The Lamp May 2015

lamp THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 72 No.4 MAY 2015

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CONTENTS

CONTACTS NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association For all membership enquiries and assistance, including Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office.

Sydney Office 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au W www.nswnma.asn.au

VOLUME 72 No.4 MAY 2015

Hunter Office 8-14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2300 NSWNMA Communications Manager Janaki Chellam-Rajendra T 8595 1258

COVER STORY

12 | Ramsay pay leapfrogs public sector Big breakthroughs on pay and allowances are an important feature of our new agreement with Australia’s biggest private hospital owner.

Amelia Gasparotto RN and Jane Cooper RN PHOTOGRAPH: SHARON HICKEY

REGULARS

5 7 8 23 32 35 39 41 43 45 46

Editorial Your letters News in brief Ask Judith Obituaries Social media Crossword Nursing research online Books Movies of the month Diary dates

HEALTH

26 | Economic benefits of universal health

AGED CARE

20 | Strong support at Springwood

8 | Win a relaxing holiday in the Hawkesbury Valley

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 • Coral Levett, NSWNMA President • Peg Hibbert, Hornsby & Ku-Ring-Gai Hospital • Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care • Richard Noort, Justice Health Advertising Patricia Purcell T 8595 2139 or 0416 259 845 or F 9662 1414 E ppurcell@nswnma.asn.au

A large group of people attended a forum at Springwood in the Blue Mountains on the future of RNs in aged care.

PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM

24 | Staffing crisis in Hunter New England

Industrial Relations Commission orders health district to find solution after NSWNMA sounds alarm on award breaches.

COMPETITION

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

SURVEY

28 | Not happy, Tony

Information and 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 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 2015 Free to all Association members. Professional members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $55.

Individuals $80, Institutions $135, Overseas $145.

A survey of more than 25,000 Australian workers, has revealed widespread disquiet with the direction of our country.

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 3

EDITORIAL

BY BRETT HOLMES GENERAL SECRETARY

Ramsay members show the way The commitment, energy and organization shown by our members at Ramsay Health Care has led to some excellent outcomes in their proposed agreement. Their campaign gives some good pointers to their colleagues at Healthscope and in the Public Health System for their upcoming pay and conditions campaigns.

“I congratulate all those Ramsay nurses and midwives who contributed to the campaign in such an effective way.”

Members at Ramsay Health Care are about to vote on a new agreement they have been fighting for for the last 6 months and the feedback the Association is getting from workplaces is very positive.

In the proposed agreement there are healthy pay rises over the next three years which will see wages leapfrog rates in the public health system.

A special win is an increase in the on-call allowance by more than 30 per cent. The claim for an increase in the on-call allowance was heartfelt by our members at Ramsay and this significant increase was won in the face of stiff resistance from the company.

When the campaign started staffing was identified as a key workplace issue. The proposed Ramsay agreement includes an improved workloads tool that will give Ramsay members an enforceable process for dealing with staffing issues. Management will need to respond to staffing issues within a designated timeframe, and there are to be regular workload discussions at the unit level.

Other benefits include an increase to nine weeks in paid parental leave, the reintroduction of paid change time and a process to review part time hours. The company has also agreed to provide time and computers so members can complete mandatory e-learning at work.

All in all there are good grounds for satisfaction with these outcomes. But these improvements to working conditions haven’t been given by the company on a plate. Ramsay only agreed to these gains because they recognized that their workforce was determined, informed and clear about what it wanted.

This clear focus was a product of a lot of work, consultation and teamwork by Ramsay members and officials from the Association over a long period of time.

The clarity of the claim came from a thorough consultation process that involved focus groups, comprehensive surveys and face to face contact.

The campaign was driven by highly committed activists in the workplace who did an exceptional job communicating with their colleagues and with union officials at each stage of the negotiating process.

A lot of the company’s resistance to our claims crumbled before the clear evidence that had been collected at the workplace to substantiate those claims.

And, importantly, our strength in the workplace grew substantially as more and more Ramsay nurses and midwives joined the NSWNMA during the campaign. Management knew they were dealing with a determined and united workforce who felt passionately about their rights and recognized their value to a highly profitable company.

I congratulate all those Ramsay nurses and midwives who contributed to the campaign in such an effective way.

Soon nurses and midwives at the other major private hospital operator, Healthscope, will embark on their campaign to improve pay and conditions. Similarly, the Public Health System award campaign will soon go up another gear.

The NSWNMA is committed to putting similar resources into improving pay and conditions through these campaigns. But as one Ramsay activist Jane Cooper tells us in this issue of The Lamp (page 13): “the union is not the people in the Association office in Sydney, it is the people on the floor in hospitals”.

Jane is dead right. We can achieve good outcomes if nurses and midwives at Healthscope and in the Public Health System are as proactive and committed as they were at Ramsay.

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 5

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Put this date in your diary

Matter Professional Day Wednesday 29 July 2015

9am – 5pm, registration from 7.30am MC: Dr Norman Swan Dr Norman Swan is a multi award-winning, medically-qualified broadcaster and journalist. He is the host of the Health Report on ABC Radio National, presenter of Health Minutes on ABC NewsRadio and health commentator, speaker and facilitator of ABC Television’s Catalyst.

rosehill Gardens

James Ruse Drive, Rosehill Keynote speaker: Rosie Batty

(Australian of the Year) Family violence campaigner Rosie Batty is the 2015 Australian of the Year and the Pride of Australia’s National Courage Medal recipient. Rosie is a leader in the crusade against domestic violence and has turned her personal tragedy into a fight to help others.

More information: contact the NSWNMA on 8595 2181 (metro) or 1300 367 962 (rural) or go to www.nswnma.asn.au/education

YOUR LETTERS

L ET T ER O F T H E MONT H

Exploring women’s lives through dance Two hundred women celebrated International Women’s Day at Westmead Hospital in March.

The dress code was national costume, which set the vibe for a day of colour, fun and connecting to women from around the world. There were African headdresses, Thai golden crowns, flowing robes from the Middle East and dazzling dresses from Korea, India and Peru.

Greeting participants at the front door of the hospital were two midwives in Driza-Bone coats, their Akubra hats filled with gum flowers.

Dr Jenny King a staff specialist of urogynaecology and director of the Pelvic Floor Unit informed us that life is not equal for migrant women in Western Sydney. Migrant women have a high fertility rate, with 45 per cent not speaking English at home. They often attend late for their antenatal care. Their birth defect and stillbirth rate has increased, with a twofold increase in diabetes. The most disadvantaged group are Middle Eastern and North African women. Education for them often ends in year nine. They have low rates of attending university, much the same as indigenous Australian women, with low participation rates in work or study due to high rates of early marriage.

After her stirring speech the audience watched a primary school girl, daughter of one of our staff members, perform a Bollywood dance.

Dr Eman Shrobeem told us the tragic tale of domestic violence. Many communities live in fear if they report physical abuse. The best protection for women is courage. The talk was followed by a modest belly dancer making us reflect on how unfit some of us are.

Michelle Baltaza told her story of being a young Filipino girl arriving with no English at 15 years of age and attending Dulwich Hill High, where she attained a score of 91 in her HSC. She is now a publisher for the Financial Standard. She was motivating; she owned her destiny by the choices she made.

A Chinese peacock dance followed, performed at such a high standard the audience was humbled. The event finished with a fun Mexican dance.

Exploring life through dance put International Women’s Day in a totally new dimension.

Karen Childs RM, Carlingford

Facts crucial to credibility I would like to respond to the letter to the editor in the March edition of The Lamp in regards to the ratio of paperwork to nursing (“What ratio paperwork-to-nursing�).

While it is great to have these discussions it is really important as members of the NSWNMA that we are factual when presenting issues to the public and other members of the Association.

When we are not factual it undermines the important message union members are trying to put out there to improve health outcomes and conditions. I am sure that the writer is misinformed rather than deliberately trying to present information that is not true.

The writer referred to the “bright sparksâ€? who â€œâ€Ś have come up with a six page care plan and a six page wound care chart.â€?

While I had no input into the care plan I did have the privilege of being part of the group that reviewed the wound assessment processes across the Local Health District. This group found that the LHD was not meeting the guidelines that the Australian Wound Management Association defines in “Standards for Wound Management (2010)�. We ended up developing a new chart, which, although the writer alludes to six pages, is in fact an initial assessment form with the opportunity to document a further five occasions of wound assessment. I am sure this will become much clearer if you review the LHD procedure and discuss this with your educator.

I believe the writer is misinformed about the amount of paperwork required to undertake a comprehensive wound assessment, however this can easily be rectified.

What I am really concerned about, as a member of the NSWNMA, is that our message is diluted by information that can be dismissed as not factual.

We must be factual at all times or we risk being dismissed by politicians and the public and important campaigns such as ratios lose steam.

Sharon Whalley CNE, Lismore

HAVE YOUR SAY 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.

Letterr of the month The letter judged j g the b best each month will win a $50 $ Coles Grou up & Myer gift card!

unionshopper pp r.com.au .

1300 368 117

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 7

NEWS IN BRIEF

Australia

More Serco failures at Fiona Stanley Privatised services at Perth’s Fiona Stanley Hospital are under fire again, with provider Serco forced to employ 57 extra orderlies according to the West Australian newspaper.

Hospital management was also forced to set up a special team to address complaints about the time being taken to move patients. It was not the first time hospital management had to step in because of major shortfalls in a Serco-led service.

The company was stripped of control of sterilising medical equipment in February because of delays in returning items to operating theatres.

Doctors and nurses have been complaining since the hospital opened early this year, about delays when porters were called to transfer patients. Some doctors became so frustrated they resorted to going to the wards and picking up patients themselves, the West Australian reported.

Shadow health minister Roger Cook (pictured below) described it as an extraordinary development in a botched move to privatise services at the hospital.

“We’ve been getting daily complaints from staff and patients about dysfunctional aspects of the hospital and most relate to Serco-run services,” he said.

“WE’VE BEEN GETTING DAILY COMPLAINTS FROM STAFF AND PATIENTS ABOUT DYSFUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF THE HOSPITAL AND MOST RELATE TO SERCO-RUN SERVICES.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Australia

Nurse expedited discharge improves patient flow Allowing nurses to discharge patients can improve flow and increase patient and nurse satisfaction according to new research.

Previous evidence suggested that discharges earlier in the day improved patient flow.

Traditionally, patients require medical review prior to discharge but this can lead to delays. The program aimed to increase the proportion of patients discharged prior to midday (DPMD) by developing a program of Nurse Expedited Discharge (NED).

The program was only available to patients on the respiratory ward and eligible patients were selected by medical staff the day prior, then discharged the next day by nursing staff if they met conditions on a newly developed checklist.

A rigorous reporting strategy reviewed adverse events and satisfaction of both the patients and other stakeholders.

NED commenced in January 2014, when the proportion of patients DPMD was 13.8 per cent. Following NED this rose to 20.1 per cent. Over this period the rate of DPMD from the respiratory ward was higher than both comparison wards. One hundred per cent of patients reported that NED was either good or very good and often preferred NED to traditional discharge. Nursing staff reported a high level of satisfaction with the process. No adverse events were reported.

“This was a careful study with robust reporting. It demonstrated significant benefits on numerous levels in allowing nurses, in collaboration with the treating physician, to discharge patients,” said Teresa Kemp from Respiratory Chronic Care, Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals, who presented the research to the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Push to increase super for minimum wage workers

“Maintaining a fair minimum wage is essential if Australia is to avoid creating an underclass of working poor.”

— Dave Oliver

The ACTU has asked the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to increase compulsory superannuation contributions for minimum wage workers, to compensate for an Abbott government decision that could cost a young worker more than $18,000 in retirement.

The ACTU has made the claim as part of its FWC submission to increase the minimum wage.

Compulsory super contributions were due to increase from 9.5 per cent to 10 per cent on July 1 this year, under the Superannuation Guarantee.

However an Abbott government decision to freeze the 0.5 per cent increase means that 1.86 million Australians on minimum wages will have their retirement savings cut.

A full-time worker on the national minimum wage will be $3.20 per week, or $167.09 per year, worse off as a result.

For a 20-year-old minimum wage worker, the Abbott government’s decision not to pass on the 0.5 per cent increase in compulsory super until 2021, means they will be $18,401 worse off in retirement.

The ACTU is seeking to have workers compensated for this loss by claiming an extra 0.5 per cent to the minimum super contribution written into awards, in addition to an increase in minimum wages.

ACTU secretary Dave Oliver called on Treasurer Joe Hockey to back the submission.

“Maintaining a fair minimum wage is essential if Australia is to avoid creating an underclass of working poor,” he said.

Australia

Queensland launches inquiry into children’s hospital The new Queensland government has announced a review into “serious allegations” about commissioning processes at Brisbane’s new Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, the ABC has reported.

The $1.5 billion hospital opened in November last year as the Royal and Mater Children’s hospitals closed.

