The Lamp August 2005 by NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association

lamp the

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

volume 62 no.7 August 2005

HOWARD’S IR AGENDA KICKS IN

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IT’S TIME

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ABOUT THE LAMP

C O N T E N T S

Contacts NSW NURSES’ ASSOCIATION For all membership enquiries and assistance, including Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office. SYDNEY OFFICE 43 Australia Street Camperdown NSW 2050 PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9550 3667 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au W www.nswnurses.asn.au HUNTER OFFICE 120 Tudor Street Hamilton NSW 2303 ILLAWARRA OFFICE L1, 63 Market Street Wollongong NSW 2500

Cover story

Howard's IR agenda kicks in It's time to take a stand 12 Cover Robyn Smith, RN, Maitland Hospital

News in brief

Lifestyle

8 8 9 10

38 More to Peaches than canned fruit 43 Book me

NSW Liberals back Howard’s IR package Peter fulfils his nursing dream The dark side of Johnson & Johnson Even Origin night couldn’t distract these footy fans 10 Liverpool’s Karitane program wins national award 10 Leukaemia Foundation helps thousands every year 11 Workplace health and safety – bosses want lighter penalties

Tips from members 39 Sprucing up your winter garden

Benefits to members

Professional development

40 Carmel saves $319 on hot deal 40 Ruth Fennelly: 50 years a nurse 41 Jane and hubby hop off on surprise holiday 41 Kerrie’s romantic escape

11 NSWNA education program: What's on this month

Regular columns 5

Agenda 18 19 20 22

We need strong nurse managers A voice for nurses in management Accountability for the nursing profession Bringing heart and care to a tragic cycle of drug abuse

Industrial issues 25 27 27 29

Direct debit guarantees union protection Aged care hours backdown after union action Union input delivers a safer, better facility Army attacks nurses

Editorial by Brett Holmes 6 Your letters to The Lamp 37 Ask Judith 45 Our nursing crossword 46 Diary dates

Competition! 29 Win a deluxe whale watching escape

Special offer 43 NSWNA members save $30 to see The Producers – the New Mel Brooks Musical

Professional issues 31 No more code red 32 ‘You’re not fit enough’ RN told 35 Shiftwork a hot topic at this year’s Professional Issues Conference

The Lamp COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Noel Hester T 8595 2153 EDITORIAL For all editorial enquiries, letters and diary dates: Glen Ginty T 8595 2191 E gginty@nswnurses.asn.au M PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 PRODUCED BY Lodestar Communications T 9698 4511 PRESS RELEASES Send your press releases to: T 9550 3667 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au THE LAMP EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Brett Holmes, NSWNA General Secretary Judith Kiejda, NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Coral Levett, NSWNA President John Lyons, Coonabarabran District Hospital Jonathan Farry, RPA Hospital Mark Kearin, Wyong Hospital Roz Norman, Tamworth Base Hospital Robyn Wright, Moruya District Hospital Stephen Metcalfe, Lismore Base Hospital Therese Riley, St George Hospital ADVERTISING Patricia Purcell T 8595 2139 or 0416 259 845 F 9550 3667 E ppurcell@nswnurses.asn.au RECORDS AND INFORMATION CENTRE - LIBRARY To find old articles in The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNA library’s nursing and health collection, contact: Jeannette Bromfield, RIC Coordinator T 8595 2175 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au General disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSW Nurses’ Association. 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 NSW Nurses’ Association takes no responsibility for the advertising appearing herein and it does not necessarily endorse any products advertised. Privacy Privacy statement: The NSWNA 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 NSWNA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained you can contact the Privacy Commission. Subscriptions Free to all Association members. Ex-members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $44. Individuals $60, Institutions $90, Overseas $100.

THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 3

Direct debit works for Arnia and keeps our union strong. Arnia Haurua chose to pay her NSWNA fees by direct debit because it benefits both her and the union. Direct debit means your NSWNA membership fees are deducted direct from your bank account or credit card each month. ‘It’s convenient for me but it also protects our union from future attacks by the federal government. If the government stops payroll deductions for union fees after 1 July, this will seriously weaken the Association,’ said Arnia.

Switch to direct debit and go into the draw to win a 12-day European tour for 2 * Prize includes two return airfares ex Sydney to London * Prize drawn 4 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 30 December 2005

For direct debit or direct credit forms, to enter the competition or for more information call the NSWNA on 8595 1234 or 1300 367 962 or go to www.nswnurses.asn.au

E D I T O R I A L BY BRETT HOLMES GENERAL SECRETARY

The radical changes you did not vote for g The Prime Minister has no mandate and no case for proposed changes that threaten the rights of nurses.

‘Contrary to what John Howard says, the industrial relations system is not holding the economy back. In fact it is part of our success.’

any nurses – along with millions of other Australians – voted to return the Howard government at the last federal election. People voted for what they perceived as safety, security and a continuation of low interest rates. It was a vote for steadyas-she-goes government. A government that people thought they knew. The government was not re-elected with a mandate to radically change Australian society – yet this is exactly what is now proposed. Gaining control of the senate for the first time in nearly 30 years has allowed this government to push forward proposed changes that will – over time – impact on every employee and their family. The government has failed to put forward a convincing case for these radical changes. Their arguments have been rubbished by a wide range of economists and labour market experts. Strong voices of concern have been raised by many church and community leaders. Even at the highest ranks of the Liberal and National parties there have been many dissenting voices. The case for opposing these changes is very strong. Australia is currently in its fourteenth consecutive year of economic growth. During those fourteen years the economy has grown by an average of 3.5% per year. We have low inflation, good productivity growth and low unemployment. In fact, employment has grown at 2% per year. Industrial disputes are at record lows. These are stunning figures. Australia’s growth has outperformed the US and OECD averages. Profits have soared, increasing by 136% since 1991 or by 70% in real terms. Contrary to what John Howard says, the industrial relations system is not holding the economy back. It is critical that nurses inform themselves about John Howard’s proposed changes.

What are at risk are a raft of employment rights such as redundancy pay, overtime, shift work penalty rates, weekend and public holiday pay rates, work rosters, work and family rights, annual leave loading, casual loading, allowances, skill-based pay increases (incremental scales), and other award standards that could be removed from employees without compensation. At the heart of the federal government’s strategy is a plan to weaken collective bargaining and create an industrial relations system where the predominant instrument is the individual contract. Collective bargaining is an internationally recognised right. It provides a balance of power in the workplace and ensures fair treatment. It leads to a fairer share of profits and benefits from productivity going to employees. It is the mechanism by which we all get to share in the strong economy with improving living standards. In a competitive commercial environment, employers will always try to drive down costs wherever they can. It only takes one rogue employer and the others have to follow to stay in business. For nurses in aged care and private hospitals this competitive business environment is a daily reality. John Howard’s plan of a dog-eat-dog world of work will pose serious risks to pay and conditions in these sectors. Professions such as nursing are vulnerable as individual nurses can be browbeaten about duty and patient care being more important than a decent living standard. These new workplace laws are overwhelmingly biased towards employers. They reflect long-standing prejudices on the conservative side of politics. We must ensure that the Howard government knows that the passage of laws that remove nurses’ and other workers’ rights will not be supported by the majority of working people. Passage of these proposed laws will spell political disaster for a government elected to govern for all, not just big business.n THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 5

L E T T E R S

LETTER of the month Eleanor Romney

Our conditions are under threat I write as a nurse, a unionist and an Australian to express my deep concern over the federal government’s proposed industrial relations changes. I am worried that under a system based on individual contracts nurses would lose many of the hard-won conditions and entitlements currently enshrined in our award. John Howard’s changes could see the end of penalty rates, a reduction in leave entitlements and an end to industrially enforceable reasonable workloads. It is also difficult to believe that nurses – acting individually – will be able to negotiate contracts to their benefit. I wonder how the nursing profession will be able to retain experienced staff and recruit new nurses if our working conditions are so savagely reduced. Having been a delegate for four years, I am acutely aware of how fraught workplaces are and of the various pressures on nurses. Heavy workloads, threats to personal safety, inadequate skill mix and lack of fair access to education are just a few of the issues we face on a regular basis. These sorts of work environments require constant monitoring by union members and, frequently, the intervention of NSWNA’s officials. Under the proposed IR changes union organisers would have reduced access to workplaces – making it much more difficult for them to help us. It

is also likely that if these changes go ahead, one of the government’s first steps would be to put an end to payroll deductions for union fees. Such a move could prove disastrous for our union. On a personal note I am concerned for those members of our community who will rapidly feel the bite of Howard’s changes. Unskilled workers will be forced onto individual contracts and those people working for small businesses will no longer have the protection of unfair dismissal legislation. I for one don’t want to live in a society where people have to work in unsafe workplaces, have to negotiate contracts with unscrupulous bosses, have few entitlements and lack the protection of unions. I strongly encourage all nurses to be fully informed about the proposed IR changes and to speak out against them – loudly! Let your colleagues know what these changes could mean for our profession and for the Australian workplace generally. Finally, make sure you change your NSWNA fees from payroll deduct to direct debit. John Howard needs to know that nurses shall not be cowed by his grand plan for industrial relations. Eleanor Romney, RPA Hospital Eleanor Romney won the prize for this month’s letter of the month, a $50 Myer voucher.

What is a nurse really worth! I am writing in response to a letter published in The Lamp, February 2005.This letter related to the rate of pay for nurses employed in medical practices. The registered nurses currently employed at this medical practice have bet-ween 20 and 27 years’ experience in nursing, yet we are currently paid the equivalent of a 6th year RN, due our being covered by a different award. This needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. Nurses working in general practice still have the same responsibilities as 6 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

nurses in the public health system and we deserve better rates of pay and conditions. Does the NSW Nurses’ Association really know what a practice nurse does? Is this why the government is conducting a two-year study into practice nurses? It appears the government realises what a valuable group of nurses we are and how much we contribute to the community and contribute to NSW Health. We may be practice nurses but we are still nurses! Name withheld

Sharon Booth

Poem of appreciation for mental health nurses Whilst looking and sorting through some paperwork, I came across this letter written by a patient to the nurses in mental health at James Fletcher Hospital. If you have a space, I would be very pleased to see it published. Mental health does not attract the attention and thanks that nurses receive in other areas, mostly because of stigma. However, we are receiving more thanks and recognition from patients and families. This really makes a difference to all of us. Sharon Booth, Maitland Hospital

Nurses take me everywhere To where I want to be Happy and free hoping for sensibility Super strong, super race Wonderful ones when the world’s such a disgrace Beautiful in every way To see the nurses makes my day You are all so good to me How you tolerate me I don’t know The patience and tolerance that you show I’m not only a pain in the arse How I know you have the class That makes you all so far above me I really respect you all I hope you see Thanks for all the help you give Without you I’d probably know grief The medicine and care gives me relief My religion, belief is based on love How I know you’re so far above The ‘super-race’, I call you that I really really dip my hat.

LETTER of the month The letter judged the best each month will be awarded a $50 Myer voucher, courtesy Medicraft, Australia’s largest manufacturer of hospital beds and furtniture. For more information on Medicraft products, visit www.medicraft.com.au or call 9569 0255.

Got something to say?

Send your letters to: Glen Ginty email gginty@nswnurses.asn.au fax 9550 3667 mail PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 Please include a photograph along with your name, address, phone and membership number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.

Amanda Culver

Clarifying EN training In response to the letter titled “Make EN courses affordable” in the May issue of The Lamp, I would like to highlight some of the issues that were raised and clarify some points relating to TAFE NSW Certificate IV in Enrolled Nurse Conversion (Medication Administration) Course 716. Firstly, though not clearly identified by the writer of the letter, I believe he/ she is writing about the Certificate IV in Enrolled Nurse Conversion (Medication Administration) Course 716. This course has been developed to provide enrolled nurses who trained prior to October 1991 with an opportunity to complete a course that is equivalent to the current Certificate IV in Nursing (Enrolled Nurse) course that is the course for training of Enrolled Nurses in New South Wales. In response to the writer’s questions: 1. Why is it so expensive? a) TAFE NSW has written the current Conversion course with selfpaced learning packages, which enables the enrolled nurse to have an opportunity to study flexibly with some face-to-face theory and practical assessment. This mixed mode of delivery enables ENs to study partially at home and thus maintain work and family commitments. The two theory modules of the medication administration component of the course are delivered face-to-face in the classroom. TAFE NSW has determined ratio equivalents of teachers to students to ensure practical sessions have the appropriate numbers of teachers to support demonstration, supervision, practice and feedback in a simulated clinical laboratory. The three modules that are in the Medication Administration course (which are also included in the Conversion Course) are the same three modules that make up the stand alone course ‘Statement

of Attainment in Medication Administration for Enrolled Nurse’ course 3271. These modules are also found in the current Certificate IV in Nursing (Enrolled Nurse) Course 314 for trainee enrolled nurses. By ensuring all modules are the same, TAFE NSW ensures standardisation of learning, quality outcomes and patient safety. b)Two of the six modules of the Conversion Course are delivered via distance education, followed with one week of theory, practice and assessments. Distance education still requires contact, liaison, marking and many of the components of teaching that face-to-face teaching demands. 2. Why wasn’t the clinical placement organised in a public hospital? The clinical component of the conversion course requires the clinical skill to be undertaken in a facility that administers IV therapy. Both the public and private sector are to be applauded for their efforts in working together to accommodate all the students wishing to undertake the clinical component of the course. Clinical facilities that undertake assessment of this course are required to be approved by the NSW Nurses and Midwives Board. The NSW Health Department and NSW Nurses’ Association both offer scholarships that support Enrolled Nurses undertaking further study to complete upgrading of their qualifications. TAFE NSW is cognisant of the fact that, for some students, access to this course is not always easy and we encourage ENs to continue to explore avenues, for example scholarship funding, that could make study options possible. Amanda Culver, Senior Education Officer Health and Aged Services Community Services Health Tourism and Recreation Curriculum Centre, TAFE NSW

Leanne Pringle

Missed out on uni but I'll keep trying I’m writing to you about your article in The Lamp July 2005, page 12, about how so many people who applied to university were turned away because of the lack of funding last year. I was one of those who applied and was turned away. As a mature aged person and currently working in an aged care facility, having completed a Certificate III in Aged Care, a computerised accountancy course through an Australian accredited agency and the STAT test by UAC, I thought I may have a chance of studying at Newcastle University to complete a course as a Registered Nurse. But my application was not successful. I continued working in my current place of employment and applied for a position at Muswellbrook Hospital as a Trainee Endorsed EN. Unfortunatelly I didn't get the position, but after a couple of weeks I was contacted about a position available at Kurri Kurri District Hospital. I was so excited and commenced studying at Tighes Hill TAFE. ... I am now employed at Muswellbrook Hospital as an AiN in the Aged Care unit and work alongside the girls who made it through the course. This was very disapointing but life goes on. I'm now working towards gaining my medical receptionist certificate and Certificate IV in Nursing, and will try again at Newcastle University as an RN. Let's hope this year will be a better one. I will not give up hope and will keep trying. Thanks for providing such a very informative article. Keep up the good work. Leanne Pringle, Muswellbrook Hospital

Every letter published receives a copy of the Australian Nurse Diary 2005. The diary includes weekly shift planners, reference materials, foreign language translations, and is available from hospital newsagents.

THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 7

N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF

NSW LIBERALS BACK HOWARD’S IR PACKAGE SW Liberal leader John Brogden says he has no qualms about the Howard NSW Liberal leader, government’s sweeping changes John Brogden to industrial relations law, and confirmed he would cede NSW’s IR powers to Canberra if he won office. Brogden was speaking as Liberal IR ministers from other states were putting their concerns about a Canberra takeover to Workplace Relations Minister, Kevin Andrews.

'... I think it’s modern, I think it reflects increasing needs for a flexible workplace and I think fundamentally it’s long overdue.’ In a paper on ‘Practical Federalism’, Brogden said Australia ‘needs a more flexible and less complex industrial relations system that offers more choice to employees and employers alike. A national government should regulate industrial relations on a national basis, just as it controls income and business taxes’. Asked whether he had any qualms about the far-reaching nature of the Howard/Andrews package, Brogden said he did not. ‘No, because it’s flexible, I think it’s modern, I think it reflects increasing needs for a flexible workplace and I think fundamentally it’s long overdue. The only winners at the moment from our complex system of industrial relations are the lawyers and the union bosses.’ The Carr Government’s IR Minister, John Della Bosca, has criticised Brogden for planning to cede NSW’s IR powers to Canberra even before the details of the Howard/ Andrews proposals are clear. 8 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

Peter fulfils his nursing dream

Peter Lokiri (right) received his EN certificate from the principal at Lacor School of Nursing after receiving a donation for his school fees by NSWNA members

g Thanks to the generosity of Lamp readers, Sudanese refugee Peter Lokiri has achieved his dream of becoming a nurse.

amp readers may recall the story in our March issue of Peter Lokiri who was forced to leave his home in Sudan because of the savage civil war. With an extraordinary story of survival, Peter was determined to become a nurse so he could help other people suffering crises and emergency situations. We reported that Peter commenced training as an EN at Lacor School of Nursing but had been forced to abandon his nursing dream because he was unable to afford the fees. Members and NSWNA staff responded with generosity – donating $900 towards his school fees and text books – and Peter was able to complete his nurse training at the Lacor School and recently graduated as an EN. ‘On behalf of our family and on my own behalf, I wish to take this opportunity to thank all the nurses and more especially those who willingly and actively donated

funds for my school fees in Lacor School of Nursing (in Northern Uganda) and the box of books,’ said Peter. ‘As I approached the completion of my EN course, I became worried about how I would raise the money for my school fees. When I received the news that NSW nurses had contributions for my school fees, I was so happy.’

‘This has shown to me that nurses are not only there for patients but also for their fellow nurses all over the world.’ ‘This has shown to me that nurses are not only there for patients but also for their fellow nurses all over the world. Therefore, I once more thank you very much and advise you to continue with that spirit to the needy as you have done to me,’ said Peter. n

The dark side of Johnson & Johnson

publicity campaign to promote nursing as a career choice, funded by the global pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, is underway in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. The Australian campaign, with a website and television advertisements to come, ‘aims to challenge negative stereotypes of nursing and midwifery.’ Happily for Johnson & Johnson, it also presents the company as a caring and sharing organisation devoted to the nursing profession. A truer image of the US-owned multinational may be found on its home territory, in California in particular. Johnson & Johnson is in sharp conflict with Californian nurses – and is baring its fangs. On 12 May, the birthday of Florence Nightingale and national Nurses Day in the US, hundreds of members of the California Nurses Association (CNA) held a protest rally at the San Francisco office of Johnson & Johnson. CNA is the biggest independent registered nurse organisation in the US, representing more than 60,000 RNs. It says Johnson & Johnson is a major contributor to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s political campaign fund. ‘The donors have been rewarded with an outspoken champion of corporate interests. Nowhere has that been more evident than in health care policy,’ said CNA president Deborah Burger. ‘Johnson & Johnson was a major contributor to an initiative intended to silence the voices of nurses and other public employees from participating in the political

SCHWARZENEGGER VIOLATED LAW

ON NURSE-TO-PATIENT RATIOS Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger acted illegally in seeking to overturn key portions of a California law requiring safe nurseto-patient hospital ratios, a Superior Court judge has ruled. In a final judgment on 7 June, judge Judy Hersher upheld a lawsuit by the California Nurses Association, and issued a permanent injunction overturning two emergency regulations by Schwarzenegger to suspend the ratio law. Judge Hersher said Schwarzenegger’s administration ‘abused its discretion and failed to follow the procedures established by law in determining the regulations were necessary for the immediate preservation of public health and safety’. ‘Today’s decision sends a compelling, unmistakable message that this governor is not above the rule of law, and that a law enacted to protect patients may not be sabotaged simply to financially benefit his hospital corporate donors,’ said CNA President Deborah Burger.

process, a sharp contrast to their muchhyped image as an advocate for nurses,’ Deborah said. She said Johnson & Johnson also donated campaign money to Schwarzenegger who conveniently vetoed legislation that would have allowed Californians to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada – at a time when high drug costs are a national scandal.

Johnson & Johnson has also donated US$1.3 million so far to Schwarzenegger’s campaign to defeat a measure to create drug price controls with real teeth. Pharmaceutical manufacturers have pledged US$10 million to fight price controls. ‘By honouring the legacy of the original nurse activist, Florence Nightingale, bedside registered nurses will be protesting the hypocritical policies of Johnson & Johnson,’ Deborah said. She said that in return for political donations from health corporations, Schwarzenegger has: c Overturned nurse-to-patient safe staffing ratios in the mostly private hospital system (see box). c Vetoed legislation requiring health insurance plans to pay for maternity care. c Vetoed legislation to expand nursing education slots in community colleges. c Vetoed legislation requiring hospitals to have policies to reduce crippling back injuries for nurses and other caregivers. c Opposed legislation that would have extended health insurance coverage to over one million uninsured Californians. c Vetoed legislation to oblige hospitals to give more notice prior to closing hospitals and emergency rooms and assist local communities that want to keep open private hospitals facing closure. c Vetoed legislation to provide assistance to families faced with financial ruin due to exorbitant hospital bills. n THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 9

N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF

EVEN ORIGIN NIGHT COULDN’T DISTRACT THESE FOOTY FANS ven the rugby league State of Origin final wasn’t enough to stop one group of boys from running the busy Emergency Department at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, on a Wednesday night last month (July). All the boys are, of course, paediatric nurses employed at the hospital. It is unusual to have so many male nurses working in the same unit, but even more unusual to have them all work on the same night shift coinciding with a State of Origin final.

‘While their loyalties were divided between Queensland and NSW for the big game, they are a very united team in caring for the kids.’ While all are big league fans and love to play the game in their spare time, they also love their job and didn’t mind missing the game to look after sick kids. ‘In a profession that is predominately female, it’s great to see more and more males choosing nursing as a career,’ said the hospital’s workforce manager, Marguerite Cusack. ‘While their loyalties were divided between Queensland and NSW for the big game, they are a very united team in caring for the kids,’ she said.

Liverpool’s Karitane program wins national award

y helping first-time mothers get off to a good start, the Karitane Family Care Centre at Liverpool in Western Sydney has won a national award for innovation in health care. The centre won the Consumer Involvement category of the 2005 AHA Baxter Healthcare National Innovation Awards. The AHA (Australian Healthcare Association) is the peak national body for public hospitals and other not-for-profit health and aged care services. Ms Prue Power, Executive Director of the AHA, said the centre’s Women as Mothers (WAM) program had succeeded in helping new mothers support each other to increase their confidence as mothers and reduce their isolation and stress. ‘The WAM program was developed in direct response to identified consumer needs in the Liverpool area and comprises a five-week program for first-time mothers experiencing difficulties after the birth of their baby,’ Ms Power said. ‘Since it was developed in 1996, the WAM group has been run five times a

Nurse manager Kate Mejaha and CNC Debbie Nemeth

year, with about 10-12 participants in each group. The groups are facilitated by a social worker or nurse, and childminding is provided. Four years after attending the initial five-week course, most WAM groups still meet regularly, according to a follow-up survey of participants. Since its inception, the program has also been adapted for use with Vietnamese mothers in Liverpool. n

Leukaemia Foundation helps thousands every year

wenty Australians are diagnosed with leukaemias, lymphomas or myeloma every day, turning their lives upside down. About eight people will die each day from one of these haematological cancers. Patients, including children and their families need help in many forms – from accommodation and transport to specialist oncology nursing, counselling and patient support groups. All these services and more are delivered by the Leukaemia Foundation to around half the newly diagnosed patients in Australia – thousands of people every year. Leukaemia Week from 8-12 August aims to inform health professionals

including nurses about the types of support the foundation can provide, and to thank them for continuing to support the foundation’s work. The foundation’s highly qualified oncology nurses work as care coordinators to help link patients and families with community services. With more than 3,000 volunteers, the foundation offers support in every metropolitan, regional and rural community across Australia. Free services provided by the foundation include counselling and emotional support in person and via telephone, education and support seminars and information booklets. n

For information on these services, or to refer a patient, call 1800 620 420, or visit www.leukaemia.com 10 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

WHAT’S prON nsswwna education ogram THIS MONTH s Professional Education Day 9 September, Gosford, 1 day. Root cause analysis, disciplinary proceedings, procedural fairness and performance management. Free to all nurses

s Basic Foot Care for RNs & ENs (VETAB accredited course)

W O R K P L A C E

H E A L T H

A N D

S A F E T Y

bosses want lighter penalties

12-13 September Batemans Bay, 2 days. Aims to provide nurses with the competence to provide basic foot care. Members $203.00 Non Members $350.00 Branch Officials $175.00

s 5th NSW Nurses’ Association

mployers should have a lower duty of care to provide a healthy and safe workplace, says a leading employer organisation. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry wants to reduce or remove penalties on employers who breach health and safety laws. It also wants to shift more legal responsibility for occupational health and safety (OHS) from employers to individual employees. The ACCI recently launched a ‘10-year blueprint’ for OHS. Delivering a backhanded compliment to the effectiveness of unions, the blueprint complains that ‘Union OHS inspections cause greater concern amongst employers than industrial action.’ Clearly excited by the prospect of the Howard government’s control over the Senate, the ACCI says it will lobby the government for a new national OH&S system. Commenting on the blueprint, ACTU Secretary Greg Combet said the ACTU will organise a national campaign later this year to highlight union achievements in protecting the health and safety of workers. The employer blueprint for OH&S seeks to water down workers’ rights to a healthy and safe workplace. ‘Health and safety is about managing risks, not necessarily eliminating all of them,’ the blueprint says. Greg Combet said unions have fought to establish an obligation on

Professional Issues Conference

employers to eliminate the hazard rather than manage the risk. The employer blueprint claims thealth and safety committees can be replaced by ‘briefing sessions’ from employers. ‘Business is trying to water down workers’ rights to compel management to establish a health and safety committee. Business is treating it like a choice rather than what it is, a legislated workers’ right,’ Greg said. The employer blueprint argues that OH&S ‘should not be used as a means of cost-shifting community and public health issues into the workplace.’

