THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION
VOLUME 72 No.6 JULY 2015
Double crossed on paid parental leave CAMPBELLTOWN STAFFING WIN Print Post Approved: PP100007890
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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.6 JULY 2015
Hunter Office 8-14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2300 NSWNMA Communications Manager Janaki Chellam-Rajendra T 8595 1258
COVER STORY
12 | Double crossed on paid parental leave NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda moved a resolution on Paid Parental Leave at the ACTU Congress Julia Rasmussen, RN, PHOTOGRAPH: SHARON HICKEY
REGULARS
5 7 8 33 36 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
US UNIONS
26 | Fight for $15 picks up steam
SAFE STAFFING
18 | Staffing win in Campbelltown theatres
Chronic staffing problems in the Campbelltown Hospital theatres have impacted severely on patients and staff over many years.
NURSE HOUSING
24 | Got a good job – where’s my affordable home? Nurses, midwives and other essential workers can’t afford to live in the vast majority of Sydney’s suburbs according to an investigation by Fairfax Media
COMPETITION
8 | Win a romantic holiday in the Hunter Valley
CLIMATE CHANGE
28 | Not just polar bears
For all editorial enquiries letters and diary dates T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnma.asn.au M 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 Produced by Hester Communications T 9568 3148 Press Releases Send your press releases to: F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au 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 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.
Health professionals will play a significant role at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris in December. T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5 | 3
EDITORIAL BY BRETT HOLMES GENERAL SECRETARY
Another battle looms over penalty rates We’ve been here before over penalty rates but the Coalition and employers are, if nothing else, relentless. They should learn the lesson that we will always stand up for workers’ rights.
If penalty rates are threatened and removed by Productivity Commission recommendations, it would have a disastrous impact on nurses and midwives and the provision of healthcare in Australia.
In the last few weeks for profit aged care employers have made it clear to us they will not be renewing our model enterprise agreements as they await the findings of a Productivity Commission review. The Productivity Commission has been charged by the Abbott government to review all aspects of workplace relations. This comprehensive review means all workplace rights including penalty rates and the minimum wage are up for grabs. The results of that review are due anytime soon. The position of aged care employers is concerning. It is clear to us they are waiting for the opportunity to roll back penalty rates. If penalty rates are threatened and removed by Productivity Commission recommendations, it would have a disastrous impact on nurses and midwives and the provision of healthcare in Australia. A cut to nurses’ penalty rates would see an almost 30 per cent reduction in pay. A STALKING HORSE FOR ANOTHER ATTACK ON WORKERS’ RIGHTS The union movement sees the Productivity Commission review as a stalking horse for the reintroduction of the key elements of WorkChoices held dear by the Liberal Party and employers. Tony Abbott, aware of the disastrous consequences WorkChoices had on the last Coalition government, played hard with the slogan that it was “dead, buried and cremated” during the last federal election campaign. The union movement believes that policy is a long way from being dead in the eyes of employers and conservative politicians. There is other evidence to suggest that another attack on workers’ rights is in the pipeline. The government has scripted a Fair Work Amendment Bill which strips away protections around individual contracts, gives a veto to an employer over industrial action and makes it harder for workers to be represented at work by their union. They have frozen increases to superannuation and in their latest attack on conditions they have rolled
back the historic paid parental leave (PPL) scheme implemented by the last Labor government. The rollback of the PPL beggars belief. Mr Abbott went to the last election with a maternity leave policy that shocked his own party and infuriated employers. It provided 26 weeks leave paid at a woman’s replacement wage. Now, in the backflip to beat all backflips, Labor’s more modest, although significant policy is labeled as an opportunity for women to “defraud”, “double dip” and to “rort” (see pages 12-15). AUSTRALIAN LIVING STANDARDS ARE AT STAKE When we also recall the cuts to health in the government’s first budget, which still stand, the assault on Medicare and the attacks on public sector wages and conditions there is one consistency that shines through the ducking and weaving of this federal government: there is a relentless drive to lower the living standards of working Australians (see pages 16-17). This analysis is not theoretical. It is not scaremongering about what might happen. The Abbott government is currently waging war on its own employees in the federal public sector (see pages 22-23) which should serve as a cautionary tale for all workers in Australia about the governments real regard for their rights. In the federal public sector jobs have been slashed, up to seventy per cent of workplace conditions in enterprise agreements are under threat and public servants have been sledged day after day in parliament by Coalition MPs. Economic “crises” and “unmanageable” deficits have been the given rationale behind the slash and burn policies of state and federal governments.Yet, here in NSW, boasts by the state government of a move into budgetary surplus has not led to a fair pay increase for nurses nor to a solution about staffing in our public hospitals. Preparing for a new assault on workplace conditions and rights was the focus of the recent ACTU Congress. We too are prepared for that fight.
T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5 | 5
YOUR LETTERS
L ET T ER O F T H E M ONT H
Who will care for the ageing carers? In the April Lamp, it stated that the ANMF estimates that 30 to 40 per cent of Australia’s nurse and midwife graduates have been unable to find permanent employment in the past two to three years. ANMF assistant secretary Annie Butler stated: “Clearly this is unacceptable not only because of the demoralising and devastating effect this has on new graduates unable to find work, but also because of the loss of public investment in the education of nurses and midwives.” This article prompted me to revisit the editorial in Nursing Matters (No. 35 December 2004) in which I identified the following cutting edge issues for nursing: the ageing population, longer and healthier life expectancy, financial redirection of the health dollar and the expectation of nurses for a more flexible, safe multidisciplinary and fulfilling workplace. No mention at this time of a shortage of nurses as I did not believe this to be the case. There were nurses aplenty, they were just not nursing. Like many of my colleagues I am part of the ageing population who have the expectation of a longer and healthier life and when/if necessary, affordable and professional nursing care. This care will not be available if new graduates are not affordable, better prepared to apply practice to theory and mentored by all levels of professional nurses who display exemplary skills in their chosen field. My best wishes to all new graduates. Dorothy Crispin, Life Member, Grafton
Putting health on the line Today, on a public holiday, I was in charge of the ward. I also had a patient load on the HDU. The skill mix was questionable, but on paper looked okay. As well as looking after my patients, I was also required to catheterise and cannulate a patient for an eighth year-plus RN. I had to do and be there for so much more. I had to listen and implement orders from VMOs. I had to do clinical reviews on my own patients. All this in an acute, but apparently lesser, hospital. Today I put my registration and all on the line because it all comes down to staffing to a budget. Our patients deserve the best care regardless of where they are admitted to hospital. I’m sure I am not alone. I am stepping up to the plate – rural patients deserve the best care, the same as those in apparently higher-rated facilities. Caroline Healy RN, Alstonville
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YOUR LETTERS
Subordinated to bureaucracy I read with dismay the letter “Facts crucial to credibility� published in the May Lamp. As a nurse manager at a small rural hospital I am cognisant of the necessity for contemporaneous nursing and midwifery documentation in all its forms. However the load of this documentation now far outstrips that of any other health profession. It has engendered a culture of audit and anxiety where nurses and midwives trade off provision of care for meeting the requirements of documentation. It has reached the point where the least qualified health workers are providing the majority of care, the activities of care being subordinated to bureaucracy, as registered nurses and midwives fulfil documentary requirements. This flies in the face of contemporary research proving that experienced registered nurses and midwives increase effective patient outcomes, decrease critical incidents and keep patients safe. It seems to me that the professions of nursing and midwifery are increasingly called upon to justify their practice whereas other professions are not. I am concerned that this indicates a continuing immaturity both within the professions and the wider health arena, with a concomitant lack of confidence in valuing nurses and midwives’ critical role in multi-faceted health care. To believe that more education equals less care is an irrational proposition. It is experienced nurses and midwives who can provide the knowledge and advocacy required in the provision of safe, effective care. The health system needs to trust that nurses and midwives understand the responsibilities of their roles and let them get on with their prime clinical duties, without the need to continually justify their practice with evermore rigorous, stringent and inflexible documentation that takes valuable time away from vulnerable patients in need of their expertise. Elizabeth McCall RN NSWNMA branch secretary/delegate, Byron District Hospital. NSWNMA Councillor Health check could discriminate Re the over-45 health check pilot being conducted by the Mid North Coast LHD – I think this idea is discriminatory against senior staff. Considering the average age of nurses in New South Wales is about 43, half the staff would be older than this and I am sure quite a few walk with hobbles and have health issues. Get rid of us old nurses and you can say goodbye to health in this state. We hold the knowledge and skills. Sandra Lapworth RN, Glenfield Park
Caps and veils As a Sydney Hospital graduate, I was very pleased to see the review of the book Caps and Veils by Valerie Griffiths (May Lamp). The book was published after many years of research and calls for contributions by Valerie and the Sydney Hospital Graduate Nurses Association, in their newsletter. We owe Valerie, a fellow grad, and the publisher, Elinor Wrobel, a vote of appreciation for their hard work, commitment and devotion to Sydney Hospital Matrons and graduates in getting this valued publication to press. Thank you for offering this book to a wider audience. Robyn Waghorn RN, Jannali Outback on the lounge I would like to say thank you for the Outback ER DVD I won last month. I look forward to my days off, to be able to watch it all the way through. Curled up on the lounge with my knitting, a nice glass of wine and the cat keeping me company. Anna McDonald EEN, Singleton
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 jjudged g the best b 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 J U LY 2 0 1 5 | 7
NEWS IN BRIEF
World
Mere ¼ of world’s workers have secure work
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More than three-quarters of the world’s workers are employed on temporary or short-term contracts and this insecure work is fuelling growing inequality and higher rates of poverty, according to a new report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The report found this global shift towards insecure employment has been taking place since the global financial crisis. The ILO, a UN agency, estimates that only a quarter of the world’s workers are on permanent contracts. The remaining three quarters are working informally, often without any contract, are self-employed or are in unpaid family jobs. “The shift we’re seeing from the traditional employment relationship to more non-standard forms of employment is in many cases associated with the rise in inequality and poverty rates in many countries,” said ILO director-general Guy Ryder. “What’s more, these trends risk perpetuating the vicious circle of weak global demand and slow job creation that has characterised the global economy and many labour markets throughout the post-crisis period.” The report’s main author, Raymond Torres, noted that in developing countries wage and salaried work was growing at a slower pace than before the crisis, while in advanced economies such jobs were not growing and were declining in some cases. The ILO also highlighted a comparatively slower recovery in female unemployment rates since 2009 in many regions, including the European Union.
For bookings visit spicersretreats.com m
The h Lamp p is offering NSWNMA memb bers a chance to win a romantic stay at the Spic S ers Vineyards Estate. Yo our prize Includes: 2 nights mid-week luxury accommoda ation, complimentary arrival mini barr, gourm met breakfast daily, and a 3 course dinner on one night at award-winning Restaurant Botanica. Valued at $950. To enter the competition, simply write your ber on the name, address and membership numb back of an envelope and send to: Hunter Valle a y Competition 50 O’Dea Ave. Waterloo NSW 2017
Terms and conditions: midweek is Sunday – Thu Not valid on public holidays or block out dates. Subject to availability. Non-transferable and ca not be redeemed for cash. Please note: only one entry per member will be accepted. Competition entries from NSWNMA members only. Competiti opens 1 July 2015 and closes 31 July 2015. The prize is drawn on 1st of the month following the competition.If a redraw is required for an uncla prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date. NSW permit no: LTPM/15/000192.
“The shift we’re seeing from the traditional employment relationship to more non-standard forms of employment is in many cases associated with the rise in inequality and poverty rates in many countries.” — Guy Ryder
NEWS IN BRIEF
Australia
The Medicare Chainsaw Massacre
Australia
Nurses on the beat
It was bloody and gory and stomach churning: the perfect entrée for ACTU Congress delegates on their way to morning tea at Etihad Stadium last month. Delegates from across the union movement and across the country were treated to some vivid street theatre from NSWNMA representatives as a frenzied Tony Abbott took to our beloved Medicare with a bloodied chainsaw. The GP Co-payment may be “dead, buried and cremated” and lying next to the corpse of WorkChoices. Or we may just be waiting for the zombie sequel.