Queensland unions say the Lady Cilento has been suffering an exodus of staff due to problems arising after the hospital was starved of funds by the former Newman government.

They say there has also been a “complete failure” of outsourcing in food and cleaning services and patient transport.

Queensland health minister Cameron Dick said a review was necessary after a range of stakeholders voiced concerns.

“Families, hospital staff, unions and members of the public have all approached me raising concerns about the lack of nursing staff and trained cleaning staff, the operation of outsourced services like porterage and cleaning and the lack of a functioning cafe,” he told the ABC. Cameron Dick said the review would also focus on identifying lessons for future major projects.

“This government will be commissioning another major hospital on the Sunshine Coast in this term of parliament, so it is important that the lessons from this experience can be learned,” he said.

He said hospital staff and management had “done exceptionally well in difficult circumstances”.

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 9

NEWS IN BRIEF

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Dancing away dementia Dancing, sudoku and eating fish and fruit may be the way to stave off the memory loss and mental decline that increases with advancing age, according to new Finnish research published in the British medical journal The Lancet.

Researchers in Finland recruited 1260 people aged between 60 and 77. Half of them were given regular gym sessions with physiotherapists for strength and took part in aerobic exercises two to five times a week.

They had brain training using computer programs and were advised to eat a Nordic diet containing fish at least twice a week, lots of fruit and vegetables and olive and other vegetable oils.

At the end of two years those who had been eating a better diet, getting active and training their brains scored on average 25 per cent higher in mental tests than those in the other group.

For executive function – the brain’s ability to organise and regulate thought processes – the intervention group scored 85 per cent higher and in processing speed, 150 per cent higher.

The researchers say that even small changes to people’s lives have the potential to significantly reduce the toll taken by dementia. Dancing was strongly recommended as a favoured physical activity.

“About a third of cases of Alzheimer’s disease worldwide could be attributable to low education, physical inactivity, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, smoking and depression,” they wrote. “The worldwide prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease could be reduced by 8.3 per cent by 2050 with relative reductions of 10 per cent per decade in the prevalence of each of these factors.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Britain

Privatisation puts cancer care on sale A leaked NHS document shows an English health area – Staffordshire – was planning a £1.2 billion sell-off of cancer and palliative care services without proper patient consultation.

The document, published on the OpenDemocracy website, was a commercially confidential, secret agreement that was for the eyes of the bidding companies only.

The document revealed a plan to appoint one company to act as the “prime provider” of cancer services, including diagnosis, treatment and aftercare, with that firm to sub-contract more services.

Staffordshire, which manages the care of almost 800,000 people, was to offer a £700 million, 10year contract to deliver cancer care in the county alongside a £500m contract for end-of-life services.

It would be the biggest privatisation in NHS history.

The leak came a week after The Guardian newspaper revealed that NHS Supply Chain had handed the highest value NHS privatisation deal to date, worth £780m and covering operations and diagnostic tests, to 11 different private health firms, including three that had been criticised for providing poor care to hospital patients or residents of care homes.

The Staffordshire privatisation has attracted considerable interest from private sector firms such as Virgin Care and United Health, the US healthcare giant that NHS England’s chief executive Simon Stevens worked for between 2004 and 2014.

Australia

Expanded Comcare will disadvantage injured Injured workers will be worse off under the Abbott government’s plan to expand Comcare – the national occupational health and safety (OHS) and workers compensation scheme.

The proposed Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill will allow employers that operate in multiple states to exit state and territory workers compensation schemes and self-insure under Comcare.

But according to the ACTU this will result in lower OHS standards and will disadvantage both workers and small businesses.

Under the proposed changes workers will lose the legal rights they currently have under state or territory schemes such as WorkSafe in Victoria or WorkCover in New South Wales.

Smaller businesses will have to pay higher premiums if big businesses move to Comcare, because it will reduce the premium pool for state and territory schemes.

The ACTU believes the Comcare scheme should operate at the same standard, or exceed the standard, currently available to injured workers under state and territory schemes.

“Workers, especially those in high-risk jobs, could be excluded from compensation if they were moved onto Comcare. This is simply unacceptable and we will oppose any attempts to strip workers of their existing common law rights,” said ACTU assistant secretary Michael Borowick.

Australia

Victoria scraps private hospital plan The Victorian government has scrapped plans for a private hospital inside the new $1 billion Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) according to The Age newspaper.

Last year the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, due to open in 2016, won approval from the then Liberal government to include a new 42-bed private hospital within the centre.

Three private hospital operators – Healthscope, Lifehouse Australia and Ramsay Health Care – were shortlisted to fit out and operate the private hospital, but the new ALP government has scrapped the plan.

Victorian health minister Jill Hennessy accused the former Liberal government of trying to privatise cancer treatment in Victoria.

She said the Labor government did not believe a “Peter Mac Private” was in keeping with the “heart and the soul” of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre – a world class, publicly-funded hospital and research facility the former Labor government commenced in 2009.

“Under the terms, Peter Mac was required to provide a business case for government approval regarding their proposal. It was a proposal only – no contracts were entered into,” she said. “Their proposal was considered, however the government believes the space could be better utilised to support the strategic directions of the VCCC.”

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COVER STORY

Ramsay pay leapfrogs public sector Big breakthroughs on pay and allowances are an important feature of our proposed new agreement with Australia’s biggest private hospital owner.

PAY RATES AT RAMSAY HEALTH CARE, Australia’s biggest private hospital operator, will move ahead of NSW public health rates for the first time in July and will likely stay in front until at least 2017.

This comes as a result of a proposed new agreement between Ramsay and the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association.

The three-year agreement includes pay rises of an average three per cent per annum and a 30 per cent increase in the oncall allowance.

Ramsay has withdrawn all the “trade offs” it sought during six months of negotiations with the NSWNMA. “We have done very well in terms of pay and on-call allowances,” said Jane Cooper RN, a member of the NSWNMA’s negotiating team and delegate at Figtree Private Hospital in Wollongong.

Nina Di Cesare EN, union delegate at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital, agrees the pay and allowance increases are “a very big step forward.”

“We reached pay parity with some of 1 2 | T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5

the other private hospitals in the Newcastle area and we will even move ahead of the public system after our first pay increase in July,” she says.

“We have always lagged behind the public system so it’s a good feeling to know we are leaders in pay rates.”

Ramsay makes extensive use of on-call employees, especially in theatres and maternity, yet its on-call rates were lower than most of the industry.

After initially denying that on-call rates were an issue for Ramsay nurses, management eventually agreed to a 30 per cent increase and withdrew a proposal to cut pay for on-call periods of less than 12 hours.

It was one of the biggest wins of the campaign according to Amelia Gasparotto, NSWNMA delegate at St George Private Hospital in Kogarah.

“I have been a nurse for 28 years and this agreement is one of the best outcomes we’ve had,” she said.“It shows that by getting large numbers of members involved and being proactive you can achieve some-

thing. We now have a strong foothold to do even better at the next negotiations.”

The new agreement “will give us the capacity to attract more nurses to work at Ramsay” said Melissa Nicoletti RN, NSWNMA branch secretary and delegate at Tamara Private Hospital,Tamworth.

“It is a fantastic agreement.All the feedback from nurses at Tamara Private has been very positive. We’ve kept all our existing conditions and won a lot more.”

Melissa said she was also pleased to hear Ramsay’s HR manager speak positively about the agreement. She says it will make it easier for the company to recruit nurses and retain existing staff.

The proposed agreement comes after Ramsay reported a 21.3 per cent rise in half-year net profit to $191.4 million in February.

Chief executive Chris Rex said he could safely spend hundreds of millions each year expanding the company’s Australian hospitals, because demographic trends almost guarantee the extra beds and operating theatres will be filled.

Proposed Ramsay agreement — the main gains The proposed agreement won by NSWNMA members at Ramsay Health Care includes:

PAY

• 4% pay rise in 2015 • 3% pay rise in 2016 • 2.5% pay rise in 2017 • on-call allowance to increase more than 30%

STAFFING

• timeframe for management to respond to staffing issues • ability to raise workload issues as a group • regular workload discussions at unit level

E–LEARNING

• Ramsay to provide time and computers to complete mandatory training at work, or pay members to complete it elsewhere.

• Completion of mandatory education modules must be considered when determining staffing.

IN-CHARGE WITH PATIENT LOAD

• The new workloads clause will be The Ramsay agreement includes an improved workloads tool – the process for dealing with staffing issues.

It includes a timeframe for management to respond to staffing issues, the ability to raise workload issues as a group, not just as an individual, and regular discussions about workloads at a unit level to identify problems early.

Jane Cooper says now it is up to members to use the workloads tool to ensure that wards are adequately staffed.

“Members now have to learn how to use the tool. The union will need to put in a lot of work to educate members about this and other aspects of the new agreement.”

NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda says the agreed offer is likely to impact pay and conditions under other private hospital operators.

CAMPAIGN BUILDS STRENGTH As a result of the campaign to improve conditions at Ramsay, many nurses and midwives joined the Association and new NSWNMA branches were formed.

Existing NSWNMA members stressed their need to encourage non-member colleagues to join the Association to strengthen the campaign for better conditions.

Amelia Gasparotto says a number of nurses at St George Private joined the Association during the campaign.

“As a delegate you always get the same responses – what does the union do for me? I can’t afford it! The campaign provided the perfect opportunity to explain what the union does.

“The extra membership numbers gave us more bargaining power in the negotiations. It was definitely a positive to have more people come on board and see what the union was doing to benefit nurses.”

Jane Cooper said:“We need to work on creating a stronger union in the hospitals so we can make further progress at the negotiation table next time.

“The union is not the people in the Association office in Sydney, it is the people on the floor in hospitals.”

able to help fix workload issues for all nurses and midwives, including those in-charge, where members enforce it.

OTHER

• increase to nine weeks paid parental leave

• reintroduction of paid change time

• a process to review part-time hours The final drafting of the agreement is taking place as The Lamp goes to print.

“The union is not the people in the Association office in Sydney, it is the people on the floor in hospitals.”

— Jane Cooper RN T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 1 3

COVER STORY

“MEMBERS WERE ACTIVE AND COMMITTED TO THE GOALS OF THE CAMPAIGN.” — Amelia Gasparotto RN St George Private Hospital, Kogarah “I have been a nurse for 28 years and this agreement is one of the best outcomes we’ve had on working conditions and pay.

It shows that by getting large numbers of members involved and being proactive you can achieve something. We now have a strong foothold to do even better at the next negotiations.

On-call has been a huge issue at St George, especially in theatres. The 30 per cent increase in the on-call allowance was very well received by members. It shows that Ramsay acknowledges the impact on-call has on our lives outside the workplace.

We recruited new members at St George during the campaign. As a delegate you always get the same responses – what does the union do for me? I can’t afford it! The campaign provided the perfect opportunity to explain what the union does.

A lot of nurses didn’t know the union covers your insurance if you are injured while travelling to and from work. This was a strong factor in some of them deciding to join up – especially those who live a long way from work.

Branch delegates like myself were the communication link between members at the hospital and the union negotiating team.

After each round of negotiations the negotiating team took part in a phone hook-up with active members from each hospital.

We fed the information back to our members and at the same time we let the negotiators know what our members were thinking. Our hospital representative and theatre NUM Suzi Tanevska was part of the negotiating team.

As a branch delegate I encouraged as many nurses as possible to fill out the union surveys.

Members wrote down the problems they encountered regarding workloads, which was very useful when Ramsay claimed they were unaware of these issues.

Getting this detailed information through to the negotiating team strengthened their hand in talks with Ramsay. Management could see that members were active and committed to the goals of the campaign.”

1 4 | T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5

“The amount of specific information we obtained was a great benefit to union negotiators in countering the arguments of Ramsay representatives.”

— Brett Holmes, NSWNMA General Secretary

Member involvement vital to Ramsay gains

“A LOT OF NURSES CAME TO REALISE THE BENEFITS THE ASSOCIATION HAS TO OFFER.” — Nina Di Cesare EN, Lake Macquarie Private Hospital “As a delegate, the Association kept me informed about developments in the campaign. I passed the information on to nurses around the hospital. The whiteboard meetings in the theatre complex twice a day were one opportunity for me to get the message out.

Staff were keen to know the latest developments. They wanted to be kept in the loop and they responded well to the union’s electronic surveys. The surveys played a major part in getting the members involved in the campaign.

We can be really proud that a good number of members and even non-members turned up to union meetings offsite and after hours. By attending meetings the Association was made more aware that staff were seriously concerned that they might lose conditions.

For example, Ramsay sought to reduce the number of hours we would get on-call rates paid for.

That was unacceptable and got a strong reaction from staff who said they were not prepared to lose any conditions.

In the end we were able to get a big increase in the on-call allowance without any trade-offs.

I have worked in Lake Macquarie

Private theatres for 17 years and I think this is a big win – not just for theatre nurses but also other departments that are on-call.

