The Lamp March 2010 by NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association

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magazine of the NSW Nursesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association

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volume 67 no.2 March 2010

NUMs support safe staffing

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C O N T E N T S

Cover story Under pressure: Support grows for safe staffing 14

lamp the

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

volume 67 no.2 March 2010

12 15 16 18 21 24 25

Western Sydney nurses seek public support Pressure mounts on mental health services Community backs Kempsey staffing campaign NUMs support safe staffing A clearer solution to workloads How do we win the new Award? Help achieve safe patient care at your workplace

Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

Cover NUMs support safe stafﬁng

Samantha Faithfull, President of the NSW Nursing and Midwifery Unit Managers Society Photograph by Fiora Sacco

News in brief

From the field 38 Dispatch from Aweil 2, Southern Sudan

Fighting fit nurses 39 Ease shift work with healthy eating

NSWNA matters 40 NSWNA branch news

Lifestyle 42 Movie reviews

Obituary 44 Carla Rae Golding: a born nurse

Regular columns 5

Editorial by Brett Holmes Your letters to The Lamp Ask Judith What’s hot on Nurse Uncut? Nursing research online Books Our nursing crossword Diary dates

26 Big gains in private hospitals

6 33 34 37 45 47 49

Aged care

Competition

29 Aged care nurses and the Nurses Award 2010

27 Win a relaxing getaway to the Blue Mountains

Because we care

Special offers

30 Nurses take aged care reform debate to Canberra

43 Win 30 double passes to My One and Only and 25 double passes to Welcome

NSWNA education program 11 What’s on

Industrial issues

NSWNA COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Noel Hester T 8595 2153 NSWNA COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT Laura McDonald T 8595 1258 For all Lamp editorial enquiries, letters and diary dates: Editorial Enquiries T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnurses.asn.au M PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 THE LAMP PRODUCED BY Sirius Communications T 9560 1223 W www.siriuscommunications.com.au

8 8

Half of RNs plan to change careers NSW hospitals have worst record of mishaps 8 Pharmacies told to reject Nurse Practitioners 8 Community nursing deserves its own degree 8 Shift duties linked to abnormal eating habits 9 Report highlights need for 15% super 9 Nurses experience workplace violence but don’t report it 9 UAE to learn from Queensland 9 New infusion pumps for NSW Hospitals 11 Brits to replace open-backed hospital gowns 11 Nurse embroiled in first ‘Twitter’ murder 11 Employer and staff fined for workplace bullying

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

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, Baradine MPS Roz Norman, Tamworth Base Hospital Elsie May Henson, Barraba Multi Purpose Service Peg Hibbert, Hornsby & Ku-Ring-Gai Hospital Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care 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 THE LAMP ISSN: 0047-3936 General disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSWNA. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSWNA. 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 NSWNA 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. Professional members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $50. Individuals $73, Institutions $120, Overseas $130.

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Win the trip of a lifetime to Alaska and Canada Start paying your NSWNA fees by Direct Debit for the chance to win an unforgettable trip for two people to stunning Alaska and Canada in 2011. Travelling with Spectrum Holidays, the itinerary for this unique escorted group tour will cover destinations such as Vancouver, Victoria, the Canadian Rockies, Northern British Columbia, Alaska’s Inside Passage, The Yukon, Fairbanks, Denali National Park and Anchorage. The prize includes return economy class airfares from Sydney with Air New Zealand and ﬂights within Alaska and Canada.

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Here’s how you can win • cancel your payroll deductions and start paying your fees through direct debit and you will go in the lucky draw and/or • convince your colleagues to convert from payroll deductions to direct debit and you, and each of your colleagues who switch to direct debit, will go in the lucky draw and/or • sign up a new member using the direct debit method of paying their fees and you, and the new member, will go in the lucky draw.

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Information on tours to Alaska and Canada are available at www.spectrumholidays.com or call Spectrum Holidays on 1300 130 840

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

It’s about nurses, Tony g Tony Abbott’s backward-looking policy on health boards is inappropriate for a modern, complex, healthcare system. It’s also a diversion from the real issues of funding, staffing and skill mix.

ederal Opposition leader Tony Abbott has announced that a coalition government would abolish regional or area health authorities in NSW and Queensland and replace them with community management boards at each major public hospital. This hospital board idea is a return to the system we had 20 years ago. This model did not provide solutions to the problems confronting an increasingly complex health system. In fact, local parochialism created a whole raft of extra pressures, which diverted scarce resources from where they could do the most good in an integrated health-care system. The real issues that the Liberal Party at both the NSW State and Federal levels should prioritise are better funding and adequate staff with the right skills properly distributed across an integrated and networked health system. What we need is a health system that is properly balanced between treatment and preventative care for the whole community. A hospital board, by its very nature, focuses on its own local interests. In the past such boards were unrealistic and naïve. They tried to provide the full range of services for their local community, no matter what its size. The cold, hard reality is there is neither the staff nor funding to do this and it is not always safe to do so.

Systemic problems need systemic solutions Tony Abbott’s flight of fancy is a diversion from the intractable issues of funding, staffing and skill mix. He should take heed of the clear warnings coming from nurses at the coalface of our public hospitals. In last month’s Lamp we reported on research conducted by the NSWNA that showed the unrelenting pressure on our nurses and their deep concerns for patient safety. If the major political parties are serious

disillusionment and despair at the worsening workloads three years after her landmark study Glueing It Together outlined the seriousness of the problem. These are feelings that I share.

The Victorian alternative

about fixing the widespread systemic problems in public health, they cannot ignore this. We need more nurses in employment – and fast – because while things are bad now, there is also a demographic time bomb ticking away with our ageing nurse workforce.

The real issues that the Liberal Party at both NSW State and Federal levels should prioritise are better funding and adequate staff with the right skills. In this month’s Lamp we look with a fresh eye at the issues of staffing numbers and skill mix. Professor Christine Duffield from the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Health at UTS talks about the evolution of her thinking away from a model of measuring workloads by acuity to a blunter instrument like mandated minimum staffing ratios (see page 18). Christine explains how her change of heart has come from a sense of

We also look at the implementation of ratios in Victoria (see page 21). The circumstances in which ratios were achieved in Victoria were clearly different to what we now face in NSW. There were many favourable factors – a sympathetic Commissioner and a new Labor Government that committed to funding extra nurse places. There was also the terrible legacy of the Kennett Government, which had slashed and burnt its way through the Victorian health system, priming the public and the media for a radically different approach. The implementation of ratios has not been a panacea for the Victorian system but they have made things considerably better. Victorian nurses have more control over their working days. As a union and a profession we need to develop a transparent, enforceable mechanism for safe staffing and safe patient care. After more than seven years of looking for alternatives I believe we have no choice left but to seek mandated nurse-to-patient ratios that take into account skill mix acuity and throughput of patients. Members in our public health system will have the opportunity to tell us what they think through their branches when they vote on the next Award Log of Claims (see page 24) in the coming weeks. It will not be easy to achieve and it may be a long fight, but we are listening to what our members are saying about the intensity of their work and how they want things to improve. Tony Abbott and his State colleagues, and Kevin Rudd and his State colleagues should be doing the same thing.n THE LAMP MARCH 2010 5

L E T T E R S

Inge Williams

Give us facilities for uniforms

Penny Chapman

Supervising students shouldn’t be a burden

In response to Christine Yule’s letter ‘Don’t wear uniforms outside work’ (November 2009 issue), I’ve worked in the private sector in aged care for well over 10 years and not only do I wear my uniform to work and home, I go shopping in it too. I also have to pay for the overpriced compulsory uniform that includes shoes, which also spread infection. We do have lockers at work but nowhere to hang uniforms and no offer to wash and dry them at the workplace. I think most nurses and midwives in the public and private sector would be willing to adopt better infection control standards if management provided the facilities to do so. It makes common sense to leave uniform and shoes at work and change to go home. This would certainly reduce the spread of disease and infections in the wider general community and our homes. Inge Williams, AiN, St Hedwig Village and St Hedwig Village, NSWNA Branch President

I am writing in response to Pamela Griffith’s letter, ‘Supervision of students is a burden’ in the February issue of The Lamp. I have recently graduated as an RN and it is very disheartening to hear comments like this. To become an RN today there is no choice but to go to university and attain a degree. This includes a total of only 21 weeks clinical placement over the three years. Therefore, it is little wonder that students are ‘practising on patients... with questionable levels of theoretical knowledge’ as Pamela suggests. I don’t understand why so many nurses have this attitude that having a student is a burden. Yes, it may slow you down slightly with some tasks if you take the time to explain to them certain procedures, but certainly it speeds up some of your other tasks such as taking obs, bed-making, BSL readings, and other tasks not requiring supervision, freeing up your valuable time to catch up on your documentation and other things. Penny Chapman

Thank you, Blue Mountains mental health nurses

Got something to say?

I am writing as a final-year social work student who has had the wonderful opportunity to work with the nurses at the Blue Mountains Mental Health Unit for the past eight months. The compassion and pride in being a nurse and the level of professionalism these nurses show the patients and each other, as a team, is inspiring. During my time on the unit, I have been welcomed with open arms, with no question deemed too ‘silly’ and encouraged to take up my role as part of the team. I would like to thank all of the nurses and in particular NUM Peter Adams, CNCs Darren Egan and Wayne Keevers, and RN Kym Hodder, who have enriched my skills and knowledge of mental health and inspired me to stay within this particular field. Rowena Jarvis

Send your letters to: Editorial Enquiries email lamp@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.

6 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

Every letter published receives a 6 month weekend subscription to the Herald, valued at over $114! Subscribe to the Herald today to save 37% off the newsstand price and enjoy the convenience of the paper delivered to your home each morning. Visit www.subscribe. smh.com.au/lamp for more details.

LETTER of the month ‘Burden’ label is unfair I am writing in response to the letter, ‘Supervision of students is a burden’ in the February issue of The Lamp. While the article outlines some concerns that certainly need addressing in relation to the placement of nursing students on wards and facilities, it is very disappointing to be unfairly labelled as a ‘burden’. Next time you feel frustrated by a student nurse, remember that we are also often frustrated by an unsupportive mentor and that we are doing our best to help. Our time in the clinical setting is limited, but it is priceless and essential to our learning. So please help us to make every hour count. To all those wonderful nurses out there, please take us students under your wings and help develop us into the quality registered professionals that our system so desperately needs. Remember, you were a student once. Please don’t eat your young! Jacob Howell, associate member, third-year Bachelor of Nursing student, University of Newcastle. Jacob Howell won the prize for this month’s letter of the month, a $50 David Jones voucher.

The letter judged the best each month will be awarded a $50 Coles Myer voucher, courtesy of Medicraft Hill-Rom. For details on the range of hospital beds, trolleys, mattress & care solutions, please visit www.medicrafthillrom.com or call (02) 9569 0255

*Proudly Australian Made*

THE TROUBLE

WITH TUESDAYS

Nicole Hmelnitsky

The simple fact is we need more skilled nurses on the floor and at the bedside with appropriate skill mix per shift. This would help with better patient care, less stressed staff, improved retention of staff and less sick leave. Nicole Hmelnitsky, RN/RM

‘Between the flags’ is an insult It’s ironic that the two news stories on page eight of the February issue of The Lamp are side by side: Thousands more nurses a year need to be trained as more are needed in the workplace, yet the Government’s answer is to implement a colour-coded observation chart and spend millions on new technology to reduce workloads. Great! We’ll be spending our time reading and texting on our new mobile phones hanging off our belts rather than actually spending time by the bedside observing our patients. That will definitely reduce our workload and help us provide improved care and stop patients falling through the gaps. When I sat through the educational session regarding the impending introduction of the ‘Between the flags’ observation charts, my first reaction was that of insult. An insult to me, as a nurse and as a midwife, and to the whole nursing profession. Nurses are trained to observe and use sense (intelligence, brains, intellect, wisdom, common sense, logic and good judgement) and our senses. We observe and monitor using our eyes, ears, touch and smell and with the knowledge we have learnt through our education and hands-on experience. We frequently notice a change in a patient’s status first, which then prompts us to perform a set of vital observations, not vice versa.

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Flag system dumbs down nursing practice As a midwife with more than 30 years’ experience I am writing to express my dismay at the recent introduction by the Clinical Excellence Commission of the ‘Between the Flags’ initiative. For years, in nursing, when assessing patient well-being, we have encouraged nursing assessments to embrace the ‘whole patient approach’. Instead of nursing being able to draw upon experience and common sense we now are reduced to patient assessment that is measured by values with coloured escalation lines. In the weeks since this ‘one chart fits all’ initiative was implemented we are already seeing the effect of repeated unnecessary notifications to medical officers of otherwise fit, healthy, young women, whose observation range happens to fall outside of what is deemed ‘normal’. I fear if common sense does not prevail, the cry wolf analogy will apply here. Kathrine Grover, RN

You may be finding it hard to talk to our information officers on Tuesdays. This is because Tuesday is the one day of the week when all our staff are in the office for staff and team meetings. These meetings are essential for information distribution and planning activities. If at all possible, please don’t ring on this day as there can be considerable delays. But if you need urgent assistance, you will get it. Our information department receives approximately 900 calls per week, and the phones are ringing hot from 8.30am to 5pm. NSWNA Information Officers are available until 7pm. We are working hard to meet your needs and thank you for your patience. Call 8595 1234 (metro) or 1300 367 962 (non-metro).

