instance, was highly inappropriate.”

LHD policy on specialling states that: “Consideration of nursing

skills mix and relevant clinical competencies is required when selecting staff members to provide safe and effective observation and nursing care”.

The NSW Health AiN job description refers to AiNs are only to be used for certain duties as outlined in the policy and in accordance with the acute care environment health service implementation package.

“It is difficult to see how the LHD can argue that an AiN has appropriate knowledge and skills to provide care for an acutely unwell mental health patient, particularly given that there is

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

‘ Specials in numbers don’t work.

You need an extra staff member to special the patient.’ no requirement to undertake any mental health training as part of an AiN’s Certificate 3 course,” says Brett Holmes.

He says there is a “glaring” problem with the form that is completed to request a patient special and for the daily review of the need for a patient special.

“The form does not clearly indicate aggression as a reason for requesting a special. This limits the information available to nursing administration to make the decision about the appropriate allocation of a person to this role.”

SPECIALLING BLOWS OUT NURSE-TO-PATIENT RATIOS The scale of specialling within numbers is also impacting on patient and staff safety.

According to data gathered by t he NSW NM A , Roya l P r i nce

A lfred Hospita l had 99,086. 5 hours of specialling in the 2017-18 financial year.

Use of specials at RPA 2017–2018

99,086.5 hours of specialling

52,364.5 hours were within numbers.

Based on an 8.5 hour shift this means 6160.5 shifts were specialled within numbers in a year or around 16 shifts per day.

52,364.5

Tara, a midwife at a large Sydney hospital, says specialling within numbers becomes dangerous when the nurse-to-patient ratio blows out when a staff member is allocated as a special.

6,160.5

“Specials in numbers don’t work. You need an extra staff member to special the patient. If a patient requires oneto-one care they should be able to receive one-to-one care but not to the detriment of other patients.

were within numbers

shifts were specialled within numbers (around 16 shifts per day).

“Often when we get an additional staff member it is someone who does not have the requisite training to be able to safely special a patient.”

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 21

THE SPECIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE DRUG ‘ICE’

Ice – no detox without jail State’s most disadvantaged youth must be in custody before they can access a detox program, nurse tells inquiry.

A

t least half of detainees at Orana Juvenile Justice Centre in Dubbo say they used ice and 65 per cent admitted committing crime in order to get drugs, Orana’s nursing unit manager Cindy Wilson told the ice inquiry.

Orana holds up to 30 boys and young men aged between 11 and 19.

About 85 per cent are Aboriginal – mainly from the Central and Far West of NSW. Ms Wilson said the centre focuses on mental health and drug and alcohol treatment.

However, it provides “very few” drug and alcohol services compared to mental health services, she said.

Around 2013–2014, the service noticed a “big jump” in the number of detainees reporting using amphetamines.

She said Orana used to have an AOD (alcohol and other drug) counsellor on staff but a counsellor was no longer available.

She added: “We are currently the only place in the area where young people can access a detox program, but they need to be arrested and brought into custody to access a program.

“I would love to see some detox services available to kids so (they) could access rehabilitation services before they are brought into custody.

“From my work with young people,

22 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

‘ It would be helpful to have more Aboriginal staff but this may be difficult to implement with our current staffing arrangements.' — NUM Cindy Wilson I think there are kids who would be open to this prospect, especially if it is an alternative to ending up here.”

DETAINEES ARE MARGINALISED AND DISADVANTAGED In her witness statement, Ms Wilson described Orana detainees as “the most marginalised and disadvantaged children in the state”.

She said most detainees have at least one psychological or mental health issue and “a very high proportion” have either borderline or a mild-tomoderate intellectual disability.

The centre had only one registered nurse on duty per day from approximately 7 am to 5 pm and a visiting GP once a week for up to four hours.

After hours, a Sydney-based nurse manager could be phoned for advice.

Anyone who presented with a flag for mental health was referred to a clinical nurse consultant available three days per week.

“This process could be improved, as we only identify risks and do not provide any intensive counselling or

therapy,” she said.

Ms Wilson sa id Aborigina l detainees were more likely to talk to Aboriginal staff members.

“It would be helpful to have more Aboriginal staff but this may be difficult to implement with our current staffing arrangements (i.e., one registered nurse on each day).”

She said young people who arrived at Orana still under the effects of ice could be very aggressive for up to a few days.

“After a period of time, we have to be very careful not to be lulled into a false sense of security because they may sleep for days but after a week of proper withdrawal, outbursts of aggression and impulsivity may occur. Young people might punch a wall or door or anything really.” ■

THE SPECIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE DRUG ‘ICE’

Dubbo hospital lacks resources for ice patients Inquiry hears ice-related presentations have a “huge impact” on Dubbo’s emergency department.

D

ubbo Base Ho s p it a l emergency depa r t ment has insufficient trained staff, treatment options and treatment spaces to handle ice users, its nurse unit manager told the ice inquiry.

NUM Christopher Waters said there were not enough drug and alcohol consultation liaison staff sp e ci f ic a l ly t ra i ne d i n t he repercussions of ice use.

“I do not feel there are sufficient treatment options available in the ED to address ATS-related [amphetamine-type stimulants] pre s ent a t ion s ,” h i s w it ne s s statement said.

“We have some options, but there is a lack of facilities.

“We do not have anywhere to put ATS users who do not require mental health treatment.

“There are no specific wards for these patients, and therefore some patients end up remaining in ED for an extended period of time.

hospitalisations were 40 times greater than the state average when last measured a decade ago.

At the inquiry’s Dubbo hearings, Mr Waters said Ice-related presentations had a “huge impact” on the ED’s ability to meet its KPI target to see, treat and discharge patients within four hours. Sedation alone could take up to eight hours.

Patients in the ED had waited for as long as four days for a referral to a mental health bed or a drug and alcohol bed.

He said he had seen a “huge prevalence” of ice use in the LHD and around 25 people he first met when he moved to Dubbo two years ago had since died as a result of ice.

“In just the past two weeks, two known Ice users under the age of 35 have passed away due to overdose and comorbidities.”

Mr Waters said he had been assaulted by ice-affected patients many times.

“Better security and a specific facility/ room for ATS users would improve the management of ATS users.”

At the hospital in the week before he gave evidence, seven police and eight hospital staff were needed to control one ice-intoxicated man weighing about 80 kilograms.

Dubbo hospital is in Western NSW Local Health District where methamphetamine-related

“It is an amazing drug and it brings this incredible strength, and people ended up getting hurt.” ■

‘ We do not have anywhere to put ATS [amphetamine-type stimulants] users who do not require mental health treatment.’

— NUM Christopher Waters THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 23

THE SPECIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE DRUG ‘ICE’

West in dire straits

40 times greater than the average The rate of methamphetamine-related hospitalisations in the Western NSW Local Health District was 40 times greater than the average in NSW, with 83.6 per 100,000 people compared to two per 100,000 people in 2009-10.

197 arrests per 100,000 people The number of people charged in the Dubbo local government area for possessing and/or using amphetamines (including ice) was more than double the state average with 197 arrests per 100,000 people.

Residents of Far West and Western NSW LHDs reported the highest levels of difficulty accessing health care of all NSW LHDs (2012 New South Wales adult population health survey).