We picked up some new members during the campaign. A lot of nurses came to realise the benefits the Association has to offer and that if they have an enquiry or a problem they can go to the Association for help.

The nurses at Lake Macquarie Private reacted very well to the final agreement. However there was a bit of disappointment among the ward staff that they didn’t achieve nurse-to-patient ratios.

The biggest outcome was that we reached parity with other private hospitals in the Newcastle area.

That was overdue given the company’s high profits and the fact that we are one of the largest private hospitals groups in Australia.

We will even be ahead of the public system after our first pay increase in July. That is a very big step forward.

Nurses should all get the same pay rates anyway; there should not be any division between public and private because we are all doing the same jobs at the end of the day.”

The high level of membership involvement in the Ramsay campaign was crucial to its success.

“We developed our claims after consulting extensively with members, including comprehensive surveys and focus groups,” says NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes.

“And we included nurses who were not union members in order to get the widest possible range of information.”

The Association received hundreds of responses every time it asked nurses and midwives for information and opinions about the key issues.

“The amount of specific information we obtained across a range of specialties and a range of hospitals was of great benefit to union negotiators in countering arguments put forward by Ramsay representatives.”

Brett says the issue of the on-call allowance was a good example.

“We were able to get detailed information from hundreds of nurses and midwives across all Ramsay hospitals telling us how often they worked on-call and how they were paid. This allowed our negotiators to rebut Ramsay’s argument that on-call was not a big issue for Ramsay staff.

“The fact that we were able to provide such detail also showed management that our members were strongly involved in the campaign and that we had a strong network of union activists.”

Jane Cooper RN agreed the high level of membership involvement in the campaign had “an enormous impact on the outcome”.

“Union staff went out of their way to make hospital visits and conduct surveys to find out what conditions were like at different hospitals and what members wanted,” she says.

“The members were consulted at every point and they responded enthusiastically with their feedback.

“We had to argue hard with Ramsay about many issues and the members’ input was invaluable in changing their stance.”

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COVER STORY

“CONVERSATIONS IN THE TEAROOM WILL NOT CHANGE CONDITIONS.” — Jane Cooper RN Figtree Private Hospital, Wollongong

“We have done very well in terms of pay and on-call allowances.

We’ve also made some ground on the workloads clause. It now says problems need to be resolved in a timely fashion, initially by regular staff meetings. If these fail to reach agreement the issue can be escalated through a grievance process, as in the past.

It is disappointing that we could not achieve a proactive approach that indicates how many nurses should be rostered to care for X number of patients according to their acuity.

The new agreement still talks about workloads problems that have already occurred as a result of a shortfall in nursing numbers.

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It is now up to members to use the workloads tool to ensure that wards are adequately staffed.

Members have to educate themselves on how to use the tool, with the assistance of the union.

A lot of nurses don’t familiarise themselves with the agreement but we need to do this in order to take advantage of the conditions we’ve been able to win.

When we first raised workloads as an issue the employer representatives said they did not know there was a workloads issue within Ramsay, because they never hear about it.

I know myself that when I’ve tried to create data about workload issues, nurses have not always responded well. No matter how busy they are, they need to bite the bullet and create a paper trail.

Having conversations in the tearoom or the corridor about how heavy your workload is will not change our conditions. We need to start documenting workload problems, filling in risk management forms and notifying management.

The union will need to put in a lot of work to educate members about the new agreement. An agreement is a fairly intimidating thing to read but people need to be encouraged to find out what they are entitled to.

“MORE PEOPLE HAVE COME TO UNION MEETINGS THAN EVER BEFORE.” — Melissa Nicoletti EEN Tamara Private Hospital, Tamworth

It was disappointing we were not able to get Ramsay to agree to make the jobs of NUMs and other in-charge positions supernumerary. These nurses still have to carry a patient load in addition to their incharge responsibilities.

That makes it a very heavy responsibility for the in-charge nurse working night shift with a patient load when there is a major incident – for example, a cardiac arrest or absconded patient. You are torn between your responsibility for your own patients and fulfilling the duties of the in-charge nurse.

We will have to use the workloads clause to get the staffing changes necessary to allow in-charge nurses to do their jobs.”

“I think the proposed agreement is fantastic. All the feedback from nurses at Tamara Private has been very positive. We’ve kept all our existing conditions and won a lot more.

The increased on-call allowances will mainly benefit theatre nurses and management who are usually on-call over the weekends and evenings.

Theatre staff are also happy to see the reintroduction of paid change time.

We are pleased that we got a better arrangement for e–learning. We get reminders all the time to keep up to date with online training and we had to do them at home because, even if it’s quiet enough to start an online course at work, you don’t get the time to finish all the questions.

In the new agreement, Ramsay will either provide the time and computers so we can do it at work and in work hours, or pay us to do the training elsewhere.

As a branch delegate I was the ‘middleman’ between the members at Tamara Private and the union organisers. Every time the union negotiating team sat down to talk with Ramsay, I would get a report back.

Our organiser would call me almost every week to update me on what was going on. I printed out union flyers and put them around the hospital as well as emailing and texting members to remind them about things like meeting times.

The union staff visited our hospital during the campaign to speak to nurses and hear their concerns directly.

The union’s surveys of members were very effective – we got a fantastic response with a very high participation rate. Nurses were keen to get their views across.

We started to get a membership boost after The Lamp’s big write up about Ramsay last November. Ever since then nurses have been asking questions about the campaign and taking more of an interest in the union.

Recently we have had more people come to union meetings than we’ve ever had before. The union is more openly talked about now. I think all the ads and flyers I’ve put up have prompted people to talk about issues and ask questions.”

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AGED CARE

RNs 24/7

Councils support our 24/7 aged care campaign Two inner west Sydney councils have unanimously backed a resolution in support of our campaign to keep RNs in aged care around the clock.

LIBERAL, LABOR, GREENS AND independent councillors in the Marrickville and Ashfield councils all voted to pass resolutions in support of the NSWNMA’s campaign to preserve the role of RNs in aged care at all times.

Both councils resolved to write to the state Minister for Health advocating legislation that would require an RN to be on duty at all times and the appointment of a director of nursing in all nursing homes in New South Wales.

Marrickville councillor Jo Haylen, who has since been elected as the state MP for Ashfield, moved the resolution.

“There are approximately 10 nursing homes across Marrickville which could be affected,” she told council. “The roles of the registered nurse and director of nursing in nursing homes are vital to the health and wellbeing of residents in aged care across Marrickville and to the state of the 1 8 | T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5

NSW health system more broadly.”

Ashfield councillors Mark Drury and Alex Crofts pointed out to their council that Ashfield had a growing aged demographic and that the census revealed the area had more elderly residents than other parts of Sydney.

“We should all be concerned that there is a potential risk of removing the state legislative requirement of having a registered nurse on duty at all times in a nursing home in NSW, and defines which aged care homes are nursing homes,” they noted in moving the resolution.

Aged care RN Tori Radford addressed both councils. She said hearing from a nurse working in aged care had a big impact on the councillors.

“At Marrickville and Ashfield the councillors all started talking about their own experiences with parents and relatives in aged care and no one really knew how

important RNs were, until they listened to a three-minute speech by an RN working in aged care. It opened their eyes a bit,” she told The Lamp.

Tori said although she was daunted by the idea of speaking publically in such a forum, ultimately it was a rewarding experience.

“I didn’t know how passionate I was about the issue until I had this opportunity and then I realised it was something that I am extremely passionate about. Part of your job as an RN is to be an advocate for your residents.

“I do have a fear of public speaking but after you’ve done it, you realise you actually made a difference and you can help to spread the word. It’s an awesome feeling.

“Absolutely I would encourage others to do it if it is something you feel passionate about. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

9 STEPS TO GET THE SUPPORT OF YOUR COUNCIL FOR OUR RN 24/7 CAMPAIGN In both Marrickville and Ashfield councils there was unanimous support for our campaign across the political spectrum: councillors, be they Liberal, ALP, Greens or Independent, responded positively when the issue was brought to their attention.

Here are some suggestions for ways you can garner the support of your local council for our campaign:

1

Find your local council online and check the date for the next council meeting.

2

From the list of local councillors choose one with some influence on the council and contact them to arrange a face-to-face meeting to brief them on the issue of RNs in aged care. Emphasise that this issue is important to their community.

3

When you meet them take relevant information about the campaign: you can contact the NSWNMA for advice and resources.

4

Provide them with a suggested draft resolution (see Marrickville Council resolution below) to put to the next council meeting.

5

Contact the local paper and ask them if they are aware of the issue, if they would like background information and if they would like a photo of local councillor(s) with local nurses taken at the meeting.

6

On the night the resolution is to be put to a vote get some local nurses to come along wearing NSWNMA blue scrub tops. It’s good for visual impact! They can sit in the council chamber and support you.

7

The member to speak in support of the resolution should prepare a brief speech no more than three minutes. You should say why, as a nurse, this issue is important to you and why you need the council’s support.

8

Follow up the next day to thank the councillor(s) and check in with the local media to ask if they need more information.

9

Send the photo and the final resolution to the NSWNMA for inclusion in The Lamp and on our social media and website.

For more help and advice email Rita Martin at the NSWNMA rmartin@nswnma.asn.au

What the RN 24/7 campaign is about Currently the NSW Public Health Act requires all “nursing homes” in NSW to have an RN on duty 24/7. But changes to the federal Aged Care Act, made in mid-2014, affect the NSW Act, putting this requirement at risk.

Following pressure from the NSWNMA the state government has opted to keep the status quo until late 2015 while they consult with stakeholders.

It is vital we make our voices clearly heard during this consultation process.

Marrickville Council resolution That Council: • acknowledges that all residents in nursing homes should be provided with quality care led by registered nurses; • notes with concern the potential risk to residents of nursing homes across Marrickville of the removal of the requirement to have a registered nurse on duty at all times; • supports the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association campaign to ensure permanent legislation is in place requiring a registered nurse on duty at all times and the appointment of a director of nursing in all NSW nursing homes, as a minimum, and • writes to the NSW Minister of Health, the Hon. Jillian Skinner MP and Shadow Minister for Health, Walt Secord MLC conveying the resolution.

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AGED CARE

RN 24/7

Strong support at Springwood A large group of people attended a forum at Springwood in the Blue Mountains on the future of RNs in aged care.

Participants included family members of aged care residents, representatives and members of local community groups, churches and non-governmental organisations, as well as nurses and allied health professionals from aged care and the public health system. Here’s what some participants had to say:

“We think it is quite critical that RNs stay in nursing homes and we want to keep registered nurses – a trained nurse – there that could provide the oversight, guidance and clinical care when needed.”

— Peter Buckney NSWNMA branch Blue Mountains Hospital

“We fear that removing RNs from nursing homes will result in a sharp erosion of care standards in aged care.

RNs are crucial to the delivery of quality care for residents in NSW nursing homes because most of our residents suffer from chronic medical conditions which require specialised interventions.”

— Jocelyn Hofman aged care RN

Louise Stammers, Stella Topaz (NSWNMA), Patricia Dee, Peter Buckney and Jocelyn Hofman.

“Our population is ageing and particularly where my brother is, in a nursing home, there are a lot of drug and alcohol-related mental health issues among the patients and residents.There should be someone there 24 hours, seven days a week.”

— Patricia Dee, relative of nursing home resident

“How can you deliver good palliative care without a registered nurse with her knowledge and skills to assess what is happening to the resident? Good palliative care involves being able to anticipate the needs.”

— Louise Stammers aged care RN

How you can help The NSWNMA website has an area devoted to our campaign to keep RNs 24/7 in aged care. If you go to www.nswnma.asn.au/get-involved/aged-carenurses. You can: • register your support for keeping registered nurses 24/7 in aged care • download and sign our petition – and gather signatures • download our factsheet about the Public Health Act and its impact on RNs • email the Minister for Health • send a letter to your local paper expressing your concern • sign up for campaign news via our e-newsletter • like our Aged Care Nurses Facebook page • follow RN 24/7 in Aged Care on Twitter

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“Without RNs in aged care responsibility falls to those who are less qualified to be making major decisions about hospital transfers, whether to call a doctor, what kind of treatments to give residents.”

— Robert McDermott aged care RN

Nurses at Seniors Week highlight need for RN 24/7 Aged care nurses and carers hit the streets and held various forums during Seniors Week to highlight the risk of losing RNs in aged care.

Nurses from around the state got an enthusiastic response when they mingled among attendees at the Premier’s Gala Concert, a free event at the Qantas Credit Union Arena sponsored by the NSW government:

“Our elderly have paid for this throughout their lives, through their taxes and at the end of their lives they should receive the care they deserve. Once they know you’re a nurse they want to sign.They believe in the same thing: we should have healthcare right throughout our lives.”

Gil Wilson

— Gil Wilson CNS Lismore Base Hospital

“Most people we have spoken to have been really on board with it and weren’t aware that the government was trying to remove RNs.This is about the residents and making sure it is good for them.This is such a bad thing, particularly for the residents in nursing homes because they need to know there is someone who is looking after them and [can] assess whether they need to go to hospital or if they need a doctor.”