Nearly 27,000 people contracted Ebola in an outbreak of the virus in West Africa last year and more than 11,000 died.
West Africa
Ebola exploited for coal gain Peabody Energy, the world’s largest privately held coal company, has promoted coal as a solution to Africa’s devastating public health crisis and global poverty. Greg Boyce, chief executive of Peabody, suggested that more energy would have spurred the distribution of a hypothetical Ebola vaccine. In fact there is no approved vaccine against the disease. Public health experts involved in the response to the Ebola crisis condemned Peabody’s claims as ludicrous, insulting and an opportunistic attempt to exploit the disease for corporate gain, reported The Guardian. The World Health Organisation believes nearly 27,000 people contracted Ebola in an outbreak of the virus in West Africa last year and more than 11,000 died.
Nurses would be given special powers to stop and search someone and to help police who encounter people in a mental health crisis, under a Western Australian government proposal, The Guardian has reported. Minister for Mental Health Helen Morton said the teams would ensure people experiencing a sudden escalation of a mental illness would be treated from a health perspective, rather than a justice one. But opposition police spokeswoman Michelle Roberts said the plan had been done “on the hop” without the minister knowing how the powers would be brought about. The government has not decided whether it will legislate the changes or ask the police commissioner to give nurses special constable powers, as was done for Transperth public transport guards.
North America
Herpes could combat melanoma A new study suggests a novel form of immunotherapy could be effective for treating some cases of advanced skin cancer. The research comprised of a large trial examining the use of a new immune treatment called talimgogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) for advanced melanoma that could not be removed surgically. The study was carried out by a large collaboration of researchers from institutions in North America including the University of Utah and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The study was funded by Amgen, developers of the technology, and published in the peerreviewed Journal of Clinical Oncology. T-VEC is a modified derivative of the herpes virus which causes cold sores. It is injected directly into the tumour and causes production of a chemical that stimulates an immune response to fight the cancer. The trial demonstrated that, overall, significantly more people responded to treatment with T-VEC than alternative GM-CSF injections. It also improved survival by an average of 4.4 months, although this only just reached statistical significance. T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5 | 9
EDUCATION@NSWNMA NEWS IN BRIEF
What's On July 2015
Are you meeting your CPD requirements? – ½ Day 8 July, Port Macquarie 12 August, Wagga Wagga 2 September, Ballina Seminar is suitable for all nurses and midwives to learn about CPD requirements and what’s involved in the process. Members $40 Non-members $85
Legal and Professional Issues for Nurses and Midwives – ½ Day 9 July, Port Macquarie 13 August, Wagga Wagga 3 September, Ballina Topics covered include the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, potential liability, importance of documentation, role of disciplinary tribunals and writing statements. Members $40 Non-members $85
Basic Foot Care for Nurses – 2 Days 16 & 17 July, Armidale
9 & 10 September, Lismore Members $203 Non-members $350
Practical Skills in Managing Difficult and Aggressive Clients – 2 Days 6 August & 3 September, NSWNMA, Waterloo Members $160 Non-members $250
Tools in Managing Conflict & Disagreement – 1 Day 10 August, Parramatta Members $85 Non-members $170
Policy and Guideline Writing – 1 Day 28 August, Parramatta Members $85 Non-members $170
Appropriate Workplace Behaviour – 1 Day 1 September, Ballina Includes understand why bullying occurs; anti-discrimination law; how to behave appropriately in the workplace; what to do if subjected to unlawful harassment and bullying. Members $85 Non-members $170
REGISTER ONLINE www.nswnma.asn.au/education/education-calendar For enquiries: Metro: 8595 1234 | Rural: 1300 367 962
Australia
Low income families biggest Budget losers Low-income families will be the biggest losers from the Abbott government’s latest Budget according to various researchers. Modelling by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (Natsem) at the University of Canberra found low-income families could lose $3734 per year in 2015-16, or more than $70 a week, under the budget measures, which include family tax benefit cuts as well as the boost to childcare benefits. Natsem calculates the loss for a low-income, single-parent or single-income family with two kids – one in primary school and one in high school – at more than $20,000 over four years. For a single-income family on $75,000 with one child at school and one at preschool age, the four-year loss is $6000. Natsem finds low- and middle-income families with both parents working would also be worse off, by $10,000 or more over four years, due to the freeze in the general family tax benefit, among other policies. The report showed families on incomes of more than $120,000 – approximately the top 30 per cent of families – would be marginally better off than those on lower incomes, with an 0.2 per cent increase in their disposable income. NATSEM’s analysis, which came under heavy fire from the Abbott government, has been supported by senior academics from the Australian National University. A separate analysis by Professor Peter Whiteford and Daniel Nethery from the ANU’s Crawford School of Public Policy, broadly confirmed NATSEM’s conclusions. Another report by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) found that by keeping last year’s savings measures and introducing new cuts, the 2015 Budget cuts an estimated $15 billion over four years from basic services.
NATSEM CALCULATES THE LOSS FOR A LOW-INCOME, SINGLE-PARENT OR SINGLE-INCOME FAMILY WITH TWO KIDS AT MORE THAN $20,000 OVER FOUR YEARS.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Canada
Judge tells Big Tobacco to pay A judge in Québec has ordered three major cigarette companies to pay $15 billion to smokers in what is believed to be the biggest class-action lawsuit ever seen in Canada, reported The Globe and Mail.
Australia
GP co-payments may rise again Research from the Sydney School of Public Health, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, shows the freeze on Medicare fees paid to GPs will leave doctors $8.43 worse off per consultation with non-concessional patients by 2017-18. That’s a bigger shortfall than the $5 rebate cut brought in then abandoned by the Abbott government. The researchers say the loss of income is likely to prompt many GPs to start charging a co-payment. Currently GPs are only able to charge the government directly for patient care (bulk-billing) if they do not charge the patient a co-payment. However, Health Minister Sussan Ley has suggested that the government would consider legislative change to remove this restriction. This would allow GPs to bulk-bill the scheduled fee and also charge a co-payment. With GPs facing greater economic pressure and the health minister considering legislative changes to make it easier for GPs to charge, “GP co-payments, like Lazarus, may rise again from the dead”, the researchers said. Grattan Institute health economist Professor Stephen Duckett says this is a “co-payment policy by stealth”.
“THIS IS A CO-PAYMENT POLICY BY STEALTH.” — Health economist Professor Stephen Duckett Britain
Nurse cuts lead to agency staff blow out The British government has announced a maximum hourly rate for temporary nursing staff and a cap on the amount that struggling hospitals can spend, reported the BBC. The cost of agency and contract staff across the entire NHS in England last year was £3.3 billion. British health minister Jeremy Hunt claimed staff costs had spiralled out of control. On one occasion, reported the BBC, an agency nurse cost the NHS £2200 for a 12-hour shift, and a doctor £3700 for a 30-hour shift. In some instances, more than half of the money goes to the agency itself. Hiring expensive management consultants cost the NHS nearly £600 million last year. The industry body that oversees recruitment agencies says the root problem is poor workforce planning, which has left the NHS short of nurses. The Royal College of Nursing agrees. It says too many nursing posts have been cut and too few student nurses are coming up the ranks to fill the void. Andy Burnham, British Labour’s shadow health secretary, called the expenditure on agency staff a “monumental waste”. “The decision to cut 6000 nursing posts in the early years of the last Parliament, alongside big reductions in nurse training places, has left the NHS in the grip of private staffing agencies,” he said. Dr Peter Carter, head of the Royal College of Nursing, said while it was right to clamp down on excessive spending “this will only work alongside longer-term solutions, like converting agency staff to permanent staff and continuing to increase training places to catch up with demand”.
Québec Superior Court Justice Brian Riordan’s longawaited 276-page decision was made public following years of testimony and six months of deliberation. “By choosing not to inform either the public health authorities or the public directly of what they knew, the companies chose profits over the health of their customers,” Justice Riordan wrote. The three firms will split the $15.6 billion according to responsibility as set out by the court — 67 per cent will fall to Imperial Tobacco ($10.5 billion), 20 per cent to Rothmans, Benson & Hedges ($3.1 billion) and 13 per cent to JTI-Macdonald ($2 billion). More than one million Quebecers were represented in the class action and argued the companies were liable because they knew they were putting out a harmful product and hid the health effects. The case is separate from civil suits launched by several Canadian provinces to recoup health-care costs from smoking-related disease, but many of the arguments in the cases overlap. All Canadian provinces have passed laws that allow them to pursue so-called Big Tobacco for health care costs stemming from smokingrelated disease and most have filed legal actions.
T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5 | 1 1
COVER STORY
Double-crossed not double-dipped in parental leave roll back “Double dipping” “fraud” and “rort” were words used by senior ministers in the Abbott government to describe women accessing Australia’s paid parental leave scheme, which is in fact modest when compared to other developing countries. WHEN TONY ABBOTT WENT TO THE 2013 election with a “rolled gold” maternity leave policy of 26 weeks leave, paid at a woman’s replacement wages, some women thought they had found an unlikely ally. On Mothers’ Day this year they found out just how cynical and insincere Abbott really was when he announced a complete backflip on maternity leave – not only abandoning his own scheme, but also denying thousands of women access to the current 18-week taxpayer-funded scheme. Under the government scheme, introduced by Labor in 2011, working mothers (or fathers if they are the main carer) who receive employer-based paid parental leave (PPL) are paid an extra $641 a week (equivalent to the minimum wage). Australia was one of the last countries
Parental leave in Australia: key moments
1 2 | T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5
in the developed world to adopt guaranteed paid maternity leave and the 2010 bill to introduce PPL made it clear that the scheme was designed to complement existing employer-based schemes. By extending those schemes, it gave women the chance to spend six months with their newborn to promote child and mother well-being – as recommended by the World Health Organisation. Incredibly, Tony Abbott described mothers accessing both their employer’s and the government scheme as “double dipping”. Treasurer Joe Hockey went further when he agreed with journalist Laurie Oakes that double dipping constituted a “fraud”. Minister for Social Services Scott Morrison described the scheme as a “rort”.
DESIGNED TO COMPLEMENT NOT REPLACE Professor Marian Baird from the University of Sydney, an expert in women, work and family, said: “Australian women have not been double-dipping – but they have been double-crossed. “The current system was implemented with an expectation that it would be improved upon through negotiation with government and employers, for example by lengthening the period of paid leave to 26 weeks and adding superannuation contributions.” Abbott’s latest plan will mean that anyone accessing an employer-based scheme that pays more than the $11,500 government-funded scheme, won’t receive any government payments.
1973
1974
1979
The Australian Public Service Maternity Leave (Australian Government Employees) Act, 1973 provides the first formal paid maternity leave in Australia. Women in the Commonwealth Public Service and statutory authorities were entitled to three months (12 weeks) paid maternity leave.
Full-time employees in the NSW public health system received maternity leave, taken as four weeks half pay and four weeks full pay (prior to birth) and six weeks half pay (after birth).
The Federal Arbitration Commission grants unpaid maternity leave of up to 12 months. NSW public sector nurses win leave of 9 weeks (increased to 14 in 2004) at full pay.