NSWNA training a ‘godsend’ I would like to say a big thank-you to the NSWNA. Late in 2009 I completed the ‘Negotiation and Advocacy’ training days parts 1 and 2. They were extremely helpful and informative but I never thought I would have to put some of the course into practice. Recently I have had a family member in some trouble. All that I had learned in the course was fresh in my mind and the information was of great benefit in this difficult situation. I would particularly like to thank the industrial/legal officer I spoke with at one point, who gave me some excellent help and advice about managing this case. This help was truly a godsend and I am extremely grateful and thankful for her professionalism and support. I cannot recommend the services and courses the NSWNA provides more highly. Susan M Green, Flight Nurse, NSW Air Ambulance Service ORDER YOUR TICKETS TODAY! 20 tickets per book – $2 per ticket: Ring 1800 888 674 or email office@apheda.org.au or visit www.apheda.org.au or fax (02) 9261 1118 Closes May 14, 2010 Winner drawn June 3, 2010 Results in The Australian June 8, 2010

THE LAMP MARCH 2010 7

N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF

HALF OF RNS

PLAN TO CHANGE CAREERS lmost a third of RNs surveyed in January said they will not be working in their current job a year from now and close to half said they plan to change their career paths in the next one to three years that would either take them out of the nursing field entirely or reduce their contribution to direct patient care by working fewer hours or choosing a less demanding role, according to a US survey by AMN Healthcare. The survey of 1,399 nurses found that driving part of the decision to potentially change career paths or jobs is the fact that nearly half of those surveyed said their job is affecting their health. The survey was conducted during a period of economic recession and in the course of an ongoing national debate over healthcare reform. Only 6% of the respondents are very confident that the reform will provide a mechanism for ensuring an adequate supply of nurses. This occurs at a time when industry data indicates the nation will face a shortage of 260,000 RNs by 2025. In fact, the majority of nurses (55%) believe that the quality of care nurses provide today has declined compared to five years ago, according to the survey. Of immediate concern, the survey shows, is that 6% of nurses permanently employed in a hospital setting indicate they plan to retire in the next one to three years. This action would reduce the hospital nursing workforce by more than 70,000. This is of particular concern, since the number of new candidates taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a Registered Nurse has flattened over the past year, suggesting no growth in the supply of new nurses entering the profession.

8 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

NSW hospitals have worst record of mishaps

Community nursing deserves its own degree

Public hospitals in NSW have the worst rates of mishaps causing death or serious injury across the nation, according to the Productivity Commission’s findings into the state of Australian healthcare in 2007-2008. The report revealed there were 59 ‘sentinel’ events – when serious injury or death occurs that is related to a patient’s level of care – in NSW public hospitals. These included 18 incidents involving the wrong patient or body part, 19 cases of medical instruments left in bodies after surgery and medication errors that resulted in 17 deaths.

Community nursing should be offered as a degree subject separate from general nursing, according to a leading nurse academic in the UK. Laura SerrantLaura Serrant-Green Green, Professor of Community and Public Health Nursing at the University of Lincoln, told Nursing Times there was a tendency to view community nursing as simply district nurses, health visitors and school nurses. But she said the expanding role of nurses in community settings – in line with policies on public health and moving more services out of hospitals and nearer to home – meant discussion was needed around future training. ‘In the future there will be much more caring for groups and communities, rather than just treating individuals,’ Professor Serrant-Green said. She suggested a separate degree would support the ‘innovation and entrepreneurial approach’ needed for nurses to ‘think on their feet’ outside of hospital settings.

Pharmacies told to reject Nurse Practitioners Pharmacy owners have been advised to hold off collaborating with Nurse Practitioners following a move by the ACT Government to approve five Nurse Practitioners with prescribing powers to operate within a pharmacy in Tuggeranong. The Pharmacy Guild told its members it was ‘premature’ for pharmacists outside the ACT to join up with Nurse Practitioners when State legislation did not support it. ‘It is just a private scheme and as a private scheme the business model will not work and, therefore, it will be a drain on pharmacy resources because they are allocating space within the pharmacy,’ its President Kos Sclavos told Pharmacy News. ‘It is still early days and until we see the outcomes, pharmacists should not be investing enormously in this because the model is not proven.’ The Tuggeranong pharmacy is part of the Revive Clinic group, which plans to open 150 walk-in clinics nationally (The Lamp, October 2009). Revive spokersperson Louise Stewart said Nurse Practitioners will help pharmacists grow their businesses and provide additional services. ‘The presence of Nurse Practitioners in Australian pharmacies will allow pharmacists to expand their role as multi-disciplinary health-care providers,’ Ms Stewart said.

Shift duties linked to abnormal eating habits Shift duties are linked with abnormal eating habits among nurses working in hospitals, according to Hong Kong researchers, The Nursing Times reported. The researchers surveyed 378 nurses, of which three quarters did regular shifts outside of traditional working hours. The researchers concluded: ‘More health promotional initiatives should be targeted towards hospital nurses whose duties require frequent night shifts to enhance healthy eating.’ See The Lamp’s article on eating well when doing shift work on page 39.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS NEED

Nurses experience workplace violence but don’t report it

FOR 15% SUPER

Three-quarters of nurses providing private and public care experienced workplace violence, but only one in six incidents were formally reported, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing. The majority (92%) said they had been verbally abused, 69% had been physically threatened and 52% had been physically assaulted. A total of 2,354 incidents were reported to the research team, with nurses facing an average of two to 46 incidents a year. ‘Many of the nurses who took part in the research said that they did not report incidents because they felt that workplace violence was just part of the job,’ said lead author Dr Rose Chapman from Curtin University of Technology in Perth. The 113 nurses who took part in the study were mainly female, in their early 40s and had been in the profession for between six months and 40 years, with an average service of just under 18 years. Nearly two-thirds worked part time. A quarter of the nurses (25%) experienced weekly events, 27% monthly events and 25% one event every six months. The remainder had not experienced any violence. Incidents were highest in the Emergency Department, where staff reported an average of 46 incidents over the previous year, and in mental health, where the average was 40 incidents. The lowest incidents were reported by midwives (an average of two incidents each) and surgical staff and paediatric staff (an average of four incidents each). Of those who experienced workplace violence, 40% had been involved in an incident with a weapon and 3% said it was a weekly occurrence. Weapons included guns (6%), knives (3%) and hospital equipment (32%). Weaponrelated incidents were more common in the Emergency Department (weekly) and mental health (monthly). Despite experiencing more problems, nurses working in the Emergency Department were much less likely to report any incidents (42%) than staff in other areas (76%). However, 70% said they would report an incident if they or

nions will push for the superannuation guarantee to be raised to 15% following the release of a new Government report on the economic impact of Australia’s rapidly ageing population. The Intergenerational Report outlines the challenges posed for retirement incomes as the proportion of the population aged 65 and over doubles over the next 40 years. ACTU President Sharan Burrow said it gave impetus to union calls for the superannuation guarantee to be increased to 15% by 2015, along with more incentives to encourage workforce participation by women and older people. A separate report by the Investment and Financial Services Association shows that the average gap between what has been saved and what is needed in retirement has blown out by 55% in just four years to $73,000, and highlights the need for urgent action on raising superannuation. ‘The Intergenerational Report provides more evidence that working Australians are falling behind in saving for their retirement,’ Ms Burrow said. ‘Unless action is taken soon, this will place an unbearable burden on future generations of workers and taxpayers, and drag down the national economy. It is clearly time to take the next step towards the goal of 15% superannuation by 2015.’ In addition, women’s participation in the workforce needs to be encouraged through a universal paid maternity leave scheme, better access to, and equal pay for women, Ms Burrow said. ‘Employers need to do more to encourage participation of older workers and women by reducing discrimination and introducing more flexible working arrangements.’

a colleague were injured or there was a chance they would be laying charges or making a claim for compensation. ‘Understanding why nurses do or do not report incidents is very important as it can help educators and administrators to develop programs that help to reduce workplace violence. Further research on how individuals adapt to violence in the workplace is also warranted,’ said Dr Chapman.

UAE to learn from Queensland Workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will benefit from Queensland’s vocational training, after the State Government signed a partnership with Abu Dhabi. Premier Anna Bligh said Queensland would now share its successful vocational education and training strategies with one of the world’s richest regions. The State is leading the way in offering training to UAE workers, with an agreement reached for up to 200 nurse trainees each year to complete their training at South Bank Institute of TAFE and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), with the first intake of 70 to arrive in July. ‘Our education and training models are world-class and one of the world’s most powerful and go-ahead regions wants them,’ Ms Bligh said. ‘We are working hard to keep our skills at the cutting edge and targeting ongoing training to support workers and businesses with a range of strategies including a Trade Training Taskforce to help apprentices and trainees during the fallout of the global financial crisis and a plan for three in every four Queenslanders to hold a trade, training or tertiary qualification by 2020.’

New infusion pumps for NSW Hospitals A new infusion pump, known as the Volumat MC Agilia, is being installed in 232 hospitals across NSW after an unprecedented $70 million contract to make pumps uniform across the State. According to the NSW State Government and the pump’s manufacturer, the Volumat will deliver safer and more efficient IV technology to patients and health staff. THE LAMP MARCH 2010 9

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For full details on how you can purchase your tickets go to www.nswnurses.asn.au 10 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

Make sure you don’t miss the nursing and midwifery event of the year. The 2010 International Nurses’ Day Nurses’ Short Film festival is on again! You, your friends and family are invited to this gala red carpet evening. Come and celebrate the creativity of nurses and midwives and enjoy the diversity of ﬁlms especially produced for this festival. Monday 10 May 2010 Cocktail Party 6.30 pm – 7.30 pm Festival Screening commences 8 pm NIDA’s Parade Theatre 215 Anzac Parade KENSINGTON NSW Winners will be announced at the end of the screening of the festival. Booking Form for the Nurses’ Short ﬁlm Festival can be downloaded from the Association’s website: www.nswnurses.asn.au

N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF

Brits to replace open-backed hospital gowns

Employer and staff fined for workplace bullying

The British Government is getting behind a plan to replace open-backed hospital gowns. As part of the Design for Patient Dignity scheme, the country’s Design Council has asked designers and manufacturers to come up with replacements for the gowns, which it said often leave patients feeling exposed. The challenge for the designers is to create a range of functional patient clothes (which could include daywear, nightwear and footwear) that significantly reduce the risk of physical exposure, cater for differences in patient size, cultural and religious preferences and are appropriate for a range of activities including sleeping, resting, journeys to and from the toilet/bathroom and leaving the ward. One gown model is being created by US-born designer Ben de Lisi, who has made dresses for stars including Kate Winslet. He told the BBC his design, made from luxury cotton, was ‘fabulous and aspirational’. Wraparound gowns are already being tested in the western English city of Bristol, and officials have reported that feedback has been positive. The new gowns will be unveiled in March, and the Government said it hopes to have them in hospitals next year.

The owner of a café, along with three former staff members, have been fined following the death of a young waitress who committed suicide after being subjected to relentless workplace bullying, The Herald Sun reported. Brodie Rae Constance Panlock, 19, threw herself from the fourth floor of a car park in Hawthorn in September 2006 after enduring physical and mental bullying at the café where she had worked for 16 months. She died three days later in hospital from her injuries. The owner of Café Vamp in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn and three former employees were convicted and fined a total of $335,000. Former employees Nicholas Smallwood, 26; Rhys MacAlpine, 28; Gabriel Toomey, 23, all pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates Court to failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of persons. The café’s owner Marc Luis Da Cruz pleaded guilty to two charges, including failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment. All four men were convicted on the charges, with magistrate Peter Lauritsen describing their actions as ‘the most serious case of bullying’ and saying he would have doubled the penalties if they had not pleaded guilty to the charges. He said a ‘poisonous atmosphere’ existed among the staff, with persistent bullying although Ms Panlock was often singled out. Ms Panlock had previously tried to kill herself in May 2006 by ingesting rat poison. Her father Damien said the law should be changed to include a custodial sentence for the tormentors. The acting Executive Director of WorkSafe Victoria, Stan Krpan, said the sentences send a clear message to the community that workplace bullying should not be tolerated ‘The offending in this case was of the most serious nature, the most serious category of offending,’ Mr Krpan told The Herald Sun.

Nurse embroiled in first ‘Twitter’ murder A trainee nurse is at the centre of what is said to be the world’s first Twitter murder. New York police have sent a legal order to the social media network to gain access to angry messages sent between Jameg Blake and his friend Kwame Dancy, the Daily Telegraph reported. It is believed the postings led to Blake shooting Dancy – a trainee nurse – in the neck. According to police, the pair, both 22, were childhood friends who lived on the same floor of a block of apartments, but had spent weeks sending angry messages via their Twitter accounts. Other friends joined in the row by adding to the tweets. Blake has been charged with firstdegree murder. The Lamp advises members who frequent Nurse Uncut to play nice.

s Practical Leadership Skills for Nursing and Midwifery Unit Managers 31 March, 28 April, 23 June, Camperdown, 3 days A 3-day workshop specifically designed to meet the leadership needs of nurses and midwives. Members $250 • Non-members $400 s Leadership Skills for the Aged Care Team 1 April, 6 May, 8 July, 5 August, Camperdown, 4 days A 4-day workshop specifically designed to meet the leadership needs of nurses working in aged care. Members $320 • Non-members $480 s Legal & Professional Issues for Nurses and Midwives 9 April, Shellharbour, ½ day Topics covered include the Nurses and Midwives Act 1991, potential liability, importance of documentation, role of disciplinary tribunals including the NMB, writing statements. Members $39 • Non-members $85 s Appropriate Workplace Behaviour 22 April, Wagga Wagga, 1 day Topics covered include understanding why bullying occurs; antidiscrimination law & NSW Health policies; how to behave appropriately in the workplace; identify behaviour which constitutes unlawful harassment and bullying; what to do if subjected to unlawful harassment and bullying; how to use workplace grievance procedures; identify, prevent and resolve bullying. Members $85 • Non-members $170 s Computer Essentials for Nurses and Midwives 27 April, Concord, 1 day Seminar is suitable for all nurses and midwives. Members $85 • Non-members $170 s Basic Foot Care for RNs & ENs 29 & 30 April, Camperdown, 2 days A VETAB-accredited course that aims to provide nurses with the competence to provide basic foot care. Members $203 • Non-members $350

TO REGISTER or for more information go to www.nswnurses.asn.au or11ring THE LAMP MARCH 2010 Carolyn Kulling on 1300 367 962

C O V E R S T O R Y

Despite the workloads tool, nurse workloads in public hospitals and health facilities are getting worse – nurses are at breaking point and research reveals that patient care is

Morbid symptoms g Western Sydney nurses seek public support to reverse staff cuts

estern Sydney nurses are holding lunchtime rallies this month to seek public support for action to reverse falling staff numbers and shrinking budgets. Hospitals from the Sydney suburb of Auburn across to Portland, west of the

Blue Mountains, are staging protests on 18 March. Up to 13 hospitals are involved – including seven major hospitals – and a similar number of community health services. Together they serve well over one million people. The actions follow years of nurse resentment over staffing pressures and growing workloads.