— Jane Campbell CNS Port Macquarie Base Hospital

“We’ve had a lot of interactions with a lot of the older people. Some have got elderly parents in nursing homes and understand the need for the registered nurse.” — Jason Pascoe EEN Albury Base Hospital Branch

Liberal MPs back RN 24/7 A number of Liberal MPs have come out in support of our campaign to keep RNs in aged care around the clock.

Glenn Brookes, Liberal MP, East Hills shows his support for the campaign.

Glenn Brookes, Liberal MP for East Hills, says he supports keeping registered nurses in nursing homes.

“They’ve got to be there. It’s like having a doctor’s surgery with no doctor. What are you going to do? There still has to be registered nurses there. The day that one person, like a junior, misses that one tablet, it could cause an accident to one of our elders,” he told a group of nurses outside his electorate office.

Roza Sage, who was Liberal MP for the Blue Mountains, said she took “very seriously the care of the vulnerable in our community”.

“I support maintaining existing requirements for registered nurses to be on duty in nursing homes. I have had personal discussions on this matter with the Minister for Health Jillian Skinner and aged care workers in the Blue Mountains. It is important to allow the ongoing review to be completed — while the NSW government’s assurance of the existing requirements continues,” she said in a letter to the NSWNMA. Ms Sage lost her seat in the recent election but her successor, the ALP’s Trish Doyle, attended the Springwood forum and pledged her support to the NSWNMA’s campaign.

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AGED CARE

In-charge nurses share $80k It took court battles and a threat to use debt collectors but UnitingCare has finally paid money owed to nurses.

“It must have cost UnitingCare more money to argue … than simply pay us what we were owed.”

— Julieann Smith RN

THE BIGGEST PROVIDER OF AGED CARE services in New South Wales, UnitingCare, has paid nurses pay dating back more than eight years after the NSWNMA fought and won two court cases. Twelve nurses shared in a payout of $80,549.56.

“The union did a brilliant job to get us our entitlements,” one of the nurses, RN Julieann Smith said.

The registered nurses had been paid the wrong in-charge allowance when they worked at UnitingCare’s MayflowerVillage facility at Gerringong on the south coast.

They were paid an allowance for being in charge of fewer than 100 beds but should have been paid a higher allowance to cover more than 100 beds.

Mayflower Village comprised an 80-bed nursing home, a 58-bed hostel, a 25-bed dementia-specific hostel and 100 self-care units.

During weekdays the service manager had overall responsibility for the whole facility. But on afternoon and night shifts and at weekends, staff had to contact the in-charge nurse if there was an emergency in any of the buildings.

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All 12 nurses gave evidence outlining the issues that required them, as the incharge RN, to go to the hostel or provide phone advice to nurses who worked there.

Those issues commonly ranged from dispensing Schedule 8 and PRN medication, to wound care, assessing residents after falls and helping with lifts.

Julieann Smith says the Mayflower Village nurses realised they were underpaid after hearing from a nurse who worked at another UnitingCare facility at Nowra, where the correct allowance was being paid.

When the NSWNMA asked UnitingCare to fix the problem in February 2012 it agreed to begin paying the correct, higher allowance, but rejected paying back pay.

The Association took action in the Chief Industrial Magistrate’s Court to recover back pay owed from October 2006 to March 2012.

“We weren’t asking for anything that we weren’t entitled to. If it was good enough to pay the higher allowance at one facility, why not the other?” said Julieann.

The NSWNMA told the court that UnitingCare’s defence of the claim was confusing because it would not explain why it agreed to pay the higher allowance “going forward” but refused to back pay the staff.

This was despite nurses testifying that the work they were now receiving the higher allowance for, was no different to work they had previously done on shifts for which they received the lower allowance.

After the Chief Industrial Magistrate found in favour of the NSWNMA UnitingCare appealed the decision in the Federal Court.

Their appeal was dismissed in April 2014, however UnitingCare still failed to pay the money until the Association threatened to use debt collectors.

“If you make a mistake why don’t you correct it and do it without a lot of fuss?

That sort of attitude [refusing to pay entitlements] doesn’t value the staff,” Julieann said.

“It must have cost UnitingCare more money to argue and drag things out than simply pay us what we were owed.”

ask judith

when it comes to your rights and entitlements at work, nswnma assistant general secretary JUDITH KIEJDA has the answers.

No time for time off in lieu I work in a public hospital and due to staff shortages we have all been doing a lot of overtime. We have been told we will receive time in lieu, rather than being paid for the overtime. Yet when we request to take the time in lieu we are told we can’t, due to staffing shortages.

Can the hospital do this?

You cannot be compelled to accrue time in lieu of overtime and there are specific requirements in relation to the giving and taking of time in lieu. The provisions are found in the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2011, clause 25 Overtime, sub-clause (iv) which states: “A nurse who works overtime may be compensated by way of time off in lieu of overtime, subject to the following requirements: • Time off in lieu must be taken within three months of it being accrued at ordinary rates.

• Where it is not possible for a nurse to take time off in lieu within the three-month period, it is to be paid out at the appropriate overtime rate, based on the rates of pay applying at the time payment is made.

• Nurses cannot be compelled to take time off in lieu of overtime.”

This means that time in lieu is by agreement between the nurse and the manager; the employer cannot force it.

Time in lieu is paid at your ordinary rate i.e. hour for hour and not at the higher overtime rates. If the nurse agrees to take the overtime as time in lieu, they must be allowed to take it within three months of accruing it. If they cannot, it must be automatically paid out at the higher overtime rate based on your current hourly rate and not at the hourly rate at the time the overtime was done (i.e. to incorporate any rate increases that may have occurred in the intervening period).

Overtime meals different from normal?

Extra holidays added to leave?

I work in a public hospital and recently I worked an evening shift. The after-hours nurse manager approached me during my shift and asked if I could do an overtime shift by working the night duty shift. I agreed to do this and have since been told the meal breaks for the overtime shift are different to a normal rostered shift, is this correct?

Yes it is. The Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2011, clause 25 Overtime, sub-clause (v) states: “An employee required to work overtime following on the completion of his or her normal shift for more than two hours, shall be allowed 20 minutes for the partaking of a meal and a further 20 minutes after each subsequent four hours overtime; all such time shall be counted as time worked.”

This means that on an eight-hour overtime shift that commences directly after your rostered shift ends, you should get two 20-minute meal breaks and these breaks are regarded as paid meal breaks.

Sub-clause (vii) further provides that the meals are to be provided free-ofcharge or, if this is not possible, an allowance is to be paid. The allowance is in-line with item 19 of Table 1 found in Treasury Circular “TC 14/30 Review of Meal. Travelling and Other Allowances” dated 12 November 2014.

This circular is available on the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet website, or contact our Information Department and an Information Officer will advise of the current rates.

I am an RN employed on a full-time, seven-day rotating shift basis. I am rostered and work any shift on a sevenday basis and get six weeks leave per year. If additional public holidays, apart from those named in my award, are gazetted, do I get additional days added to my annual leave entitlement?

Yes you do. Where a public holiday, additional to those named in the award, is gazetted, nurses entitled to six weeks annual leave under the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2011, clause 30, Annual Leave, sub-clause (ii) (b) have one day for each additional gazetted public holiday added to their annual leave.

In-charge not allowed I am a Clinical Nurse Consultant in a public hospital with less than 100 beds and I have been told I am not entitled to an “in charge allowance”.

Is this correct?

Yes, this is correct. The Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2011, clause 12 Special Allowances, sub-clause (i) (a) states: “A registered nurse in charge of a public hospital of not more than 100 beds during the day, evening or night shift, in the absence of a senior nurse shall be paid, in addition to his or her appropriate salary, whilst so in charge, the sum set out in Item 1, of table 2 of part B per shift.”

However sub-clause (b) goes on to state: “This sub-clause shall not apply to registered nurses holding positions of a higher grade than that of clinical nurse specialist.”

Effectively this means the allowance is only paid to RNs up to the level of a clinical nurse specialist.

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PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM

Staffing crisis in Hunter New England Industrial Relations Commission orders health district to find solution after NSWNMA sounds alarm on award breaches.

PUBLIC PROTESTS BY NURSES AND MIDWIVES at three hospitals in the Hunter New England Local Health District have alerted the public to routine shortfalls in mandated nursing hours.

Nurses at Armidale, Gunnedah and Tamworth hospitals held lunchtime rallies to highlight the safety risks inherent in frequent understaffing.

The NSWNMA has asked the Industrial Relations Commission to help bring an end to routine understaffing at Tamworth Base Hospital, in breach of the public health system award.

Commission deputy president Rodney Harrison has told the LHD it must find

ways to meet its staffing obligations according to the award.

Commissioner Harrison gave the LHD and the Association eight weeks to examine data from across the district and agree on solutions to understaffing.

He will then assess what progress has been made.

General Secretary of the NSWNMA Brett Holmes said staffing spot checks over several months revealed that many of Tamworth’s wards had regularly fallen under the required nursing hours per patient day.

Brett said that despite the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2011 stating “action must immediately

Tamworth hospital nurses at the lunchtime rally.

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commence to rectify the shortfall” management continued to ignore its legal obligations.

“The issue reached a critical point in the maternity unit, mental health unit, medical and surgical wards, orthopaedic ward and rehabilitation ward,” he said.

Brett said it was unacceptable for Hunter New England health district management to ignore representations by the branch, given that nurses had a professional obligation to ensure safe patient care, using the guaranteed nursing hours allocated by LHD management.

Commissioner Harrison said NSWNMA and LHD representatives should meet

PHOTO: BARRY SMITH / NORTHERN DAILY LEADER

weekly to look at data relating to staff levels across the LHD. The NSWNMA asked the LHD to provide it and branch officials with weekly data so they can check the accuracy of numbers at Tamworth.

The NSWNMA wants data collection to go beyond spot checks to also include overtime worked – including time in lieu – as well as bed numbers and use of surge beds, so that all patients are counted.

Tamworth branch secretary Jill Telfer CNS said members were encouraged by Commissioner Harrison’s statement that management would have to show that they were meeting the award staffing requirements.

“Understaffing in breach of the award is not unique to Tamworth and members are looking at this as a test case,” Jill said.

“The LHD’s own data shows they have frequently failed to meet award requirements at Tamworth since at least October 2014.

“Some wards are regularly short 50 hours per week and our mental health unit has suffered a phenomenal shortfall greater than 200 hours per week.

“The maternity unit has also been badly understaffed with a poor skill mix.

The midwives have been very supportive of the branch’s campaign to highlight the issues, both within maternity and the general wards.”

Jill said the problems were made worse when the hospital opened surge beds without extra nurses.

“Our nurses are working really hard to make sure that everyone up here is safe.

Local management has tried hard to fix the problems but they have neither the budget nor the staff needed.

“Our big concern is, how are we going to cope in winter, our busiest time?

“We need the problems fixed now so we can come to work knowing we have enough nurses to look after the patient load.”

At Armidale Rural Referral Hospital the NSWNMA branch passed a resolution calling on management to immediately rectify workload issues.

About 40 branch members and supporters rallied outside the hospital to raise public awareness of understaffing.

Brett Holmes said branch members repeatedly raised concerns about shortfalls in mandated nursing hours for the medical and surgical wards, but were disappointed by management’s lack of urgency on the issue.

Management has since told the branch it is attempting to recruit more nurses.

The Armidale action followed a rally

by NSWNMA members at Gunnedah hospital to protest understaffing.

“How are we going to cope in winter, our busiest time?”

— Jill Telfer CNS

How to resolve an issue — follow these steps Remember there is a free NSWNMA smart phone app to help you calculate required nursing hours (under the public health system award) and to record hours and patient counts for weekly spot checks .

Issues on your unit

Individual or professional matters

Work issues

For example, missed breaks, unreasonable overtime, no access to education, sick leave not replaced, or “like-for-like” not replaced, patient safety, short staffing, poor skill mix.

Work issue not related to workloads but affects more than one person.

For example, collective issues such as parking, security and safety.

For example, pay queries, leave issues, police interviews, coronial matters, fact finding, disciplinary matters or professional issues.

1

1

1

Report the matter to the Nurse Unit Manager at your ward meeting.

On a Nursing Hours Per Patient day ward, ask for a spot check.

Contact your branch representatives and download the NSWNMA toolkit spot check app from iTunes and Android stores*.

Contact the NSWNMA immediately on 8595 1234, 1300 367 962 or gensec@nswnma.asn.au.

Include your name and membership number.

2

3

4

If the matter is unresolved at ward level see your reasonable workloads committee (RWC) representative.

Collect data for two weeks then send it, with solutions, to the RWC with your name and ward.

If the issue is not resolved after two RWC meetings, members should follow formal grievance procedures.