Women accessing employer-based schemes less generous than the government’s will only get a “top-up” government payment to take their total maternity leave benefit to $11,500. The changes will disproportionately affect women working in the public sector. Of the 80,000 women who currently access an employer-based parental leave scheme, 60 per cent work in the public sector. “The new proposed scheme may affect nurses very deleteriously,” says Professor Baird. “From 1 July they will be $11,500 poorer. And there is no prospect of more care places for infants. “Some women will be forced to return to work earlier because they and their families will not be able to afford to stay off work. Other women may give up and leave the workforce completely. “Over time, women and men may decide to not have children because of the economic insecurity and unpredictability of parental leave policy.” EMPLOYERS NOT HAPPY Employer groups have also slammed the proposal, saying there will be no more incentive to offer parental leave schemes and that it will encourage employers to repackage existing entitlements under new programs such as “return to work bonuses”. ACTU President Ged Kearney says unions and business have differing opinions on many issues but paid parental leave isn’t one of them. “We will discuss in more detail how we can work together to oppose cuts that will leave almost half of new mothers without access to government-funded paid parental leave,” she said
“THE NEW PROPOSED SCHEME MAY AFFECT NURSES VERY DELETERIOUSLY. FROM 1 JULY THEY WILL BE $11,500 POORER.” — Professor Marian Baird, University of Sydney
2011
2013
2013
2013
The federal Labor government introduces paid parental leave of 18 weeks at the minimum wage for working parents.
Dad and Partner Pay introduced. This statutory entitlement consists of a two-week payment at the rate of the national minimum wage for eligible working fathers and partners.
Federal election: Tony Abbott promises a $5.5 billion paid parental leave scheme to provide parents with 26 weeks paid leave, at full replacement wage, up to an annual salary of $150,000 (or a maximum payment of $75,000).
Mothers’ Day: Tony Abbott announces women who receive employer-based paid maternity leave will lose access to the government PPL scheme if their employer pays more than $11,500 and will only receive top-up payments if their employer scheme pays less than $11,500.
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COVER STORY
Massive blow to mothers NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda moved a resolution on Paid Parental Leave at the ACTU Congress. Here is an abridged version of her speech.
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access an additional 18 weeks from the government. This ensures they can stay at home during the most critical time of their baby’s life – the beginning. Many of us here today, who are parents, can understand just how important that time is. For others less fortunate, they have their babies and, in many circumstances, are back at work within three to four months because of the heavy reliance to maintain a steady stream of income to support their families. It is a financial sacrifice they are prepared to pay, for the benefit of their kids. Tony Abbott, as the so-called “Minister for Women”, promised a 26-week PPL scheme.Then, in one of his many backflips, it was decreased to 18 weeks.And now, for more than 80,000 women, it may have been taken off the table completely. It’s an outrageous policy position to take. Thousands of nurses and midwives have bargained for increased parental leave over the years and now Tony Abbott is breaking another promise – a promise about parental leave he made to women prior to the last election. All experts back 26-weeks paid parental leave as optimal for the health and wellbeing of mothers, babies, families and communities – and as a formidable group here this morning – so do we.
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PHOTOGRAPH : J ORGE DE
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WORKING WOMEN CURRENTLY RECEIVE access to taxpayer-funded paid parental leave of $641 a week (the minimum wage) for up to 18 weeks. This roughly equates $11,500 – it’s not exactly a windfall. Paid Parental Leave, when introduced by Labor in 2011, had three key aims: To increase female workforce participation. To improve the wellbeing of mothers and babies. To promote gender equity and work-life balance. The government scheme was always intended to complement workplace schemes. Together, they brought Australia closer to the 26-week minimum provided in many other OECD countries. Now, it appears, the Conservative geniuses in Canberra want to tear this down. The Abbott government announced in its Budget that women with access to an employer scheme, which is more generous than the taxpayer-funded scheme, would no longer have access to government payments. More than 80,000 new mums will be worse off if the government can persuade parliament to support this plan. This a massive blow for mothers, including some of our nurses. At the moment, a registered nurse in the NSW public health system is entitled to 14 weeks paid maternity leave and can
ACTU resolution on Paid Parental Leave “Congress condemns the Abbott government ministers who are now accusing working women who receive both workplace and government-funded paid parental leave of fraud, claiming they are ‘rorting’. Congress notes the business community does not support the government cuts as it undermines the many employers who support women and parents in their organisation. Congress also notes that more than 50 child
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health experts and women’s groups have written to Mr Abbott, calling on him to back down on the planned cuts, and instead work towards the 26-week best practice standard recommended by the World Health Organisation and others. The ACTU and unions joins with employers, community and women’s groups to oppose the government’s cuts to paid parental leave. Congress commits: 1. The ACTU and unions to work with
employers and community groups to lobby MPs to oppose any reduction in employee’s access to the government PPL scheme; and 2. To vigorously defend all employees’ rights to access the government PPL scheme as well as any entitlements achieved in bargaining; including working with employers to ensure they are able to continue their commitment to supporting women and employees with caring responsibilities.”
“Knowing I didn’t have to think about going back to work has made things calmer.” — Julia Rasmussen RN, Royal North Shore Hospital WHEN JULIA RASMUSSEN GAVE birth to her first child, in her native Denmark, she was able to take 14 months off work. Like most new mothers she knew, she benefited from a world-class maternity system, one where both employers and the Danish government provided new mothers with generous paid leave. “Most women I know of in Denmark have quite an extended maternity leave,” Julia, a theatre nurse at Royal North Shore Hospital, told The Lamp. When her second child was born in Australia four months ago she was thrilled to receive similar support during her leave – although nowhere near as generous as the Danish system. As an RN in the NSW public
sector she was entitled to 14 weeks maternity leave at full pay from her employer. She’ll also receive the government paid parental leave scheme of 18 weeks paid leave at the minimum wage. “It’s been really, really good for my husband and I, and for my family, not having a huge dip in our finances. It’s made things a lot less stressful. “If I had just three months maternity leave I would probably have gone back to work one or two days by now, and my baby is only four months old. I think I would be quite upset leaving my baby at that stage. “But knowing I didn’t have to think about going back to work until he was at least six months, when he is on solid foods, has made
things calmer, a lot easier. “Childcare at that stage is really hard to find: you have to have some sort of family support.You can put them in family day care if you can find a spot, but it is more expensive for younger children.” If the government implements its plan to take away mothers’ right to the government scheme, when they already have employer schemes, Julia wonders whether employers will bother paying maternity leave at all. “Then it wouldn’t have any benefit to the government anyway,” she says. “For those benefits to be taken away from other mums who are going to be having babies, it will add a huge stress and a huge burden, forcing people to go back to work.”
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COVER STORY
Unions resolve to defend our way of living More than 1000 union delegates from across Australia gathered in Melbourne for the ACTU Congress – “the Workers’ Parliament”. They resolved to defend the living standards that make Australia a great place to live and that have been built by generations of union members.
“Whether it’s the business lobby trying to cut penalty rates or the Abbott government trying to take away rights at work – unions will not stand by while the living standards of millions of Australians are under attack.” — ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver
THE CONGRESS DEBATED AND PASSED policies that will shape the union movement’s campaigns for the next three years. They included policies on paid parental leave, superannuation, penalty rates, the minimum wage and job security in the new digital economy. Newly re-elected ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver pledged to strengthen the ACTU’s capacity to campaign on the issues that affect Australian workers. “Whether it’s the business lobby trying to cut penalty rates or the Abbott government trying to take away rights at work – unions will not stand by while the living standards of millions of Australians are under attack,” he said. “There is a passion across the union movement to ensure that the rights we have fought so hard for are protected.” Dave Oliver says there is ample evidence of the Abbott government’s agenda to undermine workers’ rights and living standards: The Productivity Commission review into workplace relations, which puts all workplace rights, penalty rates and the minimum wage up for grabs.
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The Fair Work Amendment Bill which seeks to take away protections around individual contracts, gives an employer veto over industrial action and makes it harder for workers to be represented at work by their union. Freezing increases to the Superannuation Guarantee that will leave a 25year-old, on average earnings throughout their working life, with $100,000 less in retirement savings. A key outcome of the Congress was a $13 million plan to transform the ACTU into a permanent campaigning organisation that will allow unions to campaign online, on the ground, politically and in the workplace. The ACTU has already begun rolling out resources in around 30 marginal seats around the country to coordinate campaigns to protect penalty rates, rights at work and the living standards of working people. “Unions come out of this Congress with a plan to campaign for working people and the community to protect our living standards and rights at work,” ACTU President Ged Kearney said.
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The union charter The ACTU Congress enacted a union charter that commits to building a better future for Australians. An Australia that stands for: Workers’ rights – defended and extended with secure jobs. Medicare – free and universal. Affordable healthcare for all. Education – high quality, accessible and affordable for all. Services – owned by everyone for the benefit of everyone. A secure retirement – decent pensions and superannuation. A fair go for all – everyone supported and everyone contributes their fair share of tax. All final ACTU Congress 2015 policies, speeches and other highlights are available at www.congress.actu.org.au
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To download pledge forms on issues that affect nurses and midwives go to www. nswnma.asn.au 1 6 | T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5
Nurses and midwives up for the fight NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes moved the workplace resolution at ACTU Congress. Here is an edited version of his address.
processing systems are outsourced; this would further undermine Medicare service delivery. We must say NO to the privatisation of Medicare processing systems and support our brothers and sisters at the CPSU (Community and Public Sector Union). We are committed to campaigning around all of the key issues that define the ACTU’s Build a Better Future campaign (see union charter). If penalty rates are threatened and removed by Productivity Commission recommendations, it would have a disastrous impact on nurses and midwives and the provision of healthcare in Australia. A cut to nurses’ penalty rates would be an almost 30 per cent pay cut or more than $470 per week. Our rights are being further attacked by the denial of access of nearly 100,000 nurses and midwives nationally to the government‘s 18-week paid parental leave scheme. And what’s worse, these hard working women are being accused of being ‘rorters’ and ‘double dippers’. More than $40 million has been cut from aged care workforce development, scholarships and training, at a time when Australia urgently needs 20,000
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nurses to meet the challenges of a rapidly ageing population. The Abbott government has also kept its plans for university deregulation in this year’s budget. This will make it even tougher to ensure quality university education for well-trained nurses and midwives. When they do complete their university education they will be burdened with huge debt. In NSW we are battling a government that seems determined to hand our public hospitals to private corporations. The Australian Human Rights Commission has identified the gender gap in retirement savings as a key issue that they will tackle. With more than 92 per cent of our membership being women, we will campaign to ensure that the gender gap is closed and that women are not living out their retirement years in poverty. We will continue to lobby federal MPs and Senators on the benefits of introducing a modest financial transactions tax (FTT) to generate additional revenue for the delivery of essential public services, including health and aged care. We stand side-by-side today with all the unions in this Congress in our unequivocal support for the Build A Better Future campaign.
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Workers, women, young people and the vulnerable continue to be casualties of this federal government. Unemployment is on the rise, but there are no concrete plans for jobs or education. There is a growing ageing population but no constructive dialogue around health. Women and working families will be worse off under this government with cuts to paid parental leave and family tax benefits that are far greater than the government’s investment in childcare. As the leader of the union that represents 60,000 nurses and midwives in New South Wales, we are affected by these issues: but delegates we are all affected by all of these issues. As frontline health professionals, we feel strongly that our universal health system should not be undermined, by any government. Our council and committee of delegates have voted to campaign at work and in the community to defend Medicare and public health and to push back against privatisation and user pays. We will fight with every ounce for penalty rates and our rights at work and for a decent retirement. Thousands of jobs are on the line if Medicare
PHOTOGRAPH : J ORGE DE
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SAFE STAFFING
Staffing win in Campbelltown theatres A readiness to close theatres and cancel surgery lists by staff at Campbelltown Hospital led management to bolster nursing and support staff numbers. C H RO N I C S TA F F I N G P RO B L E M S I N Campbelltown Hospital theatres have had negative impacts on patients and staff for many years. Branch official Kelli McCarthy says for some years now there has been a shortage of nursing staff, cleaners and ward orderlies in the theatres. She says that over time the pressure built, until it came to a head. “You have responsibilities to your patients in operating theatres.You can’t just
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walk out at four o’clock. Staff can be forced to stay because there is no one to relieve them,” she said. “Staff were being forced to do overtime on a regular basis, including on their days off. The part-time staff were also doing extra shifts. It all came to a point where people had had enough.” Kelli said nurses were committed to working as a team but the extent of their duties became untenable.