Rate per 100,000 population of possession or use of amphetamines in the 12 months to December 2018 by Statistical Area

Train nurse ice psychos

Training nurses to manage ice dealing with the jump in meth

N

urses should be tra ined to ident if y a nd ma nage methamphetamine psychosis, the most challenging aspect of the frontline management of ice use, the NSWNMA has recommended.

The union makes the recommendation – one of several on violence and workforce issues – in a submission to the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into ice.

The NSWNMA submission says ice users are a greater risk of becoming violent when they are experiencing psychosis, or drinking heavily.

It says almost one-quarter of regular methamphetamine users will suffer from a symptom of psychosis in a given year.

The union recommends that NSW Health develop guidelines to help frontline health workers manage ice users.

It says there are no national guidelines despite the National Ice Taskforce recommending them in 2015.

Training in the prevention and management of violence “must be provided as a matter of priority, to all staff, including regional areas in NSW where staff are least likely to have access to training, security or sufficient staff to allow for a duress response in an emergency,” it says.

The national taskforce reported a five-fold increase in the number of hospitalisations

‘ It is crucial that rural and funded so they can effec — NSWNMA submission 24 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

THE SPECIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE DRUG ‘ICE’

es to handle sis – NSWNMA

e users should be a priority in hamphetamine-related patients.

related to methamphetamine use between 2009 and 2014.

“Nurses working in AOD services need to have access to education and mentoring.

Specialist drug treatments provided for methamphetamines almost tripled.

“Increasing the number of AOD CNEs would provide an opportunity for increased education of staff in AOD services.

The union says it is therefore essential that nurses and other frontline workers in AOD services be trained to effectively manage and care for people who use ice.

HIGH LEVELS OF STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION The same training is needed for emergency departments, community health settings, acute care wards and mental health services, it says.

“It is crucial that all staff working with people who use ice (or other substances) understand the complexities of drug dependency.

“It is widely documented that people who use drugs (including ice) experience high rates of stigma and discrimination when accessing health services.

“This impacts on their willingness to access health care services, and ultimately is detrimental for both the individual and the broader community.”

The NSWNMA urges that all AOD treatment services be staffed by “appropriately qualified and regulated professionals.”

It recommends funding be allocated to expand Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE) and Nurse Practitioner (NP) positions in the AOD sector.

“Furthermore, creation of additional CNE positions – as well as NP positions – would assist with retention of senior nurses working in the AOD sector.”

The submission points out that regional areas worst affected by methamphetamine use are the areas least likely to have access to training, sufficient staff, or security to manage potentially violent incidents.

“It is crucial that rural and remote health services are adequately funded so they can effectively manage patients using ice,” it warns.

“There needs to be a real transparent commitment from management at all levels to ensure the psychological health of AOD nurses is protected.

“Clear leadership with robust governance processes is required at all levels of management. This includes nursing leadership, with consistent state-wide processes and models of care that will help drive the required culture change at all levels.”

The submission says AOD services urgently need nurse-to-patient ratios and appropriate skill mix. ■

More information Read or download the NSWNMA Submission at:

https://www. nswnma. asn.au/ submissionto-the-specialcommissionof-inquiryinto-the-drugice/

d remote health services are adequately ctively manage patients using ice.’

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 25

YEAR OF THE NURSE AND THE MIDWIFE

WHO urges investment in nursing and midwifery The work of nurses and midwives will be celebrated worldwide next year, with the World Health Organization declaring 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

L

ori-Anne Sharp, the ANMF Assistant Federal Secretary, said the national body will be using the year to showcase the important work nurses and midwives do. “We plan to bring nursing and midwife delegates together with politicians and policymakers in 2020 to have conversations about how to improve global health and wellbeing.

“The focus of the Year of the Nurse and Midwife is on universal health care, and while we do have universal health care in Australia, we want to highlight the issues of accessibility of health care to marginalised communities,” Lori says.

“We will also be running events throughout the country next year, which will be a celebration and acknowledgement and recognition of the great work that nurses and midwives do.

“We want to get positive and inspiring stories out there, because there are so many different roles and so many fields that nurses and midwives work in.”

Lori-Anne said the ANMF will announce specific activities for 2020 later in the year, but the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, and the related Nursing Now campaign,

will be a key theme of the ANMF’s biennial delegates conference in Melbourne in October.

NURSES ESSENTIAL TO UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE Announcing the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization, said: “These two health professions are invaluable to the health of people everywhere. Without nurses and midwives, we will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or universal health coverage.”

Dr Ghebreyesus described nurses as the “bridge” of healthcare, a crucial link between members of the community and the complex healthcare system.

Because nurses are on the “front lines” of healthcare, he said WHO will use the year to highlight the need for all countries to be investing in nursing and midwifery.

Nurses and midwives constitute more than 50 per cent of the health workforce in many countries, and they are also more than 50 per cent of the shortfall in the global health workforce to 2030. Dr Ghebreyesus said strengthening nursing will have the additional benefits of promoting gender equity, contributing to

‘ (In Australia) we want to highlight the issues of accessibility of health care to marginalised communities.’

— Lori-Anne Sharp, ANMF Assistant Federal Secretary e conom ic development a nd suppor ting other Sustainable Development Goals.

In 2020 WHO will release two

‘ The 20 million nurses around the world will be thrilled to see their profession recognised in this way.’

— Annette Kennedy, president of International Council of Nurses 26 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

YEAR OF THE NURSE AND THE MIDWIFE

New initiative to boost nursing leadership

reports, State of the World’s Nursing and State of the World’s Midwifery, which will assess nursing and midwifery workforces in all WHO member states and report on their ability to meet WHO targets.

A NEW VISION FOR NURSING The International Council of Nurses – the international body which includes members such as the ANMF – welcomed the announcement. President Annette Kennedy said: “The 20 million nurses around the world will be thrilled to see their profession recognised in this way.”

She said the designation of 2020 was especially welcome as it coincides with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, one of the founders of modern nursing.

“Florence Nightingale used her lamp to illuminate the places where nurses worked, and I hope the designation of 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife will provide us with a new, 20-20 vision of what nursing is in the modern era, and how nurses can light the way to universal health coverage and healthcare for all.” ■

The Nursing Now campaign, launched in collaboration with the World Health Organization and International Council of Nurses, aims to improve health globally by raising the profile and status of nurses worldwide. Nursing Now seeks to empower nurses and maximise their contribution to achieving accessible universal health coverage.

The campaign is based on the findings of the Triple Impact report, which concluded that as well as improving health globally, empowering nurses would contribute to improved gender equality – as the vast majority of nurses are still women – and build stronger economies.

A key Nursing Now campaign will be the Nightingale Challenge 2020. This Challenge calls for every health care employer to provide leadership and development training for 20 young nurses and midwives throughout 2020. The aim is to have at least 20,000 young nurses and midwives benefiting from leadership training, as well as to act as a catalyst for worldwide investment into the next generation of nurses and midwives, to allow them to reach their full potential.

More information Visit the Nursing Now website: https:// www.nursingnow.org/ THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 27

NEWS IN BRIEF

UNITED STATES

US $2.13 tipped minimum wage is “indentured servitude” The rising star of US politics, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, revisits her former job waiting on tables and mixing drinks, and denounces the unliveable minimum wage for those in “tipping” jobs.

Ocasio-Cortez was speaking out in support of “One Fair Wage” – a policy that would entitle workers in tip-reliant jobs like restaurants and bars to receive a minimum wage of $15 an hour plus tips.