*www.nswnma.asn.au/nswnmamembers/nswnma-app-for-smartphones T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 2 5

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

The economic benefits of universal health The usual reason given for not providing universal health care is affordability.

On the contrary, argues economist Amartya Sen, recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, universal health is a prerequisite to economic development.

ECONOMIST AMARTYA SEN ARGUES THAT even in poorer countries universal health care (UHC) is an achievable goal.

“There is much evidence of the big contributions that UHC can make in advancing the lives of people, and also – and this is very important – in enhancing economic and social opportunities,” he said.

Sen says the argument that poor countries cannot provide UHC is based on crude and faulty economic reasoning, citing four reasons overlooked by naysayers: • At a basic level health care is very labourintensive and in a poor country wages are low.

• Whatever is affordable can be more effectively and more equitably provided through universal coverage.

• Many medical and health services are shared, rather than exclusively used by individuals, and covering more people as a group can sometimes cost less than covering a smaller number individually.

• Universal coverage prevents the spread of infectious diseases and cuts costs through better epidemiological care.

Sen argues there are not only local benefits of universal health care but global ones as well.

“The transmission of disease from region to region – and of course from country to country – has broadened the force of this argument in recent years.

“Right now, the pandemic of Ebola is causing alarm in parts of the world far away from its place of origin in West Africa. Had there been effective UHC in the countries of origin of the disease, this problem could 2 6 | T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5

have been mitigated or even eliminated.

“The calculation of the ultimate economic costs and benefits of health care can be a far more complex process than the universality-deniers would have us believe.”

FROM POOREST TO RICHEST The Indian state of Kerala demonstrates the rich rewards of a functioning universal public health care system.

“When universal health care was introduced to Kerala it was one of the poorest states in India.

“Despite its poverty, Kerala did manage to run an effective UHC program that contributed greatly to its having, by some margin, the longest life expectancy in India and the lowest rates of infant and child mortality, among other health accomplishments.

“But in addition to these so-called ‘social achievements’, it was possible to argue – despite scorn from those who were opposed to UHC – that with the help of a more educated and healthier workforce, Kerala would also be able to grow faster in purely economic terms.

“After all, there are no influences as strong in raising the productivity of labour as health, education and skill formation.

“In fact, the previously poor state of Kerala, with its universal health care and universal schooling, now has the highest per capita income among all the states in India. There is, thus, plenty of evidence that not only does universal health care powerfully enhance the health of people, its rewards go well beyond health.

“There is, indeed, a strong relationship between health and economic performance.

“There is no mystery in all this given the centrality of health for better lives and for enhancing human capabilities.”

EQUITABLE AND EFFICIENT Sen says the key advantage of universal health care is that it can focus on primary care and on relatively inexpensive outpatient care when a disease receives early attention.

“In the absence of systematic care for all, diseases are often allowed to develop, which makes it much more expensive to treat them, often involving inpatient treatment such as surgery.

“Good health care demands systematic and comprehensive attention, and in the absence of affordable health care for all, illnesses become much harder and much more expensive to treat.

“If the advancement of equity is one of the rewards of well-organised universal health care, enhancement of efficiency in medical attention is surely another.”

The economic benefits of universal health care also flow to individuals.

“Reduction of economic poverty occurs partly as a result of the greater productivity of a healthy and educated population, leading to higher wages and larger rewards from more effective work, but also because UHC makes it less likely that vulnerable, uninsured people will be made destitute by medical expenses far beyond their means.”

Frontline health worker cares for a baby in Bangladesh PHOTOGRAPH: WHO 2014

Success stories from around the world LIFE EXPECTANCY IN RWANDA HAS DOUBLED

THAILAND’S ASTONISHING SUCCESS

BANGLADESH SUCCESS THANKS TO WOMEN

In Rwanda, health gains from universal coverage have been astonishingly rapid. Devastated by genocide in 1994, the country has rebuilt itself and established an inclusive health system for all with equity-oriented national policies focusing on social cohesion and people-centred development.

Premature mortality has fallen sharply and life expectancy has doubled since the mid-1990s.

Following pilot experiments in three districts, the health coverage was scaled up to cover the whole nation in 2004 and 2005. A paper published in The Lancet in July 2014 noted: “Investing in health has stimulated shared economic growth as citizens live longer and with greater capacity to pursue the lives they value.”

Thailand’s experience in universal health care is exemplary, both in advancing health achievements across the board and in reducing inequalities between classes and regions.

In 2001 the government introduced a “30 baht universal coverage programme” that for the first time covered all the population with a guarantee that a patient would not have to pay more than 30 baht (about $1.20) per visit for medical care. The poorest quarter of the population is exempt for all charges.

The result of universal health coverage in Thailand has been a significant fall in mortality, particularly infant and child mortality, and a remarkable rise in life expectancy, which is now more than 74 years at birth – major achievements for a poor country.

Bangladesh’s progress, which has been rapid, makes clear the effectiveness of giving a significant role to women in the delivery of health care and education, combined with the part played by women in spreading knowledge about effective family planning.

Bangladesh’s fertility rate has fallen sharply from being well above five children per couple to 2.2.

“There is plenty of evidence that not only does universal health care powerfully enhance the health of people, its rewards go well beyond health. There is ... a strong relationship between health and economic performance.”

— Amartya Sen

MORE READING A longer read of Amartya Sen’s analysis of the economic benefits of universal health care can be found at: www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/06/-sp-universal-healthcare-the-affordable-dream-amartya-sen T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 2 7

SURVEY

Not happy, Tony A survey of more than 25,000 Australian workers, including nearly 1200 nurses and midwives, has revealed widespread disquiet with the direction of our country and the threats to workers’ rights, universal health and education.

RESULTS OF THE SURVEY, CONDUCTED by the ACTU, paint a very dark picture of the current mood in Australia towards the Abbott government’s policies. More than 35 per cent of respondents want a change of government as soon as possible.

Another 22 per cent say they are “disappointed” with the government, 20 per cent they are “worried and anxious” about the government’s policies and 10 per cent are “angry”.

Only seven per cent said they were enthusiastic about the federal government’s agenda, while a mere three per cent said they felt “happy and relaxed”.

Three-quarters (75%) of the 25,000 respondents said they believed Australia was moving in the wrong direction.

WIDESPREAD ANXIETY Of the nurses and midwives surveyed 78 per cent said they were “very worried” about any proposal to cut penalty rates, while a further 17 per cent were “worried”.These concerns were slightly greater than felt by other workers.

There were similar levels of concerns held by nurses and midwives about proposals first raised by the government’s Commission of Audit to reduce the minimum wage and about any new laws 2 8 | T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5

to reduce rights at work.

The majority (92%) of nurses and midwives were either “very worried” or “worried” about threats to the minimum wage. Ninety-three per cent were “very worried” or “worried” about a roll back of rights at work.

The survey showed there is widespread anxiety in Australian workplaces about job losses and job security. Ninety-five per cent of respondents were either “very worried” or “worried” about the loss of Australia’s manufacturing industry and 95 per cent were “very worried” or “worried” about rising unemployment, especially among young people.

457 visas were also a major concern with 88 per cent of respondents fearing they will drive down Australian wages and conditions.

THREATS TO HEALTH, EDUCATION, PENSIONS BITE HARD Attacks on Medicare and public education also elicited much angst: 87 per cent of people were “very worried” or “worried” about co-payments and higher charges on medical services under Medicare.

Ninety-one per cent were “very worried” or “worried” about large increases in fees for university and TAFE,

which would put education out of reach.

Increases to the GST were of major concern to 84 per cent of people.

Ninety-seven per cent of respondents were “very worried” or “worried” by any proposal that meant the age pension no longer kept pace with increases in wages.

Eighty-nine per cent were similarly concerned about any decision to raise the pension age to 70 years.

On the contrary there was overwhelming support for strengthening retirement incomes: 93 per cent “strongly agree” or “agree” that there should be an increase in superannuation contributions to 12 per cent as soon as possible.

MAJORITY WANT HALT TO PRIVATISATION Nurses and midwives are not the only members of the public who are opposed to privatisation: 94 per cent of workers surveyed by the ACTU were “very worried” or “worried” about more privatisation and outsourcing at both the state and federal level and its impact on the cost of living. And 90 per cent “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that there should be a halt to privatisation.

There is a strong perception that Australia is divided into winners –

Ninety-five per cent of nurses and midwives are “very worried” or “worried” about cuts to penalty rates.

WORRIES ABOUT THREATS TO RIGHTS AT WORK

CURRENT MOOD ABOUT THE ABBOTT GOVERNMENT POLICIES Wanting a change of govt ASAP

37 22

Disappointed Worried and anxious

Any proposal to cut penalty rates

CoA proposal to reduce minimum wage over 10 years

Any new laws or proposals from govt inquiries to reduce rights at work

51 34 12

61 31 6

64 30 5

3

1

1

20 10

Angry

Very worried

Don’t care / Indifferent

4

Worried

Enthusiastic about govt agenda

4

Not worried

Happy and relaxed

Not at all worried

2 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Source: ACTU Our Living Standards Survey 2015

WORRIES ABOUT THE FUTURE OF MEDICARE, EDUCATION AND GST

Very worried Worried Not worried Not at all worried

Co-payments on GP visits & higher charges on medical services available under Medicare

Large increases in fees for university and TAFE putting education out of reach

Any proposal to increase the rate of the GST or to expand what the GST covers

59 28 10

68 23 5

51 32 14

3

3

big business and the richest one per cent of the population – and losers – almost everyone else: those with mortgages, women, indigenous people, small business, renters, young people, unemployed and pensioners and minimum wage earners.

This manifests itself in a real fear of an unequal future: 95% think big corporations are too influential

•

WORRIES ABOUT PRIVATISATION AND OUTSOURCING

3

More privatisation and outsourcing at a state and federal level Very worried Worried Not worried

69 25 5

Not at all worried

think we are developing a • 89% working poor like the United States worry about their kids access to • 90% university worry there won’t be good jobs • 84% for their kids NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda says many of the ACTU survey findings are disturbing and governments and policy makers need to take stock of what Australians want for our country’s future.

1

A halt to privatisation

Disagree

58 32 9

Strongly disagree

1

Strongly agree Agree

“People, including nurses and midwives, are clearly unhappy the federal government is taking the country in a direction where public health, education and pensions are undermined and where power is shifted in favour of big business and the ultra wealthy and their interests are put before those of working people,” he said.

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 2 9

FINANCIAL

New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association Summary of Financial Information for the Year Ended 31 December 2014 The financial statements of the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association have been audited in accordance with the provisions of the Industrial Relations Act 1991, and the following summary is provided for members in accordance with Section 517(2) of the Act, as applied by section 282(3) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1996.

A copy of the Financial Statements, including the Independent Audit Report, will be supplied free of charge to members upon request. Certificates required to be given under the Act by the Accounting Officer and the Committee of Management have been completed in accordance with the provisions of the Act and contain no qualifications.

SUMMARY OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2014 2014 $ Membership revenue

2013 $

Information to be provided to members or Registrar

In accordance with the requirements of the Industrial Relations Act 1991 [NSW], the attention of members is drawn to the provisions of Sub-sections (1) and (2) of Section 512 which read as follows: (1) A member of an organisation, or the Industrial Registrar, may apply to the organisation for specified information prescribed by the regulations in relation to the organisation.

(2) An organisation must, on the making of such an application, make the specified information available to the member or the Industrial Registrar in the manner, and within the time, prescribed by the regulations.

31,054,940

29,449,258

NursePower fund subscriptions

3,438,225

3,293,807

Auditor’s Certificate

Other income

2,202,598

1,661,177

36,695,763

34,404,242

We certify that the above Summary of the Financial Information is a fair and accurate summary of the Report, Accounts and Statements of the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association for the year ended 31 December 2014. Our Independent Audit Report to the members dated 14 April 2015 on the Financial Report did not contain any particulars of any deficiency, failure or shortcoming as referred to in the Industrial Relations Act 1991 [NSW], as applied by Section 282(3) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1996.

TOTAL INCOME LESS TOTAL EXPENDITURE

(33,887,367) (36,262,518)

RESULT FOR THE YEAR

2,808,396

(1,858,276)

Net gain on revaluation of financial assets

(226,842)

383,714

Remeasurement of net defined benefit liability

(888,368)

1,388,239

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO MEMBERS

1,693,186

(86,323)

33,734,289

32,041,103

Current assets

16,198,502

14,831,974

Non-current assets

28,783,238

27,692,932

TOTAL ASSETS

44,981,740

42,524,906

Current liabilities

8,882,898

9,068,090

Non-current liabilities

2,364,553

1,415,713

TOTAL LIABILITIES

11,247,451

10,483,803

NET ASSETS

33,734,289

32,041,103

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2014 ACCUMULATED FUNDS Represented by:

DALEY & CO Chartered Accountants

Michael Mundt Partner 14 April 2015 Wollongong Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

A copy of the Financial Report, including the Independent Audit Report, may be found on the Members page of the website www.nswnma.asn.au or can be obtained upon written application to: Brett Holmes, General Secretary, New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association, 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo 2017.