In the past year a recruitment freeze and deletion of positions and services has brought nurses’ patience to an end. Western Sydney nurses are warning the communities they serve that staff are now too stretched to safely and adequately meet patient needs. NSWNA representatives at two hospitals and a community health centre tell The Lamp why they are taking action.

NO TIME FOR QUALITY PATIENT CARE

‘W

e can’t keep going under these workloads and provide a safe service to our clients,’ says RN Bernard O’Flaherty, a member of a mental health team based at Merrylands Community Health Centre. ‘Our mental health team at Merrylands is four clinicians down out of 10 and we haven’t had a CSO for over one year,’ explains Bernard, Secretary of the Union’s Sydney West Community Health Nurses’ Branch. ‘We have mountains of medical records that need attention and because we can’t get clerical support we’ve had senior nurses on overtime doing the filing which is a ridiculously expensive way of doing it. ‘What amazes me is that non-clinical middle management, particularly at cluster and area level is burgeoning even while hiring of frontline staff including replacements is prohibited.’ He says understaffing is the worst he’s seen since he started nursing in 1975. ‘Governments over the years have just strangled the health system and understaffing is putting patients 12 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

in jeopardy. We haven’t been able to employ anyone for over a year. ‘There is a serious lack of time available for quality patient care. ‘We have a number of forensic patients – people found not guilty of crimes on the grounds of mental illness – who are now on conditional release in the community, and a large number on community treatment orders. ‘We have workloads of 50-60 clients each and we have about two days a week to actually case manage them. The rest of the time is spent on crisis shifts and various clinics such as the injection clinic. ‘Patients in need of the most personalised attention are just not getting it, and the stress on staff is unbelievable.’ Bernard says three meetings of the Reasonable Workloads Committee have got nowhere. Community nurses based at Merrylands, Parramatta, Auburn, Dundas and Baulkham Hills were all planning to hold local rallies to seek public support for more nursing staff and reduced workloads when this issue of The Lamp went to press.n

‘Patients in need of the most personalised attention are just not getting it, and the stress on staff is unbelievable.’ Bernard O’Flaherty, RN, Merrylands CHC

being compromised – to the point of being unsafe. Nurses across NSW are intensifying their stand against unsafe workloads in the NSW public health system. Nurses in Western Sydney and the Far North

Coast have held more public rallies against staff cuts and unrelenting workloads, drawing mounting support from their local communities and politicians.

and the NSWNA is making staffing and safe patient care the cornerstone of its 2010 pay campaign, with mandated staffing ratios on the agenda.

Drastic action is needed

NO END IN SIGHT TO EXTREME WORKLOADS

epean Hospital nurses are ‘burnt out’ by excessive workloads and frustrated by the failure of reasonable workloads procedures to achieve better staff/patient ratios, says Peter Mason, NSWNA Branch Secretary. Peter says staff at Nepean, a referral hospital with around 400 beds at the

they can’t get anyone to fill a gap and yet casual staff tell us they’ve been sitting at home for days and don’t have any work. ‘The vacancy rate in the delivery suite, for example, is 20 FTE (full-time equivalent) midwives and two FTE ward clerks. ‘In one particular four-week roster the delivery suite had 101 shifts they couldn’t fill because of these 20 vacancies.

‘Workloads committees are not working in the way they should because management has been able to find loopholes in the reasonable workloads clause of the award.’ Peter Mason, NSWNA Branch Secretary, Nepean Hospital

base of the Blue Mountains at Penrith, support a lunchtime protest march this month because they see no end in sight to extreme workloads. He says Health Services Union Branch officials at Nepean have pledged to support the nurses’ rally ‘just as we supported them in their dispute last year’. ‘It’s a desperate and dire straits health system. People are not replaced when they resign, go on leave or get deployed,’ says Peter, an Endorsed Enrolled Nurse in the Emergency Department. ‘Part-timers are having to pick up extra shifts, full-timers are doing overtime and NUMs aren’t getting to do their normal duties because they spend most of their time helping out on the floor. ‘Roster offices are telling the NUMs

‘Midwives in post-natal and antenatal have to be deployed to the delivery suite, leaving their usual wards shortstaffed. The process just compounds across the hospital.’ Peter says examples like this are high on the agenda at every meeting of the hospital’s Reasonable Workloads Committee but progress is nonexistent in the face of a staff freeze and management obstruction. ‘Workloads committees are not working in the way they should because management has been able to find loopholes in the reasonable workloads clause of the award. ‘Management will say their data doesn’t match data the Branch collects from our members. The workloads

committee reps then have to go back to the member who provided the information and try to get more data. It is an exhausting process trying to investigate just one workload issue. ‘If a ward is one RN or EN down on a really difficult shift, management will tell you several weeks later that the acuity of the patients was very low. How do you then go back and prove that it wasn’t?’ Peter points out that all health workers, not just nurses, are affected by the staff freeze. ‘This weekend alone there were 10 cleaners down and one cleaner had to clean three wards. How can they properly do 24 hours’ work in eight hours?’ he asks.n THE LAMP MARCH 2010 13

C O V E R S T O R Y

Morbid Symptoms FROM PAGE 13

GRADUATES IN LIMBO DESPITE STAFF SHORTAGE

hile Mount Druitt Hospital struggles to deal with staff shortages, all of its 2009 new graduate nurses promised jobs there last year are still waiting to be hired. ‘Nurses who worked in our new graduate program in 2009 have been left in limbo, not knowing when or where they will be employed,’ said NSWNA Branch Secretary at Mount Druitt Hospital, Sunita Gounder, a Registered Nurse in the operating theatre. ‘Initially they were told they could work in the area they did their single placement, one-year new graduate program in. Then they were made to sit a job interview and went into Christmas not knowing the outcome. ‘The latest development is that some have been offered a one-year contract but nothing has been offered in writing.’

Sunita says such unfair treatment of new graduates is senseless and detrimental to the future of nursing. ‘Failure to fill vacancies has left one ward with half the number of nurses needed to safely and efficiently run the ward,’ she says. She adds that nurses throughout the 200-bed hospital are faced with constant deployment, which has created a lot of uncertainty, anxiety and stress. Sunita says the area-wide job freeze has prevented nurses from permanently transferring to other hospitals because

Have your say on Western Sydney workloads pressure on

www.nurseuncut.com.au

there are no vacant positions, according to area management. It is also limiting nurses who want to gain skills in other specialties and who want to further their career.n

‘Failure to fill vacancies has left one ward with half the number of nurses needed to safely and efficiently run the ward.’ Sunita Gounder, Secretary, Mount Druitt Hospital Branch (left) pictured with Kim Williams, Assistant Secretary.

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Pressure mounts on mental health services g Loss of senior staff worsens skill mix at Coffs Harbour hospital

severe staff shortage at Coffs Harbour Base Hospital’s mental health unit has been made worse because experienced senior nurses have been replaced by recent graduates. ‘We have lost a lot of senior staff in the mental health IPU (In-patient Psychiatry Unit) in recent years,’ said Scott Hanson, President of the Union’s mental health services Branch at the hospital. ‘Some staff have been recruited but they are mainly first and second-year post-graduate students with very little experience in mental health,’ he said. ‘It is up to the committed nurses working in the IPU to do double shifts, extra shifts, use security guards, or work with even shorter nursing numbers with higher patient loads to deliver the care that mental health patients are entitled to.’ Coffs Harbour is one of four North Coast Area hospitals that staged nurse and community rallies against budget and staff cuts last December. ‘We recently lost three staff members from the IPU with probably 50 years’ experience between them. They left to take up employment in the mental health rehab unit which has not been able to recruit enough staff despite being completed for almost 18 months,’ said Scott. ‘The three who recently left were replaced by graduate nurses for the most part, with minimal combined experience, as well as one experienced casual who was given permanent employment. ‘We have lost approximately eight experienced and senior staff who have applied to work in the rehab unit in the past 12 months, as well as numerous senior staff to the Acute Care Service since its inception. ‘Our casual pool employee numbers are miserable at best. The recruitment process has simply not recruited enough employees to allow our casual pool to increase from unsuccessful permanent candidates or from actual casual applicants. ‘The staffing shortage is exacerbated

‘Nurses do double shifts, extra shifts, use security guards, or work with even shorter nursing numbers with higher patient loads to deliver the care that mental health patients are entitled to.’ Scott Hanson, President of the NSWNA Mental Health Services Branch.

because we don’t have access to agency nursing staff,’ said Scott. Coffs Harbour’s mental health unit has six high-dependency beds and 24 low-dependency beds and the occupancy rate is over 100% on average per annum. Scott Hanson says about 20-25% of the unit’s nursing staff have minimal experience working within an acute in-patient unit. The unit has no nurse educators, no clinical nurse specialists and no clinical nurse consultants. ‘Our patient-to-staff ratio seems a lot worse than some other psychiatric wards in the North Coast area,’ he said. ‘We have asked the Reasonable Workloads Committee (RWC) to provide staffing numbers of comparable units within the health service to allow the RWC to address any inequalities that may exist. ‘We are running at 3:1 in the highdependency unit unless the level of acuity increases or aggressive incidents are credible, then we can approach management and ask to put another nurse in the HDU. At times we have had to use hospital security guards to cover nursing shortages or to cover “specials” on the ward. ‘The low-dependency unit runs from 5/6:1. On day shift it is mostly 6:1 as the NUM’s workloads are already extensive and to take patient loads would not allow for appropriate therapeutic interactions with patients,’ said Scott. The NSWNA mental health Branch

at Coffs Harbour has asked the RWC to address a requirement that two nurses rather than one must go to the pharmacy to collect S4 and S8 medication for the mental health unit. ‘This rule was imposed several years ago from what we have been led to believe, after some drugs apparently went missing. This requirement takes two nurses away from the unit for the best part of an hour more than twice a day on some occasions,’ Scott said. ‘We want to be able to send one RN like every other ward in the hospital, and we are quite willing to count and sign medications into drug registers at the pharmacy and then recount and sign again with a co-signature on the pharmacy receipts when the medications are returned to the IPU. ‘As a group we feel we are being punished in some way for an event that occurred when the majority of staff were not even employed in the unit. ‘Also the majority, if not all other wards use air chutes for medication delivery, requisitions for work, keys etc but we don’t have the use of one on the IPU even though the system goes straight over the top of the nurses’ station.’ Scott said the Branch also wants the hospital to abolish a discriminatory rule banning psychiatric patients from picking up medicine when they are being discharged from hospital.n THE LAMP MARCH 2010 15

C O V E R S T O R Y

Community backs Kempsey staffing campaign g MPs join nurses in street march

n a sign of growing community support for the ‘one more nurse per shift’ campaign at Kempsey District Hospital, politicians from all three levels of government have marched alongside nurses through the streets of Kempsey. RN Di Lohman, the hospital’s NSWNA Branch Secretary, said nurses were pleased that Federal, State and local politicians marched with the nurses and publicly pledged support for the campaign. They included the State member for Oxley and National Party leader in NSW Andrew Stoner, the Federal National Party MP for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker and Mayor John Bowell. She said six shire councillors joined the march and others who could not attend spoke at meetings, collected signatures and distributed campaign postcards addressed to NSW Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt. ‘The councillors have been on a mission – they’ve been fantastic,’ Di said. A petition seeking one more Registered Nurse per shift for the 16 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

hospital’s understaffed Emergency Department has so far attracted 6,300 signatures in the shire of 28,000. ‘We are keeping the petition going because shire councillors and other people who want to collect signatures keep asking us for copies,’ Di said.

‘There is so much evidence we are understaffed but the department are trying to ignore it.’ Andrew Stoner has tabled a motion in Parliament calling on the Government to provide one more RN for each ED shift at Kempsey ‘in the interests of quality health care and a safe working environment’. ‘In 11 years as the local member for Kempsey I have never seen the nurses up in arms like this,’ he wrote, urging Ms Tebbutt to visit the hospital to talk to staff.

Kempsey nurses wrote to Ms Tebbutt to ask for a meeting and to deliver their petition personally, after the Minister declined to visit Kempsey, citing her busy schedule. On the day of the march, the Chief Executive of the North Coast Area Health Service, Chris Crawford, promised on radio to visit the hospital, midway between Brisbane and Sydney, in February to speak to staff. Ms Tebbutt had not replied to the nurses’ letter and nor had staff been given a date for the meeting with Mr Crawford when this issue of The Lamp went to press. Di Lohman said all three local newspapers and radio stations were giving the campaign wide publicity. ‘The public know the nurses in Kempsey don’t normally protest about things, we just get on with the job. So when we take to the streets the public know things are not right,’ she said. ‘Community support has been fantastic. The hospital is a pivotal part of the community and everyone’s very proud and protective of it. While we are grossly under-funded and under-staffed

POSITION VACANT

PROFESSIONAL OFFICER (Mental Health) The NSW Nurses’ Association is a trade union, which represents the industrial, professional and legal interest of nurses and midwives in NSW. We seek a creative and self–motivated nurse for this permanent position who has experience in the mental health sector and is aware of the contemporary issues challenging nurses in this sector.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

Nurses and community members took part in rallies in support of nurses at Kempsey Hospital’s ’one more nurse per shift’ campaign.