“With the lack of orderlies and cleaners they weren’t just doing their nursing duties. They were mopping floors, pushing beds, cleaning, changing the linen and emptying the garbage bins. “Cleaners, nurses, orderlies, clinical staff – everyone was doing a little bit extra, sometimes a lot extra.They were tired.” There were plenty of other issues. The NUM in perioperative left and wasn’t replaced. This meant the senior nurse
manager, who was already fully stretched, was managing perioperative staff. There was one orderly shared between seven theatres. Kelli was needed on the floor so staff missed out on education. Oncall during the night also impacted on other shifts. “We’re not a 24-hour service, we’re an on-call service, so the staff go home at 11pm. But they could get called in at three o’clock in the morning to deal with an emergency. They then needed a 10-hour break and that would impact on the afternoon staff, when they didn’t come in for their normal shift.” THE FINAL STRAW Kelli McCarthy says the tipping point for nurses was the negative impact on their patients. “That’s when the line was drawn in the sand. Staff had had enough of picking up the pieces but their main concern was that the patients were suffering. Patients kept
getting cancelled on the day of surgery. “For example if someone needs to have a bowel prep for a colonoscopy – all of that starts 24 hours or even 36 hours before they come in.There is a lot of organisation by the patient. They go on a liquid diet. They get family members to bring them in and pick them up. They take time off work. “Yet people were being cancelled left, right and centre and that’s not right.There has to be a better way to do it. We looked at the deficits and then we could calculate when we had to cancel and do it earlier instead of on the day so the patients had more time to organise themselves.” GETTING MANAGEMENT TO LISTEN Kelli says the willingness of staff to close theatres, and the involvement of the LHD DoNM, led management to sit down to find remedies for these long standing issues. “The LHD DoNM came to meet with us, union officials and the HR
officer from the hospital. Management, including the DoN, realised we were down on numbers and surgeries were being cancelled. They were alerted that we were cancelling lists. “They have looked at a long-term goal rather than just fixing it in the short term. They have now interviewed and recruited five nurses to start as full-time members of the unit. “They’ve also employed a NUM and some cleaners, which is important. We work in a sterile environment and without the cleaners it is a worry. “We needed an equipment nurse and applications have now closed for an EN to fill that position.We’ve managed to get a night service as well, which we’ve never had before.” Kelli says staff members are happier now that management is listening to them. “It gives us the confidence to voice our concerns.The hospital is listening and productively doing something.”
“The willingness of staff to close theatres and the involvement of the LHD DoNM led management to sit down to find remedies for these long standing issues.” What they won at Campbelltown
• • • • • • From left to right: Cheryl Swamy, Colby Bennett, Kristie Carter-Smith, Kelli McCarthy, Pilar Malligan, Katherine Buckman, Heather Greenway
5.4 Full Time Equivalent nursing staff to fill vacancies. A Nurse Educator seconded to assist new staff. The NUM position in perioperative backfilled while recruitment occurs. 2 FTE cleaners employed to clean the theatres An EN recruited to fill vacant equipment nurse position. A business plan proposal for a 24-hour service, meaning a night duty roster and weekend roster has been accepted by the hospital and sent to the LHD to endorse.
Each morning a meeting comprising the Nurse Manager and the two NUMs is held to consider rosters, unplanned leave and whether lists need to be cancelled for the afternoon and next day. A NSWNMA branch member also attends these meetings.
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AGED CARE
Aged care employers eye your penalty rates For-profit aged care providers belonging to the employer group LASA are refusing to bargain over a new model enterprise agreement. Instead, most are offering a paltry 1.3 per cent pay rise to employees. L EADING AGE S ERVICES AUSTRALIA (LASA), an employer group which represents 53 for-profit aged care providers, has indicated it will not renegotiate the model agreement with the NSWNMA, through which pay and conditions increases for its employees have been gained during the past few years. To the NSWNMA, LASA put forward the Productivity Commission review into Fair Work laws as a reason not to negotiate. LASA did not mention this reason for refusing to bargain in a letter sent to employees. NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes says this should set alarm bells ringing among aged care workers in the for-profit sector. “The Productivity Commission review is inquiring into all aspects of your working conditions. Our rights at work are under attack. Penalty rates, especially, are under attack. “We are very concerned that these employers are keenly awaiting changes to the Fair Work Act that may cut penalty rates and reduce employees’ conditions,” he said. PALTRY WAGE INCREASE On the day before the annual Minimum
Wage decision (which increased Award rates by 2.5 per cent) LASA announced that its employer members would only be giving a 1.3 per cent pay increase. The wage increase is effective from 1 July. Brett Holmes says any increase to wages is welcome news, but described the pay increase as “paltry”. “This figure is insulting to hard working aged care employees. And even worse, a pay increase that is not inserted into a legal enterprise agreement can be removed at any time if the employer chooses to take it away.” Brett says the low pay increase is particularly galling in light of reports highlighting the high profitability of the for-profit aged care sector. “An annual survey by Bentleys Chartered Accountants last year revealed that aged care homes more than doubled their profitability,” he said. “Another report by the ANMF found that the average level of basic care subsidy received by for-profit networks grows every year.” Bentleys described aged care as “a growth industry underpinned by government subsidies and an ageing population” and as “a lucrative investment asset”.
What a 1.3% wage increase will give you
$8.10
per week for a full-time Nursing Assistant thereafter
$14.10
per week for a full-time Registered Nurse thereafter
Profit growth [in 179 for-profit aged care facilities, from Bentley’s National Aged Care Survey]
159%
Net profits increase in 2013-14
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FEDERAL IR
Australia’s worst employer: the Abbott government You can learn a lot about an organisation by the way it treats its workers and the Abbott government is shaping up to be Australia’s worst boss, says Nadine Flood, secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU).
PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS DON’T TAKE industrial action lightly but federal agencies ground to a halt throughout June in an increasingly bitter dispute with the Abbott government. “Public sector workers have been pushed to this point by a belligerent government that has cut 17,300 jobs and is now intent on attacking the living standards, pay and conditions of 160,000 public servants,” said Nadine Flood secretary of the CPSU. “The deals this government is offering across the public service are so draconian no one could accept them. Workers are being asked to cop a massive cut to rights and conditions, in return for low annual pay offers of between zero and one per cent a year, that leave real wages going backwards. No major private sector employer in Australia is making such nasty offers.” GO-TO PEOPLE GONE The impact of job cuts on government services have been massive, Ms Flood says: 4400 jobs cut from the tax office: “We had a member who fronted a senate enquiry on this and she pointed out that the go-to people in the tax office for making multinationals pay tax, well the go-to people have gone, they’re not there anymore.” 20% of jobs gone from the CSIRO: “Some of the smartest minds in Australia are being lost from the public sector. They’ve cut the CSIRO so deep they’ve had to stop research like the work they were doing on Alzheimer’s. Apparently that’s no longer a public policy issue we need to worry about.” 5000 jobs cut from the Department of Human Services: as a consequence 26 million calls to Centrelink were not answered last year. The government is seeking to very
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quietly outsource public services and Medicare payments: “They want to outsource the administration of Medicare and ensure that your most sensitive health information is held by private companies and, potentially, offshore.” SEVENTY PER CENT OF CONDITIONS UNDER THREAT Enterprise agreements expired for all Commonwealth workers a year ago, yet 160,000 workers don’t have a new agreement in place. Government employees refuse to bow to the government wages policy driven by Minister Abetz, that forces agencies to strip up to 70 per cent of the content of existing agreements. In response, more than 30,000 public sector workers in more than 1000 workplaces have taken industrial action. “Now let me tell you, when the auditors and accountants in the tax office are voting to go on strike, you know you’ve got a problem,” said Ms Flood. She says one of the difficult things to deal with for public sector workers, who are under increasing workload pressure due to the massive staff cuts, is demonisation by Coalition politicians. “They go into parliament every day and attack you, attack you as soft, soft conditions, a bloated bureaucracy. They call you rorters. They go in there every day and then they come after your rights, your conditions and your real wages. It is not good enough and we are going to fight.” EVEN ARMY UNDER ATTACK! The government has even attacked the men and women of the Australian Defence Force. “They go after our uniformed personnel and their families, who put their lives on the line, and they ‘say we’re going to target their pay and conditions to win a
battle with public servants in the CPSU’. I think it is one of the most disgusting things I have seen in years,” said Ms Flood. Union rights have also been a focus of the government’s attacks. Every agency is required to strip all rights to representation from enterprise agreements, all union delegates’ rights, all provisions above the Fair Work Act minimum on consultation and dispute settlement.
Abbott and Abetz attack federal public sector
17,300 5000
4400 1 in 5
jobs cut since the last federal election jobs lost from the Department of Human Services
jobs ripped out of the tax office jobs lost from the CSIRO
Elida Faith, a CPSU delegate told the Congress that 5000 jobs were cut from the Department of Human Services in the past five years. The consequence: 26 million calls to Centrelink didn’t get answered last year.
“You’re copping abuse from clients on the phones, the call centres are empty, people are waiting for hours. What do you get?You get longer hours at a lower hourly rate.”
“We’ve challenged Minister Abetz and John Lloyd, Public Service Commissioner, to name us a single major private sector employer in any industry in Australia who has got a deal this draconian agreed to with their workforce. They can’t. Not one.” — Nadine Flood
PHOTOGRAPHS : J ORGE DE
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NURSE HOUSING
Got a good job – where’s my affordable home? Nurses, midwives and other essential workers can’t afford to live in the vast majority of Sydney’s suburbs according to an investigation by Fairfax Media. A FAIRFAX MEDIA ANALYSIS OF MEDIAN dwelling prices across Sydney has found that nurses can’t afford to buy a home in 95 per cent of the city’s suburbs. Their report revealed that: An RN buying their first property could only afford to buy in 29 of Sydney’s 540 suburbs. Buying elsewhere would mean spending more than 30 per cent of pre-tax income towards their mortgage, exceeding the widely used measure of housing stress. An RN would need a two or threefold increase in their income to buy a home on the North Shore. The analysis was based on median dwelling prices in the year to March 2015. Calculations assumed a 20 per cent deposit,
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a five per cent interest rate and interestonly repayments. They calculated a first year RN’s weekly wage of $1087 or $56,700 a year. The survey found that large groups of nurses live far from the city’s CBD in Blacktown, Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills and Quakers Hill. The Fairfax investigation contradicts claims by federal Treasurer Joe Hockey that the Sydney housing market remained affordable because houses were still being bought and sold. “Look, if housing were unaffordable in Sydney no one would be buying it,” he said. He told first home buyers to get “a good job” that “pays good money” if they wanted to enter the housing market. NSWNMA General Secretary Brett
How much of a pay rise does a nurse need to afford her own home in Sydney?
Holmes says it is extraordinary that a senior minister takes such a glib attitude to such an important public policy issue. “Is he seriously suggesting that a young nurse or midwife walk away from her profession if she has the totally reasonable goal of owning her own home?” he said. “Maybe it is time Mr Hockey took a walk in the shoes of a nurse or some other essential worker to understand the massive financial obstacles that lie in their path to a modest but secure life that would include owning their own home in Sydney. “And perhaps he could urge his colleague Mike Baird to reverse his freeze on nurses and midwives’ wages, so they can have ‘the good jobs’ that ‘pay the good money’ which would allow them to afford decent housing.”
Essential workers need affordable housing
NONE 1–50% 51–90% 91–200% 201–590% NO DATA
In a recent submission to the inquiry into social, public and affordable housing the NSWNMA argued that, as nurses and midwives are essential service workers, planning and public policy must address their need for affordable housing. The NSWNMA stressed the need for a policy that allowed nurses and midwives to rent or purchase secure housing within reasonable proximity of their workplaces. Such a policy would help attract and retain staff in nursing and midwifery. Conversely the lack of housing opportunities presents a problem for the future sustainability of the nursing and midwifery workforce.