‘Business is trying to water down workers’ rights to compel management to establish a health and safety committee.’ Greg said this means business is rejecting the fact that stress, work overload, long hours, job insecurity and bullying are OH&S issues. ‘Even the word “health”, which represents occupational disease, is noticeably absent throughout the blueprint having been replaced by “workplace safety”,’ said Greg. ‘Psychosocial issues such as stress and bullying are major contributors to workplace injury. They are a result of changes at work brought about by deregulation, privatisation, restructuring, downsizing and technological change – clearly workplace issues.’n

21 September Sydney Masonic Centre, 1 day. (Please see full-page advertisement for program details) Members $85 Non Members $135 Nursing Students Free

s Legal and Professional Issues for Nurses in Developmental Disabilities 22 September, Westmead, 1/2 day. Professional/Supervisory role of RN, Duty of Care including documentation, restraint and resident safety. Members $39.50 Non Members $85.00 Branch Officials $28.00

s Leadership Skills for Nurses 23 September Port Macquarie, 1 day. Strategies to develop and manage effective teams. Differences between management and leadership. Members $85.00 Non Members $226.00 Branch Officials $74.00

For registration and more information: go to www.nswnurses.asn.au or ring Carolyn Kulling on 1300 367 962 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 11

NO C E W V ES R I SNT O BR Y I E F

Nurses prominent as c Coral Levett, NSWNA President

Brett Holmes, NSWNA Secretary

Anne O’Connor, an RN from St George Hospital

12 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

he union movement’s campaign against the Howard government’s industrial relations agenda has started strongly. Hundreds of thousands have rallied nationally to voice their opposition. Over 100,000 people turned out in NSW on 1 July, the day the government took control of the Senate – where they can now push through laws without hindrance. In Sydney, 20,000 people gathered at Town Hall to hear workers from different sectors in defence of workplace rights – including collective bargaining and hard-won award conditions. Anne O’Connor, an RN from St George Hospital, starred with NSWNA President Coral Levett in a video presentation broadcast on Sky Channel across the state. ‘It was a privilege to be up there representing nurses,’ Anne said. ‘It was very exciting but also humbling to be involved in something so big. I’ve noticed a change since then as well. This campaign has become much more of a people’s story. It has begun to sink in. People are beginning to understand what it is all about.’ Anne says the experience has made her optimistic about rolling back the changes. ‘We’re going to give it a good fight. That’s why we’re in a democracy. If we put enough pressure on we can turn it around.’ Coral Levett said she was delighted that nurses were given such prominence at the rally and in the video. ‘The face of that rally was different to what people are used to seeing at union rallies. ‘There were a lot of young people, a lot of women and a lot of occupations not

normally at the forefront. It showed a real cross-section of working Australia.’ Coral is encouraged by the public’s response to the campaign. ‘It’s heartening to know people are listening and the government’s popularity is plummeting.’ Big turnouts were the order of the day in all parts of the country. Melbourne saw 120,000 march through the city centre. In Brisbane 20,000 people turned out, Perth had 15,000, Adelaide had 5,000, Hobart 3,000 and Darwin 2,000. The week of action coordinated by the ACTU and local labour councils started with 3,000 mining and construction workers in the Pilbara in Western Australia striking against the new laws. NSWNA Secretary Brett Holmes said the determination and strength of union members was impressive. ‘I’m particularly happy with the role of NSW nurses in this opening stage of the campaign to defend our rights at work. ‘I thought Anne and Coral did a terrific job in the video broadcast to NSW workers outlining how these changes would impact negatively on nurses. ‘And the participation of nurses in the rallies and Sky Channel broadcasts was something for us to be proud of as a union,’ he said. ‘We have to be conscious that this will be a long and tough battle. The newspaper and television polls show that the great majority of Australians are deeply unhappy with the government’s proposals. ‘But we should brace ourselves for an advertising onslaught by the government in favour of its changes,’ said Brett. ‘John Howard has consistently shown he is susceptible to public pressure. We need to maintain that pressure if we are to successfully defend our hard-won rights at work.’

ampaign bites HOW YOU CAN GET ACTIVE 1R 2R 3R 4R 5R

Download a leaflet for nurses about the campaign from the Your Rights At Work area of the NSWNA website (www.nswnurses.asn.au) and distribute it widely. Talk to your family, neighbours and workmates about the proposals and the impact on your community. Sign up with the Community Action Network (www.unionsnsw.org.au/can) and keep yourself informed about the campaign. Contact your MP and let them know your concerns. Write to the paper and ring radio talkback and speak out about your right to decent work and quality of life.

,AST 7EEKEND V PDF 0-

FAMILY PICNIC 7 AUGUST Unions NSW has organised another big event to keep up the momentum of the Your Rights At Work campaign. The Last Weekend picnic will be held at Sydney Olympic Park on 7 August from 11 am to 2 pm. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great opportunity to show John Howard that NSW families are standing together to defend our workplace rights.

ORE

UCH M AND M

Among the attractions will be the Hooley Dooleys, Tim Freedman, and Kid Confucius. There will be free kids rides, face painting and much more. For more information call 9264 1691.

CRACKS APPEAR IN THE LIBERAL FACADE On 26 June a major rebellion occurred within the Liberal Party against John Howardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans for a single national industrial relations system. At the Liberal Partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s federal council, there was a two-thirds vote in favour of a resolution supporting states rights and the federal system. Many speakers to the resolution made it crystal clear it was a vote against Howardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s single national industrial relations system. Opposition to Howardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan extends to the higher levels of the Liberal and National parties. Matt Birney, the new Liberal leader in Western Australia, South Australian Liberal Industrial Relations spokesman Iain Evans and the Queensland National leader Laurence Springborg have all come out against Howardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan for a single federal IR system. There is one Liberal leader who is committed to backing Howard to the hilt and to centralising power in Canberra. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Liberal government in New South Wales would hand our industrial relations powers and refer them through legislation to the Commonwealth Government,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; John Brogden told the ABCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The World Today.

NSW Liberal leader, John Brogden â&#x20AC;&#x201C; happy to support Howard THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 13

NO C E W V ES R I SNT O BR Y I E F

Howard is peddling old ideology say labour market experts

eventeen of Australia’s leading academic researchers in industrial relations and labour market issues recently released a series of papers analysing the Howard government’s proposed changes to Australia’s industrial relations laws. Dr Bradon Ellem, Associate Professor, Industrial Relations, from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Economics and Business spoke to The Lamp about their findings.

The Lamp: What, in your opinion, are the principal economic challenges facing Australia today, and do these IR proposals from the government address them? Associate Professor Bradon Ellem: I think, as do most researchers and even the government itself, that the major issues are skills shortages, slowing productivity and work and family balance. There is a lot of discussion about them but they are not addressed at all in the government’s proposals.

BE: It will depend on how organised and active at the base a nursing union is. The laws are designed to make it difficult to carry out different forms of industrial action and to make it difficult for organisers to get into a workplace. It’s not inevitable things will be bad for unions. If you are organised – if you have a good delegate structure and good communications – unions will be able to withstand them.

‘There’s a paradox about the way the government talks about one federal system. On the one hand they say they want one piece of IR legislation but in effect there would be much more fragmentation with the spread of AWAs.’

The Lamp: The government talks a lot about giving choice to employees – does the rhetoric line up with reality? BE: I don’t think it does. I’m not an uncritical defender of a centralised IR system. There needs to be innovation and change. There needs to be genuine flexibility and choice to change the work/family balance. I’m concerned about the lack of flexibility and choices. New employees will be required to sign up on an AWA as a condition of employment. That is no choice. The government says we are overregulated yet in most OECD countries there is no way an employee can be forced onto a contract they’re not happy with. The Lamp: The government says they are no more than simplifying awards to make them easier to understand. Does this assertion withstand your analysis? 14 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

The Lamp: Taking all the changes the government is proposing into account, do you think the overall package will be an improvement? BE: I can’t see it as an improvement for employees and it doesn’t seriously address the real problems and issues. The government likes to call it a plan for a modern workplace and that unions and academic critics are stuck in the past yet this has been a long-term agenda by the Liberals. Howard has been talking about it for over 20 years. Costello as well. They are still talking about the same things from over 20 years ago.

Associate Professor Bradon Ellem

BE: No it doesn’t. It is re-regulation rather than deregulation. In the simplifying of awards since 1996 the impact has been to reduce the number of areas where there is arbitration. It reduces the scope for arbitration and the impact of the Industrial Relations commission. The Lamp: The nursing sector is a predominantly female workforce and suffering from an extreme labour shortage. What impact do you think these IR changes will have on a sector like this?

The Lamp: The government’s plan to override the state systems and create one unified national system sounds very ambitious. Is it feasible and will it be a positive development for employees? BE: A fair unified system that recognised workers’ rights and encouraged workers choice would be good. That’s not what is on offer here. There’s a paradox about the way the government talks about one federal system. On the one hand they say they want one piece of IR legislation but in effect there would be much more fragmentation with the spread of AWAs. This would be especially true in regional areas. Certainly it would lead to a greater disparity in wages between city and country.

Howard’s claims of productivity gains ‘a furphy’

he Howard government’s claim that individual contracts deliver higher productivity is highly questionable, according to Dr Bradon Ellem, Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Faculty of Economics and Business. ‘This is a complete furphy. There’s no compelling evidence one way or the other,’ said Bradon. ‘In fact, there are studies in some industries that show that highly unionised industries with collective contracts are more efficient. It makes management raise their game,’ he said.

This is backed by evidence comparing Australia and New Zealand, and by comparisons over time in Australia. New Zealand introduced its Employment Contracts Act in 1991. It drastically shifted the emphasis in employment contracts from collective to individual and is widely seen as a blueprint for the Howard changes to our IR system. In the five years following the Act’s introduction, unemployment in New Zealand remained at over 8 %. Productivity increased by 0.5% per year, compared with 3.5% per year in Australia (which had a Labor government supporting an award system).

During this time New Zealand slid to 24th out of 26 countries in the OECD for standards of living. Research shows that individual contracts did away many long-held entitlements, such as overtime and penalty rates – and often contained pay cuts as well. The Employment Contracts Act did not deliver on employment, productivity or wages. Many average Kiwi workers are still reeling from the fallout. Current rates of productivity growth under the Liberals are lower than the rates achieved under the traditional award system in the 1960s and 1970s.

DEBORAH SAYS:

REPORT CARD FROM 17 LABOUR MARKET EXPERTS ON HOWARD’S IR CHANGES According to the 17 eminent labour market experts the government’s proposals will: c undermine people’s rights at work c deliver a flexibility that in most cases is one way, favouring employers c do – at best – nothing to address work-family issues c have no direct impact on productivity c disadvantage the individuals and groups already marginalised in Australian society To read full copies of the academic research or their summaries visit the University of Sydney, Faculty of Economics and Business website at http://www.econ. usyd.edu.au/wos/IRchangesreportcard/

‘Don’t Don’t let it happen here’

eborah Ashford, now an RN at Berkeley Vale Private Hospital, worked in Auckland as a theatre nurse during the early 1990s. ‘When I came to Australia in 1995 after working as a nurse in New Zealand, I couldn’t believe the difference,’ said Deborah. ‘In New Zealand we earned much less money. Penalty rates were lower. There was no leave loading. ‘Not only were your earnings lower, but the cost of living was higher – much more so than Australia. You couldn’t get ahead.’ Deborah says that – at the same time that the IR changes were brought in – the health system was broken down and corporatised into separate regional ‘Crown Health Enterprises’ (CHEs). This had a big impact. ‘The managers had no health background. They came from companies like NZ Telecom,’ she said. ‘Nurses working in different CHEs were earning different rates and had different work conditions – even though they were doing the same job.’ THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 15

NO C E W V ES R I SNT O BR Y I E F

Bye bye job security

he government has announced plans to abolish unfair dismissal protection for people in workplaces with less than 100 employees. This means 99 per cent of private sector employees will be able to sack their workers unfairly, not even giving them a reason for being sacked. These workers will have no protection under federal law. The government is already trying to pass laws that would take away the right of everyone working in small businesses to get redundancy pay – leaving them with nothing if they get sacked or are made redundant. And workplace agreements – both individual and collective – will no longer have to contain minimum award redundancy provisions.

One person who understands the unfairness of such a change is Debra Bennett. Debra won $23,000 from her employer Moran Healthcare last year after an unfair dismissal case was mounted by the NSWNA. An aged care nurse, Debra had a back injury that meant she couldn’t give suppositories or eye drops, although she was up to performing all her other nursing tasks. The judges described Moran’s argument as ‘ludicrous, defective and unmeritorious.’ Debra’s win had been a big win for other workers too. It had meant someone who could not perform one or two minor tasks of their jobs were safer from dismissal. Not now. ‘I was very angry about being dismissed. It was very unfair. I didn’t care about the money. I just wanted to make the employer accountable,’ said Debra. ‘We did wonders by winning my case but now they’ve moved the goalposts again. Most people will now be at risk. Employers will be able to sack people left, right and centre. I think it is absolutely appalling.’

HOW HOWARD IS MAKING IT EASIER FOR YOU

TO BE SACKED c The federal government is proposing to remove from more than 3.6 million workers any protection from unfair dismissal. They can be sacked unfairly without an effective remedy. c The government’s unfair dismissal exemptions will apply to all businesses with 100 or less staff. That is 99% of Australian companies. c In workplaces with more than 100 staff, workers can be unfairly dismissed within the first six months of a new job. c The government also plans to abolish award entitlements to redundancy pay for workers in businesses with less than 15 permanent employees. c Individual contracts can wipe out all award redundancy provisions.

Changes will not create jobs

owena Barrett, an Associate Professor at Monash University, says there is no convincing evidence that the government’s plan to exempt companies with 100 or less employees from new unfair dismissal laws will create new jobs as the government argues. ‘I believe exempting small business from unfair dismissal laws, and thereby removing rights from new employees in small business, will worsen the quality of small business jobs and make it even harder for small business to attract skilled, experienced and committed employees,’ she said. 16 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

Barrett said it is questionable whether small businesses have been disadvantaged by the current provisions of the Act – because the AIRC is required to take account of the size of the business when examining cases of unfair dismissal. ‘New employees can be dismissed without recourse to the unfair dismissal provisions during a three month period. Moreover, unfair dismissal is a symptom of a wider problem – namely poor human resource management practices in many small businesses. The proposed reforms will do nothing to redress these problems and may exacerbate them.’

Rowena Barrett, Associate Professor at Monash University

THINGS

COULD

NURSES LOSE

1 REASONABLE WORKLOADS CLAUSE

NSWNA members say their number one concern is the crippling workloads they carry every day. We’ve fought hard for a long time to win this legal right to a reasonable and safe workload. But under the government’s changes it could be stripped out from our award.

‘A step backwards’ ‘I’d hate to lose the workloads clause, we’ve worked so hard for it. It has been very good for nurses. It makes people aware of what they should put up with. It makes nursing better – they can’t just work you into the ground if things are going too far and it becomes unsafe. It would be a step backwards if it went out of the award. I’d be annoyed.’

2 PENALTY RATES

Penalty rates have been fought for over many decades to compensate for working unsociable hours and for the effects of shiftwork. Penalty rates amount to about 22% of income for those on rotating shifts.

‘Extremely shortsighted’ ‘Penalty rates make nursing palatable. Nurses often miss out on family occasions or, if they are young, on going out because of the hours. Penalty rates are some compensation for that. Without them it will be hard to attract young people to nursing. It’s extremely shortsighted.’ John Farry, RN, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

3 RDOs

A treasured condition that was won after big battles in the 1980s. To date the government has not confirmed that RDO arrangements would not be protected from potential employer attack. RDO rights have not been guaranteed.