– like most regional areas – the hospital has a really good reputation and every single day patients tell us how much they appreciate the way we look after them.’ She said Kempsey ED had fewer than half the staff of nearby Port Macquarie Base Hospital ED yet treated more than 1,000 patients last December – just under the numbers treated at Port Macquarie. In 2008/2009 the hospital treated an additional 5.2 patients per day with no increase in the number of RNs. Four more beds were opened in Kempsey’s refurbished ED when it opened early last year, but no extra staff were employed. ‘There is so much evidence we are under-staffed but the department are trying to ignore it,’ Di said. ‘There are new policy directives coming out of Area head office but with present staffing levels we are unable to comply with them.’ Nurses from all wards have been supporting the campaign for more ED staff from the outset. ‘Some nurses waited around to go on the march even though they’d been working all night,’ Di said. ‘And we’ve had lots of support from other employees like kitchen staff and wardsmen. ‘Resident doctors are all behind us, and one spoke at the launch of our campaign. But some of the visiting doctors who have helped us behind the scenes are scared to speak out because they believe they would be victimised. They obviously don’t have a nurses’ union behind them to give them support.’n

The successful applicant should hold recognised qualifications in the field of nursing. You should possess at least five years’ experience, preferably at a senior level, in mental health and have an understanding of trade union issues. It is essential that you have the ability to network with key stakeholders in mental health at a senior level and be proficient in policy analysis, review, development and implementation and have demonstrated project management skills. The successful applicant should be able to demonstrate their ability to work independently as well as part of a team, be able to meet deadlines and manage several issues simultaneously. High level written and oral communication skills are essential. You must hold a current driver’s licence and be able to travel occasionally. You will be eligible for registration with the NSW Nurses and Midwives Board and possess postgraduate qualifications in nursing or relevant field.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS Please read the information below on how to apply for this position. Applications will only be accepted from candidates who follow this process.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION Please contact Robyn Morrison, Employee Relations Coordinator to receive an Application Pack, which includes an Employment Application Form and Professional Officer Position Description.

Applications should be received by 19 March 2010 to: Robyn Morrison Employee Relations Coordinator NSW Nurses’ Association PO Box 40, Camperdown NSW 1450 or via email: rmorrison@nswnurses.asn.au

THE LAMP MARCH 2010 17

C O V E R S T O R Y

NUMs support safe staffing

NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes addressed a forum for the N/MUMs Society of NSW and Nurse Managers.

g The NSWNA hosted forums on safe patient staffing for N/MUMs and Nurse Managers.

hen it comes to staffing and workloads, N/MUMs are ‘stuck between a rock and a hard place’, said NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda at a N/MUM Society forum hosted at the NSWNA. ‘N/MUMs have an impossible struggle to develop rosters that ensure safe patient care with decreasing numbers of RNs; they are concerned about low morale on their wards and responsible for staff who are stressed and thinking about leaving because of the ongoing strain of excessive workloads; and they are pressed from managers above to cut budgets and fulfill their roles with fewer and fewer resources.’ The NSWNA hosted forums for the N/MUMs Society and Nurse Managers to explore issues around safe patient care and the nurse ratios model as a more effective staffing solution in NSW.

Safe patient staffing top priority in pay campaign General Secretary Brett Holmes told N/ MUMs and Nurse Managers at the forums that safe patient staffing was a top priority for the NSWNA in its negotiations with the NSW Government for the new Public Health system Award. ‘As part of our preparations for the pay campaign we’ve consulted with

model with a State election looming and financial pressure due to the Global Financial Crisis.

Reasonable Workloads Tool has not worked

‘The time is right to consider mandated nursing numbers for key specialties.’ NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes.

members in forums and carried out a survey about their concerns and priorities. Yes, they want better financial outcomes but they also want the Government to improve their workloads. As one member put it: “If we don’t get more staff, $100 hour won’t be enough”,’ Brett said. ‘The support and input of N/MUMs and Nurse Managers is crucial to addressing the staffing crisis that is crippling NSW public hospitals and putting patient safety at risk.’ Brett acknowledged it will be very challenging bargaining for a new staffing

‘Nurse ratios is a blunt model but it makes your jobs easier. You’ll have the budget to roster a safe staffing mix. Staff morale will be lifted and a sense of pride in the nursing profession will be restored.’ NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda.

18 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

Brett told forum participant, ‘Previously, we campaigned for the Reasonable Workloads Clause – Clause 53 – in the Award, with a Reasonable Workloads Tool to measure workloads,’ he said. ‘The Reasonable Workloads Clause was an important industrial win that legally enshrined nurses’ right to a reasonable workload. ‘However, in practice the Reasonable Workloads Tool has not worked well enough. Monitoring was not mandated in the Award and it hasn’t resulted in the expected outcomes. N/MUMs are so overloaded they don’t have time to continuously collect and collate the required

data, and there have been problems accessing data from management. ‘Clinical settings have become more complex and acuity has increased so the general tool can’t be used in most wards in NSW. No one has come up with a magic tool that fits all. ‘Rather than addressing workload problems, staffing problems are getting worse. ‘The time is right to consider mandated nursing numbers for key specialties,’ said Brett Holmes.

Nurse ratios will ease N/MUM workload Judith Kiejda told N/MUMS at the forum, ‘Nurse ratios is a blunt model but it makes your jobs easier. You’ll have the budget to roster a safe staffing mix. Staff morale will be lifted and a sense of pride in the nursing profession will be restored.’ Karen Draddy, Vice President of the N&MUMs Society, agreed that staffing and safe patient care should be a high priority in the NSWNA’s pay campaign. ‘Nurse ratios is the way to go. I think you’re on the money,’ she told the forum.

Nursing Professor backs nurse ratios Also on the side of the nurse ratios model is Professor Christine Duffield from the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at University of Technology, Sydney. Professor Duffield said, ‘It was a difficult decision to back the push for nurse ratios but I’m here because I’m concerned about patient care. ‘I had long believed that decisions about staffing should be made by the

‘Staffing is getting worse to the point where safe patient care is at risk.We have to do something. In my opinion, nurse ratios is the best solution.There is no other solution.’ Christine Duffield, Professor of Nursing, University of Technology, Sydney.

person in charge of the ward. But it hasn’t worked,’ she said. ‘Staffing is getting worse to the point where safe patient care is at risk. We have to do something. In my opinion, nurse ratios is the best solution.’ Professor Duffield said the critical factor to keeping staff and patients safe is skill mix. ‘Skill mix should be measured by the percentage of RNs rostered. As the percentage of RNs increases, the percentage of adverse patient outcomes decreases.’ It’s a conclusion reached after two major research projects on nurse workloads and staffing and the impact on patient care. Professor Duffield’s extensive study of staffing in NSW hospitals, Glueing it together – nurses, their work environment and patient safety, shows that skill mix and nurse workloads are getting worse and the hours of care received by patients is decreasing. The study showed a direct link

between the percentage of RNs or skill mix and nursing-sensitive outcomes. A higher proportion of RNs resulted in decreased rates of: c Decubitus ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, sepsis, shock, physiologic/ metabolic derangement, pulmonary failure as well as failure to rescue; c Fewer falls; c Fewer medication errors. Professor Duffield said nurse ratios are essential to halt the decline of our health system. ‘As well as ensuring safe patient care, nurse ratios will give nurses pride in their profession and defend the RN role. It offers nurses leadership and hope.’ Dr John Buchanan from the Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney, also addressed the forums on the ANF Victoria’s path to adopting nurse ratios (see story page 21).n THE LAMP MARCH 2010 19

C O V E R S T O R Y

WE NEED CREATIVE STAFFING SOLUTIONS resident of the Nursing and Midwifery Unit Managers Society, Samantha Faithfull, said rostering and skill mix issues are a major concern among N/MUM Society members. ‘N/MUMs are concerned about the effects on patient care and safety of a staffing mix that contains less experienced RN/Ms and an increased number of lessertrained or experienced staff. ‘Many N/MUMs think that safety is already being compromised and will deteriorate in the coming years with the expected accelerated loss of experienced RNs/Ms from the workforce,’ she said. ‘With less experienced RNs/Ms and an increased number of lesser-trained or less experienced staff, there is increased difficulty rostering a safe skill mix. It is difficult building rosters to ensure there is an appropriate skill mix without taking into account day-to-day fluctuations such as leave,’ said Samantha. ‘One minute a roster can look great with minimal requirement for agency staff, but then someone is sick or needs leave and a reasonable roster is turned on its end. The N/MUM or RN/RM in charge then needs to look for someone to swap a shift, do overtime or engage agency staff. ‘Having an agency nurse is “a valuable pair of hands”, but one cannot rely on agency staff to take responsibility for the more acute or critical patients as their skills are unknown to the N/MUM,’ said Samantha. ‘We need to be creative in finding a solution to staffing problems. Nurse ratios should be explored as a possible solution. The N/NUMs Society of NSW is keen to work collaboratively with the NSWNA in pursuing this. ‘N/MUMs should be leading the change and be part of finding effective staffing solutions. I strongly recommend that all N/MUMs join the N/MUMs Society of NSW so you can have input and be part of discussions at this critical time,’ said Samantha. To join the N/MUMs Society of NSW, go to www.numsociety.org.au or email the Admin Assistant on lsaunders@numsexecadmin.optusnet.com.au

NURSE RATIOS STAFFING REMEDY aren Draddy, Vice President, N&MUMs Society of NSW, said nurses at Mona Vale Hospital are very concerned about workloads and staffing. ‘We’ve had some difficulties accessing the Reasonable Workloads Committee to address these concerns and we’re hoping to re-ignite the committee with some new representatives and passion.’ Karen agrees that staffing and safe patient care should be a high priority in the NSWNA’s Award negotiations. ‘We urgently need a more effective staffing solution. I believe nurse ratios is the way to go, especially if they have built-in skill mix, acuity and environmental considerations.’

20 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

A clearer solution to workloads g Despite the workloads tool, nurse workloads continue to intensify in the NSW public health system. The Lamp looks at how other nursing unions have tackled this chronic problem with the use of mandated minimum staffing ratios.

he global nursing shortage is hardly news. Despite interminable discussion and policy debate no effective remedies have been found to the relentless intensification of nurses’ work that flows from this shortage. California and Victoria have adopted minimum staffing ratios to provide a baseline for nurses’ workloads. In both California and Victoria ratios were won after long, hard-fought battles and they appear to have given nurses more control over their working days.

Victoria’s victory Victorian nurses won ratios during their pay and conditions bargaining campaign in 2000. Prior to the introduction of ratios, ANF Victoria research had found nurses were stressed to the point of exhaustion. In one survey an overwhelming majority of nurses (87%) felt a high level of workrelated stress. The researchers found that nurses made a direct link between their rising workloads and staff shortages and

Former Secretary of ANF Victoria, Belinda Morieson

concluded that nurses often acted as a personal buffer between quality patient care and workload pressures to uphold their duty of care. Life in Victoria’s hospitals became very tough after the election of the Kennett Liberal Government in 1992. Within two years of being elected, Kennett slashed permanent employment

THE ADVANTAGES OF RATIOS 4 4 4 4 4

They remove uncertainty: management can no longer keep beds open on the promise of getting more staff when needed. Nurse to patient ratios ensure there are adequate numbers of nurses on the roster six weeks in advance. Nurse-to-patient ratios were fully funded by the Victorian Government so they gave DONs the budget to provide safe staffing levels. They help break the reliance on expensive nursing agencies. Ratios mean nurse numbers are compulsory but they still have flexibility for judgement in determining appropriate levels of care. Ratios mean better patient care and the ability to recruit and retain nurses.

in the public sector. About 16% of the health workforce lost their jobs. Incredibly, the Kennett Government argued there was an over-supply of nurses and eliminated 2,000 nursing positions. This slash and burn of nurses’ positions occurred during a period of steep increasing demand in the hospitals. A report commissioned by the Victorian State Government found that the average life expectancy of men in Victoria increased from 68 years in 1971 to 77.5 years in 2001. For women, the average life expectancy increased from 75 years to almost 83 years in the same period. People were living longer without necessarily being healthier and required higher levels of nursing care.

‘The ANF campaign was underpinned at all times by ongoing industrial action and work bans to continually remind the public and employers of the importance of staffing and workload issues.’ A major impact of the Kennett blitz was a reliance on agency nurses and a distortion of the nursing labour market. Belinda Morieson, Secretary of ANF Victoria at the time, argued that the use of agency nurses created a vicious spiral in Victoria’s hospitals. CONTINUE TO PAGE 22 THE LAMP MARCH 2010 21

C O V E R S T O R Y

A clearer solution to workloads FROM PAGE 21 ‘Agencies were paying their nurses three times the amount of money permanent staff were getting. So more and more nurses left permanent work in the hospital and went and worked agency,’ she said. The Government paid for these agency nurses, who ended up costing a great deal of extra money. By the late 1990s Victorian nurses had tried for over seven years to preserve patient care and protect individual patients from the consequences of inadequate staffing by working unpaid overtime, working through rest and meal breaks and foregoing equipment and professional training in order to stay on the ward.