Currently the federal minimum wage for these workers is just $2.13 an hour (see https://www.dol.gov/whd/ state/tipped.htm).

After serving pizzas and mixing cocktails at the New York restaurant bar, The Queensboro, Ocasio-Cortez told patrons that the current rate was “unacceptable”.

“Any job that pays $2.13 an hour is not a job, it’s indentured servitude,” she said.

“All labour has dignity. And the way that we give labour dignity is by paying people the respect and the value that they are worth at minimum. We have to make one fair wage and we have to raise the national minimum wage to $15 an hour; nothing less.”

Ocasia-Cortez impressed her workmates for the night with her bartending skills.

“She’s great, she’s amazing at the bar. She made a margarita; she did a couple of mixed drinks with vodka and other spirits. Obviously, it backs up her background, she used to be in the service industry as well, so she knows exactly what she’s talking about,” said Larry Obregon, a bartender.

‘All labour has dignity.

And the way that we give labour dignity is by paying people the respect and the value that they are worth at minimum.’

BRITAIN

Trump targets NHS for US corporations The Trump administration will insist on access to Britain’s National Health Service by US corporations in any post-Brexit trade deal, according to a top official.

The US ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, told the BBC that every area of the UK economy would be up for negotiation in a new trade deal.

“I think the entire economy, all things that are traded, would be on the table.”

When pressed whether this would include the NHS and healthcare he said: “I would think so.”

The comments, made on the eve of Donald Trump’s visit to Britain, provoked outrage from opposition politicians.

“The ambassador’s comments are terrifying and show that a real consequence of a no-deal Brexit, followed by a trade deal with Trump, will be our NHS up for sale,” said the Labour shadow minister for health, Jonathon Ashworth.

Ed Davey, from the Liberal Democratic party, said the comments showed Brexit would leave the UK in a “far weaker negotiating position against Trump and his America First agenda”.

Typically, Trump articulated his position in a tweet, criticising the US Democrats for “pushing for universal healthcare” and claiming “thousands of people are marching in the UK because the NHS is going broke and not working”.

He was referring to a “Save the NHS” march demanding more funding.

‘ The ambassador’s comments are terrifying and show that a real consequence of a no-deal Brexit, followed by a trade deal with Trump, will be our NHS up for sale.’

28 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

Australian minimum wage to increase by three per cent Fair Work Commission increases minimum wage by $21.60 to $740.80 a week.

Justice Iain Ross, the president of the commission, said the decision would directly increase the pay of 2.2 million Australians. He indicated a real increase was necessary to help households still experiencing “significant disadvantage”.

The pay rise is effective from 1 July.

When delivering its finding the commission noted that no party had identified “any data of adverse employment affects” as the result of previous year’s increases and the commission was satisfied there would be no measurable loss of jobs or adverse impact on inflation.

The commission said it granted a pay increase smaller than last year’s increase of 3.5 per cent – or $24.30 a week – due to slowing GDP growth, lower inflation and tax cuts benefiting low income households.

The ACTU had called for a 6 per cent rise or $43 a week. Employers had asked for two per cent or lower.

The ACTU said the increase was a “win for workers” but “still falls short of re-establishing the living wage and ensuring that no worker lives in poverty”.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has frequently warned over the last year that wage stagnation is harming Australia’s economic growth.

‘ The increase (is) a win for workers but still falls short of re-establishing the living wage and ensuring that no worker lives in poverty.’ — ACTU

WORLD

Big Pharma even dirtier than car industry The global pharmaceutical industry is not only a significant contributor to global warming but is also dirtier than the global automotive production sector, according to a recent study.

The study, conducted by researchers from McMaster University and published in Science Direct, found that carbon emissions from the sector were 55 per cent greater than the automotive sector.

“The total global emissions of the Pharma sector amounts to about 52 megatonnes of CO2e in 2015, more than the 46.4 megatonnes of CO2e generated by the automotive sector in the same year. By our calculations, the Pharma market is 28 per cent smaller yet 13 per cent more polluting than the automotive sector,” the researchers said.

The study found that by 2025, the overall Pharma sector would need to reduce its emissions intensity by about 59 per cent from 2015 levels to reach reduction targets in the Paris agreement.

The report found significant variations in emissions among the larger pharmaceutical companies with three – Amgen, Johnson and Johnson, and Roche – meeting the Paris targets.

“These three leading companies are also the ones with the highest level of profitability and revenue growth in the whole sector. This supports the premise that environmental and financial performance aren’t mutually exclusive,” it said.

The researchers called for more research and scrutiny of the pharmaceutical industry’s environmental practices and performance.

“Healing people is no justification for killing the planet,” it concluded.

‘ Healing people is no justification for killing the planet.’

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 29

NEWS IN BRIEF

BRITAIN

No link between night shift work and breast cancer – study A British study of more than 100,000 women over ten years finds “no overall link” between cancer and night work.

A link between night shift work and breast cancer risk was first proposed 30 years ago. Studies since then have been inconclusive.

The Institute of Cancer Research in Britain conducted the latest study. It was published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Cancer (https://www.nature.com/ articles/s41416-019-0485-7).

“In our new study we found no overall link between women having done night shift work in the last 10 years and their risk of breast cancer, regardless of the different types of work they did involving night shifts, and the age at which they started such work,” the researchers said.

They also found no significant difference in risk relating to the type of night shift work, the age at which the work was started, or whether it began before or after a first pregnancy.

Delyth Morgan, chief executive at Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now, which funded the study, said: “We hope these findings will help reassure the hundreds of thousands of women working night shifts that it’s unlikely their job patterns are increasing their risk of breast cancer.”

‘We hope these findings will help reassure the hundreds of thousands of women working night shifts that it’s unlikely their job patterns are increasing their risk of breast cancer.’

AUSTRALIA

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30 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

Over-the-counter contraceptive pill could save $96 million a year

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Researchers from Macquarie University recently remodelled the risks and benefits to women and the health care system if the pill was reclassified in Australia to be available over the counter. The findings were published in the journal PharmoEconomics.

“We estimated more women would use the pill, and fewer would use no contraception or less effective contraceptive methods such as withdrawal and the rhythm method,” they said.

“It would also mean fewer women using long-acting reversible contraceptives – such as implants placed in the arm, IUDs (intrauterine devices) and injections – which tend to be more effective at preventing pregnancy than the pill.

“Our modelling suggests if the pill became available without a doctor’s prescription, we would see an 8.3 per cent reduction in pregnancies, resulting in fewer miscarriages, abortions, ectopic pregnancies, and stillbirths.

“On the downside, each year around Australia we could expect to see 122 more cases of sexually transmitted infections, 97 more cases of depression, five more strokes, and four more heart attacks.”

The researchers concluded that overall, the net health benefits of reclassifying the pill outweighed the risks.

“The move would also save the nation A$96 million per year in avoided health costs,’ they said.

‘ The researchers concluded that overall, the net health benefits of reclassifying the pill outweighed the risks.’

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

Only one in 20 fathers takes primary parental leave Only one in 20 Australian fathers takes primary parental leave, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

Mothers take 95 per cent of the primary carers leave in Australia, and a lack of legislated shared parental leave, traditional gender roles and the gender pay gap are all working to prevent fathers from taking on the role, according to a report conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Parents At Work Chief Executive Emma Walsh told The Guardian that Australia did not have a nationally legislated approach to shared parental leave and as a result fathers were often automatically labeled as secondary carers.