‘RDO rights under threat’ Nurses see their RDO as a mental health day and sick leave would increase if we lost RDOs. It’s a chance to recuperate from the stresses and strains of our job and to meet family responsibilities that are otherwise difficult when you are a shift worker. To lose RDOs would be a very negative thing. Wendy Jones, RN Port Macquarie Private Hospital

Robyn Smith, RN, Maitland Hospital

HOWARD’S SOLUTION FOR WORK-FAMILY BALANCE ohn Howard has often described the issue of work and family balance as the ‘barbecue stopper’. But under the federal government’s new laws the balance is likely to tip even further away from families and more towards work. One proposal being considered by the government is allowing employers to use individual contracts to reduce workers’ annual leave entitlements from four to two weeks as a legal minimum.

When a furore erupted after this proposal became public John Howard defended his plan saying this was already an option available to workers in Western Australia. ‘Independent research found that, under the Court government, nearly half of all full-time, part-time and fixedterm workplace agreements in WA had all of their annual leave entitlement absorbed into the hourly rate of pay,’ WA Employment Protection Minister John Kobelke replied. THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 17

A G E N D A

dvancing the Our series on a ion continues. nursing profess he Lamp, T f o e u s is is th In velopments we examine de lth Service in the Area Hea how these restructure, and urse manager n n o t c a p im l il w status of the e th d n a s n io it s po ion. nursing profess

We need strong nurse managers ‘We need to ensure that there are appropriate, direct line relationships for all nurses to a senior nurse.’

he NSWNA is negotiating with the new Area Health Services about the make-up of nurse manger positions on the fourth tier of the new structure. Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda said the union is committed to protecting nursing positions at this level. ‘Senior nurse management positions need to be underpinned by strong support positions. And clinical nurses need nurse managers and nurse educators,’ Judith said. ‘Therefore, we must make sure that nursing is protected throughout this 18 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

next phase of consultation and that there is a consistent approach across the state. ‘We also need to ensure that there is consistency of positions across all AHS’s, and ensure all nursing positions are appropriately classified and graded. NSW Health last year amalgamated AHS’s into eight new AHS’s. This restructure required a reassessment of management positions. So far the first-, second- and third-tier positions in the new structures have been released. The Association negotiated centrally with NSW Health regarding the positions proposed for the first three tiers of the structure. However, the make-up of the remainder of the structure – the positions underpinning those on the third tier – are being determined at local AHS level. Judith said the NSWNA has joined in meetings with other health unions at each AHS to discuss common issues. ‘However we are meeting separately with each AHS to discuss issues specifically impacting nurses,’ she said.

‘At this stage, the main focus of NSWNA-specific meetings is on the roles and grades of the nurse manager positions and the structure underpinning the Area Director of Nursing and Midwifery position. As this issue of The Lamp goes to press, we are close to agreeing on the structures for these positions in North Coast AHS, Greater Southern AHS and Greater West AHS. However, there is still a significant amount of work to do in relation to the metropolitan AHS’s and Hunter New England AHS. ‘While fourth-tier negotiations are underway, at press time we were still awaiting details of the proposed structure, position descriptions and gradings from some metropolitan AHS’s for the third-tier positions underpinning the Director Nursing and Midwifery and their support structure. ‘The NSWNA remains committed to protecting the grading and structure of positions at the third tier,’ Judith said. n

A voice for nurses in management g Step outside your comfort zone to make a difference.

rom her earliest training at RPA, Leanne Mills knew she wanted to work in a role where she had influence to improve nursing practice and enhance the profession. Now DON and Director of Clinical Services at Liverpool Hospital, Leanne said it is an absolute honour to have fulfilled this dream. ‘I grew up in Liverpool and went to the local high school, so it’s like my life has come full circle, working in a senior role at the hospital I passed every day on my way to school,’ Leanne said. Leanne believes it is her responsibility as DON to enhance the nursing profession. ‘It’s a role where I bring the voice of the nursing profession to an executive and corporate level. I am in a position to improve the culture and framework in which nurses practice. ‘Nurses keep me informed of their concerns and suggestions, and I can raise these in the committees that have the capacity to address them.’ Even as a trainee at RPA, Leanne was convinced that things could be done better. ‘I worried that nurses seemed to have no voice. I wanted to do something about it, even that far back. ‘I was very influenced by the charge sisters (as they were then known). I learnt a lot from them. One advised me that instead of complaining, I should work up to a position where I had voice and influence and could improve things.’ Leanne undertook specialist training in cardio-thoracic nursing then, after a stint in London, worked as CNS in coronary care at St George Hospital. She later took up a nurse educator position in cardio-vascular nursing.

‘I had contact with amazing people concerned about good nursing practice, but I felt that at that level I wasn’t making the difference that was needed,’ she remembers.

professional development and look for opportunities to explore a new speciality. ‘The key to getting ahead in the nursing profession is clinical education and experience. In my job I try to

‘The key to getting ahead in the nursing profession is clinical education and experience.’ Leanne’s first step into management came when she was appointed NUM in the cardiothoracic unit at Westmead Hospital. ‘I’ve never looked back. I finally felt that I could influence nursing practice and the running of hospital systems,’ she said. When the chance came to act as executive assistant to the DON, Leanne got the opportunity to interact with the whole hospital in a range of specialties, not just one specialty area. ‘From there I was appointed NUM to a range of specialty areas outside my comfort zone of cardiothoracic nursing, including psychological medicine and women’s health. ‘These weren’t my specialties but I had the management and organisational skills to do the job well.’ Meanwhile Leanne studied for a Masters in Health Administration, giving her additional qualifications to successfully apply for more senior posts including DON at Liverpool Hospital in 2002. Her advice to other nurses? ‘Step outside your comfort zone, embrace education and

encourage more clinical education support for nurses.’ Recruitment and retention of nurses is prominent on Leanne’s agenda. ‘I am constantly exploring ways to open up and extend the role of the RN,’ she said. n

Leanne Mills, DON and Director of Clinical Services, Liverpool Hospital THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 19

Accountability for the nursing profession g We need to keep the DON position strong to ensure professional accountability for nursing practice, according to DON Eric Daniels.

n evidence-based framework for professional accountability is essential for the advancement of the nursing profession and ensuring high standards of patient care and safety, says one of the most senior nurses in the Greater Southern Area Health Service, Eric Daniels. As DON at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, Eric describes the most important aspect of his job as ensuring the professional accountability of nurses at his hospital. ‘It’s important that nursing practice is evidence-based and that there is a framework to monitor, review and evaluate nursing care – for the benefit of nurses as well as patients,’ said Eric. ‘One of the most important parts of my job

20 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

is to provide for such a framework and ensure nursing practice complies with legislation, government policy and that it reflects the current literature on the topic. Eric said that the recent Camden/ Campbelltown Inquiry into allegations of nursing and medical malpractice at these hospitals highlighted how crucial it was that the profession has a sound framework for monitoring and evaluating clinical practice for the protection of patients – and also for nurses to be able to respond to accusations of poor practice. ‘The results of the Inquiry showed that the role of the Director of Nursing has often been lost in undertaking other areas of responsibility in hospital administration to the detriment of nursing and professional nursing practice,’ he said. Eric has held the position of DON at Wagga Wagga’s 257-bed hospital for the past five years and held the position of acting Area DON for what was the Greater Murray Area Health Service. As the DON of a Level 5 referral hospital, Eric is primarily a nurse manager. ‘There is limited scope for clinical practice in my role. I try to focus on maintaining my clinical practice knowledge so I don’t lose touch. ‘I am responsible

for monitoring the use of nursing resources in the hospital and ensuring nursing practice is high-quality, up-todate and reflects current literature relating to the provision of nursing care. I am also manager of the surgical and critical care streams at the hospital,’ he said. According to Eric, another important responsibility of the DON role is encouraging the continuous professional development of nurses. This is another critical area of ensuring safe and effective nursing care of our patients. Eric comes to the DON position with an extensive nursing background in operating theatres and paediatrics. ‘When I worked as the manager of the operating theatres, I had my first taste of management and I really liked it. I decided I wanted to move along the management path,’ he said. ‘An operating theatre management role provided me with the opportunity to develop strong management and organisational skills but it’s a discrete environment and I wanted to experience other specialty areas and a broader scope of management. ‘As DON, I have contact with a range of different clinical environments and I am responsible for a broad range of nursing specialty areas.’ Eric is also Chair of Wagga Wagga Base Hospital’s Clinical Nursing Review Committee, which is working to develop clinical practice guidelines and protocols for nurses. This Committee is also responsible for monitoring and evaluating nursing practice across the hospital as well as making recommendations for change where necessary. A typical working day for this DON spans anything up to ten hours, commencing with a bed management meeting at 9 am.

Eric Daniels ensures the professional accountability of nurses at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital

‘An evidence-based framework for professional accountability is essential for the advancement of the nursing profession.’ ‘Firstly I need to check the status of beds in ED and wards, check referrals and other requests for admission that have been made, surgery booked for the day and staffing levels to ensure that we are able to provide care at a safe level as well as meet industrial requirements in terms of nursing workloads.’ ‘My day is often booked up with overlapping meetings. These include meetings for the Clinical Nurse Review Committee, which I chair, Surgical and Critical Care Services, as well as hospital executive management meetings. I also chair the committee that is developing a sustainable access plan for the hospital, one of the objectives of which is to address access block,’ said Eric. ‘Wagga Wagga Base Hospital is also in the planning stages for redevelopment and there are numerous meetings associated with this. I also meet with many staff individually and try to visit the wards and departments when possible. ‘There’s always a pile of routine stuff that needs tending to – such as ensuring

essential equipment is maintained, responding to reams of emails and overseeing the recruitment of nursing staff. ‘Like everywhere, we have problems attracting nursing staff here. However, we’ve just implemented a very successful program to recruit overseas nurses,’ he said. Eric has strong concerns about proposals by NSW Health to downgrade nurse manager positions in the AHS restructure. ‘There have been suggestions that the DON position be renamed as surgical stream manager. If that were the case, I would lose my Director of Nursing title. Not only is this contrary to the award, but it sends the wrong message about the importance of the professional nursing management role,’ he said. ‘Under the new restructure, it’s been proposed that the hospital’s General Manager is replaced with a cluster manager for the hospital and community health services. If this position is not physically on-site it increases the day to day responsibility of the executive management team’.

‘The hospital DON would have more responsibility but a lower grading and therefore a lower income, if the AHS proposals are adopted as they stand. Such proposals remain under negotiation between the AHS and the NSWNA. ‘There is little doubt that scarce resources need to be used better to get the best outcomes, and the Director of Nursing role is vital in ensuring that this is achieved while ensuring high-quality care and improved patient safety.’ n THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 21

Bringing heart and care to a tragic cycle of drug abuse g Our series on specialist nursing continues ... This month we look at nurses working to prevent drug and alcohol patients from slipping through the cracks.

t might be the drunken teenager with a broken leg in the ED or the speed addict in the psych ward, but wherever you find drug and alcohol patients in Prince of Wales Hospital, CNC Mary Louise White won’t be too far behind. She’s the drug and alcohol liaison CNC at the hospital, and it’s her job to identify, manage and educate anyone with any kind of link to substance abuse. It’s a complicated specialty – there’s a wide range of patients and many also come with all sorts of psychological and social issues. But the most important thing when caring for drug and alcohol patients, says Mary Louise, is to reserve your judgment. Society already judges them harshly and ‘they already judge themselves,’ she said. Drug and alcohol liaison is a tough job – not only because there’s such a wide range of

22 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

Drug and alcohol CNC Mary Louise White (right) with asthma educator Kerry Luttrell

patients but also because of the revolving cycle of abuse. ‘You do see people who come back again and again to casualty with the same types of harm associated with their substance use,’ she said. One of the toughest parts of the job is the fact that some patients may never be free from this cycle. ‘I saw a young girl today, she’s only 37. She’s been using alcohol heavily for ten years. I’ve known her for five of those years. She’s getting to

who’s a bit naive about using alcohol, and might have been at a party and drunk too much,’ says Mary Louise. ‘When they’re brought into the hospital to rehydrate, that’s the perfect opportunity for me to come in and talk to them about their substance use,’ she said. Drug trends in Australia – where a certain drug becomes more popular or accessible – have a big influence on Mary Louise’s patients. ‘We’ve seen a huge

Specialising definitely opened doors for Mary Louise. ‘I would encourage general nurses to go and dip their toe into something different, to do a short course, see what’s out there.’ end-stage liver failure – at 37,’ said Mary Louise. ‘You go over the same things – the conversations you have with her are very much the same, and they’re never at a point where you would be judgmental but it can be very disheartening.’ Not all her patients are habitual users, however. Mary Louise’s role means younger patients are now getting more interventions before addiction can take hold. ‘I might see a younger patient

increase in the use of amphetamines over the past few years – since the heroin shortage occurred,’ she said. While this may mean fewer heroin overdoses, the psychosis and behavioural problems linked with amphetamines can be just as dangerous. ‘There is self-harm associated with amphetamine use. There are people selfharming in a psychotic state, thinking they can fly and jump off buildings, and causing

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Even if someone has a successful detoxification, it’s really only the start of a life-long battle against addiction. ‘People have to go through enormous changes to give themselves a bit of a buffer against stress that will cause them to relapse,’ said Mary Louise. Patients often have psychological or social triggers that are beyond the control of any health care provider. The two biggest known causes of drug and alcohol abuse are unemployment and social isolation. Despite the challenges, Mary Louise enjoys her job and the chance to help people when they are often at their lowest point. She says specialising in drug and alcohol gave her a new perspective, job satisfaction and autonomy she might have missed out on otherwise. She discovered the specialty by chance when she did a short five-day course while working as a general nurse. From there, she did a diploma in drug and alcohol and later her Masters via correspondence at Newcastle University. As a grade three CNC, the next logical step is for Mary Louise to become a nurse practitioner. The NP role would allow her to make diagnoses, order tests and prescribe medications like Valium for alcohol withdrawal, Naltrexone or Methadone for opiate addiction. Specialising, she says, definitely opened doors for her. ‘I would encourage general nurses to go and dip their toe into something different, to do a short course, see what’s out there,’ she says. Her only other word of advice for other nurses relates to her patients: ‘Don’t judge them,’ she said. ‘Remember, everybody has a story to tell. n

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>VÕ ÌÞÊ vÊ ÕÀÃ }ÊEÊ `Ü viÀÞ

a lot more traumatic harm. It’s not just falling over, it’s people attacking themselves with knives,’ she explained. When it comes to treatment, the first step is to try and help someone see a link between their substance use and the fact that they ended up in hospital. Patients are then given the choice to get more information or referral to further treatment. ‘You need to give people options, not say, “this is what you need to do”. Mary Louise says giving these patients a choice isn’t being ‘soft’ but is simply part of the reality of treating substance abuse and addiction as a health problem. ‘You can’t lock a person up and make them not use a substance. In this country, we very much come from a philosophy of harm-minimisation. If the person chooses not to stay on their anti-depressants or stay on their Naltrexone or stay on their Methadone, if they choose to continue to use substances in a harmful way, there’s really not a lot we can do about that,’ she said.