Formation of the 2000 ratio claim Victorian nurses passed a motion to include award-appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios as a centrepiece of bargaining. The ANF argued that ratios were a worker retention issue that had positive financial ramifications, citing the cost to the system of hiring agency nurses. 22 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

The ANF said the use of agency nurses was driving committed permanent nursing staff to leave the health sector completely and this would undermine the professional integrity of nursing and the supply of nurses overall. The ANF included a cap on the use of agency employment across the sector in their campaign. When the ANF put its case to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, the testimony from nurses about their

workloads was so dramatic and compelling that even employers began to acknowledge the need to address the issue of workload and its influence on nurse professionalism and patient safety. The ANF convincingly argued that a system-wide problem of work intensification called for a system-wide solution. The ANF also developed a strong economic argument: if you don’t resolve the workload issue you’ll have nothing but agency nurses in this State and they are costing you three times as much. You put in ratios and it will cost you less and you’ll get a more stable workforce. Even a key witness for the employer conceded that, ‘It is a source of some concern that in the year 2000 we still have not come to grips with a proper measurement of workload at the patient level so that we can’t bring those sort of facts to the debate.’ Walsh essentially acknowledged that hospitals had changed the work environment without seriously

Victorian nurses can now control their workload and regain their sense of pride in their ability to deliver highly-skilled care to the community.This revolution is in part due to the solidarity of Victorian nurses who committed themselves to the ANF campaign and fought strongly for mandated staffing numbers.

considering the impact of these changes on their largest workforce: nurses. The ANF campaign was underpinned at all times by ongoing industrial action and work bans to continually remind the public and employers of the importance of staffing and workload issues (see box on page 22). On 31 August 2000, the AIRC ruled that nurse-to-patient ratios represented the most effective response to both the workload and staffing crises facing the Victorian health sector. Belinda Morieson said the decision gave back to Victorian nurses much of what they had lost during the Kennett years and more. ‘We got additional nurse educators, we got additional senior nurse clinicians, we got qualification allowance if you went back to university and got additional qualifications. We got additional night duty allowance. We got study leave paid, and seminar leave. It was extraordinary.’

The political context The election of the Bracks Labor Government in 1999 created the political opening for the introduction and implementation of ratios. The newly-elected Victorian Government agreed to fund the nursing positions required to comply with the outcome of the arbitration proceedings. Once wages and benefits were settled, the Government had to set aside money to pay for enough staff to fill the ratios.

This money is earmarked for nursing and nursing alone and cannot be raided by other hospital departments or other clinical disciplines. In 2000, therefore, the Government allocated $198 million to fund the ratio positions. In 2001 it became clear the Government had not set aside sufficient funds to meet the ratios. The Government then set aside another $300 million to fund the ratios.n

FIND OUT MORE Much of the information in this article comes from an excellent book, Safety in Numbers – Nurse-to-Patient Ratios and the Future of Health Care. This indepth analysis of the implementation of ratios in Victoria and California was written by John Buchanan and Tanya Bretherton of the Workplace Research Centre at the University of Sydney, and Suzanne Gordon, an award-winning American journalist.

A TOUGH, ORGANISED, DISCIPLINED CAMPAIGN here was a perfect storm of factors in Victoria that led to the winning of ratios. There was the backing of key stakeholders. The Steve Bracks-led Labor Government was necessary to fund the staffing of ratios; the media also played a key role as did the general public. A critical fact that influenced the ratio outcome was the degree of public despair over the failing health system. Another key factor was the nursing labour market conditions in Victoria with a nursing shortage in every part of the Victorian health system. But by far the decisive element was the campaign waged by Victorian nurses through their union. Victorian nurses can now control their workload and regain their sense of pride in their ability to deliver highly-skilled care to the community. This revolution is in part due to the solidarity of Victorian nurses who committed themselves to the ANF campaign and fought strongly for mandated staffing numbers. In short, the campaign was about creating a sustainable public

industrial action and work bans to continually remind the public and employers of the importance of staffing and workload issues. The campaign was structured around preserving the integrity and renewing the professional aspirations of the nursing profession.

Bed closures as an effective tactic

ANF Victoria Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick

health system and promoting professional renewal. ANF Victoria Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick says nurses used ongoing

During the Kennett years, ANF Victoria honed its tactic of bed closure as a weapon of industrial action. ‘It’s an easier way of taking industrial action than it is to strike. You still achieve an outcome – it certainly brings the message home to the management. But it doesn’t put nurses or the community through the terrible emotional trauma of having to take the ultimate [strike] action,’ said Hannah Sellars, Assistant Secretary ANF in the 1990s.

Have your say on mandated staff ratios on

www.nurseuncut.com.au THE LAMP MARCH 2010 23

C O V E R S T O R Y

How do we win the new Award?

he NSWNA is gearing up for a campaign to improve pay and conditions for nurses working in the public health system. The NSW Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award expires on 30 June this year. The NSWNA and members now have the opportunity to campaign for a new agreement with their employer (NSW Government and NSW Health), which will include pay increases and

improvements in conditions. It is a legally enforceable contract. This is how the process works: c The first step is research to find out members’ concerns and their priorities for the new Award. Annual Conference resolutions provide a base from which further research is undertaken. The NSWNA has already commissioned independent focus groups, a comprehensive online survey of all members, NUM and Nurse Manager

WHAT YOU CAN DO If we want a good agreement, members need to get involved: c Make sure your contact details are up to date. The NSWNA needs your email address, award classification and mobile number so we can get campaign information out to you fast. We may also need to be able to contact you quickly. c Encourage all your friends and workmates to join the Union. Remember, there is strength in numbers. They can join online or by phone today. c Attend ‘Safe Patient Care and Your Workload’, Branch Official and Activist Training (BOAT) workshops (see page 25). c Make contact with your NSWNA Branch officials and offer to help them organise campaign activities. c Keep up to date with information by checking the Association’s website regularly at www.nswnurses.asn.au

24 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

forums and Branch meetings to listen to your opinions on a range of relevant issues. You’ve told us pay is important but members are also concerned about workloads and staffing.

An acceptable agreement never comes without nurses and midwives being prepared to take action to support and fight for their claim. c

Committee of Delegates have elected a ‘Log of Claims’ Committee who refine possible claims into a draft for Branches to note on. This is happening now. c Recommended draft claim goes to Branch meetings and members to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’. c Once the claims have been served on the Department of Health, we then enter a period of negotiating and bargaining. The Association will enter these negotiations armed with the knowledge of what’s important to you and why improvements need to be made. c The NSW Government makes an offer. c Members consider the offer and undertake campaign activities. c The agreement is either rejected or endorsed. c The agreement is eventually ratified. The difference between a good agreement and a weak one is pressure. An acceptable agreement never comes without nurses and midwives being prepared to take action to support and fight for their claim. For example, in May 2005 NSWNA Branches resolved to strike to get a better offer. The Industrial Relations Commission intervened and the outcome was a higher pay increase of 14.75% for three and a half years.n

Help achieve safe patient care at your workplace g Are you concerned about safe patient care at your workplace? NSWNA training can give you the skills and knowledge to change your workplace and address these concerns.

s part of our preparations for the 2010 public health system pay campaign, the NSWNA has surveyed our public health system members and you’ve told us that workloads, skills mix and safe patient care are just as important as any pay increase in these negotiations. The Association is holding Branch Officials and Activist (BOAT) training sessions to empower delegates and active members to help change their workplace. We need to address concerns about inadequate staffing and skill mix and how this impacts on your ability to deliver safe patient care. The workshops will give delegates and interested members the skills and knowledge to help improve your workloads and skill mix. You’ll learn how to be part of a team that helps deliver real changes to the public health system.

BOAT WORKSHOP DATES Branch Officials and Activist (BOAT) workshops will be held on: c 3-4 March c 11-12 March; and c 17-18 March (for rural members). To register, visit the Branch Officials and Activist (BOAT) Dates and Registration 2010 page on the NSWNA website www.nswnurses.asn.au/ news/25828.html Places are limited so register as soon as possible. All workshops will be held at the NSWNA office at 43 Australia St, Camperdown. Expenses will be paid (as appropriate) if you are a Branch Official. For more information, contact Diana Modderno on (02) 8595 1234, or email dmodderno@nswnurses.asn.au

The two-day BOAT training workshops are being held in March for members who are interested in improving

workloads and skill mix and being part of a team that helps deliver real changes to the public health system.n

THE MASTERS OF ONLINE LEARNING

“studying online was so convenient and ﬂexible” PENNY, NURSE, ONLINE STUDENT

APPLY NOW for 2010 www.GradSchool.com.au GS@newcastle.edu.au 1800 88 21 21

Hj 1368.1

NURSING ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE PRACTITIONER MIDWIFERY STUDIES APPLIED MANAGEMENT (NURSING)

THE LAMP MARCH 2010 25

I N D U S T R I A L I S S U E S

Big gains in private g The NSWNA has secured five new agreements at private hospitals.

he Union has successfully negotiated five new Enterprise Agreements at private hospitals, which see staff better off in terms of pay and conditions. ‘Most of these agreements are the first agreement that these organisations have negotiated,’ said NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes. ‘The process has been excellent. Nurses have seen first-hand the benefit of union membership and have worked together to get good outcomes. In addition, for many it is the beginning of an organising effort that will grow in strength with each subsequent agreement.’

St John of God At St John of God, staff received a pay increase of 3.9% to wages and allowances backdated to the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2009 and a 3.9% increase from the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2010. Other benefits include a Continuing Education Allowance for nurses holding Master’s or higher degrees, and a workloads clause that allows nurses to bring staffing issues to the attention of the employer and a requirement that the employer deal with the issue.

Wolper Jewish Hospital In addition to two pay increases of 3.5% and a one-off bonus of $200 (gross) for full-time nurses (pro-rata for part-time employees), this two-year agreement gives staff access to long service leave after five years while still working at the Wolper Hospital. Previously, employees could only take long service leave after being employed for 10 years. It also contains a workloads clause.

Lithgow Community Private Hospital This two-year agreement brought the pay of nurses at Lithgow Community 26 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

‘We are much better off than if we were on the Nurses Award 2010.’ Keith Dwyer, RN at Wolper Jewish Hospital.

Private Hospital into line with their public sector colleagues. Initial wage increases were between 3.9% and 8%, with the majority of nurses receiving more than 7%. Employees will also receive a further 3.9% from the first pay period after 1 July 2010.

Mayo Private Hospital A 3.8% pay increase to wages and allowances from the first pay period in December 2009 and two further 3.8% increases from the first pay periods commencing on or after July 2010 and July 2011 have been secured in this agreement. It also includes six weeks’

paid maternity leave and a close down clause that creates new protections for employees – for example, they cannot be required to store annual leave to use during a close down.

Alwyn Rehabilitation Hospital Nurses employed at Alwyn Rehabilitation Hospital received a 4% pay increase from the first pay period commencing on or after 23 November 2009 and will receive another 4% increase from the first pay period commencing on or after 23 November 2010. A workloads clause and close down clause were other benefits of this two-year agreement.

C O M P E T I T I O N

hospitals BARGAINING THE KEY TO BETTER PAY AND CONDITIONS All the above agreements would not have been made possible without the bargaining efforts of the NSWNA and its members. It is important that members working at facilities outside the public health sector push for an Enterprise Agreement. An Enterprise Agreement allows the Union to bargain on your behalf to secure improved pay and conditions. ‘We are much better off than if we were on the Nurses Award 2010,’ said Keith Dwyer, RN at Wolper Jewish Hospital. It was Keith who asked the NSWNA to bargain on behalf of members at Wolper. ‘It’s very useful to have the Union involved because you had one person speaking on behalf of members,’ he said. ‘You need that expertise at the talking table. About a year or so ago the Union had a full-day workshop on going forward with new agreements and I found that quite eye opening because I’ve always worked in the public system and you take things for granted. The wage increase comes around and that’s fine, but you don’t realise what is involved in the private system because every hospital is different.’n

HOW TO GET A GOOD AGREEMENT A strong Enterprise Agreement is your only guaranteed path to good pay rises and improvements in conditions. The best agreement outcomes come from workplaces with lots of interested, informed and involved members.

Win a relaxing getaway to

THE BLUE MOUNTAINS Close to all the best-loved attractions of Katoomba and Leura, Melba House is a luxurious bed and breakfast that’s an easy drive to Jenolan Caves, Wentworth Falls and Blackheath. Located in a quiet tree-lined street in the heart of Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains World Heritage National Park, Melba House is close to many restaurants, bushwalks and galleries as well as antique and craft shops. Visitors enjoy an open log fire and spa bath in their suite, central heating, electric blankets, large, luxurious rooms with their own sitting and dining areas, and sumptuous breakfasts. A thriving area of culinary talent, Katoomba – the ‘slow food capital’ of the Blue Mountains – boasts many locally-produced products, which Melba House incorporates into its cooking as much as possible. High-speed wireless internet is available from all suites and public areas of Melba House.

Talk to your workmates about the benefits of an Enterprise Agreement – ask them if they want to be covered by one.

2 3

Contact the Union office if you need material about bargaining or any other matter.

The Lamp is offering members a chance to win one of two escapes to the Blue Mountains. Each prize comprises a two-night stay at Melba House with breakfast and afternoon tea on arrival, valid from Sundays to Thursdays.

Work with your colleagues to make sure as many employees as possible are Union members.

Melba House would also like to offer all members a 10% discount on their stay when booking direct. Mention that you are member of the NSWNA.

Keep in touch with your Union representatives – including attending workplace meetings and Union phone conferences.

Bookings: (02) 4782 4141 or email stay@melbahouse.com

5 6

Make contact with nurses at the other facilities in your company. Stay interested and informed during the bargaining process and discuss bargaining issues with your colleagues and your Union representatives.