The submission outlined two groups of nurses – first, new registered nurses, AiNs and ENs and second, the increasing number of older nurses who are disadvantaged in the housing market. The majority of nurses and midwives “are women who work odd hours and need accommodation close by their workplaces instead of having to travel, often at night, in unsafe areas, to get to railway stations and bus stops to travel home.” The submission says many nurses and midwives are carers of young children or of elderly parents and these responsibilities also require them to be close at hand.
GRAPHIC INGA TING SOURCE DOMAIN
http://news.domain.com.au/domain/real-estate-news/where-sydneys-essential-workers-can-afford-to-live-20150610-ghk8sg.html 2 4 | T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5
RN Edward Makepeace delivered a robust riposte to Joe Hockey’s advice that workers should leave their jobs for a better paying one if they want to buy a house in Sydney. Edward’s view was published on the news.com.au website and is reproduced here.
“I resent the suggestion I should walk away from my vocation.” – Edward Makepeace RN
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can’t afford to buy a home in 95 per cent of Sydney suburbs as has been reported in the media. Ironically, Joe Hockey is right: you need a good job paying good money to be able to buy your own home in Sydney. I am sure, in the parallel universe to mine that Joe lives in, there are people who do earn the sort of ‘good money’ that allows them to buy into our feverish housing market. And, having gained that foothold, they no doubt feel pretty good watching the value of their homes skyrocket. But I don’t live in Joe’s affluent universe
and nor do the majority of honest hard-working nurses who should still have the right to own their own home or to affordable rent. For us, the prospect of living this Australian dream is fast evaporating. I have absolutely no desire to change my profession. I love nursing and resent the ridiculous suggestion that I should walk away from my vocation to find another job so I can afford the roof over my head. I wouldn’t be the only loser if I made that move.The sick and vulnerable I look after every day would also lose out.
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NO ONE BECOMES A NURSE FOR THE MONEY. The altruistic values that drove me to become a nurse – and to stay in my profession – now leave me vulnerable to the ‘irrational exuberance’ of the housing market. Last year house prices in Sydney went up by more than 12 per cent.This year has been no different. I’m told they went up by three per cent in March alone. I work at a major metropolitan hospital in Sydney, where house prices have gone through the roof. And where house prices go, rents surely follow. While house prices in my area rose in double digits my pay went up by 2.25 per cent. It won’t go up by anything greater into the foreseeable future because Joe Hockey’s colleagues running the New South Wales government have frozen wage increases for public sector workers, including nurses and midwives, at that amount [2.5%], which barely matches CPI. Nursing has its own unique characteristics that exacerbate our housing problem. Nurses are predominantly female and work unsociable hours. We benefit from having accommodation close to our workplaces instead of having to travel one or two hours or longer for each shift. Young nurses starting out in their careers, assistants in nursing and enrolled nurses are low paid and include single parents who are mainly part-time workers – all are in need of affordable housing. Older nurses are equally vulnerable. They belong to a generation with scant superannuation made worse by their periodic absence from the workforce to have families. The GFC and poor super has forced many of these older nurses to stay much longer at work. Our hospitals are quite rightly dotted throughout the Sydney area so they are close to their local communities. It makes sense that nurses live close to their hospital of work and the communities they care for. It is shocking and shameful that nurses
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US UNIONS
Fight for $15 picks up steam A push for a higher minimum wage is gaining momentum and giving hope to millions of low-paid American workers. THEY CALLED IT THE PIPE DREAM OF A weak union movement living in the past. But what began as a minimum wage demand by fast food workers in the United States has blossomed into a campaign for a $15 minimum wage for all American workers. 2 6 | T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5
“They used to think $15 was impossible. Now it’s popping up everywhere,” said Kendall Fells, organising director of Fight for $15, a campaign backed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). It started in late 2012 with a strike by workers at popular chains such as McDonald’s,
Burger King, Wendy’s, Domino’s, KFC and Pizza Hut. Many earned so little they were forced to work multiple jobs and obtain government assistance to afford basic food, shelter and clothing. More strikes followed and by 2014 the campaign had spread to include aged care
What’s happened to US wages? Income inequality is soaring in America. Half of all US jobs pay less than $15 an hour while company profits have “sky-rocketed” according to the Fight for $15 campaign. A collapse in the traditional manufacturing industry has cut the number of jobs paying mid-range salaries, pushing up wages at the top end and depressing income at the bottom end. With only 11.3 per cent of workers in unions, the workforce scattered across small worksites, and workplaces divided by subcontracting and franchising, the traditional method of bargaining one employer at a time could no longer succeed. The Fight for $15 campaigners chose fast food as the perfect “game changer” because it employs four million Americans and a victory in this field would spark a surge in other areas. Key to the Fight for $15 message is that low wages stifle spending and suppress economic growth: “Fast food workers are a proxy for all low-wage workers. They are fighting to raise the wage floor – and get our economy moving again.”
“In the Fight for $15 unions are helping to organise, on a community basis, a group of workers who are on the fringe of the economy.
staff, home care workers, airport employees, staff at discount and convenience stores, and childcare workers. Recent weeks have seen big gains, with the city of Los Angeles voting to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020, following minimum wage hikes by other major cities such as Seattle and San Francisco, which will get a $15 hourly wage by 2018. “For poor families it’ll be just so much easier for them to make ends meet,” said Professor Michael Reich, director of the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at the University of California, Berkeley. Reich estimates that the average minimum-wage Los Angeles worker, who he
says is likely to be in her or his mid-30s and supporting a family, will get an increase of about $3000 a year. Facebook has agreed to pay a minimum of $15 an hour, with 15 days holiday and a $4000 bonus for having a child. That came as a direct result of action by Facebook security guards and bus drivers, according to the SEIU. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state would create a Wage Board to study raising the wages for fast-food workers, after his push to raise the state minimum wage failed to make it through the state legislature. Shortly after Los Angeles voted to raise its minimum wage, more than 1500 workers assembled outside McDonald’s annual shareholder meeting in Illinois. They presented McDonald’s executives with 1.4 million signatures petitioning for a $15 hourly wage and the right to form a union. Nursing home workers have been prominent at many rallies. A recent survey found that 52 per cent of aged care workers in the state of Pennsylvania couldn’t support their families on the wages they earned. Many relied on public assistance or worked more than one job. The typical wage of Pennsylvania nursing assistants is about $13 per hour while non-nursing staff members earn two to three dollars less. These wages are well
below the self-sufficiency standard (defined as high enough to support oneself without public assistance) in virtually every county in Pennsylvania. Gary Chaison, a professor of industrial relations at Clark University, says the $15 campaign is unique among labour disputes, which mostly involve a particular group of workers covered by a collective bargaining agreement. “In the Fight for $15 unions are helping to organise, on a community basis, a group of workers who are on the fringe of the economy. It’s not about union members protecting themselves. It’s about moving other people up.This is the whole civil rights movement all over again,” Chaison said. US minimum wages are way behind most comparable countries. The US Economic Policy Institute has ranked OECD countries to see how the minimum wage compares as a percentage of the national median wage. The Institute ranks the US 27 out of 29 countries, just ahead of Mexico. Australia is ninth and New Zealand fifth. Australia’s national minimum wage, set by the Fair Work commission, is currently $16.87 per hour. Australians covered by the Fast Food Industry Award are supposed to receive a minimum $18.52 an hour. However, in reality many workers are paid less than these amounts. T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5 | 2 7
CLIMATE CHANGE
Not just polar bears
Health professionals will play a significant role at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris in December.
“Climate change is a health issue affecting billions of people, not just an environmental issue about polar bears and deforestation.” — Anthony Costello, UCL Institute for Global Health
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IN 2009 ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING medical journals The Lancet declared climate change “the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.” The statement was contained in the final report of a year long Lancet commission into current and future health impacts of global warming, carried out by the University College London (UCL) Institute for Global Health. Lead author, pediatrician and Institute for Global Health director, Anthony Costello, said even he had been unaware before releasing the report that “climate change is a health issue affecting billions of people, not just an environmental issue about polar bears and deforestation. The impacts will be felt all around the world – and not just in some distant future but in our lifetimes and those of our children.” Five years later the Conference of the Parties to the 21st United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) will be the largest climate conference ever organised – and human health will take centre stage. COP21’s objective is to establish, by 2020, the first universal legally binding agreement to combat climate change effectively and boost the transition towards resilient, low-carbon societies and economies. The agreement will be based on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order
to limit global warming to below 2°C and help society adapt to existing climate changes. It will take into account the needs and capacities of each country. It will guide economic and financial stakeholders towards redirecting their investments in order to launch the transition to low-carbon economies. The build up to Paris, and the wider recognition of the impact of climate change on human health, has been intense and very public in the past 12 months, with more to come. In August 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hosted the first worldwide conference on health and climate in Geneva, Switzerland, with 400 participants from more than 90 countries, including 25 ministers and four UN agency heads. Its final statement warned that, in the absence of mitigation and adaptation, climate change poses unacceptable risks to health. But the politically divisive campaign for a decisive agreement in Paris extends well beyond the health sector. Pope Francis has raised the ire of conservatives and conservative Catholics with his determination to raise awareness of climate change, as has the head of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, who has called for a carbon tax and for the scrapping of fossil fuel subsidies.
Hospital takes no bull approach to healthcare Last year the not-for-profit Gundersen Health System in Wisconsin became the first US health system to produce more energy than it consumed. THE GLOBAL ORGANISATION HEALTH Care Without Harm (HCWH) represents millions of health professionals working together to move the world toward a healthy, low carbon environment. This year, through its 2020 Health Care Climate Challenge, nine leading health care institutions representing more than 300 hospitals have committed to substantially reduce their carbon footprint, prepare to withstand extreme weather events and promote public policies to reduce greenhouse emissions. Hundreds more are expected to sign up to pledge to do more before COP21 in Paris in December. The Challenge will include the first international effort to track emissions from the health sector, which is a significant contributor to climate change through its use of chemicals that affect human health during their production, use and disposal. Existing signatories – including Counties Manukau Health (New Zealand), Gundersen Health System (USA), Hospital Albert Einstein and Hospital Sirio Libanes (Brazil), Kaiser Permanente (USA), NHS Sustainable Development Unit (England), Virginia Mason Health System (USA), Western Cape Government Health (South Africa), and Yonsei University Health System (South Korea) – have already made substantial progress toward greening their hospitals. Hospitals typically use two-and-a-half times more energy than commercial buildings and Wisconsin has one of the most energy-intensive climates in the nation. Since setting green goals in 2008, the not-for-profit Gundersen Health System has saved nearly $2million a year through
energy conservation and efficiency gains. It uses methane captured from the manure of 2000 cows on three farms to help power its generators and earns $US2million a year from selling this electricity produced by “dairy digestion” as well as selling the manure as compost, garden bedding and fertiliser. Other local projects include geothermal energy and a biomass boiler. Gundersen has reduced its hazardous and pharmaceutical waste production by 40 per cent since 2010, outlawed styrofoam and reduced food waste by 70 per cent, training staff to use nearly all parts of vegetables and donating leftovers to the Salvation Army. Gunderson has even undergone expansion while reducing its energy use, including the construction of two new hospitals (a 25 per cent increase in space). Building design incorporated the use of natural light and ventilation where possible, reduction in air conditioning use, inclusion of green spaces in design and changes to building materials to favour environmentally-friendly choices. “We did not set out to be the greenest health system. We set out to make the air better for our patients to breathe, control our rising energy costs and help our local economy,” CEO Dr Jeff Thompson said. “We believe we have made more progress on all three than anyone else in the country. “We have shown that you can be financially disciplined, improve the local economy and positively impact the environment,” Dr Thompson said. Operating theatres account for 30 per
cent of all hospital waste. A new waste system trialled in just one theatre last year by Counties Manukau in New Zealand diverted 100kg of waste from landfill each week. The waste segregation system was then rolled out to all theatres on all sites. Waste being diverted includes the huge amount of packaging used in sterile supplies – soft packaging, glass, aluminium and hard plastic. Counties Manukau chief executive Geraint Martin said that if every hospital in New Zealand adopted sustainable practises it would have a measurable impact. To take part in the Health Care Climate Challenge health systems must endorse a leadership pledge (www.greenhospitals.net) and agree to set carbon reduction targets and share data on their carbon emissions. Several of the initial participants, such as Kaiser Permanente,Yonsei University Health and the NHS, have committed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent or more by the year 2020. All have pledged to encourage public policy, economic development and investment strategies that move away from fossil fuel dependency and toward healthy energy alternatives. “In every region of the world, health care can lead by example,” Veronica Odriozola, executive director of Health Care Without Harm Latin America said. “Whether it is an off-the-grid clinic, deploying solar power to run its operations and help electrify a community, or a large hospital reducing its own emissions to address respiratory disease from air pollution, we can all move toward low carbon health care.”