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A good job is one thing. Finding a job you really love is another thing altogether. For the largest choice of healthcare jobs, simply log on to the Internet and go to seek.com.au to our healthcare section. Then SEEK and you shall find. 24 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

INNE DWUSS TI R N I AB LR I E S FS U E S

Direct debit guarantees union protection g Nurses at St George Hospital have saved their NSWNA membership, thanks to a direct debit plan by a group of members.

t may not sound like a big deal whether you pay your union fees by payroll deductions or direct debit, but staying on payroll deductions could cost you your membership and even cripple the collective voice of nurses through the NSWNA. A group of concerned members at St George Hospital recognised the importance of paying by direct debit, and came up with a plan to convert more of their coworkers from payroll deductions. The danger of payroll deductions is that the federal government could now choose to cancel them without notice, leaving thousands of nurses without union protection and risking the ability of the NSWNA to advocate on your behalf. Gai Pickering, a nurse educator at St George, was one of the nurses who

the importance of direct debit, as well as a direct debit form. The group also went from ward to ward to talk to nurses directly about why it was important to convert. They got many members to sign up to direct debit on the spot, and we even posted the forms on behalf of the nurses so no forms would get lost at the bottom of mounting piles of paperwork. Gai said most nurses were readily convinced of the benefits of direct debit. ‘It’s a very convenient way of paying your Association fees,’ she says. ‘You can keep tabs of it on your credit card or bank statement and be reminded of it, that the union is there for you. It’s also confidential.’ She also says it’s an easier option for young people who are on the move. ‘When you pay your fees by direct debit, you don’t have to worry about losing your membership whenever you change jobs.’

‘When you pay your fees by direct debit, you don’t have to worry about losing your membership whenever you change jobs.’ came up with the plan to convince her colleagues about the importance of paying by direct debit. ‘With the new industrial relations laws, we were forewarned that there would be a chance that payroll deductions may be lost. So to ensure a greater number of members were paying by direct debit for the good of our branch, we decided to make a concerted effort to sign people up,’ she says. Every nurse on payroll deductions at St George was given a letter explaining

There’s also a competition for members who sign on to direct debit and for the colleagues who sign them up – you could win a 12-day European holiday for two (see page 4). The St George direct debit plan was a huge success, and so far it has been the biggest switch to direct debit from any single branch. If you would like to switch to direct debit, call the NSWNA on 1300 369 962 (country) or 8595 1234 (metro). n

Gai Pickering

RPA GEARS UP FOR DIRECT DEBIT RPAH nurses are also gearing up for a big switch to direct debit. Branch officials have been handing out special information packs explaining the importance of converting to direct debit, to get the whole RPAH branch on board. Next month we’ll take a more in-depth look at the RPAH branch action.

THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 25

Members – Sign up a new member and go in the draw to win a fabulous trip to

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HURRY – CALL THE ASSOCIATION NOW FOR YOUR RECRUITMENT KITS! PH: 8595 1234 (METROPOLITAN AREA) 26 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 OR 1300 397 962 (NON-METROPOLITAN AREA) OR GO TO www.nswnurses.asn.au

INNE DWUSS TI R N I AB LR I E S FS U E S

Aged care hours backdown after union action

he proprietor of an aged care home has reversed a move to cut working hours following union action. Ernest Edwards, owner of the Pacific Heights Nursing Home in Sylvania, made small cuts to shifts after the aged care wage decision in March. The employer claimed he could not afford the two 6% pay rises awarded to aged care workers in that decision. Similar claims were made by employer groups during the wage case. But these were rejected by the Industrial Relations Commission after hearing independent evidence produced by the NSWNA. Union members at Pacific Heights contacted the NSWNA office when the cuts were announced. NSWNA officials immediately

supported members. After meetings with management, the cuts were withdrawn for all current staff who wanted to keep their existing hours. Judith Kiejda, NSWNA Assistant General Secretary, said that employers cannot cut working hours without agreement from staff. ‘We pointed this out to Pacific Heights management and they backed down,’ said Judith. ‘I urge any aged care member who is threatened with cuts to hours to contact the union office without delay.’ Most workers at Pacific Heights are permanent part-time and many have a second job. Cuts of as little as 30 minutes per shift can impact significantly on these workers. n

Judith Kiejda, NSWNA Assistant General Secretary

Union input delivers a safer, better facility

new residential facility for people with behavioural and other problems will be safer and more efficient thanks to union input. Due to open this month, the Damara facility at metro will house six residents who have problems living in the community. Damara is the centre of an integrated service backed by the NSW health and housing departments and other stakeholders. Patients will live in for three months,

followed by 15 months where they will be supported in the community. The design and refurbishment of the facility was altered substantially after NSWNA input, including an OHS inspection. And the facility will be staffed solely by nurses – a change from an initial management proposal for mixed staffing. Geoff Tyson, Assistant Secretary of NSWNA Rydalmere Branch, said that the union had been invited to look at proposals early in the planning process. ‘I appreciate the (health) department bringing us in on the ground floor,’ said Geoff. ‘We were able to identify some key problems and most of these have now been addressed. One outstanding issue is staff numbers. NSWNA members want four nurses per shift. ‘You need four people for a safe restraint,’ said Geoff, ‘and that is a forseeable risk at this facility.’ n

Geoff Tyson, Assistant Secretary of NSWNA Rydalmere Branch THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 27

Some of the latest heart monitors cost over $100,000. This one is priceless. Money can buy the most advanced medical equipment, but without nurses they’re just machines. It takes skill to keep abreast of the latest technology, to be able to analyse readings, make critical decisions, and also provide the warmth and assurance that patients need. The value of the care nurses give can’t be compared. Then again, nursing is a career that can’t be compared. If you’re interested in a career that’s challenging and rewarding visit www.nursingandmidwifery.com.au

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INNE DWUSS TI R N I AB LR I E S FS U E S

Army attacks nurses

he nurses who could be called on to care for injured Australian soldiers have had their pay and job security severely undermined by federal government cost-cutting. More than 50 nurses at Australian Defence force (ADF) bases around NSW are now calling on the government to step in and stop the rot. The ADF tendered out nursing services earlier this year, with cost apparently the paramount concern. Nurses have seen their hourly rate drop by as much as $14 and they now have no job security beyond the end of a shift. Until this year the nurses, many with years of ADF service, were paid a good hourly rate that wrapped in most standard working conditions. But with the low-bidding agencies that won the tender taking a profit, nurses have taken a big pay cut with no improvement in conditions. The NSWNA legal team is in dispute

with the ADF about the employment status of these nurses. The ADF claims the nurses were never employees but independent contractors running their own one-person businesses. If a legal basis for their status as employees can be established, then the union may have grounds for unfair dismissal action. In the meantime, the NSWNA is working hard to organise the ADF nurses so that an effective campaign can be mounted. Nurses want the federal government to intervene to protect pay rates, career structures and job security. Along with government cost-cutting, the command mentality and anti-union culture of the ADF is a barrier to nurses getting a fair go. The ADF bases cover army, navy and air force personnel. If you're a nurse working in ADF and you want to improve pay and conditions, please contact Michael Waites at the NSWNA on 1300 367 962 n

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LOOK AFTER YOURSELF FOR A CHANGE. If you take your career seriously, you must consider a job with the Australian Defence Force. Right now, we’re looking for Registered Nurses to fill the challenging positions of Nursing Officers in the Navy, Army and Air Force. You’ll form part of a team committed to providing the very best healthcare. And you’ll be exposed to a diverse range of opportunities for career progression and travel, unlike those offered to nurses in civilian practice. For example, specialist areas for nurses in the Defence Force include; •

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30 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

OFFICER HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES?

N RE O P WFSE SI S N I OB N RA I EL F I S S U E S

No more code red g Hospitals trial new ambulance delivery system

new system of allocating ambulances to Sydney hospitals has entered its second month of operation. The system is designed to spread ambulance arrivals across appropriate hospitals in a more even, systematic way. The aim is to allow ambulances to bring the right patient to the right hospital the first time round, avoiding secondary transfers of patients. It is also supposed to prevent ‘clustering’ of ambulances, particularly for smaller emergency departments. Under the new system EDs no longer have the right to signal ‘code red’, media reporting of which has embarrassed the NSW government. Using an on-board GPS-system, ambulance crews decide which hospital to deliver patients to, based on factors such as: c Patient’s clinical condition and acuity. c Estimated ambulance arrival time. c The types of services available at each hospital. c A hospital’s emergency department load recently delivered by ambulance.

Each Sydney hospital’s ED is allocated a ‘diversion threshold level’ ranging from three patients for smaller hospitals to five for main hospitals. The figure represents the number of patients an ED can take per hour. Ambulances may override the threshold in life-threatening cases and for P4 trauma patients.

‘Now the emphasis is on higher management to deal with problems.’ Shane Jackson, an NUM at St George Hospital ED has been using the new system since it came into operation in early June. He said the diversion threshold is calculated over an hour from the time each ambulance arrives. ‘For example if five cars turned up at 9 am this morning then in theory we won’t get any more cars until after 10 am,’ Shane explained.

‘However If we can’t offload all five cars in that hour, our threshold still comes back to zero at 10 am. ‘So the threshold is five per hour continuously every hour, despite what difficulties we might encounter after the ambulance arrives. ‘Under the old system we were able to say, “Help we’re in trouble, can we go red?” Now the emphasis is on higher management to deal with problems, but the ED is still stuck in the middle.’ Shane said it is too early to say whether the new system is an improvement. ‘We have had some very rough days recently, but we’re not sure whether the increase in presentations is due to winter or the new system, or a combination of both,’ he said. He pointed out that the allocated threshold takes no account of nonambulance arrivals. Another feature of the new system is the ambulance status board, a webbased program available at all EDs. The board gives EDs access to real-time information on ambulance arrivals and their status, and pending prescheduled ambulance bookings. Shane said one drawback of the new ambulance status board is that it is specific to each hospital. ‘We used to have access to information for the whole area health service, so we could plan the day around what everyone else was doing. Under the previous system we at least knew which hospitals were in trouble and which weren’t, and what we could expect.’ n

Shane Jackson (right) THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 31

N RE O P WFSE SI S N I OB N RA I EL F I S S U E S

‘You’re not fit enough’ g Union wins reinstatement for nurse who failed physical.

usan Gillet got the phone call from the hospital telling her she was dismissed just as she was dressing to go to work. The 58-year-old nurse was stunned to be told she was not fit to work in the NSW public health system – despite 20 years’ experience as an RN, and holding down casual jobs at three different health facilities. The reason? Susan had failed a physical assessment, ironically for a hospital job she had already been doing for three years without difficulty. In a further irony, she runs a farm with 150 head of cattle and regularly tackles chores that would exhaust many younger women – and men for that matter. As Susan puts it:

‘Compared to the physical work on a farm, nursing is a holiday.’ Susan lives outside the town of Tullamore near Parkes. For three years she divided her three-to-four day nursing week between Tullamore hospital, Trundle MPS and a private nursing home, Kooringle. When the health services manager at Tullamore asked Susan to go onto the permanent part-time roster, she filled out an application in which she disclosed minor arthritis affecting her knees and neck. She then travelled to Orange to attend a routine physical with a physiotherapist contracted to the Greater Western Area Health Service. The 45-minute exam in May this year bore little relevance to the physical requirements of her job. ‘I had to pick up a 10kg box from the floor, lift it to waist height and carry it around the room,’ Susan said. ‘I had to bend over at a 45 degree angle sorting nuts and bolts from one box to another for five minutes without moving. ‘He asked me to kneel on a hard floor for five minutes but I had recently bruised my knee, so instead I had to squat down and sort nails for five minutes.

‘I got my job back thanks to the Nurses’ Association’ How often do you have to do that for five minutes other than when doing CPR? Even then I use a pillow and I’m usually interchanging with someone anyway. ‘I couldn’t manage that for five minutes because the pressure on my knees was too great. He asked me how I managed to put patients’ shoes and socks on? I said I could do that quite easily because it doesn’t 32 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

take five minutes and also you can swap from knee to knee. And I can sit on a stool to dress ankles and things like that. ‘The upshot was he wrote down that I wasn’t capable of carrying out my duties.’ Knowing she had failed the physical, Susan resigned herself to missing out on the permanent part-time position. ‘Not in a million years did I think I was also going to lose the casual work I’d been doing for the past three years,’ she said. ‘My HSM called me and she was so upset. She explained the area office had told her not to employ me, even as a casual. That was the biggest shock. I was not permitted to work anywhere in the Greater Western Health Service covering a third of the state. I felt like I was a leper. ‘The people I work with were as shocked as I was. We were so short-staffed I was doing double shifts, afternoon then day, and sleeping over at the hospital in the night so I could get up and take charge when the ENs needed help. ‘When I told my doctor what had happened he just hit the roof. He said, “They are desperately short of nurses and they go and do this”.’ Kooringle private nursing home took a different view, immediately asking Susan to work four-to-five days a week for them. ‘Everyone told me to get on to the union, as well as the Nurses Registration Board who were horrified,’ Susan said. ‘So I faxed the paperwork to the union and they said I had a case for unfair dismissal. The union organiser got on to the health service and they agreed to change it from dismissal to suspension pending another report by a different physio. And this time, at the union’s insistence, I would be assessed in my workplace.