3 0 | T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5

new law with bob whyburn, solicitor director new law is a firm jointly owned by the nswnma and the electrical trades union. we strive to provide the best possible legal services to members and their families, at the best possible rates.

What should I do if I am arrested by the Police?

Being arrested by the police is always a difficult and emotional situation. Changes in legislation can mean that it is now in a client’s interests if their solicitor does not turn up to the police station. For that reason it is important you remember some key things if you are being arrested: 1. Try to stay calm throughout the process. Being abusive or obstructive will only hinder the process and you could face additional charges, which carry severe penalties.

2. You should give police your name and address when asked.

3. You should ask why you have been arrested.

4. Ask to speak to a lawyer and call the Association to get some over the phone advice. Recent changes to legislation means that if your solicitor is with you at the police station, the police can give you a different caution, which allows your silence to later be used against you in court. It is therefore our usual practice to not attend police stations in criminal matters.

DO NOT ADMIT GUILT TO ANY OFFENCE. 5. Do not under any circumstances answer any questions. Simply state ‘I refuse to answer’ should they need you to record your answers on tape.

6. Be particularly careful with ‘idle’ chitchat at the police station.

Officers are trained to try to get information out of you under the guise of harmless conversation.

7. You should not sign anything, or provide any written statement.

8. Do not admit guilt to any offence.

Each offence is made up of several elements and you may not understand what you are admitting to.

9. If the police have asked you to come into the station to avoid being arrested, you should do so.

Make sure you take as few possessions inside with you. In particular, it is advisable to not take your mobile phone.

10. If you are charged make sure you understand what you are being charged with, your bail conditions and your court date.

As soon as you have left the station, call the Association to arrange to get advice from our solicitors about your situation and what you should do next.

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 3 1

VA L E

a life well lived

Janet Bean [e\ Janet Bean made her mark not just professionally but also in her considerable contribution to the NSWNMA and the ANMF during her nursing career.

The Association was fortunate to have Janet as an active delegate (Manly Hospital/ Sydney Home Nursing Service), councillor (1987-1995) and president (1992-9994).

She was also a member of the NSWNMA Editorial Committee from 1989 to 1995 and a member of the ANF Professional Advisory committee. Janet also held the position of Federal President of the ANF from 1995 to 1997.

Janet’s commitment was unquestioned and she discharged her roles with great integrity and fairness at all times.

She possessed profound common sense and a keen intellect, with a great sense of humour that was always just beneath the surface.

Janet’s involvement in the Association was underpinned by a strong commitment to social justice as well as a genuine concern for those she worked with, both in her professional life and the wider community.

By any measure, Janet Bean was not a passive participant in the world around her, but one who saw her life through the prism of active involvement in all spheres of life.

She enriched the lives of all those who knew and worked with her and the Association was the beneficiary of that. In 1999 Janet was awarded Life Membership of the Association.

Janet’s nursing career commenced at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital where she completed her general training in 1961. She then undertook midwifery at the Crown Street Women’s Hospital and travelled overseas for a time before marrying in 1964.

Janet left her nursing career to care full time for her family of three children. During this time she became involved with the National Hyperactivity Association – an organisation concerned with how food additives could affect the behaviour of some children. The work of that organisation continues today on a much bigger scale.

In 1978 Janet returned to nursing at the Dalwood Children’s Home at Seaforth. When that organisation closed in 1980 she commenced working as a Community Nurse at the Manly Centre of Sydney Home Nursing Service (SHNS) and began what turned out to be the most productive years of her professional life.

Deciding to establish her professional life in the field of community nursing, Janet undertook her Associate Diploma in Community Health Nursing at the Cumberland College of Health Sciences.

During her time as Nursing Unit Manager at the Manly Centre of SHNS Janet was recognised for the strong support

3 2 | T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5

she gave her nursing staff in every aspect of their work.

She recognised the need for manageable workloads, ongoing support and education for her staff and she was a fierce advocate to ensure they had the necessary means and support to undertake the difficult and complex work required to care for people in their own homes.

It would be fair to say that Janet’s belief in a fair and just workplace for nurses became the catalyst for her involvement in the work of the NSWNMA. Janet’s professional skills, so evident at Manly, saw her appointed to Assistant Director of Nursing with SHNS and, in time, Deputy Director of Nursing.

During her time with the SHNS Janet coordinated for the first Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) accreditation of the organisation. Sydney Home Nursing Service was the first community nursing service to achieve accreditation in New South Wales.

As well, she was deeply involved in preparing the first Community Nursing Minimum Data set in Australia, beginning in 1993. It was Janet who devised the computer based model of data collection and she became the main contact at SHNS for implementing a community nursing information system.

To do that Janet worked with Pen Computer Systems to design and build a system from scratch. It is a system that has survived the test of time and continued well past Janet’s retirement.

While at SHNS Janet was an indispensible part of the negotiations with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in devising an alternative cost structure for handling episodes of care for the DVA patients of SHNS. This cost structure went on to be the basis for negotiation with public sector agencies throughout Australia.

In addition, Janet was actively involved over several years in the Australian Council of Community Nursing Services at both state and federal levels.

After her retirement in 1998 Janet continued her active involvement in a wide variety of activities – the Booklovers Club at Wahroonga, opera and theatre, bird watching and bridge. To each of these she brought her enthusiasm and abiding interest and her organisational skills and commitment.

Janet’s last challenge was the illness that ultimately took her life on March 9 this year.

True to form, she dealt with it with courage and dignity. Hers was a life well lived in every way. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

— Patricia Staunton AM and Carol Cowan

VA L E

a great nurse

Phillip John Hunt 1953 — 2014

[e\

There are nurses, and there are nurses. Phillip Hunt was the latter, the kind that you, as a nurse, would want at your sickbed.

He was what you’d expect of any professional nurse: observant, analytical, and accurate. And then there was his ability to connect and his perception, vital in rehabilitation nursing, which allowed him to instil more than willingness – a will – in his patients to push to the limits of their abilities and then to extend them. He was a great nurse.

Phillip was born and grew up in Wollongong. He completed his HSC in 1972 and immediately commenced his 42-year nursing career, training at Gladesville Hospital where he worked in adult, child, psycho-geriatric, rehabilitation and community psychiatry. He also cared for developmentally delayed people and drug and alcohol dependents.

On his certification he worked full-time as a psychiatric RN at Greenwich’s Northside Clinic. He also returned to study his great loves of sociology and philosophy at the University of NSW. These subjects would underpin his life and work.

In February 1980 Phillip began at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, working in psychiatry and drug and alcohol dependency nursing. After completing a Diploma of Applied Science (Nursing) in 1988, he moved into general nursing, working in medical and surgical oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic medicine and then the haematology oncology unit during 1988-89.

Phillip did return to mental health in 1990, working at the

Sydney Private Clinic. In 1991 he started at the Sacred Heart Hospice where he specialised in cancer, HIV and palliative care nursing.

In 1993 he worked at the Mount Sinai Medical Centre in New York City before returning to Sacred Heart in January 2000, where he re-graded as a clinical nurse specialist. He then began at the newly established St Vincent’s Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Unit where he remained for 14 years until his sudden death.

Philip was a guide and mentor to many nurses, a kind and compassionate fellow traveller who despised hypocrisy and corruption. He was of, with, and for the worker!

Through periods of activism as a member of NSWNMA, Phillip also acted as NUM and participated on quality and OHS committees.

We miss him terribly, the breadth and depth of his reading and knowledge, his interest and active participation in church politics, the joy he took in films and travel.

His sudden, accidental death was a shock and his loss is felt acutely and deeply by his colleagues, his friends, his beloved partner Mark and by the different communities he belonged to.

Rest in peace, Phillip.

Following his funeral at Sacred Heart, Darlinghurst, it was announced that an annual Phillip Hunt Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation Nursing would be established in the St Vincent’s Hospital Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Unit.

— Gavin Wilson and Jacqui Jensen

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 3 3

NOTICE

CRITERIA FOR SPONSORING NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS NSWNMA members involved in not-for-profit organisations, such as sporting clubs and youth and cultural organisations, are eligible to apply for sponsorship and support from the Association.

Applications are assessed on merit by the NSWNMA Council, based on their meeting the following criteria: • Applications must have the written support of a NSWNMA member who is prepared to attest to the organisation’s good standing and its positive attitude towards the principles of trade unions.

• The applicant must agree to the messaging required by the NSWNMA on sponsored items for at least the period of the sponsorship.

• The application must demonstrate relevance to current or future members of the NSWNMA, by providing such things as membership or participant numbers and ages and the expected public exposure opportunities, including estimated numbers, arising from the sponsorship.

• The application must demonstrate a commitment to the promotion of healthy lifestyle and wellbeing.

• The application must provide value for sponsorship dollar in comparison to traditional advertising opportunities.

Go the the members’ only page of the NSWNMA website for the application form.

Complete Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

Continence and Pelvic Floor Workshops Female Pelvic Floor Workshop 20th and 21st June, 2015 Two day course with practical component $560 Early Bird Rate • $595 Bookings < 6 weeks

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Further details: www.womenswaterworks.com.au

To book phone: (02) 4975 1311

ADVERTISE IN THE LAMP. REACH MORE THAN

60,000 NURSES AND MIDWIVES. To advertise please contact Patricia Purcell 02 8595 2139 // 0416 259 845 // ppurcell@nswnma.asn.au 3 4 | T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5

social media | nurse uncut

WHAT’S

HOT

www.nurseuncut.com.au Do you have a story to tell? An opinion to share? nurse uncut is written by everyday nurses and midwives.

Send us your ideas at nurseuncut@nswnma.asn.au

Nurse Uncut is also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NurseUncutAustralia and on Twitter @nurseuncut

A BLOG FOR AUSTRALIAN NURSES AND MIDWIVES

THIS MONTH

Stevie’s EN diary: New, again www.nurseuncut.com.au/stevies-en-diary-new-again

Moving from one ward to another as part of her enrolled nurse new grad program leaves Stevie feeling clueless.

Nurses and midwives don’t lie about privatisation www.nurseuncut.com.au/nurse-and-midwives-dont-lie-about-privatisation

During the state election campaign, our TV ads were repeatedly called a lie – here Brett Holmes tells the scary truth about privatisation.

Nurse to be deported because son has autism www.nurseuncut.com.au/government-to-deport-queensland-nurse-because-her-sonhas-autism

Single mother Maria Sevilla faces imminent deportation because her 10-year-old son with autism is considered a burden to Australia.

Fifty years at Dorrigo Hospital www.nurseuncut.com.au/fifty-years-at-dorrigo-hospital

Enrolled nurse Annette Clark began work at Dorrigo as a 16-year-old domestic, fresh from school.

Reporting back: health and environmental sustainability conference www.nurseuncut.com.au/report-back-health-and-environmental-sustainability-conference

Janet Roden attended this conference in Melbourne along with 300 other enthusiastic nurses and midwives.

The impact of genital mutilation on mothers and babies www.nurseuncut.com.au/the-impact-of-genital-mutilation-on-mothers-and-babies

Midwifery and public health researchers lead Australia’s first study of obstetric outcomes for women with genital mutilation and its impact on their babies.

New on SupportNurses YouTube channel Meet our Union Summer interns Four nursing students learn about our union. >> youtu.be/UrB78_8YdWM Springwood forum RN 24/7 Family members and nurses speak about the importance of the RN in nursing homes. >> youtu.be/uNVmqKMRlBA

NSWNMA on Instagram!

Yes, we’re on Instagram, so share your local photos with us @nswnma and #NSWNMAforce4change.

Follow us on Twitter NSWNurses & Midwives @nswnma Watch us on YouTube SupportNurses Connect with us on Facebook

New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association >> www.facebook.com/nswnma Look for your local Ratios put patient safety first >> www.facebook.com/safepatientcare Branch page on Aged Care Nurses >> www.facebook.com/agedcarenurses our website.

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 3 5

The Edith Cavell Trust

Scholarships for the academic year 2016 Applications foor the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarships are now being accepted for the academic yearr 2016.

Members or Asssociate Members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association or the Australian Nurssing 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, assiistants in midwifery (including students of those disciplines), and accredited nursing or midw wifery organisations, schools and faculties in the furtherance of: (i) accredited nursing or midwifery studies; (ii) such acadeemic 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 educationaal professional development level; in accordance with a number of categories.

Applicants musst be currently registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

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

www.nswnnma.asn.au – click on ‘Education’ For further information contact: The Secretary – The Edith Caveell Trust, 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo, NSW 2017  Matt West oon 1300 367 962  mawest@nswnma.asn.au

Applica t close 5p ions m on 31 July l 2015

social media | facebook

WHAT NURSES & MIDWIVES

SAID & LIKED on facebook www.facebook.com/nswnma On-shift allowance win!

We won an important test case involving payment of in-charge of shift allowances in the public health system.