“Most employers provide limited parental leave for secondary carers, if any at all,” she said.

“This divide is reinforced by entrenched social views of the breadwinner and homemaker gender ideals. Fathers are conscious of a stigma and bias around taking extended leave, especially when they are unable to see many of their male colleagues taking leave.”

Walsh says extensive research demonstrates the benefits of fathers taking parental leave, including more equal distribution of unpaid care work, a better balance between work and family for both parents, and more opportunities for mothers to pursue their career with flexibility and purpose.

“Economically, shared parental leave is unequivocally good for business. The retention of talent and lower rates of staff turnover, resulting in lower recruitment and training costs, is a key reason some employers provide paid family leave.”

‘ Economically, shared parental leave is unequivocally good for business.’

— Parents At Work Chief Executive Emma Walsh

JOSH FRYDENBERG

AUSTRALIA

Federal government’s war on industry super set to continue Industry superannuation funds have consistently outperformed their retail competitors but the new Minister for Superannuation Jane Hume still has them in her sights.

According to the ratings agency Superratings, industry super funds occupied the top ten places in performance over 2017–18 and nearly all of the top 20 places.

Retail funds – predominantly owned by banks – had none in the top 10, three in the top 20 and 15 in the top 50.

Online news site Crikey described the industry super dominance as “an open embarrassment to business”.

Yet, the new federal Minister for Superannuation Jane Hume has been clear in her determination to “reform” the sector and advocating for the imposition of retail fund-style governance on the industry sector.

In a 2017 speech, Hume argued that the existing industry super governance model, which has delivered returns for members far greater than retail super, was “entirely irrelevant; it is a legacy of the past”.

It needed to be replaced with the retail super fund governance model of independent directors, she said.

The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg also flagged after the federal election that the government wanted to pursue its review of superannuation “including a strong case for reform to strengthen accountability and governance”.

Crikey pointed out how the banks’ retail model, championed by the government, was “exposed by the Hayne royal commission as profoundly inadequate in protecting members’ interests”.

Despite this, “the Liberal (party) determination to attack industry super remains steadfast,” it said.

‘ The Liberal party determination to attack industry super remains steadfast.’

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 31

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

NSW REGIONAL SYDNEY METRO

July to September 2019 Education Waterloo

Wound Care: Leg Ulcers and Compression Dressing, 2-Day Course, Fridays 12 and 26 July, $190 / $380, 12 CPD Hours Palliative Care Workshop – NEW, Wednesday 31 July, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Know where you stand with Law, Ethics and Professional Standards in nursing and midwifery, Thursday 22 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours The Influential Thought Leader at Work, Thursday 29 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Midwifery Seminar, Friday 9 August, $60 / $120, 6 CPD Hours, Midwives

Writing for Publication – NEW, Thursday 5 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

The Resourceful Nurse / Midwife – NEW, Tuesday 13 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol Nurses’ Seminar, Friday 6 September, $60 / $120, 6 CPD Hours

Skill-Set for New Managers and Senior Nurses and Midwives, Friday 16 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Child & Family Health Seminar, Thursday 19 September, $60 / $120, 6 CPD Hours

CENTRAL COAST Gosford

Know where you stand with Law, Ethics and Professional Standards in nursing and midwifery, Thursday 26 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Your Annual CPD Obligations, Friday 27 September, $50 / $100, 4 CPD Hours, RN, MW, EN

HUNTER NEW ENGLAND Armidale Medications: How we do it better, Tuesday 13 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Clinical Communication and Documentation, Wednesday 14 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Maitland

Alcohol and Other Drugs: The Current Situation An update for all nurses and midwives, Saturday 31 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Newcastle

Palliative Care Workshop – NEW, Thursday 12 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Diabetes for Clinical Staff, Monday 23 September, $95 / $190, 5 CPD Hours

Blacktown

Increasing Resilience in Stressful and Changing Times, Tuesday 16 July, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Campbelltown

Dementia Management Training, Friday 13 September, $95 / $190, 7 CPD Hours

Dee Why

Medications: How we do it better, Wednesday 21 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

NORTHERN NSW Grafton

Medications: How we do it better, Wednesday 11 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

ILLAWARRA SHOALHAVEN Wollongong

Tweed Heads

Standard Mental Health First Aid, 2-Day Course, Wednesdays, 24 July and 7 August, $190 / $380, 12 CPD Hours

Your Annual CPD Obligations, Wednesday 17 July, $50 / $100, 4 CPD Hours, RN, MW, EN

Wound Care: Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, Thursday 15 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Wound Care: Venous Insufficiency – NEW, Friday 9 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Foot Care: A Nurses Role, Thursday 5 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

Wound Care: Arterial Insufficiency – NEW, Friday 20 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

MID NORTH COAST Coffs Harbour

Clinical Communication and Documentation, Thursday 12 September, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours

WESTERN NSW Dubbo

Alcohol and Other Drugs: The Current Situation – NEW An update for all nurses and midwives, Thursday 1 August, $95 / $190, 6 CPD Hours Aged Care Seminar, Thursday 22 August, $60 / $120. 6 CPD Hours

For full details of courses including course content, venue & times, please go to www.nswnma.asn.au

CPD

REGISTER ONLINE bit.ly/educationNSWNMA

Attendance at NSWNMA education sessions may count towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours. The number of hours noted beside each course is the maximum amount of claimable CPD hours. Unless otherwise noted, our courses are suitable for all Nurses, Midwives and Assistants in Nursing/Midwifery.

32 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

YOUR RIGHTS

Ask

Judith Breaking News NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner Following a number of inquiries and reports, the NSW Government introduced the Ageing and Disability Commissioner Bill 2019 into the NSW Parliament recently.

The objects of the bill are to protect and promote the rights of adults with disability and older adults (defined as 65 years or over, but 50 years in the case of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person), and to protect those adults from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

The bill, which has now been passed, establishes the office of an Ageing and Disability Commissioner (the Commissioner) and provides for the Commissioner’s functions, which include: (a) dealing with allegations of abuse, neglect or exploitation of adults with disability and older adults; (b) community education and general advice and assistance to the public; and (c) inquiring into and reporting on systemic issues and providing recommendations to the Minister.

The Association provided a submission to a Legislative Council Inquiry on the bill, and also participated in a hearing - both literally with only a day or two notice. The Inquiry Report helped shape positively a number of amendments to the bill.

Attack on Long Service Leave And whilst that bill was being passed, the NSW Government attempted to sneak through a reduction of LSL accruals for new government workers employed from 1 July 2019 as part of the State Budget 2019/20. While the Legislative Council put a kibosh on these changes, it just shows that a reduction to worker rights and entitlements always seem to lurk just round the corner.

Termination payments at Estia I work at a nursing home operated by Estia but am finishing up shortly. When should my termination payments be made?

If you have provided relevant notice of your departure, Clause 63(i) of the Estia Health NSW Enterprise Agreement 2016 sets out that your termination monies should be paid

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

as soon as practicable on or after the termination date, but in any event no later than four business days afterwards.

Counting nursing service for salary level I am considering applying for a job in a public hospital as a registered nurse. I have been working as a RN for a few years in private hospitals. Will this service count to determine my salary level?

Clause 3, Definitions, of the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award sets out that “Service” for the purposes of salaries will include “… service [in NSW or] … elsewhere as a registered nurse”. If you have worked overseas, this may also count towards determining your starting salary level. You should include any relevant experience in your application and discuss this further with the hospital at the time of any offer being made.