EMPLOYERS CANNOT DISCRIMINATE ON MINOR

HEALTH GROUNDS Commenting on Susan Gillet’s case, NSWNA health and safety coordinator Trish Butrej said occupational health and safety law does not give employers cart blanche to discriminate against employees with minor health issues. ‘Nor does it give employers a valid reason to dismiss employees who have clearly demonstrated their capacity to do the job,’ Trish said. ‘The goal should be to ensure that OHS risks are eliminated or adequately controlled so that the workplace presents as little risk as possible to a wide range of employees and patients. ‘The NSW Anti-Discrimination Board has published advice on pre-employment medical assessments. In a nutshell, the assessment has to be relevant to the prospective employee’s current fitness for the actual tasks involved in the job. ‘Susan’s story clearly shows that she was able to compensate for her minor problems without putting herself or patients at risk of injury. Therefore dismissal could not be justified. ‘The story had a positive ending but the stress Susan endured in the meantime was unnecessary, and the errors in judgement must also have resulted in unnecessary costs to the employer as well.’

RN told ‘The second physio got me to show her how I used the lifters and did CPR. ‘After the exam she recommended I recommence working casual and recommended I was fit for the permanent part-time job I’d applied for.’ The Assistant General Secretary of the Nurses Association, Judith Kiejda, described Susan’s first physical assessment

as ‘outrageous and irrelevant to her working environment’. The area office has officially confirmed Susan’s reinstatement for both permanent part-time and casual work. ‘I got my job back thanks to the Nurses’ Association – a big thank you to all the union people involved,’ she said. n

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1800 100 139 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 33

NSW NURSES’ ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONAL ISSUES CONFERENCE 21 September 2005 Sydney Masonic Centre MEMBERS $85 NON MEMBERS $135

PROGRAM INCLUDES COLLECTIVE ACTION AS A PROFESSIONAL DUTY – HOW NZ NURSES ORGANISED FOR FAIR PAY Laila Harré

NURSING STUDENTS: Free Registration For a registration form visit www.nswnurses.asn.au or call Carolyn on 8595-2181 NSW Health Department has approved one day Special Leave to enable nurses in the public sector to attend this conference.

Organising Services Manager New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation

THE FUTURE OF ENROLLED NURSING IN A TRAINING PACKAGE WORLD Dr Chris Manwarring

Program Manager Health & Aged Services, TAFE NSW

FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS Debra McPherson

President British Columbian Nurses’ Union

SURVIVING SHIFT WORK

CONCURRENT SESSIONS Caring for Nurses’ Mental Health Enrolled Nursing Issues Workloads Committees Birthing in the Bush & Suicide Prevention in the Bush

Dr Delwyn Barlett

Psychiatric Emergency Care Centres

Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney

Industrial Relations Reforms

34 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

N RE O P WFSE SI S N I OB N RA I EL F I S S U E S

Shiftwork a hot topic at this year’s Professional Issues Conference

orking night shift can leave you feeling like you’ve just come in from a long flight from London, with the same effect as jetlag, according to one of the sleep experts Dr Delwyn Bartlett due to present at this year’s Professional Issues Conference. Dr Delwyn Bartlett from the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research will discuss the effect that shiftwork has on the body at this year’s conference, and offer advice on the best ways to avoid the pitfalls of sleep deprivation. The effect of shiftwork on sleep is just one of the hot topics at this year’s conference, which is a one-day symposium to discuss many of the professional issues that nurses face in their work. With a constant stream of research showing the adverse health effects of shiftwork, it’s become

a very important issue for many nurses. ‘Shiftworkers are chronically sleep-deprived,’ says Dr Bartlett. ‘Rotating shifts are the worst of all.’ Dr Bartlett runs insomnia workshops at RPAH, and uses different techniques to minimise the negative impact of working late. The biggest problem for most workers is that they simply don’t get enough sleep because of family routines or they find it hard to sleep during the day. ‘On average shift workers lose one hour of sleep per night or day. Some shiftworkers get five or six hours if they’re lucky,’ Dr Bartlett says. This year’s conference will focus on practical ways that nurses can make changes to their lives and workplaces. Other topics include the changes in enrolled nursing, dealing with high workloads, suicide prevention in the bush, the industrial relations system and nurses’ mental health.

Most of the speakers are nurses themselves who have dealt with these issues in their own workplaces and found practical ways to deal with them. The conference is packed with plenty of practical information, discussion and networking opportunities. And if you’ve got to work the late shift before then, Dr Bartlett has some advice for you: ‘Exposure to lights and dark has an effect. If you’re working night shift, when you get up in the afternoon get some afternoon light, and get light when you fist get to work. It keeps you alert and delays sleep onset. Then at the end of your shift you want to minimise your light exposure so you can go home and get to bed.’ She also recommends a good diet and regular exercise – even if you feel fatigued – to help you get a better day’s sleep. n

For more information about this year’s Professional Issues Conference, refer to the insert in this issue of The Lamp, or call 8595 1234 (metro) or 1300 369 962 (country) and ask to speak to the education officer.

Don’t just wish for a secure retirement If you’re serious about wanting a secure future for you and your family, we can help! At State Super Financial Services Australia, we have been providing professional financial planning advice to current and former public sector employees and their families for more than 14 years. Don’t leave your future to chance. One of our professional financial planners can help you develop a financial strategy to give you security and peace of mind.

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THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 35

A pay rise on the way? Many NSW Public Sector employees are about to receive a 4% pay rise. This is great news and you have worked hard for it. So don’t just let it disappear!

First State Super has ﬂexible contribution options to suit most people.

When money seems so easy to spend and so difﬁcult to save, have you stopped to think about how you could make better use of your pay?

Flexible

An idea from First State Super Why not put all or part of your pay rise into your First State Super account? Using your pay rise to top up your super is a hassle-free way to save regularly.

Our members have access to: options: making contributions before tax (salary sacriﬁce), after tax, for themselves and their spouse. Low fees: no joining fees, no commissions, and administration fees of only $4.33 a month. Competitive returns: the investment performance for each of the ﬁve First State Super investment strategies has outperformed the median manager over 1 and 3 years to 31 March 2005. Source: SuperRatings Pty Ltd

Do you earn $58,000 pa. or less? If you are eligible and make personal after tax super contributions, the Federal Government will match your contribution. This could be up to $1,500 a year! Visit www.ato.gov.au/super for more information on the co-contribution.

Pay less income tax and earn more money – sounds like a good idea! Your pay rise and the taxman Your next pay rise may push you over into the next income tax bracket. One way to reduce your tax is to make salary sacriﬁce (before tax) contributions to super. Doing this will reduce your assessable income. Speak to your employer about setting this up.

Not sure of the tax brackets? See below: Taxable income 2005/2006

Tax rate

$0 – $6,000

$6,001 to $21,600

15%

$21,601 to $63,000

30%

$63,001 to $95,000

42%

$95,001 +

47%

Source: Australian Taxation Ofﬁce

Don’t delay! If you are employed by a First State Super employer and would like to make contributions to First State Super, contact us today: Visit

the web: www.ﬁrststatesuper.nsw.gov.au Call Customer Service: 1300 650 873 Email us: enquiries@fss.nsw.gov.au Fax us: 02 9238 5272 Disclaimer: This document is prepared by FSS Trustee Corporation (FTC) ABN 53 226 460 365. It contains information of a general nature only and is not a substitute for professional, financial product advice and/or legal advice on your specific circumstances. FTC recommends that you consult a licensed financial or other appropriately qualified adviser before acting on any of the information contained in this document. Opinions expressed are subject to change. Although FTC gathered the information contained in this document from sources deemed reliable, and care has been taken in preparing the document, it does not guarantee the document’s accuracy and completeness. FTC disclaims responsibility for any errors or omissions. The information contained in this document is current as at July 2005.

www.ﬁrststatesuper.nsw.gov.au 36 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

PAYRI 06/05

Q & A

ASK

JUDITH WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR RIGHTS AND ENTITLEMENTS AT WORK, NSWNA ASSISTANT GENERAL SECRETARY JUDITH KIEJDA HAS THE ANSWERS. THIS MONTH JUDITH GIVES AN UPDATE ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSED IR CHANGES.

Conditions slashed The federal government’s advertising says there will be safeguards for wages and conditions guaranteed by legislation. If that is true, what do we have to worry about?

What the government isn’t admitting is that these safeguards have been much reduced with the new proposals. Presently there is a ‘no-disadvantage test’, where the award – with 20 conditions of employment – is the safety net. An individual contract cannot offer conditions worse than the award. The government’s new ‘safety net’ only has four conditions – annual leave, sick leave, unpaid parental leave and the 38-hour week. Conditions that will no longer be covered by the safety net for individual contracts and agreements will include overtime, shift work penalty rates, weekend pay and public holidays and annual leave loading and redundancy pay. That leaves employees with plenty to worry about.

Plenty to fear with unfair dismissal changes Don’t you think the unions are creating a bit of a hullabulloo about nothing with their criticisms of the unfair dismissal changes? After all, it will only affect a few people in small businesses.

The government says it will abolish all unfair dismissal protection for people working in workplaces with less than 100

employees. This means 99% of private sector employers will be able to sack their workers unfairly, not even giving them a reason for being sacked. To make things worse, the government is already trying to pass laws that would take away the right of everyone working in small businesses to get redundancy pay – leaving them with nothing if they get sacked or are made redundant. These new laws could particularly affect nurses in some private hospitals and aged care facilities by taking away their power to seek a remedy in the Industrial Relations Commission if they are unfairly sacked unless the dismissal is an unlawful termination because of discrimination or other prohibited reasons such as illness, pregnancy, or union membership.

Cuts to annual leave I’ve heard reports that among the proposals is the possibility that annual leave will be cut. Surely that can’t be true?

It certainly is true. A new starter in a job may be obliged to accept an AWA in which two weeks’ leave has been bargained away. In a take-it-or-leave-it situation, that means a cut in annual leave if you want the job.

Impact heavy on women How do you think these changes will impact on women?

Many women work in sectors such as

retail, hospitality and low-paid service industries where they are dependent on the minimum wage. Minimum wages will no longer be set by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission but by a so-called ‘Fair Pay Commission’ with people chosen by the Howard government to make sure wages stay low. It would also take away the capacity to run work value cases that close the wages gap between men and women. AWAs – individual contracts that are the government’s preferred workplace instrument – are less likely than collective agreements to contain family-friendly workplace conditions. In the same workplace, workers may also be paid at different rates for doing the same job, which means a woman could be paid less than a man.

Even less time for family I’m already finding it hard to find time to be involved with my kids’ sport at the weekends. What will it be like after these changes are implemented?

Unions are certainly concerned that many more workers will be forced to work longer hours, weekends and nights for no extra pay. Longer weekends and more weekend work will mean less volunteers for community work and coaching weekend sports as well as that important time with family and friends. n THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 37

L I F E S T Y L E

More to Peaches than canned fruit g An intriguing, sophisticated and poignant story about love, loss and relationships, Peaches is a must-see movie says Annette Taylor, Nurse Educator at Concord Hospital. If you miss it at the flicks, it’s one worth catching on DVD!

eaches, directed by the gifted Craig Monahan, is a tender, passionate drama of intertwined love stories spanning two decades. The film tells the story of Stephanie (Emma Lung) and her miraculous survival after a freak accident. Stephanie’s parents Jass (Sam Healy) and Johnny (Tyson Contor) were killed in the accident, leaving Stephanie to 38 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

be raised by her late mother’s caring but overprotective best friend Jude (Jacqueline McKenzie) in the sleepy orchard town of Swan Reach, in South Australia’s Riverland. On Steph’s 18th birthday she commences work on the peach sorting line at the local cannery under the watchful eye of the unpopular foreman Alan Taylor (Hugo Weaving), once an ardent union activist. Later that night her grandfather gives her the diary of her late mother, which stirs a yearning in Steph to uncover the secrets of the past that Jude is reluctant to share with her. Written by Sue Smith, who created (Brides of Christ), and with a stunning score composed by David Hirschfelder (Shine, Elizabeth), Peaches is a must-see movie that expresses the legacy one generation leaves another. It’s an intriguing, sophisticated and poignant story of love, loss and relationships. I found the movie to have some relevance to what we might experience in the workplace. Alan Taylor (Hugo Weaving), the well-liked ardent union activist fighting for the workers’ rights, finds himself 20 years down the track as the despondent and routine-driven foreman pressured by management to make financial cuts. However some things remain close to our hearts and this is eventually revealed … n

Annette Taylor, Nurse Educator at Concord Hospital, is this month’s star reviewer.