About time! I have retired now but it used to annoy me when we were not paid in charge of unit because the NUM or evening supervisor was on duty. The evening supervisor would be working in a different unit but on the same level so we were told we weren’t eligible, even though we were running the ward including Birth Unit. Good job and well done.

I’m very impressed to see the NSWNMA undertake test cases. No fear!

Having a family member in a nursing home for the first time I was horrified to learn there wasn’t an RN there 24/7. So sad and wrong for the elderly.

I can only assume that taking RNs out of nursing homes is supposed to make them cheaper to run? However, AiN pay will not increase with their increased responsibilities and nor would their training, making it dangerous and overwhelming for AiNs as well as the elderly who depend upon them. Disgraceful they would even consider this.

Aged care needs RNs 24/7 Our campaign to keep nurses in nursing homes 24/7 goes on.

Every time I drive past the new Northern Beaches Hospital site I feel sick. That site was once going to be a public hospital, under the Baird Government it is now a private hospital.

Shameful and sickening. Manly and Mona Vale will be downgraded and sold. “Welcome to the new state of business” so his slogan goes ... private business.

Fair go for health Premier Baird After the election the NSWNMA seeks a fair go for public health from the new Baird government.

Penalty rates must stay Wishing our members Happy Easter turned into a long conversation about penalty rates.

PHOTO GALLERY

The happy student winner of a NSWNMA stethoscope at Australian Catholic University.

Night duty Saturday and Sunday nights for me. Hate having to sleep the weekend away while the kids play quietly, but we need the money! If penalty rates go, so do I! I worked this Easter too. I don’t require thanks from anyone other than my family as they are the ones that will benefit most from the extra pay I will receive. I chose my job knowing the pros and cons. Yes I believe nurses should get penalty rates and anyone else that works weekends and public holidays.

All health staff deserve penalty rates!

Yep I read this as I’m about to start my day shift on Easter Saturday morning and see all the posts of friends enjoying their hols.

Worked Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning on a busy medical ward.

Thank you to all who work in the care industry, nurses, doctors and everyone who gives up special occasions to care for the ill, the elderly and others in need.

I worked yesterday and today and I’m also working tomorrow – those penalty rates really make a difference. // 30 years nursing this year ... Hell yeah, penalties must stay.

As a ward clerk I’m in today, tomorrow – doesn’t matter what role you have, we are all in over the holidays, part and parcel of the caring profession.

As a chef in age care I’m on Easter Sunday. We all deserve our penalty rates.

I’m doing night shifts. Lucky if I see hubby and kids for a few hours.

I worked evening shift Good Friday, evening shift today, morning shift tomorrow and evening shift on Monday while my kids are home without me and everyone else is out having fun over Easter. Despite the fact I’ll be working four public holidays in the one pay period, I’m dreading getting paid next fortnight as I’ll pay more tax than usual and my pay be will less than normal! We not only need to keep our penalty rates, they should be increased!

Remember, nurses fought hard to get these penalty rates for you. It is your duty to fight to keep them for yourselves and all future nurses.

“More local nurses, less patient hearses” says the banner behind Grafton nurse Angela Killingly!

Queanbeyan’s emergency department nurses know what they want!

Taking the RN 24/7 message to a Sydney Seniors Week event.

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 3 7

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Across 1. Shock resulting from inadequate cardiac function (11.5) 9. To feel nausea (6) 11. A person trained and certified to provide emergency medical care (9) 12. To force or drive forward (4) 13. Symbol for dalton (2) 15. A compound formed from an alcohol and an acid by removal of water (5) 17. Examinee, testee, interviewee (10) 20. Symbol for tellurium (2) 21. Determined or actuated not by reason (9) 23. Pairs; occurring in twos (9) 26. Feeling about to vomit (9) 27. A very localised bacterial infection of the skin (8)

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28. Chemical vapors that are inhaled for their mind-altering effects (9) 32. Information, including verifiable facts and data that support a practice or belief (8) 34. Dyspnea that is relieved in the upright position (9) 36. Occupational therapy (1.1) 37. Link, connect, relate, equate (9) 38. Bartholomewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tea (5.9) 39. Symbol for strontium (2) Down 1. Saline agglutinin (8.8) 2. To feel sorrow or remorse (6) 3. One of two or more nuclides having the same atomic and mass numbers but differing in energy states for a finite period of time (6)

4. Socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women (6) 5. Avian influenza; Ranikhet disease (9.7) 6. A hard plug composed of sebum and dead skin cells (6) 7. To react with unnecessary or inappropriate force, emotional display, or violence (4.5) 8. An instrument for determining the degree of muscular sensation (16) 10. Symbol for lutetium (2) 14. A negatively charged ion (5) 16. Dilatation, expansion, or distention (7)

18. Pulmonary embolism (1.1) 19. Bodies, as distinguished from the minds (6) 22. Duration of life (3) 24. To put in confinement (8) 25. Lack or loss of strength and energy; weakness (8) 29. Administration of hormones to correct a deficiency (1.1.1) 30. A dried fibrous part of the fruit used as a washing sponge or strainer (5) 31. Nicotinamide mononucleotide (1.1.1) 33. Narrow beds made of canvas on a collapsible frame (4) 35. Take in food (3)

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 3 9

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

Authorised by B.Holmes, General Secretary, NSWNMA

YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEES COVER YOU FOR TRAVEL TO AND FROM WORK? If you are involved in an accident while travelling to or from work, NSWNMA’s Journey Accident Insurance provides you with peace of mind.

In recent years this insurance has been a financial safety net for many members who have met unfortunate circumstances travelling to or from work.

As a financial member of the NSWNMA you are automatically covered by this policy. It’s important to remember however, that it can only be accessed if you are a financial member at the time of the accident.

So make sure your membership remains financial at all times by paying your fees by Direct Debit or Credit.

Watch Alexis talk about Journey Accident Insurance

JOURNEY ACCIDENT INSURANCE Your journey injury safety net

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

Change your payment information online at

www.nswnma.asn.au

nursing research online

The late Professor Gavin Mooney was a world-renowned pioneer in the field of health economics, with a deep and abiding commitment to equity and social justice. The Gavin Mooney Memorial Essay Competition is a collaborative project by the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, Croakey and Inside Story. The initiative seeks to continue Professor Mooney’s work in promoting understanding and recognition of social justice and health equity concerns. The theme of the 2014 competition was the social and cultural determinants of mental health and the five best entries are available here: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/gavinmooneyessays2014_4.pdf A place to call home: housing security and mental health El Gibbs The tax treatment of housing disproportionately favours those who own rather than rent property. This inverts Australia’s usually progressive tax regime, as those who are already wealthy receive far more benefits than those who are not. And because housing is often the major asset in a family, inability to afford housing entrenches inequality.

For people with a mental illness, insecure tenancies, low incomes and rising housing costs work against their recovery and wellbeing. This inequality must be urgently addressed as part of broader social reforms for people with disabilities, including psychosocial disabilities. Without a home that is affordable, people with a mental illness can end up in prison or become homeless.

Why him?

Malcolm Forbes Why, at the end of the day, do I swipe myself out, locking him in? Why am I the doctor and he the patient? Our lives are not dissimilar. We were both born in 1987, with a healthy complement of genes. We had both shone in primary school for our sporting ability and then abandoned our sporting potential in secondary school in an act of rebellion. We had both experienced sadness over girls who hadn’t reciprocated our love. We both found solace in the songs of Billy Bragg.

In 2000, our paths diverged. I had exhausted my second chances with the administration and was suspended from school. Andrew had been suspended too, from a school a few hundred kilometres south of me. However, my father was a teacher and had the wherewithal to get me back into the education system. With the support of my family I went back to school and got my life back on track. Andrew wasn’t so lucky.

Just cheer up: mental health in the age of austerity Olivia Hibbitt I remember the exact moment I first felt it: the overwhelming, crushing pressure of depression. It was one of those early summer days, where the warmth is gentle and the sunshine seems golden. The doors to my house were flung open and a slight breeze lifted the hair from my neck.

I was sitting in a patch of sunlight looking at the sleeping faces of my eight-week-old twins. I had two beautiful children, a job to go back to after maternity leave, a good education, a supportive partner and family and enough money to feed and clothe myself, go on holiday and buy the

things I wanted. Yet a dark grey fog surrounded me and none of this mattered. I felt like I was looking out at my life from the inside of a dirty bus shelter. In spite of all I had, I stood teetering on the edge of a cliff, at the bottom of which was an abyss of mental ill health. One of the worst things said to me during that time was the ubiquitous, and seemingly innocuous: “You have two beautiful children, just be happy.”

Like mental ill health was a case of weak personality that could simply be overcome by sheer force of will.

A history of angel suits Stephen Wright In the crevices of my therapeutic work with those who have experienced childhood trauma and abuse, I would sometimes remember Philip Larkin’s poem “This Be the Verse” which begins “They f**k you up, your mum and dad”. As I finished a set of case notes one morning, I realised that it was actually a poem addressed to children. I imagined it included in a children’s poetry anthology somewhere between Robert Louis Stevenson and Michael Leunig. Larkin’s poem has a ruthlessness about it that an adult might view as despair, but children would claim with delight, a ruthlessness distinguished by its lack of lies and fantasy. Children, in fact, usually have little time for either.

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 4 1

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

Each review includes a link directly to that item in the library catalogue plus instructions on how to request a loan.

special interest ANZAC Girls by Peter Rees Allen & Unwin www.allenandunwin.com • RRP $29.99 ISBN 9781743319826 In light of the ANZAC centenary the NSWNMA Library is pleased to announce that a copy of this compelling book is available for loan to members keen to further explore the story that inspired the landmark ABC TV series. ANZAC GIRLS presents an evocative account of the unfolding Great War as seen “by a few representing the many” who actively served in the theatres of Egypt, Lemnos, the hospital ships and the Western Front. The Great War was the first test of the fledgling Army Nursing Services of Australia (AANS) and New Zealand (NZANS). Civilian nurses had served in the 1899-1902 Boer War in South Africa, however WWI saw the advent of dedicated local corps, plus scores of nurses joined other British Imperial and private medical units. While not without controversy, at home and in the field, the services provided by these nurses were deeply appreciated by servicemen and many military nurses were awarded high honours. This book takes readers into the hospital camps, wards and tent surgeries, where the courage and compassion of nurses was tested by appalling conditions and horrific situations and where their reputation as dignified pioneers began.

“Caps and Veils” The Nursing History of the Sydney Hospital Matrons and its Nurses Valerie Griffiths, Jingzhe Li Elinor Wrobel Publishing via sydhospmuseum@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au RRP $50 ISBN 9780980581614 This book draws on the extensive archives of the Sydney Hospital to recount in meticulous detail the stories of the hospital’s many distinguished nursing graduates and leaders.

Excerpts from letters, memoirs and diaries, biographies, oral and family histories, official reports, newspaper articles, photographs and curriculum vitae are all richly combined to illuminate their individual lives and experiences, as well as their intimate connection with the history of Sydney itself. As introduced by Governor Marie Bashir, this book provides a significant contribution to the social history of modern Australia and all health professional groups will find details of early regulations a revealing window upon the problematic environment of those times and the challenges faced in training many thousands of students.

Can I tell you about Diabetes (Type 1)?

Julie Edge Jessica Kingsley Publishers via Footprint Books www.footprint.com.au RRP $19.95 ISBN 9781849054690 Slim and easy to read, this book would benefit those working with children and young people as a starting point for discussions about the condition. In the book “Debbie” is presented as an adolescent who has lived with Type 1 Diabetes since age six; she explains how it feels when her blood sugar levels are high and low, how she monitors and controls her blood sugar and how she can be helped and supported by friends, teachers and parents.

Sexual Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach Meredith Temple-Smith IP Communications www.ipcommunications.com.au RRP $80 ISBN 9780987290557 Sexual health is now considered a multi-dimensional product of complex interactions between biological, psychological and socio-cultural factors. This revised and expanded second edition brings together 34 expert Australian practitioners and researchers to provide a comprehensive, contemporary local perspective on sexual health. Chapters report on current statistics on sexual preferences in the Australian population, psychological theories of sexuality, clinical practice concerns such as common issues, infections and dysfunctions. Specific groups are addressed including indigenous Australians, refugees, homeless youth, sex workers and prisoners. The final section is devoted to prevention and promotion issues with chapters on reframing the disease-focussed debate and examining the role of the law in promoting sexual health in Australia.

Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders, 3rd edition Aaron Beck, Denise Davis, Arthur Freeman The Guilford Press www.guilford.com RRP $79 ISBN 9781462517923 This new edition comprises three parts beginning with theory, research and general clinical methods, then clinical applications to specific personality disorders, plus comorbidity and clinical management. The first two parts have been refreshed and expanded to integrate new ideas such as motivational interviewing, mindfulness, schema role plays and other experiential exercises, building functional core beliefs and personal models for resilience and specific strategies for managing the therapeutic alliance. Chapters on specific disorders discuss key treatment goals, lifespan or developmental considerations, termination issues and common challenges and tips for clinician self-care. Part three examines how to deal with crises such as suicide and violence, as well as effective treatment principles that cut across all of the distinct disorders.