Australian health dragging the chain In 2009, nurse manager at Byron District Hospital Liz McCall spoke to The Lamp about practical measures that can be used to improve a health system’s green credentials, through environmental design for new hospitals and better management of waste. Five years later she says “health system environmental commitments are, at best, stagnant, and at worst going backwards. “Moving on from 2009 it is concerning for
me that nothing much has changed at Byron. We still recycle plastics and paper, still can’t recycle some paper towels because of polypropylenes and continue to use non-recyclable multi purpose instrument packs. “The planning for the new Byron Shire Hospital is in full swing and you would think that it could be an exciting time in terms of innovative, sustainable and environmentally friendly design.
“Alas – not so. In 2009 I suggested that pro-active environmental design was needed when planning new health facilities. As Byron Shire is situated on the subtropical North Coast you would think this could be a plan. “However, is solar electricity included in the design? Absolutely not: too expensive. Solar hot water? Maybe. “Political, economic expediency is alive and well,” she said. T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5 | 2 9
CLIMATE CHANGE
“Mistreating the environment is a sin.” Pope Francis has put conservative Roman Catholic politicians under pressure with his strong stance on climate change. EARLIER THIS YEAR THE PONTIFF TOLD reporters: “A Christian who does not protect creation … is a Christian who does not care about the work of God.” Pope Francis has been a strong advocate for carbon emission reductions since his first Mass in 2013, when he said that not only was global warming mostly caused by human activity, but also that mistreating the environment was a sin. The Pontiff ’s stance has put him at odds with Roman Catholic conservative politicians in low and middle income countries, including Australia, where our Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been criticised for reducing government support for renewables and is facing international questions about the ability of his Direct Action policy to achieve the promised emissions reduction target of five per cent below 2000 levels by 2020. In 2013 the OECD named Australia as the highest per capita emitter of its 34 member countries. The Abbott government has said it will sign up to a figure of 15 to 25 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 “under different conditions of a global agreement that stabilises GHG [greenhouse gas] levels.” Several countries including the US, China, Brazil and the European Union have challenged Australia’s ability to reduce emissions sufficiently under its Direct Action policy. The UN gave the Abbott government til May to respond to their questions about the efficacy of the policy. In April, the Vatican hosted a major international conference on climate to
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highlight “the intrinsic connection between respect for the environment and respect for people – especially the poor, the excluded, victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, children, and future generations.” According to the international independent national Catholic news service, Crux, part of Boston Globe Media, the meeting was “another sign of Pope Francis’ green agenda and another potential red flag for conservatives who are already alarmed over an expected papal teaching document on the environment that is scheduled for release this summer.” That document, a Papal Encyclical, is one of the most authoritative documents a Pope can issue and Church sources have told Crux there has been intense lobbying of the Vatican, especially by American skeptics who claim climate change is being overhyped or that human activity is not a factor and that remedies may do more harm than good. One prominent conservative columnist, Maureen Mullarkey, writing in the right wing Catholic journal First Things, described Pope Francis as “an ideologue and a meddlesome egoist” for his “premature, intemperate policy endorsements on the environment.” In September, following the release of his encyclical on the environment, the Pontiff will address a joint sitting of the US Congress. But with 56 per cent (169 members) of Congress, including 35 who identify as Catholic, expressing doubts about the science behind climate change, he may get a mixed reception.
On the secular front, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has said that developing countries are feeling “the boot of climate change on their neck”. He said awareness of the impact of extreme weather events that have been linked to rising temperatures was more marked in developing nations than in rich western countries. He praised the divestment campaigns on university campuses in the US, aimed at persuading investors to remove their funds
from fossil fuel companies, and said it was “crazy” that governments were subsidising consumer use of coal, oil and gas. Kim said taxing carbon would trigger a wave of clean technology, which would lift people out of poverty in the developing world while preventing the global temperature from rising by more than 2ºC above pre-industrial levels. Politicians around the globe currently spend around $US1trillion a year subsidising fossil fuels.
“Developing countries are feeling the boot of climate change on their neck.”— Jim Yong Kim, World Bank President T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5 | 3 1
ask judith
when it comes to your rights and entitlements at work, nswnma assistant general secretary JUDITH KIEJDA has the answers. Ask us for professional help I am an injured worker on workers’ compensation. What can I do if I disagree with the outcome of a work capacity assessment? There are processes in place to enable injured workers to have decisions about their work capacity assessments reviewed, however, they can be complicated and are best dealt with by professionals. The best advice the Association can give to members is to telephone us on 8595 1234 metro, or 1300 367 962 if you are in a regional area, and ask to be put through to our information department. An officer will take your details and refer the matter to the Association’s solicitors at New Law.
Single days off not allowed I am an RN working 12-hour shifts in a public hospital. Three times in the current roster I have been rostered three shifts on, one day off, three shifts on. Is this allowed? No. Where 12-hour rosters are in place, nurses should not be rostered on single days off between the 12-hour shifts. The Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2011 at clause 5, Pilot Roster Projects, sub-clause (v), paragraph (g) states: “Employees shall not be rostered on single days off unless it is at the request of the employee.”
On-call is not overtime I am an RN working in a public hospital in radiology. I work Monday to Friday as do most staff members in my unit except for a few part-time staff who work weekends. We are also required to be on-call for after-hour emergencies. Recently, staff on-call have been called to work overtime, to replace sick leave absences for eight-hour shifts on weekends. The absences are not necessarily in the Radiology department and staff that have refused have been threatened with disciplinary action. Is this allowed? Using on-call staff to replace staff absences is
not the intention of having an “On Call” roster. The purpose is to attend emergencies and provide appropriate support and assistance then be released from duty once the patient has been stabilised and the emergency abated, or they are no longer required. If management has issues with replacing staff, strategies need to be developed to cover the situation. The use of on-call staff is not a solution. The Association also has Work Health and Safety objections to using on-call staff in this way.
Leave refusal must be in writing I am an AiN working in aged care, covered by the Nurses Award 2010. I took unpaid maternity leave for 12 months with my first child then, three months prior to the conclusion, I requested (in writing) a second 12-month period of unpaid maternity leave. However, my manager advised me by phone that my request had been denied. Can they refuse my written request in that manner? No, your manager is required to provide you with a written response that outlines the reasons your request is being denied. I refer you to the National Employment Standards, part 2-2, Division 5 Parental Leave and Related Entitlements, section 76. Parts 3-5, which state as follows: “(3) The employer must give the employee a written response to the request stating whether the employer grants or refuses the request. The response must be given as soon as practicable, and not later than 21 days, after the request is made. (4) The employer may refuse the request only on reasonable grounds. (5) If the employer refuses the request, the written response under sub-section (3) must include details of the reasons for the refusal.” Your manager needs to advise that your leave has been refused in writing, clearly outlining the reason for the refusal.
Will 2.5% pay rises continue? We have had our branch meeting to vote on the proposed 2.5 per cent pay rise being offered by the Baird government and would like to know if the government’s wages policy will be continuing into the future? In the first State Budget of the re-elected Baird government, handed down on 23 June 2015, it was reconfirmed that the current wages policy, limiting wage increases to public sector workers to 2.5 per cent, will continue into the future. This means that nurses and midwives will continue to be limited to a maximum increase of 2.5 per cent in wages, unless they trade off other existing conditions of employment - in essence, pay themselves for any additional increase over and above 2.5 per cent. It also, of course, stymies any attempts to improve employment conditions. Unfortunately the current wages policy will also continue to prevent the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW from being able to independently set fair and reasonable wages and conditions of employment, after considering all the evidence, as had occurred prior to 2011, when the wages policy and associated legislative changes were first introduced.
Christmas public holiday please I am trying to plan some leave over the Christmas/New Year period and wanted to know when the extra public holiday will be observed this year in NSW public hospitals? NSW public health awards, including the one relevant to nurses and midwives, contain a provision to observe an “extra” public holiday each year on a day in the Christmas-New Year period. This extra day is determined after consultation with public health unions. At the time of writing this consultation was occurring, and it was likely that Thursday, 31 December 2015 would be the day observed. Note this is in addition to any other public holidays proclaimed and observed over that holiday period.
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social media | nurse uncut
www.nurseuncut.com.au Do you have a story to tell? An opinion to share? nurse uncut is written by everyday nurses and midwives.
We welcome your ideas at nurseuncut@nswnma.asn.au
WHAT’S
A BLOG FOR AUSTRALIAN NURSES AND MIDWIVES
HOT THIS MONTH
Nurse Uncut is also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NurseUncutAustralia and on Twitter @nurseuncut
My grandad Joe, WW1 nurse www.nurseuncut.com.au/my-grandad-joe-ww1-nurse
Mark Quealy, scrub nurse, discovers a historical coincidence – his grandfather worked in a WWI wound dressing station.
Nurse nurture thyself www.nurseuncut.com.au/nurse-nurture-thyself
A nurse contemplates her aching varicose veins, throbbing head and insomnia – do nurses ever learn about self-care?
The gender pay gap in nursing www.nurseuncut.com.au/ the-gender-pay-gap-in-nursing
Why do men earn more than women in nursing? The gap is arlarmingly wide in the US, home to privatised healthcare.
50 years at the bedside www.nurseuncut.com.au/fifty-years-at-the-bedside
Beginnings and endings – Sydney nurse Pauline Branley retires after 50 years working as a midwife, then as an aged care nurse.
The threat to penalty rates for aged care nurses www.nurseuncut.com.au/the-threat-to-penalty-rates-for-aged-care-nurses
What are penalty rates and why are they paid? We provide some basic questions and answers, especially for aged care nurses.
Nursing homes – warehouses for the vulnerable? www.nurseuncut.com.au/nursing-homes-warehouses-for-the-vulnerable
Jill Wright’s mother is in a nursing home – so Jill finds the threat to having registered nurses on duty 24/7 pretty scary.
New on SupportNurses YouTube channel Nicole RN on penalty rates Single mother to three Nicole, on the crucial value of penalty rates. >>youtu.be/ETnhjxydMgA May Day 2015 highlights NSWNMA goes to ACTU Congress 2015 >>youtu.be/DoUphFSNXfY
NSWNMA on Instagram! 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 J U LY 2 0 1 5 | 3 5
VA L E
Christine Wallace 1964 — 2014
[e\ Late last year the palliative care unit of Mount Druitt Hospital lost one of its own. Christine Wallace was a vibrant and fun loving lady. Born on April 18, 1964 in Parramatta, she attended Granville primary school then South Granville High School. In 2002 Chris enrolled in a nursing course that would later lead her to attend the University of Western Sydney to obtain a Bachelor of Nursing degree. Christine worked her way up the ladder, first as an AiN, then an enrolled nurse, an endorsed enrolled nurse and finally in February 2011, became a registered nurse at Mt Druitt Hospital Palliative Care Unit. Christine always said she was blessed to work alongside some amazing and compassionate nurses in the unit. In late 2011 Chris was diagnosed with breast cancer. For the next two years, following radiation and chemotherapy, we all thought she was on the mend. In 2013 Chris was diagnosed with bowel cancer, which
spread to her liver. Chris never gave up. In March 2014 Chris underwent another operation on her liver. In July, she had a major seizure and ended up back in Westmead Hospital for a few weeks. In late October 2014, Christine was admitted into Mount Druitt Palliative Care Unit “for some tweaking“ as she put it, and was discharged home one last time before being re-admitted to be nursed by her work colleagues till the end . Christine left behind her loving partner, two sons, a daughter-in-law and one beautiful grandson. We would definitely call Christine one gutsy lady, as not many of us would have been able to accomplish what she had achieved. You will be dearly missed by all who knew you, Christine. We love you. In memory of Christine and to celebrate her life, members of the Mount Druitt Palliative Care Unit participated in the Relay for Life, held at the Hawkesbury show ground (Pink Dare Devils) on May 23, 2015.