WANTED STAR REVIEWERS

AND TIPSTERS

FOR OUR REVIEW PAGES

We're seeking members with a nonnursing skill or talent they'd like to share with other nurses. You could be a wizz in the kitchen. Or have some DIY plumping and home-handy tips. Or a wild and wonderful interest or skill. Be it strange, extraordinary or useful, we'd love you to come on board as a NSWNA tipster. We are also seeking closet film buffs to share with other nurses their views on the movies they love and hate. It’s a chance to see previews of next month’s new releases Please contact us with expressions of interest to be part of our tipster and movie review team. All published tipsters and reviewers will receive a NSWNA watch. Be part of the action by calling Glen Ginty now on 02 8595 2191 or email gginty@nswnurses.asn.au

ing up prucwinter Syour garden g Is your winter garden looking bare? Stephen Gilks talks tips to spruce up your winter garden and lays the groundwork for a spring of luscious blooms.

tephen Gilks loves nothing more than to spend his spare time with his hands deep in pungent earth among his beloved plants. It’s a long way from his busy role as CNC with the Aged Services in Emergency Team but Stephen finds gardening ‘a relaxing, exciting and fulfilling pastime. My grandmother used to grow her own fruit and vegetables, I guess it must be in the genes,’ explained Stephen. In 2001, Stephen decided to turn his gardening passion into a business and he took over running the Berry Country Gardener nursery with two partners who are also avid gardeners. ‘I was living in Sydney and felt like I was in a bit of a rut. The nursery offered the perfect ‘sea change’. I was initially working part-time in the nursery but I returned to nursing full-time during the drought,’ said Stephen. Stephen maintains that everyone – with just a little ‘know-how’ – can get enjoyment from watching their garden grow. ‘There is great satisfaction spending time in your garden and seeing it grow. It provides an escape from the stresses of work and family,’ he said. ‘Gardening is a fantastic hobby. You can produce your own organic fruit, veggies and herbs – from a balcony

or in a full-on garden. I find it really relaxing digging in the soil, planting and generally getting back to nature. I also feel I am playing a part in helping our environment,’ he said. ‘People worry that they don’t know where to start or what to do. My advice is “just start, you’ll be surprised how easy and enjoyable it is”. Though I do warn you, it is addictive. I think everyone has a green thumb; it just takes a bit of practice,’ he said. ‘Gardens come in many shapes and sizes – from the full-on display extravaganza to the pot in the bathroom, and everything in between, the choice is yours. Many people think of their gardens as an extension of their homes. ‘Don’t be put off by the drought. Gardening is about being sensible with nature’s resources, making the right choices and planting sensibly,’ said Stephen. n

ENJOY YOUR WINTER GARDEN

AND GET SET FOR SPRING c August offers the best range of roses and deciduous trees at your local nursery. Think of planting a deciduous shade tree or vine on the northern side of the house to provide summer shade and winter sun, this could help cut down on your heating and cooling bills. Ask at your local nursery for the best plant for your situation. c Finish pruning your roses, mulch with lucerne hay, and spray with an organic fungicide. Remember don’t compost infected leaves and branches. Put them in your green recycling. c Healthy soil = healthy plants. Boost your soil’s organic content with compost and a helping of organic fertiliser followed by a good layer of mulch. This will help insulate your soil, keep the moisture in, feed the worms and soil micro-organisms and, when required, feed your plants. Your garden will never look back. c Brighten up dull spots in the garden with flowering annuals. They aren’t as waterhungry as you would expect. Ask at your nursery for some dry tolerant varieties and the best ways to plant them. For more gardening tips and all your gardening needs you can email, ring or visit us at The Berry Country Gardener: 100 Queen Street Berry (behind the National Bank); phone: (02) 4464 1640; email: countrygardener@optusnet.com.au

THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 39

N EE N B WESF I ITNS TB O R IM E FE M B E R S

‘It was all so easy. I only wish I’d known about this when I bought my washing machine.’

Carmel saves $319 on hot deal

armel Kelly saved $319 – and paid less than half the retail price – when she used Union Shopper to buy her new Rinnai gas heater. Carmel, a CNS at Canterbury Hospital, said she was ‘staggered’ by the saving and ‘can’t stop talking about it’. ‘I’m driving my colleagues mad, so it’s a good thing you called,’ she told The Lamp. ‘I read about Union Shopper in The Lamp. We needed a new heater, so I decided to give it a go.’ Carmel rang around retailers to find the best available price. The best deal she could

get was $1,199 – a $200 saving on the ‘retail price’. Carmel than called Union Shopper and within 24 hours was the happy owner of her preferred-model heater at just $880. ‘It was all so easy. I got the heater at a local shop. I only wish I’d known about this when I bought my washing machine.’ NSWNA members can use the Union Shopper service when purchasing furniture, whitegoods, cars, travel and much more. Contact Union Shopper on 1300 368 117 or www.unionshop.org.au n

Ruth Fennelly: 50 years a nurse

uth Fennelly is celebrating 50 years of nursing – but she says she is a long way from retiring. Ruth has witnessed incredible changes during her long career,

40 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

which began when she signed up as a 16year-old cadet nurse at Scone Hospital. Some of her most vivid memories spring from the early years. ‘I grew up on a dairy farm near Scone. My parents wanted me to be a hairdresser, but my heart was set on nursing ever since I was seven and had my tonsils out.’ In 1955, the Scone Hospital had no fridges and locals were called in to give blood after car crashes and other serious accidents. The young nurses, who had to meet a 10 pm nightly curfew at their quarters, loved going to the pictures together. But they lived in fear of the labourers building a nearby dam. ‘The men used to hide in the hills and chase us home, prowl around and try to look through our windows. We were terrified,’ said Ruth.

Ruth made the big move to Sydney when Bankstown Hospital opened in 1957. She met ‘a Revesby boy’ and travelled back to Scone to marry in 1961. Her husband’s twin brother also married a nurse. Ruth worked 18 years at Auburn Hospital when ‘Auburn was a buzzing city’. She spent 10 years nursing in the private sector, including the Hydebrae Private Hospital in Strathfield, which specialised in drug and alcohol patients. There she met the late artist Brett Whitley and discovered he was born on the same day of the same year as herself. ‘He used to come in and out of that hospital all the time,’ said Ruth. Ruth is now working at Kaloola Aged Care in Granville. ‘I liked it when nurses wore hats and veils. People respected you more,’ said Ruth. ‘God willing, I hope to go into my 70s. If I could live my life again I’d do the same. Nursing has kept me going.’

errie’s K ROMANTIC ESCAPE Kerrie Coggan

Jane hops off on surprise holiday

ane Burgess was amazed when she discovered she’d won a holiday for two on Kangaroo Island. ‘I didn’t know that I’d entered a competition,’ said Jane, who is the six-monthly winner of The Lamp Direct Debit competition.

‘It’s just the best way to pay your fees. If I change jobs, or the government changes the rules, I know my membership is in place,’ ‘I decided to pay my union fees by direct debit because it makes sense, not to win a prize.’

But the surprise has not lessened Jane’s pleasure at winning the four-night holiday. Jane moved here from New Zealand seven years ago and had never heard of Kangaroo Island – a nature and gourmet mecca off the coast of South Australia. With her husband, Jane is keenly anticipating the car hire, dinner and wine that are included in her prize. The decision to switch to direct debit was simple – and Jane recommends other NSWNA members consider the same course. ‘It’s just the best way to pay your fees. If I change jobs, or the government changes the rules, I know my membership is in place,’ she said. ‘A couple of years ago I changed jobs and forgot to renew my membership for ages. That won’t happen again.’ n

‘My husband and I have just returned from a rewarding and memorable few days at Nelson Bay Getaway B&B at Nelson Bay.

‘Many thanks for your great competitions!’ Kerrie Coggan, a 30-year veteran RN and NSWNA member, took husband David on a romantic mid-week break after winning The Lamp’s October competition. They enjoyed the ‘peaceful coastal surrounds’, a pleasant contrast to the couple’s inland home. Kerrie works at Tamworth Base Hospital. ‘We’d never been to a B&B before. It was just a lovely experience,’ said Kerrie. ‘My girlfriends and I love the competitions in The Lamp, along with the letters and articles about superannuation. It’s a great read since they improved it.’

ALL TOGETHER FOR AGED CARE Janet Ma

An alliance of aged care nurses and other workers, families of aged care residents and community supporters is being formed. We have great concerns about current staffing and skill mix in aged care. We need to inform the public about these issues .

Together we can lobby for appropriate staffing, the right skill mix and quality care for aged care residents. To get involved and help get the new alliance started – contact Janet Ma at the NSWNA.

c Phone: 8595 1234 c Email: jma@nswnurses.asn.au THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 41

44HE¬#OLLEGE

¬OF¬.URSING

INCORPORATING¬4 IN HE¬.37¬#OLLEG

E¬OF¬.URSING

'RADUATE #ERTIlCATE¬¬ (ANDBOOK ¬¬

2006

INCLUDES¬#ON TINUING¬0ROFESSION AL¬ $EVELOPMENT ¬SUBJECTS¬FOR¬¬ REGISTERED¬AN D¬ENROLLED¬NU RSES¬

Take advantage of our

member seminars

To book your place at one of the following seminars, either email or fax your name and telephone contact details to Natalie Marin at: Email: natalie_marin@ﬁrststatesuper.com.au Fax: (02) 9238 2599 Location

Date

• Sydney city

6 April 2005

• Blacktown

4 May 2005

• Penrith

22 June 2005

• North Sydney 27 July 2005 • Parramatta

17 August 2005

• Sydney city

14 September 2005

• Newcastle

12 October 2005

Topic Growing your super – how much will you need? Growing your super – how much will you need? Growing your super – how much will you need? Growing your super – how much will you need? Growing your super – how much will you need? Investments and investment performance Growing your super – how much will you need?

Seminar times are 5.30 pm - 6.30 pm, doors opening at 5.00 pm 42 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 www.ﬁ rststatesuper.nsw.gov.au

How to contact First State Super? Customer service Phone 1300 650 873 for the cost of a local call (except from a mobile or pay phone). 8.30 am to 5.30 pm (AEST) Monday to Friday Postal address First State Super, PO Box 1229, Wollongong DC NSW 2500 Fax (02) 4253 1688 Email enquiries@fss.nsw.gov.au Internet www.ﬁrststatesuper.nsw.gov.au Personal interview service For an interview at any of the locations listed below, call (02) 9238 5540. ■ ■ ■

Sydney Newcastle Parramatta

■ ■

Port Macquarie Wollongong

Disclaimer: This document is prepared by FSS Trustee Corporation (FTC) ABN 53 226 460 365. It contains information of a general nature only and is not a substitute for professional, financial product advice and/or legal advice on your specific circumstances. FTC recommends that you consult a licensed financial or other appropriately qualified adviser before acting on any of the information contained in this document. Opinions expressed are subject to change. Although FTC gathered the information contained in this document from sources deemed reliable, and care has been taken in preparing the document, it does not guarantee the document’s accuracy and completeness. FTC disclaims responsibility for any errors or omissions. The information contained in this document is current as at July 2005.

SEMIN2 06/05

How to book a seminar?

L I F E S T Y L E

Book me Essentials of Law for Health Professionals

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Secrets

by Kim Forrester and Debra Griffiths, Elsevier Mosby Publications, RRP $64.95 Essentials of Law for Health Professionals details how laws are applied and implemented and places laws in context through the use of case studies. It covers a range of areas, including employment, management and legal issues in health practice – from directed practice through to independent practice. This revised edition also includes changes in legislation relevant to the provision of health care services and, where appropriate, complementary and alternative therapy legislation has been included.

by Barbara A. Todd, Elsevier Mosby Publications, RRP $37.95 (US) Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Secrets provides essential information about the nurse practitioner’s role in caring for patients with a variety of acute care needs. It features a user-friendly question-andanswer format and a detailed index that make it easy to find vital information. Beginning with diagnostic studies and clinical implications, this resource also covers issues such as cardiac, haematological and oncological disorders.

Selling Sickness: How Drug Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients

SPECIAL OFFER

by Ray Moynihan and Alan Cassels, Allen and Unwin, RRP $26.95 Are the ups and downs of life and common and trivial health complaints being turned into illnesses that require medication? Selling Sickness argues that the pharmaceutical industry is trying to convince healthy people they’re sick in order to sell drugs through advertising and ‘educational’ campaigns directed at health professionals and patient groups.

The Collaborative Partnership Approach to Care: A Delicate Balance by Laurie N. Gottlieb and Nancy Feely with Cindy Dalton, Elsevier Mosby This book brings together the insights of expert clinicians and teachers who use a collaborative approach to care. The primary focus of this book is on the relationships among professionals and the people they care for. Based on the McGill Model of Nursing, the book stresses the value of working collaboratively with the client, family and community.

Can I take My Panda Daddy? by Greg Crooks, Boolarong Press, RRP $24.95 Can I take My Panda Daddy? is a book that deals with the grief of losing a child to cancer that touches thousands of families every year. For Greg Crooks, a nurse at Grafton Base Hospital, part of the grieving process included writing a book about his and his wife’s experiences as their son, Sean, underwent treatment for a brain tumour. n

WHERE TO GET

AUGUST

NEW RELEASES These books are all available on order through the publisher or your local bookshop. Members of the NSWNA can borrow any of these books and more from our Records and Information Centre. For borrowing information, contact: Jeannette Bromfield, 8595 2175, jbromfield@nswnurses.asn.au or Cathy Matias, 8595 2121, cmatias@nswnurses.asn.au

NSWNA

Save $30 on a ticket to the critically acclaimed, award-winning show The Producers – the New Mel Brooks Musical.

SAVE

Exclusive to NSWNA members, tickets to The Producers – the New Mel Brooks Musical are available for the special discount price of $59.90 (regular price $89.90). The offer includes Tuesday evening, Wednesday matinee and Wednesday evening performances.

MEMBERS

$30!