Medical certificate when sick I work in a Bupa nursing home.

When do I have to produce evidence of being sick from work?

Clause 35.5 of the Bupa Aged Care Australia, NSWNMA, ANMF (NSW Branch) and HSU NSW Branch, New South Wales Enterprise Agreement 2018 sets out that a medical certificate, or a statutory declaration, is required if the illness exceeds two consecutive working days. Note that differing requirements exist if the leave is in relation to carer’s responsibilities or family and domestic violence.

Roster changes at Healthscope I am employed as an RN in a hospital operated by Healthscope. The roster has just been posted but I may need to change a shift due to something that may be coming up. Can I change a posted roster if I approach my NUM?

Clause 8(v), Rosters of the Healthscope Group – NSWNMA/ ANMF – NSW Nurses and Midwives' – Enterprise Agreement 2015-2019 sets out that an “employee may change their roster at short notice, with the agreement of their nurse/ midwifery unit manager or Director of Nursing for any reasonable ground.” Approach your NUM as soon as possible and discuss your circumstances with them and see if you can obtain their agreement to any change.

Transferring back to public health I was an RN working at Mona Vale Hospital but transferred over to the Northern Beaches Hospital.

If I want to go back to the public health system and keep my sick leave, when would I need to make the switch?

While the Association (and its branches) agitated for a much better deal for this situation, the Ministry of Health (and NSW Government) would only agree to a transferring employee keeping their sick leave balance on return to the NSW Health Service if it occurred within the first 12 months after the transfer, but you also would be required to pay back the transfer payment received in full.

This recognition (and return of the transfer payment) is not mandatory and is a choice to be exercised by a returning employee. After 12 months, however, no such choice or recognition of sick leave is available.

Meal breaks at Whiddon

I work in a nursing home run by the Whiddon Group. What are my meal break rights?

Under Clause 25 of The Whiddon Group Agreement 2017, you are entitled to an unpaid meal break of between 30 and 60 minute length after each five hours of work. Note that by agreement, and prior to the rostering of a shift, you may take a longer meal break or work up to six hours without a break.

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 33

INTERNATIONAL

Fiji targets nurses in crackdown on unions Nurse leader detained, office raided ahead of protest over sackings and privatisation.

T

he General Secretary of the Fiji Nursing Association, Salanieta Matiavi, was among dozens of people arrested in Fiji during a recent crackdown on union activity.

Salanieta, who is in her 60s, was taken by police for questioning on April 30 and locked in a cell for 48 hours. She was not charged with any offence.

Also detained for up to 48 hours were the head of the Fijian Teachers’ Association, an official of Fiji's National Union of Workers and the national secretary of Fiji’s Trade Union congress, Felix Anthony.

Anthony was arrested while he was meeting with the Minister of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, the CEO of the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation, an official of the International Labor Organisation and others.

Police also ordered 13 Teachers’ Association officials to report to the nearest police station for questioning. They were held for four hours and released.

NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary, Judith Kiejda, who was in Fiji at the time, said police raided the Fiji Nursing Association office and took away files during Salanieta's detention.

“It seems Salanieta was arrested and locked up as part of an attempt to intimidate union members who planned to hold a rally and march in the city of Nadi,” Judith said.

The march, which was called

‘ It seems Salanieta was arrested and locked up as part of an attempt to intimidate union members.’ — Judith Kiejda off, would have coincided with the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Nadi from 1-5 May.

their own situation.” A delegation of Australian and New Zealand trade unionists was refused entry to Fiji and deported in 2011.

Judith said it appeared the government was attacking union members to show the ADB it would not tolerate protests against ADB projects.

Before Salanieta and other union leaders were arrested, the Fiji Water Authority made more than 2,000 workers redundant.

AN AGENDA OF PRIVATISATION The ADB loans money to poor countries in the Asia Pacific region on condition they carry out public sector “reform”. That usually means privatisation of public assets and consequent job losses.

Fiji has privatised its electricity a nd water systems a nd is looking at contracting out three hospitals through so-called “public private partnerships”.

During the arrests, several Australian and New Zealand union officials were in Nadi to attend a meeting of the global union body Public Services International (PSI).

The group included NSWNMA organiser Michael Whaites, the PSI's Oceania sub-regional secretary and Judith, a PSI board member.

Judith described the Fijian nurses as “vocal and brave. They seemed to be more worried about us getting arrested or deported than

According to media reports, the Water Authority workers turned up for work on May 1 only to find armed police at the gates threatening them with arrest if they tried to enter or assemble at the gates.

Twenty-nine water workers who gathered on union property were arrested, detained for 48 hours and charged with unlawful assembly under the Public Order (Amendment) Act 2012, which dates back to the former military dictatorship.

A PSI statement said a water project funded by the ADB had been contracted to a Chinese company that was likely to bring in Chinese workers to replace the laidoff local workforce.

The PSI said the ADB had an obligation to ensure human rights including trade union rights were respected at ADBfinanced projects. ■

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 wages” then it follows that Australians were content with sluggish wage growth and didn’t want a more substantial pay rise. https://www.nurseuncut.com. au/where-to-now-for-unions-andchange-the-rules/

New on our Support Nurses YouTube channel

NSWNMA AGED CARE CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS A recap of all the activities NSWNMA members have been involved in since the campaign for Aged Care Ratios started in May last year. http://bit.ly/ AgedCareHighlights 24-HOUR NURSE: A MOTHER’S DAY STORY In this video originally posted

by HelloCare, Nicky Hondros, a palliative care nurse, shares her and her mum’s heartfelt story and provides a little glimpse into what it”s like caring for someone living with dementia. http://bit.ly/24HourNurse 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 Follow us on Twitter @nswnma / @nurseuncut Share on Instagram by tagging @nswnma and don’t forget to use the hashtag #nswnma!

5 top tips on how to bounce back after a tough shift Every day in nursing is different, which is why it’s so incredibly important to know how to bounce right back. Here are our top 5 tips on how to deal with shifts that can get the better of you. https://www. nurseuncut.com.au/5-top-tips-onhow-to-bounce-back-after-a-toughshift/

“I may be an old dog, but I am still capable of learning new tricks” – reflections of an older midwife Midwife Annette reflects on the difficulties of finding work as an older midwife. After 42 years in the system, her experience is truly heartbreaking. https://www.nurseuncut.com.au/imay-be-an-old-dog-but-i-am-stillcapable-of-learning-new-tricksreflections-of-an-older-midwife/

Confused about Criminal Disclosures for your registration? Check out this article!

Criminal disclosures are an important part of your registration process as nurses and midwives. Make sure you’ve got the ins and outs of what you need to know. https://www.nurseuncut.com. au/confused-about-criminaldisclosures-for-your-registrationcheck-out-this-article/

New Dysphagia Standards Commence Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) affects up to 8 per cent of the general population, 40–50 per cent of residents in residential aged care facilities, 60 per cent of children with developmental disability and 84 per cent of people living with dementia. https://www.nurseuncut.com. au/new-dysphagia-standardscommence/ Listen to our podcast

Where to now for unions and ‘change the rules’ Very few people saw the Coalition’s win coming. If it was “a referendum on

Antenatal Classes for LGBTQIQ Parents – Janet Broady http://bit.ly/ LGBTQIQAntenatal THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 35

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Scholarships for the academic year 2020 Applications for the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarships are now being accepted for the academic year 2020.