To enter this month’s competition, simply write your name, address and membership number on the back of an envelope and send it to: Blue Mountains competition PO Box 40, Camperdown NSW 1450 Competition closes 31 March 2010.

THE LAMP MARCH 2010 27

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Your step into the future of health care

Clinical Nurse Specialist positions

Macquarie University Hospital (MUH) will open its doors in mid-2010 as the first university campus-based private hospital in Australia.

Theatre – Neurosurgery

Set in the expansive grounds of Macquarie University, amid one of the fastest growing areas of Sydney and conveniently placed within walking distance of the new Macquarie University underground train station, this 183-bed hospital combines state-of-the-art facilities with world’s best clinical practice.

Develop and maximise your clinical skills. The Hospital is now actively recruiting in the following areas:

Theatre – Ophthalmology Theatre – General Surgery Theatre – Urology Theatre – Cardiothoracic

MUH will offer its patients the highest level of medical care through pioneering onsite medical imaging, fully integrated digital operating theatres, an innovative research base and medical teams of professionals drawn from around the globe.

Theatre – Vascular

We offer fabulous Employee Benefits including:

Theatre – Orthopaedics

• • • • •

Flexible working conditions Competitive remuneration packages Salary packaging Comfortable and sophisticated working environment Extensive campus-based sports and fitness facilities

Theatre – Plastics Theatre – ENT Day Oncology Day Surgery Angiography Endoscopy ICU CCU Orthopaedic Ward Neurosurgery Ward General Surgery Ward Vascular Ward Urology Ward As the successful candidate you will possess: • Current registration as a Nurse in New South Wales • Minimum 4 years experience or a Postgraduate Certificate in the applicable area • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills • Demonstrated understanding of cost containment and resource management

CRICOS Provider Code 00002J

Applications will only be accepted via the Hospital’s online system. To view these positions in detail please visit ‘Job Opportunities’ at www.muh.org.au. Should you have any further enquiries, please contact Macquarie University Hospital on (02) 9850 4046. Macquarie University Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to diversity and social inclusion. We encourage applications from Indigenous Australians; people with a disability; those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; and women (particularly for senior and non-traditional vacancies).

Macquarie University Hospital 28 THEready LAMP MARCH 2010 the difference Get to notice

A G E D C A R E

Aged care nurses and the Nurses Award 2010 g The lower minimum wages and conditions in the new Nurses Award 2010 mean it’s important for nurses working in aged care to negotiate an Enterprise Agreement.

f you work in residential aged care nursing and are not yet covered by an Enterprise Agreement, then you are now under the new Nurses Award 2010 – not the Aged Care Award 2010. The Nurses Award 2010 replaced State-based awards for aged care on 1 January. NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda said, ‘Some aged care employers mistakenly believe aged care nurses are covered by the Aged Care Award 2010. But the Aged Care Award

POSITION VACANT

2010 only covers non-nurses working in aged care. ‘If you are doing nursing work in aged care then you are covered by the Nurses Award 2010. This applies to RNs, ENs, AiNs and nursing assistants working under the national industrial relations system who aren’t already covered by an Enterprise Agreement,’ said Judith. ‘If your employer says you are covered by the Aged Care Award this is not correct.’ In last month’s Lamp we reported that many nurses working in aged care could

Essential Criteria The successful applicant should:

PARALEGAL

OFFICER We seek a permanent fulltime Paralegal Officer to be part of the Professional Services team. The work involves assisting the Legal Officers of the Professional Services Team in their day to day activities. Your responsibilities will involve providing high quality, professional, accurate and timely services to our members as instructed by Legal Officers and Manager. To create and maintain quality systems and processes which assist the work of the Legal Officers and to ensure the smooth running of the administrative functions of the Legal Services within the Professional Services Team.

c have strong and demonstrable paralegal experience and knowledge; c exhibit strong problem solving and time management skills; c demonstrate initiative and the ability to work proactively; c have exceptional attention to detail, spelling and grammatical skills; c work well in a fast paced environment and demonstrate flexibility and composure in stressful situations; c be a strong communicator who enjoys liaising with members; c demonstrate fast and accurate typing i.e. 60+ wpm from dictation and written copy;

lose up to $300 a week under the new Nurses Award 2010, unless they negotiate an Enterprise Agreement. From 1 July 2010, phasing arrangements apply to wages, casual loadings, penalties and loadings. However, some protection from cuts in take-home pay is already available from Fair Work Australia. Judith Kiejda said: ‘Over half of the NSW aged care industry is already covered by agreements that provide real wage increases and improvements in conditions. The best way to protect your pay and conditions and guarantee future increases is for you and your colleagues to ask your employer to bargain for an Enterprise Agreement, with assistance from the NSWNA. The first step is asking all nurses at your workplace to join the NSWNA so you are in a strong bargaining position.’n

c possess experience using Microsoft products particularly Outlook and Word; c embrace a “team” approach but take individual responsibility; and c possess a “can do” attitude.

The Application Process Please read the information below on how to apply for this position. Applications will only be accepted from candidates who follow this process.

How to apply for this position: Please email Robyn Morrison, Employee Relations Coordinator at rmorrison@nswnurses.asn.au or telephone (02) 8595 2138 to receive an Employment Application pack which includes an NSWNA Employment Application Form and a Paralegal Officer Position Description.

Applications should be received by 19 March 2010 to: Robyn Morrison Employee Relations Coordinator, NSW Nurses’ Association PO Box 40, Camperdown NSW 1450 or via email: rmorrison@nswnurses.asn.au THE LAMP MARCH 2010 29

B E C A U S E W E

C A R E

Nurses take aged care reform debate to Canberra g Members and nursing home residents meet Federal MPs.

ged care nurses and residents travelled to Parliament House in Canberra last month to deliver a united plea to the Federal Government: Make Budget 2010 the aged care Budget. Representatives from the NSWNA, QNU, ANF branches of Victoria, ACT and South Australia, as well as Federal ANF, took part in the event. ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney, together with 20 concerned aged care nurses and residents, met with Federal MPs and Senators to push for increased funding to improve the aged care workforce. A press conference was held, in which Ged and two hostel residents spoke to reporters from radio and television. This was followed by a morning tea hosted by Senator Claire Moore, with 18 MPs in attendance. MPs from NSW were 30 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

‘The message must translate to action at the 2010 Budget.’ Maxine McKew, Chris Hayes, Sharon Bird, Jennie George and Jill Hall. NSWNA organisers Stella Topaz, Rita Martin and President Coral Levett then delivered bundles of signed Budget 2010 postcards collected in key electorates, including 250 to MP Belinda Neal, 450 to Senator Mark Arbib and 150 to MP Anthony Albanese. This adds to numerous postcards each has also received through the mail or via delegations in their electorates. The NSW delegation met with Maxine McKew in the afternoon, thanked her for her support and asked that she continue to advocate for the Budget

outcome for aged care. Ms McKew was very familiar with the campaign and, through her past involvement in the childcare sector, has a keen understanding of the merits of staffing ratios. ‘Nurses know something has to change in aged care: it will take a decisive stand within Government to fix the system,’ said Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda. ‘Funding must be tied to staffing so that there are enough nurses and other care staff to provide the best care. MPs are hearing this from their constituents who are nurses, residents and family members. The message must translate to action at the 2010 Budget.’ The Because we care campaign will remain focused on the May Budget throughout March, with more Message to My MP postcards being collected and delivered. An event is also planned for Seniors Week 21-28 March.n

Back row (left to right): Rita Martin (Government and Community Relations, NSWNA), Coral Levett (President of ANF and NSWNA), Linda Hardman (AiN), Tony Pullman (AiN), Terri Burrell (RN), Cathryn Morcom (AiN). Front row (left to right): Brenda Clarke (resident in aged care, ACT), Stella Topaz (Professional Officer, NSWNA).

Ged Kearney (ANF Federal Secretary â&#x20AC;&#x201C; left) and Terri Burrell (RN in aged care in NSW), at the press conference, with residents, members and officers from NSWNA, QNU and ANF branches.

The Hon Maxine McKew MP (Member for Bennelong) and Brenda Clarke (resident in aged care in the ACT).

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES inal push of the Budget 2010 postcards, focusing on the electorates of Bennelong (Maxine McKew), Grayndler (Anthony Albanese) and Cunningham (Sharon Bird) as below:

BENNELONG Ms McKew has agreed to attend an event in Bennelong at a community location in the lead up to Seniors Week (11am on 19 March, venue to be confirmed). This will be hosted by the Quality Aged Care Action Group (QACAG) to present the 1,700 pink QACAG postcards collected last year

and ask Maxine to pass these on to Minister for Ageing Justine Elliott.

GRAYNDLER Marrickville Council has invited NSWNA and QACAG to have a stall at the Seniors Expo on 30 March, as part of Seniors Week. With a campaign focus on Mr Albaneseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electorate, there are other activities being planned at community locations and Mr Albanese has been invited to meet with nurses from his electorate.

CUNNINGHAM Both Sharon Bird and Jennie George expressed their support

at the Parliament House event, and Ms Bird welcomed events in her electorate to raise awareness of the campaign. With help from the many active members in the Wollongong area, there will be a series of stalls at community locations including the Wollongong Hospital, and visits to nursing homes are being planned.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED? Members who can help with any of these activities should contact Stella Topaz at the NSWNA on 02 8595 1234 or email stopaz@nswnurses.asn.au.

THE LAMP MARCH 2010 31

Admission Is Free!

See ﬁrst hand products, services and technology that are relevant to Registered Nurses at Australia’s International Exhibition on Hospital, Diagnostic, Pharmaceutical, Medical, & Rehabilitation Equipment and Supplies. MEDICAL FAIR AUSTRALIA is set to conﬁrm its position as Australia’s hub medical event! With the challenge to improve patient care and tightening up treatment procedures to relieve the burden of costs, all sectors of the medical industry are being pushed to attain a truly high level of performance. Your visit will present the perfect opportunity to keep one step ahead, make informed purchasing decisions, stay on top of the latest trends and get to know all the new players. Set to feature over 160 Australian and international exhibitors representing manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors from innovative small businesses to medium-sized companies and global players, what’s on show will have the dual effect of both improving your treatment procedures and rationalising costs.

Visit and you’ll see many of the innovations launched at MEDICA ‘09 and be able to explore both new high-tech and familiar, reliable equipment, products and services used in the diagnosis, prevention, treatment and management of disease and disability. Showcasing the entire spectrum of outpatient and in-patient health care, MEDICAL FAIR AUSTRALIA will provide you and your staff with all the information, the know-how and the contacts to help you reach your potential and remain in-touch with technology. Admission is FREE! Log on to www.medicalfair-australia.com and plan your visit now!

11-13 May 2010 Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre If you’re a wholesaler or distributor you’ll not want to miss this either! The Fair is structured to assist international distributors tap into the Australian market and many are choosing it as a platform to source local agents.

Jointly organised by

Enquiries: Telephone 03 9699 4699 or email expo@exhibitionmanagement.com TCP6566

32 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

www.medicalfair-australia.com

Q & A

ASK

JUDITH

WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR RIGHTS AND ENTITLEMENTS AT WORK, NSWNA ASSISTANT GENERAL SECRETARY JUDITH KIEJDA HAS THE ANSWERS.

No involvement in Will preparation I am an RN working in the operating theatre of a public hospital. Recently an elderly patient asked me to be a witness to their Will. Is this advisable?

NSW Health Policy Directive PD2005_ 067 states that: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Under no circumstances should a staff member be involved in the preparation of a patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Will or attempt to exert influence in regard to the terms of a patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Will. If nominated as the executor of a Will, a staff member must decline the appointment.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; However, if you have not been involved in Will preparation and there is no other suitable person, a nurse can witness the signing.

Support for OHS representative I am an AiN at a small private hospital and a member of the OHS Committee. My manager is always harassing me over my OHS duties and does not let me go for OHS training. Is there something I can say to my manager or is there any information you can provide me with?

Congratulations for being interested and proactive in improving OHS at your workplace! Every workplace in NSW must have some form of OHS consultative arrangement. This may include safety

representatives, other arrangements or in your case, an OHS committee. In NSW, the OHS Regulation requires employers to support elected OHS committee members and OHS representatives in numerous ways. Clauses specific to your situation include: c Clause 27, which states that employers must provide reasonable access to the employees you represent; ensure that you participate in the work of the OHS Committee on a regular basis; while you are participating in OHS activities and training, pay you as if you were engaged in your usual duties; and pay any costs associated with training. c Clause 31 requires employers to ensure that you receive approved training as soon as practicable after your election to the OHS Committee. If this is not happening, the employer and manager are potentially in breach of the OHS legislation. There are a number of options available to you. You can raise this with your manager yourself, ask the NSWNA Branch at your workplace (if there is one) to raise it on your behalf, contact the NSWNA for assistance, or make a complaint to WorkCover NSW. However, it is generally best to use the internal procedures at your workplace in the first instance. We also

"EACHFRONT 2OMANCE %SCAPE &ROM PER PERSON PER NIGHT TWIN SHARE

recommend that you report each instance of obstruction using your organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OHS incident reporting procedure. Written resources that are useful include NSWNAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OHS Guide for Nurses, which is available on the NSWNA website www.nswnurses.asn.au; and the NSW OHS Consultation Code of Practice, which is available on www.workcover.nsw.gov.au

Long service leave and laundry allowance I am an RN employed in a public hospital and I am currently on long service leave. Am I entitled to be paid the laundry allowance while on LSL?

No, under the Public Health System Nursesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Midwives (State) Award 2008, you are not entitled to get the laundry allowance for leave greater than one week.