To book, phone 8512 9933 and quote the NSW Nurses’ Association special offer. This offer only valid during August. THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 43

44 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

CRoSSWoRD

There are many abbreviations nurses must remember – test your knowledge along with other nursing terms in this month’s crossword. 1

7 9

1 11

12 1 2 13 15

14 16 19

17 7

21 23

24 26

27 29 30

s ACROSS 1. Slow movement of liquid through a membrane (7) 4. A chronic disease where the intestine and especially ilium is inflammed, …… disease (6) 7. Keep vein open, abbrev (1.1.1) 8. Collection of pus in a cavity often caused by infection (7) 10. Feeling of sickness (6) 11. A back tooth (5) 12. Able to be tolerated (8) 13. Evidence-based practice, abbrev (1.1.1) 14. Tinea, ….worm (4) 15. The abbreviation for rate at which erthrocytes sediment in a test tube, (1.1.1.) 16. Abreviation for tuberculosis (1.1) 17. Stage of kidney disease when glomerular filtration deteriorates, abbrev (1.1.1.1) 19. Red blood count, abbrev (1.1.1) 22. This is measured by a sphygmomanometer, abbrev (1.1) 24. In a supine position (3) 25. A drug used as an antidote to narcotic overdose (8)

1 31 26. Group of non-steroidal drugs used to treat inflammation, abbrev (1.1.1.1.1.1) 27. Type of ulcer that occurs in the stomach (6) 28. These are found in the eyes where the image is focused (7) 29. One of the bones of the forearm (4) 30. Network of veins or nerves, including the solar, brachial, etc (6) 31. State of ill health (7)

s DOWN 2. Fatty secretion of the skin (5) 3. Ward that treats cancer patients (8) 4. Period of recovery following illness or surgery (13) 5. Relating to the eye (6) 6. Another name for syringes (7) 9. Bacteria known as ‘strep’ that can cause a range of serious infections (13) 12. Beats of the heart per minute, abbrev (1.1.1) 18. A drug used to treat cardiogenic shock (8) 20. Orthopaedic support (5) 21. Lost erthrocytes (4) 22. Vessels used for toileting patients in bed (7) 23. In the brain, the grey matter covering the two hemispheres (6) Solution page 47 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005 45

DIARY DATES

Conferences, seminars, meetings SYDNEY, HUNTER & ILLAWARRA Holistic Nurses Assoc. of NSW Date: First Tuesday each month, 7 pm Macquarie Hospital, North Ryde Details: Kate Belfield 9634 3924 Infection Control Assoc. NSW Southern Metro Interest Group Date: First Wednesday each month, 2 pm Venue: Rozelle Hospital Details: Jan O’Hara, 9556 9179, jan.ohara@email.cs.nsw.gov.au Sydney Hospital Graduate Nurses’ Assoc. Date: 3rd Wednesday each month, 10.30 am Nightingale Wing of Sydney Hospital Details: Karys (Hall) Fearon 4323 1849; Jeanette Fox, 4751 4829 Australian Assoc. of Stomal Therapy (AASTN) NSW Date: 17.45 (1st Tues. every 2nd month) Venue: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Level 9 Main Building Details: Anne Marie Lyons, 9767 6761 The Disability Nurses Reference Group Second Monday of every 2 months 12.30 – 2pm Westmead Hospital 8 August,10 October,12 December Details: Cheryl Jones (02) 4731 6222 Partners in Pain: Patients Clinicians & Pain Management Date: 18-19 August Venue: Sydney Convention Centre Details: Fiona Wilkie 9954 4400 Pinp@dcconferences.com.au CCSM: Chronic Condition Self Management Workshop Date: 19 August Venue: Sydney Convention Centre Details: Fiona Wilkie 9954 4400 ccsm@dcconferences.com.au Assoc. Neonatal Nurses NSW 3rd Annual Level II Clinical Practice Day Date: 27 August Venue: Blacktown Hospital Details: Jennifer Dawson 4734 2863 dawsonj@wahs.nsw.gov.au 8th Australian Palliative Care Conference 2005 Date: 30 August – 2 September Venue: Sydney Convention Centre web: www.pallcare2005.com pallcare2005@tourhosts.com.au 46 THE LAMP AUGUST 2005

Navigating Neuro Neuroscience Conference Date: 13 August Venue: Wollongong Hospital Details: Terri Penkis, 4222 5390, Narelle Walton 4253 4400 Renal Society of Australasia (RSA) NSW branch Event: Education evening Hosted by: St George Hospital Date: 9 August 2005 6 pm NSW College of Nursing, Burwood Details: Susana.sanmiguel@fmcasia.com UTS: Nursing, Midwifery & Health Advanced Practice/Short Course Care of the Older Date: August/September Contact: Kathleen Kilstoff 9514 5143, Kathleen.Kilstoff@uts.edu.au Barham Koondrook Soldiers Memorial Hospital & Auxiliary 50 Year Anniversary Ball & Open Day Date: 27-28 August Venue: School of Arts Hall & Hospital Details: Dianne Doyle 03 54532026 Dianne.doyle@swsahs.nsw.gov.au Westmead Midwifery Dinner A Professional Evening for Midwives – Celebrating Midwifery Date: 2 September Crowne Plaza Hotel, Parramatta Details: Sadie Dugdale, 9845 5555, page 01793, or lesleypotter@bigpond.com Nurses Christian Fellowship Annual General Meeting Date: 3 September 12.30 Lunch AGM 1400 Venue: 5 Byfield Street Macquarie Park. Contact: Susan Green 9736 2961 Infection Control Assoc. NSW South West Regional Interest Group Date: 7 September Venue: Finley NSW Details: Cheryl Fox 02 693 39125 cheryl.fox@swsahs.nsw.gov.au Australian and New Zealand Burn Assoc. Annual Scientific Meeting Burns in the 21st Century – Have we made a difference Date: 13-16 September Swiss Grand Resort, Bondi Beach Details: anzba2005@tourhosts.com.au www.tourhosts.com.au/anzba2005 Cosmetic, Plastic & Reconstruction Assoc. of NSW 1 Day Conference and Gala Dinner 10th Anniversary

Date: 17 September Venue: Star Room Imax Theatre Contact: Peta, Bella Media, 9362 1555 joannesanders963@hotmail.com Infection Control Assoc. NSW Inc 28th Annual Conference Dates: 21-23 September Venue: Sydney Hilton Hotel Contact: Registration 9211 7126 5th Australian Update on HIV & Hepatitis C in Children & Families Dates: 22-24 September Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick Details: Kidest Nadew, 9382 1654, or NadewK@sesahs.nsw.gov.au Enrolled Nurse Professional Assoc. State Conference Creditable, Competent & Compassionate The Future is in your Hands Date: 22-23 September Venue: Taree Contact: Rebecca Roseby 0500 500 187, secretary@enpansw.org.au Nursing Research Fest. SWAHS Date: 12 October Venue: Blacktown RSL Contact: Julie Ann Strukovski 9881 8888, Maureen Buckley 9881 8000 Community Nurse Audiometrists Assoc. 23rd Annual Conference Date: 12, 13 & 14 October Venue: Hunts Function , Cross Roads Liverpool Details: Rhonda Boyde 9824 8490 Email: rboyde@bigpond.net.au Renal Society of Australasia (RSA) NSW branch Event: RSA Workshop Hosting: Canberra Hospital Date: 14 October 2005 Hotel Heritage, Narrabundah, ACT Details: susana.sanmiguel@fmc-asia. com or anne.maguire@sct.gov.au Empowering Christian Nurses Workshop Part 2 Date: 19 October 8.30-1530 Venue: Bondi Junction Contact: Diana Marshall 9476 4440 Advance Notification of Residential Workshop Event: ‘Getting back to basicscaring for the carer’ Date: 20-22 October Details: dawne@dawnefahey.com Aust. Dermatology Nurses’ Assoc. Annual Education Day Date: 21 October Venue: Bankstown Sports Club Contact: Carolyn Ashley 0423 808 644 nrderm@ozemail.com.au

Australian Nurse Practitioners Assoc. Inaugural Conference Date: 28-29 October Venue: The Chifley on Northbourne Hotel, Canberra, ACT. Web: www.dcconferences.com.au Wound Care Association of NSW Conference Dates: 11 & 12 November Venue: Luna Park Conference Centre Details: Debbie Blanchfield, 4295 8203 wcansw@lists.health.nsw.gov.au HIV Nursing Practice Workshop A basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS Dates: 14-17 November Venue: Surry Hills, Sydney Contact: Fiona, 9332 9720 albeducation@sesahs.nsw.gov.au 4th Annual Neuroscience and Trauma Professional Development Day Date: 18 November Education Block-Westmead Hospital Details: Katherine Schaffarczyk 9845 5555 Page 01764, Katherine_ Schaffarczyk@wsahs.nsw.gov.au NSW & ACT Liaison Mental Health Nurses 5th Annual Conference Date: 18 November Harbour View Hotel, North Sydney Contact: Dennis Casey 02 6620 2328

INTERSTATE Mental Health Services 15th Annual Conference Dancing to the Beat of a Different Drum Date: 30 August-2 September 2005 Adelaide Convention Centre Details: (02) 98108733 Email: info@themhs.org Website: www.themhs.org 26th Annual Scientific Meeting of Australian Pain Society Pain Across the Life Span Date: 9-12 April 2006 Grand Hyatt Hotel- Melbourne Contact: 02 9954 4400 Email: apsoc@dcconferences.com. au/aps2006

Reunions St George Hospital Enrolled Nurses January 1984 Date:TBA Venue: TBA Details: Sharon Colwell, 0439866201 or 0243321361 Email: shazcolwell@hotmail.com

Diary Dates Alfred Hospital Melbourne 1/75 30 year reunion Date: 9 October Venue: Melbourne TBA Details: Dianne Doyle 03 545 39202, Michael. doyle1010@bigpond.com Royal Prince Alfred Hospital 30-year reunion PTS September 1972 Date: TBA September Venue: Vanuatu for 5 nights!!! Details: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Stibbard, Stephen or Martha, 6629 5742, debraelfes@hotmail.com St Vincentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital Darlinghurst P.T.S June 1965 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 40 Year Reunion Date: 16 September Venue: TBA Details: Margot McNiven, 9959 3125, mcniven@bigpond.net.au Royal Prince Alfred Hospital 1958 PTS Group Date: 16 September, 12 noon Venue: City Tattersalls Club Details: Joy Horne 488 43309 Robyn Anderson 9502 4427 St Vincentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital Darlinghurst P.T.S January & March 1965 40 Year Reunion Date: 15 October, venue: TBA Details: Carol Briscoe nee Patmore, carolbriscoe@bigpond.com Rosemary Morrow nee Candsell romorrow@hotmauil.com

Donna Lukas nee Morrow donna.likas@lucas.com.au Reunion Renwick Infants Hospital (now Grosvenor Hospital) Date: 8 October 9.30am-3 pm Details: Rae Watson (nee Botefur) 4446 5577, Heather Fallows (nee Stewart) 9747 3598 St Vincentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital Darlinghurst 30 Year Reunion PTS June 1975 Date: 23-25 September Venue: TBA, Sydney East Suburbs Details: Janelle Schwager 02 6795 1277, 0407 107 357 Coffs Harbour Base Hospital Medical Ward Reunion (before the move) Date: 15 October Venue: Coffs Golf Club Detail: Anita Atkinson (Young), 66517317, ajycoffs@yahoo.com.au Junee District Hospital Reunion All past and present staff Date: 29-30 October Venue: Junee Bowling Club, Junee RSVP 1 September 2005 Details: June Jackson 02 6924 1093, Bronwyn. lemmich@swsahs.nsw.gov.au Dubbo Base Hospital Nurse Reunion Date: 11 March 2006, venue: TBA RSVP 31 October 2005 Details: Betty Salter (Brooks), 6882 2718, bettysalter99@hotmail.com

St George Hospital Graduate Nursesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association 2006 will mark 60th annual general meeting and we are seeking all graduates who are no longer, or never were, members. Contact: BM Carruthers 4/1 Carlton Parade Carlton NSW 2218 Orange Base Hospital PTS Feb and March 1981 Date and venue: TBA Details: Joyce Kennedy (Biggs), 6361 0408, jkenne14@postoffice.csu.edu.au Sutherland Hospital 30 Year Reunion PTS August 1972 Date & Venue: TBA Contact Details: Lois Berry (nee Cassidy) 02 44416884 ; berryl@iahs.nsw.gov.au Particularly seeking contact with Gwenda Burchill (nee Hudson), Debbie Baker and Penny Lewis.

Diary Dates is a free service for members. Please send information at least two months before the event, in the same format used here â&#x20AC;&#x201C; event, date, venue, contact details. Send information to: Ms Glen Ginty Email: gginty@nswnurses.asn.au Fax: 9550 3667 Mail: PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 Please double-check all information sent is correct. The Lamp cannot guarantee that the issue will always be mailed in time for the listed event. Due to high demands on the page, some dates too close to publication or too far in the future may be cut. Special Interest Groups Special Interest Groups is now part of Diary Dates. If you are a special interest group, you now must send information about your event as above.

From page 45 Crossword solution

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Applications are invited from graduates of the mental health professions for the ANZAP Diploma in Adult Psychotherapy commencing in March 2006 in Sydney. ✦ It is a three-year part time Course that prepares candidates for the practice of intensive psychoanalytic psychotherapy. ✦ Psychoanalytic theory is viewed as a constantly evolving dynamic process. The training program has the aim of preparing candidates to meet this challenge. The Course focuses on selflearning and consists of three compulsory strands. A theoretical strand, which comprises didactic lectures and reading; a clinical strand involving supervision of audio taped clinical material, which allows a microanalysis of the therapeutic process. This occurs on a regular basis, both individually and in small peer groups. A third strand, which involves compulsory attendance at Saturday morning seminars, a yearly weekend retreat and the annual

ANZAP Conference. A fourth strand personal therapy is strongly recommended. ✦ The model, based on the Psychology of Self, incorporates trauma theory, linguistics, recent neurophysiology and infant research and developmental theory. Developed by Russell Meares in collaboration with the late Robert Hobson, it is now referred to as the Conversational Model of intensive psychotherapy. ✦ Acceptance into the Course grants candidates Associate Membership of ANZAP and completion of the Course grants full Membership. Possibilities of further training are also available. ✦ An orientation seminar over three hours will be presented in September 2005. All interested persons are invited free of cost. Details will be available closer to the date.

Applications close definitely on 1st October 2005. Interviews will commence the week commencing 15th October 2005. Application fee is $275 and $175 refundable if you are not called for interview.

For further information and application forms contact the Course Administrator, Ms Lorraine Taylor Tel: (02) 9955 0060 Fax: (02) 9954 3095 Email: info@anzapweb.com Website: www.anzpweb.com ANZAP has for a decade run courses successfully in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and New Zealand. Courses are currently run in NEW SOUTH WALES and the A.C.T.

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