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.

www.nswnma.asn.au CLICK ON ‘EDUCATION’

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: SCHOLARSHIP COORDINATOR, THE EDITH CAVELL TRUST 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 T 1300 367 962 E edithcavell@nswnma.asn.au

36 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

SOCIAL MEDIA

your

Say

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

the gallery

Do we get a pay rise or reasonable workloads with this honour?

A good year to be new grads? /1

The Year … we want substantive change The WHO announced 2020 will be the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife! An alternative suggestion was Year of Appropriate Ratios.

and reset yourself.

Always a good year to be a nurse!!!

I don’t know if I’ll still be working as a nurse in 2020. I am burned out, huge patient ratios, barely getting out alive out from the daily paper work and the patient expectations are, quite frankly, unrealistic. Gone are the days of nursing, it’s all about the $ and filling up beds with bodies.

Yeah that’s cool and everything but how about a pay rise and adequate time off after night shifts?

Year of the nurse!! Really, so management is going to start listening to our concerns next year, are they? I think we are so disillusioned with our careers our profession that we would so prefer it to be the Year of Appropriate Ratios. Year of management that cares about their nurses. Year of management dealing with bullies in the workplace.

Year of nurses will not be down trodden for their views. Year of nurses having a voice. Year of patients matter more than budget.

The world needs more Lennys Lenny runs a pop up barber shop that he takes to all sorts of aged care facilities.

Just beautiful, well done I just love people like that. So generous and community minded.

Compassion – gets you further than a plane ticket.

What a special guy. I love the way he treats them with such respect.

What a great job this young man is doing. A fabulous idea! What can I say, we need more of it!!

The world needs more Lennys.

Fantastic idea, brings fun back into their lives. Good on ya, mate.

Sanity leave We posted an article on why nurses should take more mental health days.

Absolutely sometimes you’re so exhausted you just need a day to recover

I take a sick day whenever I feel like it if I’m over my work environment. It’s not like they care whether I’m there or not. I’m feeling burnt out and wish I’d chosen a better and more respected career path.

One with less middle managers.

In Queensland we have a decent nurse to patient ratio but even still it’s that stressful I need a mental health day occasionally.

People don’t ask for these because it’s like admitting failure to cope! It’s not something you openly admit although I actually think there’s probably 80 per cent of nurses who need it. There’s only so long you can portray a particular facade before things crumble and you just take sick leave hoping it will go away. Maybe if it was supported more throughout the field, and openly discussed in huddles, then more people would feel like they were ok to not be ok. Needed but with staff shortages hardly likely…

You used to be able to tell your boss you needed a mental health day... now you get shamed or questioned.

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/5 1/ Nursing and Midwifery Students at Charles Sturt University celebrate International Nurses and Midwives Week 2/ L ismore nurses and midwives join the Northern Rivers Community to discuss action on climate change 3/ N SWNMA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda speaks at the Canadian Federation of Nursing Unions conference in Fredericton 4/ S tudents at the University of Newcastle Central Coast Campus celebrate International Nurses Day with cake 5/ N SWNMA staff share indigenous treats prepared by the NCIE

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 37

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

2019

Aged Care Seminar Thursday 22 August Dubbo RSL Cnr Brisbane & Wingewarra St 9am to 4pm

$

DUBBO

All Members $60 Non-members $120 Lunch & refreshments provided

For RNs, ENs and AINs in residential, community and hospital aged care settings, across private and public sectors, or anyone with an interest, professional or personal, in the aged care sector in NSW. Hear from a range of speakers, network with colleagues and earn some valuable CPD hours.

PROGRAM: • • • • •

Work Health and Safety in Aged Care; Dementia Management; Nutrition in the Elderly; Elder Abuse; The NMBA Decision Making Framework.

CPD

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Midwifery Seminar WATERLOO Friday 9 August NSWNMA 50 O’Dea Ave. Waterloo 9am to 4pm

$

All Members $60 Non-members $120 Lunch & refreshments provided

PROGRAM: • Cervical Screening Update – past, present and future Pene Manolas, Program Manager and Teresa Fisher, Relationship Manager, Cervical Screening NSW, Cancer Institute NSW A presentation with time for questions, followed by a facilitated discussion about the role of midwives in encouraging cervical screening, barriers and opportunities.

• Perinatal Infant Mental Health Victoria Norris, CNC, Perinatal Infant Mental Health Service • Contemporary Legal Issues in Midwifery Laura Toose, Legal Officer, NSWNMA CPD • Relax – Breathe – Let Go! Mindfulness in Practice 6 Helen Macukewicz, Professional Officer, NSWNMA And more …

For full details of courses including course content, venue & times, please go to www.nswnma.asn.au CPD

REGISTER ONLINE bit.ly/educationNSWNMA

Attendance at NSWNMA education sessions may count towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours. The number of hours noted beside each course is the maximum amount of claimable CPD hours. Unless otherwise noted, our courses are suitable for all Nurses, Midwives and Assistants in Nursing/Midwifery.

38 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

NURSING RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES For over 20 years, the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (https://healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/) has supported those working in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector by making research and other knowledge readily accessible. In this way, it contributes to closing the gap in health between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.

‘Next Generation Youth Wellbeing Study:’ understanding the health and social wellbeing trajectories of Australian Aboriginal adolescents aged 10–24 years: study protocol Gubhaju, L., Banks, E., Ward, J., D’Este, C., Ivers, R., Roseby, R., Azzopardi, P., Williamson, A., Chamberlain, C., Liu, B., Hotu, C., Boyle, J., McNamara, B., Eades, S.J. Adolescents encounter multiple health and social challenges. Changes during this life phase can have a longlasting impact on future health and wellbeing. Despite this, adolescents have been largely neglected in terms of their specific health and wellbeing needs and in robust evidence to underpin effective support.

Increased activity in brain regions associated with reward, pleasure and other emotional responses is thought to be linked to the tendency for adolescents to be more affected by exciting or stressful situations when making decisions, especially in the presence of peers. This is associated with the willingness to try stimulating experiences, which is an important mediator of risky behaviour, and increases between 10 and 15 years of age.

Data from 2008 to 2012 from the National Mortality Dataset showed that all-cause mortality for Indigenous adolescents is more than twice that of nonAboriginal adolescents, with 60 per cent of deaths in this age group due to intentional selfharm and road traffic injury.

Eighty per cent of all deaths among Indigenous adolescents are potentially avoidable; a strong reason to focus attention on prevention and creating a health system that meets the needs of young Aboriginal people. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/ content/9/3/e028734

further agreed to a “strengthsbased approach” and ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were “at the heart of the development and implementation of the next phase of Closing the Gap”. https://ahha.asn.au/system/ files/docs/publications/ feb2019_tha_web.pdf

2019 – a time to ‘refresh’

2018 Reconciliation Action Plan impact measurement report

Verhoeven, A. It is over 10 years since the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Closing the Gap Strategy was developed following the signing of the Close the Gap Statement of Intent in March 2008.

Last year the Australian Human Rights Commission opined that it was time to “critically reflect on why Australian governments have not yet succeeded in closing the health gap to date, and why they will not succeed by 2030 if the current course continues”. A 10-year review was conducted, and its major findings and recommendations featured in The Health Advocate.