Public holidays over Easter and Anzac Day I am currently preparing the rosters for the month of April and would like to know which are the designated public holidays for Easter and Anzac Day?

The public holidays in April for the Easter period and Anzac Day are as follows: c Good Friday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Friday 2 April c Easter Saturday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Saturday 3 April c Easter Monday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Monday 5 April. c Anzac Day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Monday 26 April.n

/NLY Â&#x17E; HOURS DRIVE FROM 3YDNEY

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N U R S E S O N L I N E

What’s hot on Nurse Uncut g Nurse Uncut has really taken off and thousands of nurses are jumping online to have a say.

HOT TOPICS Staff transport: Are our employers doing enough for us? In Israel many companies offer a minibus service to staff who do shift work. Employees are collected and driven to work in a minibus, then dropped off home after work. Many also receive free or very cheap healthy food. Is it time Australian workplaces offered similar services? What do you think? Tell us your opinion at Nurse Uncut.

WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT ... DEALING WITH INTERFERENCE FROM FAMILY MEMBERS IN PATIENT CARE ‘It has always seemed to me to be that any negative comments are not directly meant for the nurse and should therefore not stop to rest on the nurses’ shoulders or influence the nurses’ work quality. Let the comments and demands pass over your head and get on with the job of looking after the patient to the best of your ability.’ Marvin the Martin

‘Sometimes we need to remind family that we are there to care and help. When we are made the recipients of all their anger, it gets in the way of our professional intentions because we are human too.’ Emiline

‘There are some days when I do know that all their difficult behaviour isn’t about me and I can get on with my job; on other days I get completely fed up with this crap and I need a good whinge to someone so I can keep on being patient and kind to all of them.’ Patience

LOOK WHO’S BLOGGING ON NURSE UNCUT Nicole Davenport

Are you burnt out? How do people avoid burnout? Is it better to take a different path and perhaps change jobs or roles? Do you seek medical help to get through it? Is taking some annual leave or long service leave the answer? Do you have trouble getting your annual leave? Does this contribute to burnout? What do you think can be done about it? Have your say at Nurse Uncut. 34 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

When I managed to gain a position on the isolation ward at Prince of Wales Children’s Hospital, I knew within a week I had found my home in nursing even if the rest of the hospital referred to it as ‘Poo Palace’! I now work as a Registered Nurse at the Children’s Hospital Westmead. Nurse Uncut is a great place to read and discuss issues we feel passionate about and to have our voices heard and I am so excited to be a part of it.

YOUR CHANCE TO

WIN A PRIZE!

Two more competitions are still open at Nurse Uncut. The first is Refer a Friend to Nurse Uncut. Grand Prize is a holiday package at the Sebel Harbourside Kiama (worth $977). Runner-up prizes are four perfumes for men and four for women for the other top referrers. Deadline is 31 March. Visit www.nurseuncut.com.au/856a1.page to enter. The second competition is Imagine a World Without Nurses. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a creative depiction of a world without nurses. Show us by way of a photo, artwork, collage, illustration or scrapbook layout of what a world without nurses would look like. The prize is a fantastic Gourmet Escape Package for four adults at Amarna Resort (worth $2,100). Deadline is 31 March. Visit www.nurseuncut.com.au/768a1.page to enter.n

WINNERS ANNOUNCED! We had 10 great entries for our Australia Day contest, in which members were asked to write about what being Australian means to them. The Grand Prize winner was Lanie, who won a choice of a Calvin Klein One for men fragrance (RRP $89) or Samsara Eau de Toilette (100ml) by Guerlain for women (RRP $120). In addition, three lucky entrants won a copy of Pat Stauntonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very popular book Nursing and the Law (RRP $68.95). They were shell68, illawarrior, and Hihavanicday. THE LAMP MARCH 2010 35

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36 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

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NURSING RESEARCH ONLINE

No ‘fair go’ in health g There is no better example of health inequity in Australia than the 17-year gap in life expectancy between white and black Australians. Equity is one of the key principles that is supposed to underpin our health system but we have a long way to go before our health system lives up to this goal. Fair Society, Healthy Lives

Australia’s Health 2008

Marmot Review – Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in Britain post-2010

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

People with higher socio-economic positions in society have a greater array of life chances and more opportunities to lead a flourishing life. They also have better health. The two are linked: the more favoured people are, socially and economically, the better their health. This link between social conditions and health is not a footnote to the ‘real’ concerns with health – health care and unhealthy behaviours – it should become the main focus. Consider one measure of social position: education. People with university degrees have better health and longer lives than those without.

‘The more favoured people are, socially and economically, the better their health.’ For people aged 30 and above, if everyone without a degree had their death rate reduced to that of people with degrees, there would be 202,000 fewer premature deaths each year. Surely this is a goal worth striving for. It is the view of all of the authors associated with this Review that we could go a long way to achieving that remarkable improvement by giving more people the life chances currently enjoyed by the few. The benefits of such efforts would be wider than lives saved. People in society would be better off in many ways: in the circumstances in which they are born, grow, live, work, and age. People would see improved well-being, better mental health and less disability; their children would flourish, and they would live in sustainable, cohesive communities.

Australia’s Health 2008 is the 11th biennial health report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. It’s the nation’s premier source of statistics and informed commentary on: patterns and determinants of health and illness; health across the life stages; the supply and use of health services, expenditure and workforce; and health sector performance. This report includes information on how the health of groups in the Australian population varies and detailed analysis of the determinants of health status. www.aihw.gov.au/publications/ index.cfm/title/10585

Michael Marmot on a fairer health system Life Matters, Radio National, 11 February 2010

Professor Sir Michael Marmot’s groundbreaking studies of British civil servants Professor Sir in the 1960s and Michael Marmot 1980s showed that people’s health improved when their wealth improved. Now he has assessed Britain’s health inequalities, and his review, the Marmot Review, will be published on 11 February. www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/ stories/2010/2814523.htm

Will today’s health ministers tackle health inequalities Croakey, 12 February 2010

www.ucl.ac.uk/gheg/marmotre view/FairSocietyHealthyLivesExec Summary

What does the Marmot Review, which sets out strategies for tackling health inequalities, mean for Australia?

Ben Harris-Roxas, a health equity expert at the University of NSW, gives us some Australian context for the report – and some suggestions for today’s meeting of health ministers. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/ 2010/02/12/will-todays-healthministers-meeting-tackle-healthinequalities/?source=cmailer

Intensive glare Melissa Sweet, ABC Unleashed

Rather than enhancing professional and institutional power, the Marmot Review talks of ‘creating new kinds of partnerships in a delivery model based on co-production that Melissa Sweet encourages genuine public engagement in decision-making, shifting the balance of power towards local people and away from professionals and formal institutions’. Rather than reinforcing the many silos that constrain the health sector, the Marmot Review stresses the need to integrate planning, transport, housing, environmental and health systems to address the social determinants of health in each locality. Ultimately, according to Marmot and co, discussions about how to close the health gap are ‘a debate about what sort of society people want’. Unfortunately in Australia we have not reached that level of deliberation. We remain firmly limited to conversations about hospitals, and whether institutional power should rest with doctors or administrators.n www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/ indigenous/pubs/nter_reports/ Pages/closing_the_gap_nter.aspx THE LAMP MARCH 2010 37

F R O M T H E

F I E L D

Dispatch from Aweil 2, Southern Sudan g In her second letter home from working in Southern Sudan with Médicins Sans Frontiéres, RN Janine Issa reports delivering a breech baby and her first set of twins.

’m beginning to feel like part of the team. Last week I delivered my first live, full-term breech baby. It was a lovely birth with a woman who already had seven children. Later in the week I delivered my first set of twins. I was on call for four days this week, which is pretty stressful, and I have had to attend several emergency caesareans. It is great to know that these babies and mothers are alive and would surely have died without help. Although life here is much the same from day to day, it is also changing constantly. A typical day goes like this: up about 7am, breakfast under the mango tree and then to the hospital about 8am. Maternity is usually crazy with women and families everywhere. All day there is a steady stream of women arriving in the adjacent gynaecological ward with many problems such as miscarriage, preterm labour, fevers, and – increasingly as the rainy season approaches – watery diarrhoea. Apparently cholera is a fact of life here. It comes every year, so it’s just a matter of preparing adequately and isolating appropriately. One of the curious problems is hysteria. Three women recently arrived within 10 minutes of each other, each having convulsions with an altered state of consciousness, unable to stand or talk, 38 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

but with no other obvious problems. They usually recover after a little while and all is well. I think perhaps it is just their way of coping. If I had endless babies, many of whom died, and worked as hard as these women do, I too would need to have the odd hysterical attack to afford some time out! If possible, we expats have a ‘tea meeting’ under the mango tree behind maternity at about 11am, and later we have lunch at about 1pm. We return and work until 5pm or 6pm, and then we go home.

At that point, one of the midwives is on call till morning. Most nights there is at least one call to attend to through the night. I have become accustomed to drinking warm water. It isn’t very thirst quenching, but even if the water comes out of our one small fridge it turns warm within 10 minutes. I also drink a couple of bottles of lemonade or something akin to Fanta each day, would you believe? I think it is the sugar that I crave, and of course they are cold because we buy them at a shop. I had my first day away from the hospital this Sunday. What a treat – although there is not a lot to do here on a day off, except dwell on the intense heat. Even so, we midwives only get one Sunday off every three weeks, so it’s great to have a break. I washed my mosquito net, which was super dusty, and it is wonderful to go to bed now without breathing in dust. Aweil is a town of dust.n

For more information on Médicins Sans Frontiéres, visit www.msf.org.au

F I G H T I N G

F I T N U R S E S

Ease shift work with healthy eating g Welcome to the first in a Lamp series on health and fitness for nurses juggling shift work and busy lives. This month we look at how to eat properly when doing shift work.

orking long hours and switching from one shift to another – especially going from day to night duty – can play havoc with your body. So it’s important to look after yourself. One of the things you can do to improve your energy and overall health is to eat a healthy diet, rich in vitamins and minerals. Those chocolate bars and packets of crisps in the vending machines at work may be tempting – but they’re probably doing you more harm than good, reducing your energy levels and stamina even further. So, what should you eat before a night shift, or when you experience a drop in energy and have a craving for a sugar fix? ‘On night shift, eat small, light meals, with lots of raw salads, nuts, fruit and vegies, which will give you energy but not make you sleepy,’ says Dr Tracie O’Keefe DCH, ND, a naturopath and doctor of clinical hypnotherapy at the Australian Health and Education Centre in Glebe. ‘Sometimes shifts are long, so if you take sandwiches, make them wholegrain bread. Try gluten-free bread. The older you get, the more difficult gluten is to digest and it can block the bowel. A healthy bowel that is moving will give you more energy.’ Donuts and cakes may give you an instant ‘buzz’ but the downside is that you’ll crash, and large amounts of refined sugar can lead to extreme mood swings. Cut down on these and instead visit the ‘health’ section of the supermarket or your local health food store for tasty snack bars to put in your lunch box. Dried fruit is another

option that will give you a sweet ‘hit’ but in a less harmful way. The same goes for drinks. Cut down on the cans of Coke and other fizzy drinks (even the ‘diet’ variety) and avoid beverages with caffeine as you’ll find it harder to sleep when you get home. Caffeine can also cause mood swings. Instead, go for fruit juice or water – it’s important to keep hydrated, as dehydration can lead to headaches and fatigue. Eating healthily means being organised, says Dr O’Keefe. ‘Support your body with small, more frequent eating – grazing. Keep a diary to monitor the foods and portions that help you get through the night well and review your progress over a couple of months, just like you would with a patient’s vital signs.’ You don’t have to make radical changes to your diet straight away – start by cutting down on refined, highsugar junk food products and replacing them with healthier alternatives – and feel the difference!n

DR TRACIE O’KEEFE’S

SALAD SUPREME If you’re ready for a delicious and super-healthy meal, this is it: Smoked tofu chunks (protein) Mixed lettuce leaves including rocket for flavour and some dark leaves (B complex & folic acid) Shredded raw carrot (vitamins A & C) Sliced cucumber (wonderful for rehydration) Pineapple cubes (aids digestion) Red capsicum (very high in vitamin C) Small sweet tomatoes (antioxidant, glutathione) Varied raw beanshoots (protein & minerals) Chopped mint (digestion, calming, glucose management) Chopped raw garlic (anti-infective, lowers cholesterol) Lemon juice (stimulates bile).

Have your say on healthy eating and shift work on

www.nurseuncut.com.au THE LAMP MARCH 2010 39

N S W N A M A T T E R S

NSWNA Branch News

ns get active in campaig g NSWNA members ate achievements. br le ce d an , ts es ot pr and NSWNA’s Jay Davis (left) signed up a new graduate at the Australian Catholic University NMB registration day. NSWNA member and Tamworth CN Kevin Attard prepared to raise money for Tamworth’s medical services at Tamworth’s 3rd Beer and Wine Festival. The festival’s committee – which Kevin serves on – hopes to raise $30,000.

The training wheels came off for the Hawkesbury University of Western Sydney new graduates, pictured at their Nurses and Midwives Board (NMB) day, in which nurses who are about to graduate are recruited into the NSWNA.

Filipino nurses celebrated their graduation at the University of Western Sydney Parramatta Campus NMB day.

40 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

Photo courtesy of Moree Champion

Photo courtesy of Northern Daily Leader

0 NSWNA member and Nurse Unit Manager Susan Coleman (right) with colleague Sue Thrift celebrates Moree Hospital Emergency Department’s winning rating in the category of ‘best amongst peers’ in access to care and waiting times, in the NSW Health 2009 Patient Survey. 3 New graduate Elizabeth Hirt with her daughter Charlee at University of Western Sydney Hawkesbury Campus NMB day.