All books can be ordered through the publisher or your local bookshop. NSWNMA members can borrow the books featured here, and many more, from our Information and Records Management Centre (IRMC). Contact Jeannette Bromfield gensec@nswnma.asn.au or Cathy Matias 8595 2121 cmatias@nswnma.asn.au. All reviews by NSWNMA IRMC Coordinator/Librarian Jeannette Bromfield. Some books are reviewed using information supplied and have not been independently reviewed.

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 4 3

NSWNMA WATCHES

$50 each Avalon Watch Seiko Japan 3 hand movement Long life battery Mesh stainless steel band 2 year guarantee on watch parts & workmanship

BONDED POLAR FLEECE ZIP FRONT JACKET

$30 each NSWNMA merchandise is not only stylish & comfortable, it is affordable & sold at cost to members.

ORDER FORM Bonded Polar Fleece Zip Front Jacket $30 + $5 postage & handling*. Quantity: S XL XXL XXXL Size: M L NSWNMA Watches $50 + $5 postage & handling*.

Quantity: Small

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Merchandise order forms also available on

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movies of the month

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA An actor at the peak of her international career, Maria Enders ( Juliette Binoche), is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous 20 years earlier.

Back then she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young girl who disarms and eventually drives her boss, Helena, to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the role of the older woman, Helena.

While staying in a remote region of the Swiss Alps, the Sils Maris of the title, Maria and her assistant Valentine, (Kristen Stewart), begin rehearsing the play.

As an older woman in a cutthroat industry Maria understands the marketing power of returning to her most famous play, with the twist of taking on the older role.

But as the rehearsals continue and themes of youth, age and vanity are explored in depth, she comes face-to-face with an unsettling reflection of herself.

The collision between social media and celebrity – something Stewart is familiar to in real life – is introduced to the film via Hollywood starlet Jo-Ann (Chloë Grace Moretz), who is to take on Maria’s original role in the play.

This looks to be a powerful film with three strong female leads and while Binoche is the big name on the bill, Stewart, best known for the vampire series Twilight, won a César award, (French equivalent of an Oscar), for her role in Clouds of Sils Maria, becoming the first American female to do so.

IN CINEMAS MAY 14

METROMEMBERGIVEAWAY Email The Lamp by the 10th of the month to be in the draw to win a double pass to Clouds of Sils Maria thanks to Pinnacle Films. email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!

DVD SPECIAL OFFER Inspired by real events in Cold War Britain, celebrated novelist and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz concludes his acclaimed television drama series of Foyle’s War with three captivating episodes. Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle (Michael Kitchen) continues his work as a Senior Intelligence Officer for the secret service alongside his trusted driver Sam Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks). In the first of three episodes Foyle is drawn into the murky world of international oil politics when a London University professor is found stabbed. The victim had been working as a translator at the Nuremberg Trials in Germany and may have taken a bribe to carry information back to England for a suspected Nazi war criminal. Meanwhile Sam, who unbeknownst to Foyle is in the early stages of pregnancy, volunteers for a risky undercover job.

RURALMEMBERGIVEAWAY Email The Lamp by the 15th of this month to be in the draw to win a dvd of Foyle’s War Series Nine thanks to RLJ Media. email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!

T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5 | 4 5

diary dates — conferences, seminars, meetings. diary dates is a free service for members. Please send event details in the format used here: event name, date and location, contact details – by the 5th of each 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.

NSW Peri-operative Nursing Seminar Acute Care Education 16 May Orange www.acutecareeducation.com.au Empower Nurse Education – Aspects of Aged Care Conference 22-23 May Newcastle www.empowernurseeducation.com.au Family Planning NSW Dubbo Clinical Forum in Reproductive and Sexual Health 23 May 2 Dubbo www.fpnsw.org.au/249103.html NSW Urological Nurse Society Professional Development Day 29 May Gosford www.nswurologicalnurses.com Fundamentals of HIV and Sexual Health 30 May Warners Bay www.ashm.org.au/courses Medical Imaging Nurses Association National Conference 19-21 June Sydney www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEvent Summary.aspx?eid=110777 Nurses Christian Fellowship – Is longevity becoming an ethical dilemma?

23 June Sydney www.ncfansw.org Empower Nurse Education – Acute Care Nursing Conference 1 August Newcastle www.empowernurseeducation.com.au Nurses Christian Fellowship – Workshop and AGM 15 August Sydney www.ncfansw.org DANA Many Faces of Addiction Forum 13-14 August Sydney www.danaconference.com.au Australian Wound Management Association (NSW) 14-15 August Terrigal info.nsw@awma.com.au Empower Nurse Education – Anaesthetics and PARU Conference 4-5 September Newcastle www.empowernurseeducation.com.au 26th PANDDA 2015 Conference 15-16 September Parramatta www.pandda.net 2015 Australian Nursing and Midwifery Conference 15-16 October Newcastle www.nursingmidwiferyconference.com.au Australian and New Zealand Orthopaedic Nurses’ Association Conference Climbing to the Summit 11-13 November Sydney www.anzonaconference.net

ACT The MHS Conference – Best Practice into Reality 25-28 August Canberra www.themhs.org

INTERSTATE Without Consent – Australia’s past adoption practices 13 May Adelaide adelaideevents@naa.gov.au APNA National Conference 2015 14-16 May Gold Coast apnaconference.asn.au/best-practice-awards Eating Disorders and Obesity Conference 18-19 May Surfers Paradise www.eatingdisordersaustralia.org.au/ Australian and New Zealand Addiction Conference 2015 20-22 May Surfers Paradise www.addictionaustralia.org.au 4 6 | T H E L A M P M AY 2 0 1 5

The person centred approach to healthy weight management. If not dieting, then what?® 2015 22-23 May Hobart 5-6 June Perth 19-20 June Adelaide www.apna.asn.au/ifnotdieting Parkinson’s Australia National Conference 27-29 May Adelaide www.aomevents.com/ParkinsonsAustraliaNati onalConference APNA Continuing Education Workshops for Nurses in Primary Care 2015 29-30 May Adelaide www.apna.asn.au/educationworkshops ACMHN Consultation Liaison and Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Nursing 3-5 June Brisbane www.acmhn.org/news-events/events/acmhnevents-2015 Cancer Nurses Society of Australia 18th Winter Congress 14- 16 June Perth www.cnsawintercongress.com.au No 2 Bullying Conference 29-30 June Gold Coast, www.no2bullying.org.au 16th International Mental Health Conference 12-14 August Gold Coast www.anzmh.asn.au/conference/ ASA+FNA 27th Conference 2015 19-21 August Darwin www.aeromedconference.com/ 10th Conference – The Australian College of Nurse Practitioners 6-8 September Melbourne www.dcconferences.com.au/acnp2015/ 6th Australian Emergency Nurse Practitioner Symposium 9-10 September Melbourne www.dcconferences.com.au/acnp2015/home 2015 Indigenous Men’s Conference 28-30 September Darwin, www.indigenousconferences.com 2015 Indigenous Women’s Conference 28-30 September Darwin www.indigenousconferences.com The National Nursing Forum 14-16 October Brisbane www.acn.edu.au/Forum_2015 2015 CRANAplus Conference 15-17 October Alice Springs www. crana.org.au 2015 Annual Scientific Alcohol and Drug Conference 8-11 November Perth www.apsadconference.com.au 2015 National Indigenous Health Conference 1-3 December Darwin www.indigenousconferences.com

INTERNATIONAL Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity 18-19 May Waikiki, Hawaii www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/ Patient Safety Congress 6-7 July Birmingham, United Kingdom info.patientsafetycongress.co.uk/ 9th European Congress on Violence in Clinical Psychiatry 22-24 October Copenhagen, Denmark www.oudconsultancy.nl/Copenhagen2015 2nd Annual World Congress of Orthopaedics 24-26 September Xi’an,China www.bitcongress.com/wcort2015/default.asp 4th World Congress of Clinical Safety 28-30 September Vienna, Austria www.iarmm.org/4WCCS/

4th World Congress of Clinical Safety 28-30 September Vienna, Austria www.iarmm.org/4WCCS/ NCFI Quadrennial International Conference Healthy Lives in a Broken World – A Christian response to nursing 6-10 June 2016 Tagaytay City, Philippines www.ncfi.org

Lewisham Hospital 40-year reunion Class of April 17th 1975 11 April Julie Macqueen (nee Conlan) juliemacqueen@yahoo.com Wendy Jarick wendyjarick1@hotmail.com.au NEC Prince Henry/Prince of Wales 40-year reunion October 1972 – 1975 PTS 24-25 October Margret Brignall (nee Samuel) 0418 646 959 Margaret.Samuel@sswahs.nsw.gov.au Sonia Keeling (nee Graf) 0407 221 407 mskeeling@bigpond.com Gill Gillon (nee Horton) 0401 048 205 gillgill@optusnet.com.au St Vincent’s Darlinghurst PTS Class January 1976 – 40-year reunion 19 March 2016 fnethery@gmail.com.au jacquie.scott@btopenworlk.com

REUNIONS Community Health in the Lower Hunter 40-year reunion 1975-2015 Maitland, Cessnock, Singleton, Dungog and Port Stephens 24 October East Maitland Bowling Club chreunion@yahoo.com.au Ruth King 4934 3364 Kathryn Bennett 0432 136 060

diary dates is a free service for members.

NEW! The NSWNMA Library Catalogue is now online!

Visit www.nswnma.asn.au/library-services-online-library-catalogue/ for the link to open the catalogue plus instructions on how to use it. Once you have searched by keyword or browsed subject areas you can send loan requests via a quick online form. Many online resources can be accessed directly through web links included in the catalogue listing.

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Clinician Fact Sheet:

Antimicr ic obial Stewardship The goal of the Antimicrobial Stewardsh ds ip Clinical Care Standard is to ensure that a patient with a bacterial infection receives o optimal ttreatment with antibiotics.

This means that patients are offe ff red the right antibiotic to treat theiir condition, the t me and for the ri r ght dura r tion. Thi h s should right dose, the right route, at the right ti be based on accurate assessment and timely revie i w as to lessen the risk of adverse s effects and reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

UNDER THIS CLINICAL CARE STA AN NDARD A patie nt with a life -thre ate ning c ondition due to a suspe c te d bac te r ial infe c tion re c eive s p rompt a ntibiotic tre atme nt without waiting for the re sults of inve stigations.

A patie nt with a suspe c te d bac te r ial infe c tion ha s s a mple s take n for microbiology te sting a s clinic ally indic ate d, p refe rably before sta r ting a ntibiotic tre atme nt.

A patie nt with a suspe c te d infe c tion, a nd /or their c a re r, re c eive s infor mation on their he alth c ondition a nd tre atme nt options in a for mat a nd la nguage that they c a n unde r sta nd.

W he n a patie nt is p re scr ibe d a ntibiotic s, whethe r e mpir ic al or dire c te d, this is done in uidelines ( or local antibiotic formular y) . accordance with the current ver sion of the Ther apeutic Gu This is also guided by the patient’s clinical condition and /or the results of microbiology testing.

When a patient is prescribed antibiotics, information about when, how and for how long to take them, as well as potential side ef fects and a review plan, is discussed with the patient and /or their carer.

W he n a patie nt is p re scr ibe d a ntibiotic s, the re a son, dr ug na me, dose, route of administration, inte nde d duration a nd review pla n is docume nte d in the patie nt ’s he alth re c ord.

A patie nt who is tre ate d with b road-spe c tr um a ntibiotic s ha s the tre atme nt reviewe d a nd, if indic ate d, switche d to tre atme nt with a na r row-spe c tr um a ntibiotic. T his is guide d by the patie nt ’s clinic al c ondition a nd the re sults of microbiology te sts.

If inve stigations a re c onduc te d for a suspe c te d bac te r ial infe c tion, the re sponsible clinicia n reviews the se re sults in a timely ma nne r ( within 24 hour s of re sults being available ) a nd a ntibiotic the rapy is adjuste d tak ing into ac c ount the patie nt ’s clinic al c ondition a nd inve stigattion re sults.

If a patie nt having surge r y re quire s p rophylac tic a ntibiotic s, the p re scr iption is made in ac c orda nc e with the cur re nt T h e r a p e utic G uid e lin e s ( or loc al a ntibiotic for mula r y ) , a nd take s into c onside ration the patie nt ’s clinic al c ondition.

More infor mation on the Clinic al Ca re Sta nda rds p rogr a m is available from the Australia n Commis sion on Safet y a nd Q ualit y in He alth Ca re we bsite at w w w. s a fe t ya n dqua l i t y.g ov. a u /c c s.

Acute Coronar y Syndromes Clinical Care Standard d Clinician Fact Sheet, 2014