At the heart of the review’s assessment of what went wrong was a lack of focus on the social determinants of health inequality (income, education, racism), which they felt needed to be ‘addressed at a fundamental level’. At the beginning these were central, the commission says, to both the Closing the Gap approach and the original statement of intent.

Earlier, in December 2016, COAG agreed to refresh the Closing the Gap agenda ahead of the 10th anniversary. In June 2017 they

Reconciliation Australia This report explores the impact of the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) community during the July 2017 – June 2018 reporting period. For this report, data was collected from over 600 RAP organisations through an online questionnaire.

Over 1,000 organisations across a range of sectors have formalised their commitment to reconciliation through the development of a RAP. The program helps to foster a community of shared values, goals, and language that supports organisations to progress the five dimensions of reconciliation. As the program and organisations within it continue to grow, organisations are increasingly sharing learnings and collaborating to achieve positive outcomes. https://www.reconciliation. org.au/wp-content/ uploads/2019/04/ra_rapimpact-report-2018_single_ web.pdf

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 39

INSURANCE BENEFITS

For NSWNMA Members

Insurance protection when you need it most The NSWNMA is committed to protecting the interests of nurses and midwives by purchasing a range of insurances to cover members.

Journey Accident Insurance provides cover for members who are injured as a result of an accident while travelling between their home and their regular place of employment.

Professional Indemnity Insurance provides legal representation and protection for members when required.

Make sure your membership remains financial at all times in order to access the insurance and other benefits provided by the NSWNMA.

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 www.nswnma.asn.au

www.nswnma.asn.au 40 |

IMPORTANT NOTE From 1 December 2018 the insurance benefits have changed as follows: • Journey Accident Insurance: the waiting period for benefits is now 14 days THE LAMP JULY 2019 • Professional Indemnity Insurance: the limit per claim is now $5 million

CROSSWORD

test your

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ACROSS 5. Biconcave tarsal bone (9) 10. Ignorance (9) 12. Advice (7) 13. A young mammal (3) 14. A treasury, as of a nation or organisation (9) 16. An obstruction of an anatomical passage (9) 17. The endometrium of the uterus in a pregnant woman (7) 20. A type of mineral

that contains metal (3) 21. Situated within an organ or tissue (9) 23. Tending to hinder or act against the achievement of an aim (17) 25. A cushion-like mass of soft material (3) 26. Rous-associated virus (1.1.1) 28. A small, thin piece of semiconductor (9) 30. Vaccination (12)

31. Exhibit, show (4) 35. Awareness (9) 37. Pain in the vertebral column (spine) (10) 38. A mutation (9) DOWN 1. Overlapping interests of different fields of medicine and science (17) 2. One thousandth of a second (4) 3. Gall (4) 4. An apparatus for maintaining a

premature infant (9) 5. Von Recklinghausen disease (17) 6. Get blistered (9) 7. Abnormal concretions in the body (7) 8. A group of proteins that bind firmly to specific sugar (7) 9. A nucleoprotein that contains RNA (17) 11. Centre of excellence (1.1.1)) 15. Pilus (4) 18. Native aluminium oxide, used in dentistry as an abrasive and polishing agent (8) 19. Red-green colour blindness (12) 22. Observed (7) 24. Urea reduction ratio (1.1.1) 27. A small sac containing liquid or gas (7) 29. The topmost part of an organ or structure, especially the head (5) 32. Boredom, tedium (5) 33. Threadlike structures or parts (4) 34. A graphic record of heart muscle activity (1.1.1) 36. Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis (1.1.1) THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 41

Scholarship

Activism • Campaign • Advocacy Roz Norman was an outstanding

activist, branch official and Councillor of the NSWNMA and ANMF. In honour of her outstanding contributions, the Roz Norman Scholarship was created to further humanitarian, social or community causes.

The scholarship covers fees for an approved course promoting activism and the development of campaigning skills or public advocacy, up to a maximum value of $5,000 per year. It may also provide ongoing financial support for reasonable costs associated with campaigning for a period of one year.

NSWNMA Branch Officials or highly active members who can demonstrate leadership qualities are encouraged to apply.

Successful recipients are required to report back to Committee of Delegates (COD) at the end of the scholarship period.

Applications are now open, closing 30 September 2019.

To apply go to bit.ly/RozNormanScholarship For further enquiries, contact NSWNMA • email: gensec@nswnma.asn.au • METRO: (02) 8595 1234 • RURAL: 1300 367 962

REVIEWS All books can be ordered through the publisher or your local bookshop. 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.

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Fiona McArthur Penguin Random House Australia www.penguin.com.au RRP $32.99 ISBN 9780143785828 C

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The Desert Midwife

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book club

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

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I A Ava May What if the love of your life forgot who you were? When outback midwife L IN T E meets Zac on a flight to Alice Springs, they tumble into a whirlwind affair. But an exciting adventure leads to a terrible accident, with shattering consequences.

The couple that had so much going for them now find themselves with everything to lose.

Against the majestic backdrop of Australia’s red centre, old dreams are shattered, new babies are born and true love takes flight. By Australia’s renowned midwife and bestselling author of Mothers’ Day, The Desert Midwife is a romantic drama about strong families, medical miracles and new beginnings.

Project Management In Health And Community Services Judith Dwyer, Zhanming Liang and Valerie Thiessen

Allen & Unwin: www. allenandunwin.com RRP $65.00 ISBN 9781760632816

Project management is recognised as a core competency across health and community services environments, yet it can be challenging for new project staff and practitioners to balance the needs of stakeholders and ensure the best outcome for everyone involved. Written by highly experienced authors and underpinned by the latest research, this is an essential resource for anyone studying or working in health and community services.

Discrimination Law and Practice Chris Ronalds and Elizabeth Raper The Federation Press: www.federationpress. com.au RRP $84.95. ISBN 9781760021986

The fifth edition of Discrimination Law and Practice provides a

comprehensive analysis which simplifies the complex definitions of unlawful discrimination including direct and indirect discrimination, reasonable adjustments and harassment.

The book provides the reader with detailed commentary about the protected areas covered by the legislation including employment, education and the provision of goods and services as well as the available defences.

Facing Fearful Odds Penny Claxton

Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers: www. pegasuspublishers. com RRP $18.20 ISBN 9781784655730

It is 1914, and Victoria Standish returns home to find her brother, Max, keen to join the impending war in Europe as a light horseman. Australia is far away from the conflict, but Victoria is thrilled at the prospect of nursing beyond the safe confines of her local community.

In London, the Earl and Countess of Hadleigh are also preparing for war. Their son, Gerald, is commissioned in the Coldstream Guards and their younger son,

Guy, is desperate to join up.

Their daughter, Lady Julia, and their housemaid, Violet, will bravely join the Voluntary Aid Detachment as nursing assistants.

Facing Fearful Odds chronicles a turbulent time in history, through the lives of nurses and the soldiers they were destined to meet.

Psychiatric Nursing, 8th Edition Norman Keltner and Debbie Steele Elsevier Health Sciences: www.amazon.com RRP $ $143.95 ISBN 9780323479516

Covering the field’s latest trends and treatments, Psychiatric Nursing, 8th Edition provides the solid, therapeutic skills you need to deliver safe and effective psychiatric nursing care. This new edition features a three-pronged approach to psychotherapeutic management, which emphasises the nurse’s three primary tools: themselves and their relationship with patients, medications, and the environment. The text clearly defines the nurse’s role in caring for individuals with psychiatric disorders.