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
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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 Good job Joe!
Hey Joe, please send me a list of those jobs you are talking about – I’d love to be able to buy a home. Silly nurses, why don’t you just buy a house 60km from your work? And when your 12-hour shift finishes you can jump in your car and drive back when there is no traffic! Bad luck if you want to have kids or anything though – especially if you have the temerity to double dip into your employer and government benefits! Sydney is not the be-all and end-all. Sydney needs nurses; they earn the same money as nurses in the country. Tenants in our street paying $850 a week rent – how can you save for a home with rentals so high?
Joe Hockey caused uproar when he said that in order to buy a home you should get a well-paid job.
Opens up a massive can of worms. Can mental health leave be separated from sick leave if there is a cert provided? Complex issue. Leave should be inclusive, not prescriptive, and should not be scrutineered/questioned. Losing privacy will often mean people will not ask, as retribution usually follows! Workplace gossip will follow to further harm them. I didn’t even show up to my court hearing as I was scared to take the day off work. We do need to start the conversation about DV. I know the attitude at some workplaces is, you leave your home life at home.
Work vital to overcome violence Australian of the Year Rosie Batty spoke at the ACTU congress about the need for Domestic Violence leave.
Not enough jobs? The ANMF raised concerns about employers accessing migrant workers with 457 visas, while graduates are getting knocked back.
PHOTO GALLERY
Members at Nowra Private give our Ramsay negotiations the thumbs up.
Top of Form Nursing for four years and just completed my midwifery. No grad positions for midwives who were already nurses. However all job listings for midwifery state must have two years experience! Two degrees for nothing. Very disheartening. This is really poor management of the workforce by this government. Is this statement not inciting hatred/racism? I came here on a working holiday visa, stayed on a 457 visa and eventually got my permanent residency visa. I have worked very hard to get where I am. When you’re on a temporary visa you are at the mercy of employers, as well as facing abuse from Australian staff. I am a new grad RN and had to move to the South Coast for a rural new grad year in a public hospital. It has been really tough but I am learning so much! Our government needs to start creating jobs for all our graduates instead of wanting the rest of us to work til we are 70! If ratios were implemented in all hospitals the jobs would be there, including safe mentoring for the new graduates. Please stop scaremongering. There are plenty of jobs. It’s not because of migrants! The real issue is either supplying enough jobs for graduates or cutting back on the intake of nursing students. I’m a first year nursing student. Am I just wasting my time and money? No, it’s just really tough to secure a new grad program. Don’t forget to apply for private hospitals. Definitely tick the box that says “are you willing to work in a rural area” when you apply.
Nurses with the mayor after Willoughby Council resolved to support our RN 24/7 campaign.
This Bloomfield unit won the “white” contest for International Nurses Day.
Moree midwives celebrated International Midwives Day with a breakfast.
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B B Assisting with B
Call the NSWNMA on 1300 367 962 and ďŹ nd out how you can access this great service.
headspace Youth Early Psychosis Program Employment Opportunities in Western Sydney
Are you ready for your next challenge, want to develop your career and really make a difference to the lives of Young People? headspace is a National Organisation helping Young People aged 12 – 25 who are at risk of, or are experiencing mental health concerns. We have a range of clinician positions available suited for Nursing Professionals. We offer: excellent training; ongoing career progression opportunities; generous salary packaging and penalty rates; and flexible work conditions To request an Information Pack, contact frances.mcmurtrie@ucmh.org.au
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Across 1. A continuation of the inner border of the sacrotuberous ligament upward and forward on the inner aspect of the ramus of the ischium (9.7) 10. Symbol for cerium (2) 11. Receiving stimuli (7) 13. Not exhibiting dipole characteristics (8) 14. Energy of activation (1.1) 15. The main magnetic field measured in teslas (2) 16. Not formed by living organisms (9) 19. The organ of sight (3) 20. Symbol for germanium (2) 21. Renal tubular epithelium (1.1.1) 22. Urea reduction ratio (1.1.1) 23. Sets of articles or tools (4) 24. A specialised section of a hospital caring for seriously ill patients (1.1.1)
25. Low-density lipoprotein (1.1.1) 26. An atom or group of atoms that acquires an electrical charge by the gain or loss of electrons (3) 27. Coroner (1.1) 28. Infectious Bronchitis (1.1) 30. One of Mendel’s laws (3.2.11) 35. Ill, sick (6) 36. Robot (9) 37. A band of fibrous tissue connecting bones or cartilages (8) 38. Causing alcohol intoxication (9) 40. Myopia (16) Down 1. The most medial of the deep cerebellar nuclei, near the midline in the roof of the fourth ventricle (9.7) 2. Language or speech (5)
3. Idiopathic environmental intolerance (1.1.1) 4. A specialised structure of a cell, such as a mitochondrion (9) 5. Pertaining to one eye (9) 6. The melting of the tissue material and collection and solidification of the molten fat (9) 7. Closely united, esp by social ties (5.4) 8. The crust of a superficial sore (4) 9. Acute meningitis with secondary external hydrocephalus (6.10) 12. Showing care in execution (4) 17. A disorder in newborns caused by bacterial or viral invasion of vulnerable intestinal tissues (1.1.1) 18. Deep mental anguish, as that arising from bereavement (5)
27. Someone who presides over a forum or debate (9) 29. The ratio of total live births to total population in a specified community or area over a specified period of time (9) 31. Liquid substances capable of dissolving other substances (8) 32. Transplantation of tissue from one side to another (8) 33. A colorless compound used to keep blood samples from clotting before tests are run (1.1.1.1) 34. Having a protective covering (8) 39. A type of treatment for mental disorders (1.1.1)
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nursing research online
Earlier this year the Commonwealth health minister announced the establishment of 31 Primary Health Networks (PHNs) to replace the Medicare Local model of primary care established by the previous government. Previously the domain of GPs, the primary care setting presents big opportunities for nurses and midwives. How well we do primary care will determine how well we respond to the future health challenges we face. The Australian Health and Hospitals Association (ahha.asn.au) has produced a series of discussion papers series canvassing the key issues. Primary Health Network Critical Success Factors: discussion paper one To facilitate discussion of the key challenges and opportunities arising from the establishment and operations of PHNs, this series of discussion papers considers a combination of the critical success factors for PHNs and explores each of the priority areas in the context of organised primary health care in Australia. The PHN program has the potential to make a significant positive difference in health outcomes for all Australians. This paper reflects on lessons learnt from previous organised primary health care models in Australia, considers the factors that are essential for PHNs to create true public value, and identifies some key issues which PHNs and the government need to address to ensure that PHNs are given every opportunity to succeed. https://ahha.asn.au/sites/default/files/images/phn_discussion_paper_one__phn_critical_success_factors.pdf
Mental Health: discussion paper two Primary care plays a major role in treating mental illness in Australia. However, primary health care providers (GPs, nurses, allied health professionals, pharmacists, Aboriginal health workers and community health workers) are a sub-set of the mix of professions and organisations, operating across multiple settings and sectors, and acting at the micro, meso and macro levels in addressing mental illness in Australia. It is in this context that PHNs can play a pivotal role. “PHNs provide us with a real opportunity to work on the ground to develop stronger local services and overcome some of the current system failures that have confounded the experience of millions of Australians, particularly those living with both physical and mental health problems who cannot get the care they desperately need because of a lack of knowledge about how to navigate our complex system, the scarcity of community-based services in some areas and the often prohibitive cost of private treatment for uninsured consumers.” https://ahha.asn.au/sites/default/files/images/phn_discussion_paper_two__mental_health.pdf
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health: discussion paper three There are many factors that contribute to the poor health outcomes experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in contemporary Australia. Some barriers include: limited availability and/or affordability of services, lack of transport to access services, low levels of health literacy, cultural appropriateness of services as well as institutional racism. However, it is well documented that many factors outside of the health sector have an influence on the health outcomes of Indigenous Australians. These factors, also known as the “social determinants of health” are a confluence of social, economic, geographic and cultural circumstances that have an impact on health. In considering the impact of these factors, one study suggests that between one-third and one-half of the health differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians may be explained by differences in their social determinants of health. https://ahha.asn.au/sites/default/files/images/phn_discussion_paper_three_ -_aboriginal_and_torres_strait_islander_health.pdf
Health Workforce: discussion paper five From a primary health care perspective, supporting and developing an effective and efficient health workforce underpins the objectives of organised primary health care. Notwithstanding this, there are a number of constraints affecting the ability of the primary health care workforce to optimally play its role in the health system. https://ahha.asn.au/sites/default/files/images/phn_discussion_ paper_five_-_workforce.pdf
eHealth: discussion paper six The World Health Organisation defines eHealth (or electronic health) as “the combined use of electronic communication and information technology in the health sector”. In practice, eHealth refers to “the health care components delivered, enabled or supported through the use of information and communications technology. It includes: clinical communications between healthcare providers; patient access to specialist services via online consultation and a range of online tools and resources; and, professionals’ access to information databases and decision support tools.” Furthermore, it can also refer to applications that can assist people to better manage their own health and health care, as well as technologies to monitor patients’ conditions remotely. https://ahha.asn.au/sites/default/files/images/phn_discussion_ paper_six_-_ehealth.pdf
T H E L A M P J U LY 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. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine 19th Edition, Vols I & II
Person and Family Centered Care Jane Barnsteiner, Joanne Disch and Mary Walton
Dennis Kasper, Stephen Hauser, J Larry Jameson, Anthony Fauci, Dan Longo and Joseph Loscalzo McGraw Hill Education www.mhprofessional.com RRP $249 – NSWNMA member discount available ISBN 9780071802154 This latest edition of Harrison’s provides a complete update of essential content related to pathogenesis, clinical trials, current diagnostic methods and imaging approaches, evidence-based practice guidelines and established and new approved treatment methods. Volume I looks at foundational principles, cardinal manifestations of disease and approaches to differential diagnosis, while Volume II covers disease pathogenesis and treatment. New chapters have been added on subjects including men’s health, the impact of global warming on infectious diseases and fatigue. Updated sections include management and therapeutics for hepatitis, coronary artery disease, Ebola virus, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Volume I comes with a DVD that covers 137 additional chapters, including tutorials on how to perform essential clinical procedures and 500 illustrations. Due to their size these items are not for loan from the library and members are requested to visit the library to use this resource.
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing www.nursingsociety.org RRP $97.95 ISBN 9781938835070 This book examines the emerging trend towards patient-centered care and offers strategies for working effectively with patients and their families. It comprises three parts, the first describing the evolution of the concept. Next, different models for person and family-centered care are examined. Lastly, several pragmatic chapters discuss approaches to ethics consultations, mediation, the use of narratives, organisational support systems, interdisciplinary teams and the role of leaders in creating change. Issues such as dealing with bullying or abusive patients, family members and visitors, and advice on avoiding compassion fatigue are also addressed.
special interest
Long-Term Care Administration and Management
Carve Her Name With Pride
Darlene Yee-Melichar, Cristina Flores and Edwin Cabigao
R J Minney
Springer Publishing via Footprint Books www.footprint.com.au RRP $121 ISBN 9780826195678 Long-term care (LTC) embodies an array of residential, home and community-based services designed to maximise an individual’s function and independence. This multidisciplinary book offers advice on care at home and in communities, client care, staff retention, marketing and census development, preventing elder abuse and anticipating and managing legal issues. It also covers issues of diversity, managing chronic illness disease trajectories and provision of palliative care services, trends towards addressing quality-of-life issues and presents some of the technologies and tools available to LTC providers, along with examples of deployment and integration of new systems. Each chapter features learning objectives, case studies, effective practices and/or model programs.