THE LAMP JULY 2019 | 43

3

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

4

2 3 Red Hoodies and 4 Navy Hoodies

$45. Sizes:10-16 and S-3XL. 80% cotton/20% poly brushed fleece, kangaroo pocket with full lining hood.

1

NEW 5 NSWNMA Water Bottle

$9. Metallic water bottles with infuser.

Stainless Steel inside.

For keeping hot and cold beverages.

1 Active Soft Shell Navy Jacket $50. Poly/spandex, micro polar fleece lining, breathable fabric 2 Snowy Puffer Jacket $50. Sizes: Ladies 10-18 and Unisex S-3XL. Light, warm and comfortable to wear. 380T nylon outer, poly fill padding.

Two zippered pockets and elasticated cuffs. Top value for cold winter conditions.

ORDER FORM

Name

1 Active Soft Shell Navy Jacket $50. Quantity:

Size:

10 S

12 M

14 L

16 XL

18 XXL

XXXL

Address Postcode Phone H

2 Snowy Puffer Jacket $50. Quantity:

Size:

10 S

12 M

14 L

3 Red Hoodies $45. Quantity:

Size:

10 S

12 M

14 L

16 XL 16 XL

18 XXL

MOB XXXL

10 S

12 M

14 L

16 XL

XXL

XXXL

Total of order 44 |cost THE LAMP JULY$2019

Visa

Money Order

Name of card holder Card number

XXL

5 NSWNMA Water Bottle $9. Quantity:

Postage and handling $5 per item.

Email Method of Payment Cheque MasterCard

4 Navy Hoodies $45. Quantity:

Size:

W

XXXL

Expiry date

/

Signature

TO ORDER » WWW.NSWNMA.ASN.AU

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

REVIEWS

at the movies

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

GIV E

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Hamlet according to Ophelia

Finding Joy

Set in the 14th Century but spoken in a contemporary voice, Ophelia is a dynamic re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Ophelia (Daisy Ridley) takes centre stage as Queen Gertrude’s (Naomi Watts) most trusted ladyin-waiting. Beautiful and intelligent, she soon captures the attention of the handsome Prince Hamlet (George MacKay) and a forbidden love blossoms. As war brews, lust and betrayal are tearing Elsinore Castle apart from within and Ophelia must decide between her true love or her own life in order to protect a very dangerous secret.

In Cinemas – 1 August 2019

Joy is perfectly happy with her life. It’s neat and tidy and just how she likes it. Sure, her long-time boyfriend, Aidan, has left her but Joy is fine with it. She’s certainly not suffering from heartbreak and stress-induced incontinence like canine Aidan. Things are totally fine the way they are … that is until Joy unwittingly lands herself a job filling in for Ireland’s most-loved vlogger, Flora the Happy Hunter.

This unwanted promotion throws Joy firmly out of her OCD level of control and forces her to deal with a world she has put great effort into avoiding; one of oversharing, boundary breaking, messy housemates, one-night stands and full-contact wrestling – all in the name of learning about the crazy, uncomfortable and new-age methods people use to find … well, joy.

Email The Lamp by 20 July to be in the draw to win one of 10 double passes to Ophelia thanks to Madman. Email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!

Email The Lamp by the end of July to be in the draw to win one of five copies of Finding Joy 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 2019 | 45

DIARY DATES

make a date

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

NEW SOUTH WALES St George Hospital 10th Annual Renal Supportive Care Symposium ‘Nephrology: Ethics, Law and Moral Distress’ 1–2 August 2019 elizabeth.josland@health.nsw.gov.au alison.smyth@health.nsw.gov.au EVENTS: INTERSTATE 20th Victorian Collaborative Mental Health Nursing Conference 15–16 August 2019 Melbourne, Victoria https://healthsciences.unimelb.edu. au/departments/nursing/about-us/ centre-for-psychiatric-nursing/engage/ victorian-collaborative-mental-healthnursing-conference Workplace Mental Health Symposium 2019 2–3 September 2019 Brisbane, Queensland https://nswmentalhealthcommission. com.au/events/ workplace-mental-health-symposium-2019

46 | THE LAMP JULY 2019

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.

INTERNATIONAL International Council of Nurses (ICN) 21st International Conference on Nursing 25–26 September 2019 London United Kingdom www.icn.ch/ Australasian Neuroscience Nurses’ Association 17–18 October 2019 Intercontinental Hotel, Wellington New Zealand www.anna.asn.au

k.c.slater@bigpond.com CROSSWORD SOLUTION

2019 World Mental Health Congress 5–8 November 2019 Buenos Aires, Argentina https://wfmh.global/world-congress-2019/ EVENTS: REUNIONS St Vincent’s Hospital Lismore Past Nurses Annual Reunion Saturday, 31 August 2019 Lesley Briggs 0419487763 or Maria Miller marialouise1954@hotmail.com 50-year Anniversary Sydney Hospital Graduate Nurses 1969–1972 Reunion Lunch Sunday, 29 September 2019 Kathleen Wall (Allen) 0420305906 pkwall33@tpg.com.au Susan Crawford 0400723020 denis.p1@bigpond.com Hastings District Hospital (Port Macquarie) 25-year Reunion Saturday 9 November 2019 Karen Slater 0408984864

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

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

Welcome to

Improved communication channels and engagement

MEMBER CENTRAL

Seamless access to membership details Functionality at your fingertips

THE NEW ONLINE SYSTEM FOR NSWNMA MEMBERS

Unique NSWNMA member login with email

Create your new member login account & you could win a trip to Bali!

Log on to online.nswnma.asn.au and create your login to be automatically entered in the draw to win a 5 night holiday to

THE TRANS RESORT BALI, SEMINYAK

You and a friend will enjoy: • Five nights’ accommodation in a Premier Room • Return airport transfer • Breakfast daily for two • One x Friday night buffet or set dinner for two • One x Sunday Yum Cha for two • One x 30 minute massage for two • 20% off Food & Beverage.

The NSWNMA will arrange and pay for return flights for two to Denpasar, Bali.

online.nswnma.asn.au

log on and create your login from 1 Feb 2019 – 31 Jan 2020 and you will automatically be entered in the draw to win.

Prize drawn 1 Feb 2020

Full terms and conditions are available at www.nswnma.asn.au/nswnmamembers/contests-and-promotions Conditions apply. Prize must be redeemed by 31 January 2021 and is subject to room availability. Block out dates: 23 – 29 January 2020 , 21 – 31 May 2020, 1 June – 31 July 2020 and 23 December 2020 – 6 January 2021. Competition opens on 1 February 2019 and closes 31 January 2020. The prize will be drawn on 1 February 2020. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date. NSW Permit no: LTPM/18/02955

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Join the health fund that’s all about you.

At Nurses & Midwives Health, we're all about you.

We're not-for-profit, so it means we're focused on your health and the health of your family. The great news is, as a member of the NSWNMA, you're eligible to join Nurses & Midwives Health.

And, because we know how important family is, they can join us too.

For your free, side-by-side comparison, and our latest offers, visit nmhealth.com.au or call 1300 344 000

Eligibility criteria and conditions apply. Nurses & Midwives Health Pty Ltd ABN 70 611 479 237. NMH-NSWNMA-05/19

Authorised by B. Holmes, General Secretary, New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association, 50 O’Dea Ave, Waterloo NSW 2017