Rheumatology: A Clinical Handbook Ahmad Al-Sukaini, Mohsin Azam and Ash Samanta Scion Publishing via Footprint Books www.footprint.com.au RRP $47.95 ISBN 9781907904264 This slim guide covers the core elements of diagnosis and treatment of a range of rheumatological disorders, in terms of their pathophysiology, epidemiology and risk factors, clinical features, diagnostic pathway, investigations and management. Additional chapters address common conditions that present during early life, pharmacology, key investigative techniques, and history taking. The clear layout, using bullet points, mnemonics, colour diagrams and red flags makes this book appealing and easy to read.
Pen & Sword Military Books via www.peribo.com.au RRP $39.99 ISBN 9781848847422 First published in 1956 and now republished by a publisher specialising in military history, Carve Her Name With Pride tells the inspiring story of Violette Szabo and her extraordinary secret missions for the British First Aid Nursing Yeomanry in World War II. Violette was recruited as a secret agent following the death of her husband, a captain in the French Foreign Legion, at the Battle of El Alamein. Aged just 22, Violette was parachuted into Limoges, capital city of the Limousin region of west-central France, and tasked with coordinating resistance efforts in the area after D-Day. Born to an English father and French mother, Violette’s story is one of extreme bravery, shown at a time when extreme events called for extreme action.
25% off for members The NSWNMA is pleased to announce that McGraw Hill Publishers is offering our members a 25 per cent discount off the recommended retail price of all medical titles, plus a range of other professional series books! Visit Book Me online at www.nswnma.an.au/library-services/book-reviews for further instructions or contact the library.
All books can be ordered through the publisher or your local bookshop. NSWNMA members can borrow the books featured here via the Library’s Online Catalogue: visit www.nswnma.asn.au/library-services-online-librarycatalogue/. Call 8595 1234 or 1300 367 962, or email gensec@nswnma.asn.au for assistance with loans or research. Some books are reviewed using information supplied and have not been independently reviewed.
T H E L A M P J U LY 2 0 1 5 | 4 3
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
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movies of the month
If you favour a good detective story – and art house cinema – you will enjoy this film, writes Meg Collins. The year is 1947; World War II has not long ended. Mr Holmes (Ian McKellen) is in retirement. He moves awkwardly around his home and is prone to falls. He continues to be, at times, his usual, socially-inept self – most notably towards his housekeeper Mrs Munro (Laura Linney). Cognitively, however, we see a change in Holmes: his intellect and wit are not quite what we have seen before – there is deterioration and Holmes pursues a remedy for this in Japan. Mrs Munro and her son, Roger (Milo Parker), act as Holmes’ surrogate family. Holmes forms a fatherly affection for the young boy and mentors him on beekeeping, among many other things. The aged detective is also doing his utmost to recall an unresolved case that haunts him. The mystery unfolds to explain why a young man presents himself to Holmes to investigate the activities of his wife – a woman grieving after two miscarriages. The young man is concerned about his wife’s psychological state, her deceit and the influence of a third party. The film looks beautiful; the production design, costumes and cinematography are exquisite. Good use is made of computergenerated images, particularly in the Hiroshima scenes. The screenplay is very good, intricately plotted, though at times, a little slow. It uses the classic Sherlock Holmes formula. The actors perform very well, particularly Ian McKellen and the young Milo Parker. This is not a film for everyone, but I certainly enjoyed it. Meg Collins is Patient Safety and Quality Manager at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. IN CINEMAS JULY 23.
METROMEMBERGIVEAWAY Email The Lamp by the 12th of the month to be in the draw to win a double pass to Mr Holmes thanks to Transmission Films. email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!
DVD SPECIAL OFFER J.K. Rowling’s first adult novel moves from the page to the screen in this three-part mini-series starring Sir Michael Gambon, Julia McKenzie, Keeley Hawes and Rory Kinnear. The death of a small town solicitor sets off a series of Machiavellian manoeuvres by the people of Pagford, a picturesque town in England’s Cotswolds. Despite its pretty cobbled market square and ancient abbey, Pagford’s quaint façade hides a town at war: rich vs. poor; parents vs. children; wives vs. husbands; and teachers vs. pupils. As Pagford Parish Council prepares for a vote on what to do with Sweetlove House – a community centre serving poorer residents – chairman Howard Mollison (Gambon) and his wife, Shirley (McKenzie), who want to turn it into a tourist-destination spa, look to neutralize the threat of everyman council member Barry (Kinnear), defender of the current Sweetlove House mission. Barry’s sudden death leaves a “casual vacancy” on the council and the race to fill his seat and determine the fate of Sweetlove stirs up drama and intrigue.
RURALMEMBERGIVEAWAY Email The Lamp by the 15th of this month to be in the draw to win a dvd of A Casual Vacancy thanks to Roadshow Entertainment. 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 J U LY 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 Midwifery Update Seminar 18 July , Sydney www.acutecareeducation.com.au Empower Nurse Education - Acute Care Nursing Conference 1 August Harbourview Function Centre, Newcastle www.empowernurseeducation.com.au DANA Many Faces of Addiction Forum 13-14 August Novotel Sydney Central www.danaconference.com.au Australian Wound Management Association (NSW) 14-15 August Crown Plaza, Terrigal info.nsw@awma.com.au Nurses Christian Fellowship – Workshop and AGM 15 August Sydney www.ncfansw.org Australian Society of Post Anaesthesia and Anaesthesia Nurses (ASPAAN) Seminar 29 August Port Macquarie www.aspaan.org.au Empower Nurse Education – Anaesthetics & PARU Conference 4-5 September Harbourview Function Centre, Newcastle www.empowernurseeducation.com.au ASPAAN Seminar 12 September Ryde Hospital www.aspaan.org.au NSW Health Triples Lawn Bowls Tournament 13 September Belfield Bowling and Recreation Club Paul.Sillato@swsahs.nsw.gov.au 26th PANDDA 2015 Conference 15-16 September Novotel Hotel, Parramatta www.pandda.net Nursing & Midwifery Unit Managers Society Annual Conference 9 October Crown Plaza, Terrigal www.numsociety.org.au Diabetes Update Day - Diabetes NSW Annual Conference 10 October Sydney www.diabetesnsw.com.au 2015 Australian Nursing and Midwifery Conference 15-16 October Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle www.nursingmidwiferyconference.com.au Australian & New Zealand Orthopaedic Nurses’ Association Conference – Climbing to the Summit 11-13 November Hilton Hotel Sydney www.anzonaconference.net ASPAAN Seminar 5 December Wollongong www.aspaan.org.au
ACT ASPAAN Seminar 22 August Canberra www.aspaan.org.au The MHS Conference – Best Practice into Reality 25-28 August Canberra www.themhs.org
Second National Complex Needs Conference 17-18 November Canberra Rex Hotel complexneeds.org.au/events The Australian Stop Domestic Violence Conference - Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association 7-9 December Canberra Rex Hotel www.stopdomesticviolence.com.au
INTERSTATE SEXrurality 2015 - Showcasing Rural Innovations and Achievements in Sexual Health 21-22 July All Seasons Quality Resort, Bendigo www.cersh.com.au/event/cersh-2015sexrurality-conference 2015 Australian Winter School – connecting the alcohol and drugs sector 22-24 July Brisbane www.winterschool.org.au Nursing Informatics Australia Annual Conference 3-5 August Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre www.hisa.org.au/hic2015/nia 16th International Mental Health Conference 12-14 August QT Hotel, Gold Coast www.anzmh.asn.au/conference The Aeromedical Society of Australasia & Flight Nurses Australia 27th Conference 2015 19-21 August Darwin www.aeromedconference.com Fit for the Future - 13th Australian Palliative Care Conference 1-4 September Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre events@palliativecare.org.au; www.palliativecare.org.au/australian-palliativecare-conference 10th Conference - The Australian College of Nurse Practitioners 6-8 September Pullman, Albert Park, Melbourne www.dcconferences.com.au/acnp2015 6th Australian Emergency Nurse Practitioner Symposium 9-10 September Mercure, Albert Park, Melbourne www.dcconferences.com.au/acnp2015/home Asia Pacific Autism Conference (APAC15) 9-11 September Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre www.apac15.org.au 2015 Indigenous Men’s Conference 28-30 September Hilton Hotel, Darwin www.indigenousconferences.com 2015 Indigenous Women’s Conference 28-30 September Hilton Hotel, Darwin www.indigenousconferences.com Australian College of Midwives 19th Biennial Conference 5-8 October Gold Coast www.acm2015.com 13th International Conference for Emergency Nurses 7-9 October Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre www.cena.org.au ACMHN’s 41st International Mental Health Nursing Conference 7-9 October Brisbane Convention Centre www.acmhn2015.com
The National Nursing Forum (Australian College of Nursing) 14-16 October Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre www.acn.edu.au/Forum_2015 2015 CRANAplus Conference 15-17 October 2015 Alice Springs Convention Centre www. crana.org.au 7th Australian Rural & Remote Mental Health Symposium 26-28 October Novotel Forest Resort, Creswick, Victoria www.anzmh.asn.au/rrmh Leadership in Health Congress 28-30 October Sofitel Melbourne on Collins www.achs.org.au Place, Spirit, Heart - Exploring Experiences of Ageing 4-6 November Alice Springs Convention Centre www.aagconference.asn.au 2015 Annual Scientific Alcohol and Drug Conference 8-11 November , Perth www.apsadconference.com.au ASPAAN National Conference 13-14 November Melbourne www.aspaan.org.au 2015 National Indigenous Health Conference 1-3 December Shangri-la, Darwin www.indigenousconferences.com
INTERNATIONAL Patient Safety Congress 6-7 July Birmingham, England info.patientsafetycongress.co.uk 9th European Congress on Violence in Clinical Psychiatry 22-24 October Crown Plaza Copenhagen Towers, Denmark www.oudconsultancy.nl/Copenhagen2015 2nd Annual World Congress of Orthopaedics 2015 24-26 September Xi’an, China www.bitcongress.com/wcort2015/default.asp
REUNIONS Sydney Hospital Graduate Nurses Association Annual Reunion Lunch 7 October 2015 Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney Jeanette Fox bekysa@tpg.com.au or 02 4751 4829 Community Health in the Lower Hunter (Maitland, Cessnock, Singleton, Dungog and Port Stephens) 40 year reunion 1975-2015 24 October 2015 East Maitland Bowling Club chreunion@yahoo.com.au Ruth King 4934 3364 Kathryn Bennett 0432 136 060 NEC Prince Henry / Prince of Wales – 40 year Reunion October 1972–1975 PTS 24-25 October 2015 Margret Brignall (nee Samuel) 0418 646 959 or Margaret.Samuel@sswahs.nsw.gov.au Sonia Keeling (nee Graf) 0407 221 407 or mskeeling@bigpond.com Gill Gillon (nee Horton) 0401 048 205 or gillgill@optusnet.com.au St Vincent’s Darlinghurst PTS Class January 1976 - 40 year Reunion 19 March 2016 fnethery@gmail.com.au or jacquie.scott@btopenworld.com Auburn Hospital October 1976-1979 40th Reunion Sharon Byers 0419 144 965 or sbyers01@bigpond.net.au Margaret Borg (nee Mueller) 0431 159 964 or margaret_borg@bigpond.com
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4th World Congress of Clinical Safety 28-30 September Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria www.iarmm.org/4WCCS EMS Conference (for paramedics and acute care nurses) 18-22 January 2016 Rusutsu Resort, Hokkaido, Japan www.emsconferences.com.au 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
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At First State Super we believe Australians who choose careers looking after others
Consider our product disclosure statement before making a decision about First State Super. Call us or visit our website for a copy. FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 11 118 202 672 ASFL 293340 is the trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme ABN 53 226 460 365.
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