NSWNA’s Karen Conroy (far left) and Phillipe Millard (second from left) with University of Western Sydney staff at the January NMB registration day. THE LAMP MARCH 2010 41

L I F E S T Y L E

My One and Only

Review by Murray James, RN, St John of God Private Hospital

g Take a nostalgic journey back to 1953, when nurses wore starchy white uniforms and women were beholden to their husbands – even if they were no-good philanderers.

ight from the opening credits, director Richard Loncraine gives us a feeling of cosy nostalgia as we head off on a personal road drama with the Devereaux family. The year is 1953, Connie Francis is singing hit numbers, and suburban families feel secure despite the threat of ‘wicked Communism’. (This was the era when American nurses, like Australians, wore starchy white uniforms but without the virginal veils.) The role of women is prescribed, and

if women are overly friendly in public bars, like our heroine Anne Devereaux (Renée Zellweger), they risk getting arrested for soliciting. This is only one of the many obstacles that Anne faces on her mission of finding a new husband, her new ‘one and only’. It’s a task that this self-assured Southern Belle focuses on, as it is the only way she knows to provide for herself and her sons, the perceptive 15year-old George (Logan Lerman), and the older, effeminate Robbie (Mark Rendall). George is an aspiring writer,

and he makes a wry narrator as their adventures unfold. Leaving behind her womanising bandleader husband Dan, aptly played by Kevin Bacon, Anne flounces off. She gets young George to procure a vehicle, and after he buys a glitzy ’53 Cadillac Coupe de Ville convertible for cash, the three set out. ‘Never look back to check the rear vision mirror dear, as it’s unnecessary!’ she coaches him. With this steadfast goal in mind she sets off confidently. However, she needs some ‘mother parenting’ along the way from her two sons. The fact that most available men will eventually disappoint her is not a deterrent. Charlie Peters has written an engaging and witty script that is inspired by the true life incidents that actor and writer George Hamilton experienced with his mother. The story is played out by a great supporting cast with many memorable, tender scenes – in particular, George’s friendship with a young pubescent girl; the interaction of Hope, Anne’s childless sister, with her loving husband over money; and ex-husband Dan’s sincere but clumsy attempts to reunite the family. This is an inherently optimistic film with rich characterisations, humour, dignity and pathos. It is well worth accompanying this family on their entertaining and ultimately redemptive journey.n My One and Only opens on 11 March. NE W

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GIVEAWAYS FOR NSWNA MEMBERS The Lamp has 30 double passes to My One and Only and 25 double passes to Welcome. To enter, email lamp@nswnurses.asn.au with your film preference, name, membership number, address and contact number. First entries win!

Welcome g Elizabeth Fisher strongly recommends this moving film â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ironically titled â&#x20AC;&#x201C; about the harsh journey endured by refugees futilely trying to reach England and asylum.

his film, with its deeply ironic name, is set in Calais where refugees congregate in large numbers with the hope of reaching England and asylum. They can actually see the white cliffs of their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;promised landâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; but most have no English, no contacts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in fact, no chance of reaching their goal. Not daunted, they continue to risk their lives daily by stowing away in trucks about to cross the English Channel. We meet Bilal, a young Kurd whose quest is to reunite with his girlfriend in England. He goes to the swimming centre and asks for lessons from the instructor Simon so that he can swim across the Channel to England. At first Simon is reluctant to help this boy, but he begins to understand the driving passion within, and an uneasy

alliance is formed. Although it is illegal to shelter these homeless, stateless people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; called clandestines in France â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Simon allows Bilal and his friend to stay at his house for a while. It seems as though he is doing this to try to win back his young wife â&#x20AC;&#x201C; she helps by serving food from vans to the refugees and is divorcing Simon. She thinks he is uncaring. Both the middle-aged Frenchman and the young Kurdish man are on the trail of lost love with its attendant heartache and frustration. It is winter time, with icy cold winds and frosty receptions for the clandestines. Calais is a huge, busy port, lit brightly at night but only in the port area. The town is a grey, grim-looking, cold place, especially if you are not a citizen of France. The film is very atmospheric with scenes of cold, windswept seas and deserted

Review by Elizabeth Fisher, RN, Inala, Cherrybrook

beaches that convey a sense of foreboding. The soundtrack is mostly hauntingly beautiful piano. The acting is first-rate, even though the two young people are first-time actors. They bring their own authenticity. Despite being a French film, there is quite a lot of English spoken. The subtitles are not particularly well done but there is not a lot of dialogue; feelings are portrayed in non-verbal ways. It is a powerful, moving story that makes us think about difficult questions. It also echoes the time in WWII where some people took risks to help Jews. How can we allow compassion to be prohibited? I strongly recommend Welcome to adults everywhere.n Welcome opens on 1 April.

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O B I T U A R Y

A born nurse CARLA RAE GOLDING 27 FEBRUARY 1968 – 11 NOVEMBER 2009

arla always held on to the dream of becoming a nurse but it took time to come to fruition. She commenced her journey to nursing working for patient support services at Merriwa Hospital. At the same time she was a volunteer with the local rural fire service and the rescue team. Carla proved herself to be a wellloved and respected team member. She was one of the first Enrolled Nurses to undertake training at Muswellbrook District Hospital in 1999-2000. Carla very quickly proved nursing was the perfect profession for her. A rare mix of empathy, dedication, initiative, skill and practicality made Carla a nurse that patients and colleagues loved and admired. She was indefatigable both at

work and in her busy private life. She was the one many turned to if something needed to be done. Her career was destined to be brief, but she was able to achieve so much in just a few short years. Carla had developed numerous skills and was able to perform many diversified roles in our rural hospital. She was medication endorsed, and had undertaken training to work in areas such as obstetrics, surgical day stay units, pathology labs, general wards, Emergency Departments, aged care facilities, quality, OH&S, and rostering staff. She was also a born organiser and more times than not she was planning a night out, a fundraiser, support for a colleague in need or how to solve a crisis. Carla’s strengths lay in her professional approach, caring nature

and ability to ensure that colleagues and patients felt supported and cared for in every way. Her positive, dynamic and sunny nature will be so sadly missed. We would like to extend our thanks to management, allied health streams, and colleagues from surrounding hospitals who provided tremendous support at a very difficult time. Our deepest sympathy is extended to her family: husband Gary, and children Andrew and Sara, granddaughter Georgia (who was born 23 November 2009), Jeremy and Caitlin.n Kay O’Brien, on behalf of Carla’s colleagues at Muswellbrook District Hospital

Take up the challenge! Calling all experienced Adolescent Mental Health Nurses. Fantastic career opportunities exist for experienced Adolescent Mental Health Nurses with Justice Health. Become part of the team in Australia’s ﬁrst dedicated Adolescent Mental Health unit at The Forensic Hospital Malabar, Sydney. This purpose-built hospital is a 135-bed, high-security mental health facility, including 16 adolescent beds, providing individualised quality care for patients while ensuring the safety of our staff and the community. Justice Health offers ﬂexible work options, salary packaging, education support and self-development opportunities for staff.

For more information call our dedicated recruitment team on 1300 734 842 or visit www.jobsatjusticehealth.com.au

44 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

WHERE TO GET THIS MONTH’S NEW RELEASES

B O O K S

Book me Saunders Student Nurse Planner: A Guide to Success in Nursing (6th ed.) by Susan C. De Wit, Elsevier Saunders, RRP $30.60* : ISBN 9781437706819 Saunders Student Nurse Planner is a portable, quick-access source of information specifically orientated to the nursing student, with brief discussions of topics such as initiating patient communication, dealing with stress, time management, emergency procedures, and basic nursing reference data.

Community Mental Health for Older People by Gerard Byrne and Christine Neville, Churchill Livingstone (available through Elsevier Australia), RRP $59.95* : ISBN 9780729538992 Community Mental Health for Older People is the perfect resource for mental health workers as it discusses the ageing population within the context of community mental health. It provides a comprehensive overview of the important issues and clinical practices that influence mental health care for older people. Written from a multi-disciplinary perspective, it is suitable for all health workers in community mental health teams (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, clinical psychologists, consumer representatives, medical practitioners, lamp

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Forget Memory: Creating Better Lives for People with Dementia by Anne Davis Basting, Footprint Books, RRP $34.95* : ISBN 9780801892509 Forget Memory: Creating Better Lives for People with Dementia is a text where the author attempts to share ideas and stories that she has acquired over 15 years of working in the intersection between ageing and the arts. She writes for anyone interested in improving the lives of people with dementia – be they practising or student health-care professionals, families and friends, or people with dementia themselves. She looks at people’s fears about dementia, stories about it in popular culture, and stories that inspire hope.n *Price in Australian dollars at time of printing

Looking for a Lamp article Need help with a literature search

Did you know that the NSWNA Library has successfully digitised and indexed The Lamp from 1944 (vol. 1 no.1) to the current issue and that as a member of the NSWNA you can access this index as well as the CINAHL Plus with Full Text database of nursing literature?

Members can visit the NSWNA Library to search The Lamp archive or the CINAHL database, or request a search via phone 8595 2121/2175 or by email Library@nswnurses.asn.au

ENOUGH IS Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

THE ONLY WAY FORWARD

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

volume 67 no.1 February 2010

HOORAY FOR

BARGAINING

A BRAVE NEW WORLD FOR MIDWIVES AND WOMEN

lamp

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

volume 66 no.11 December 2009 – January 2010

volume 66 no.10 November 2009

of each procedure. This set of checklists is valuable as a self-assessment tool for students and a means for faculty to record student performance.

IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS

FRE

the

by Pamela Lynn and Marilee LeBon, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, RRP $30.00* : ISBN 9780781764056 This workbook allows students to practise and record the mastery of skills found in Taylor’s Clinical Nursing Skills, Second Edition, by providing checklists designed to record every step

c Lippincott Williams and Wilkins: www.lww.com c F.A. Davis Company: www.fadavis.com c Footprint Books: www.footprint.com.au c Elsevier Australia: http://shop.elsevier.com.au

SKILLED NURSES

NSWNA

RESTORED

Skill Checklists to Accompany Taylor’s Clinical Nursing Skills: A Nursing Process Approach (2nd ed.)

WE CAN’T REPLACE

THEIR STORIES NURSES TELL NURSES SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

YOUR RIGHTS

edited by John Daly, Sandra Speedy, Debra Jackson, Churchill Livingstone (available through Elsevier Australia, RRP $69.00* : ISBN 97807295393258 This edition of Contexts of Nursing provides nursing students with comprehensive coverage of core ideas and perspectives underpinning the practice of nursing. As with previous editions, an evidence-based learning approach has been integrated throughout the text to assist the student’s understanding of the concepts central to nursing practice. New chapters on leadership and cultural awareness have been included to reflect the recent developments in nursing practice.

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

SPOTLIGHT ON

Quality care for older Australians

HEALTHSCOPE

the

Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

HEALTHE

PUBLISHERS’ WEBSITES

volume 66 no.3 April 2009

BECAUSE WE CARE

CELEBRATIONS AT

Contexts of Nursing: An Introduction (3rd ed.)

lamp

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

volume 66 no.2 March 2009

Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

the

volume 66 no.1 February 2009

occupational therapists, Registered Nurses, social workers, etc) as it incorporates the use of case studies to aid the application of evidence-based practice.

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 Reviews by NSWNA librarian, Jeannette Bromfield.

ENOUGH! NURSES EXPLODE OVER BUDGET CUTS AND UNSAFE WORKLOADS

THE LAMP MARCH 2010 45

Discover the Real Alaska and Canada Inside Passage & Yukon Tour x 9 day/8 night independent tour x Land from $A 3,200 per person twin share basis x Includes: Alaska Marine Highway fares, accommo-

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Skeena service, accommodation, Icefields Parkway tour and BC ferry fares.

Combine your Alaska & Canada Tour with x Stopovers in Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle,

New York, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City

x Tours to Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon x Travel on Amtrak and ViaRail train services

Alaska & Canada Group Tours x Range of 3 and 4 week escorted tours x Land from $6,140 (twin share) x Small group size (generally 20 to 25 people) x Relaxed and casual style, no dressing up for meals x Tours include variety of transportation including Alaska

Marine Highway ferries, Rocky Mountaineer, ViaRail Skeena and private coach. x Clean and comfortable 3 star hotels with private facilities x Tour price covers all key sightseeing tours such as: AnAn Bear viewing, Stikine River wilderness and glacier cruise, WhitePass Rail, Denali Tundra Wilderness tour, Butchart Gardens and Prince William glacier viewing.

Further Information If you would like to receive an information package including map of Alaska, sample itineraries and Alaska Marine Highway DVD please contact Spectrum Holidays

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46 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

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CRoSSWoRD

Test your knowledge in this month’s nursing crossword.

6 7 8

10 11 13

15 16 20

19 22

ACROSS

1. 3. 6. 7. 10. 11. 13. 15. 17. 20. 22.

Local dilation of an artery (8) Using your eyes (6) Gland at the front of the trachea (7) Marking left after a wound (8) Making resistant to disease (12) Local doctor, abbrev, (1.1.) Category, sort (4) Bones of the back (5) Fat (5) Tiredness (7) Louse (3)

23. Reservoir for bile, gall ……. (7) 24. Undergrad (7) 25. An endoscope for looking into a joint (11) s

DOWN

1. 2. 3.

Inflammation of the joints (9) Space, area (4) Largest nerve of the body starting in the lumbar spine (7) Jewellery of the ear (7) Gums (7) Surgeon’s knife (7)

4. 5. 7.

8. Homo sapien (5) 9. What you eat (4) 12. Test for cervical cancer, … smear (3) 14. Dampness, humidity (8) 16. Unpolluted, unmixed (4) 18. Coloured part of the eye (4) 19. Inflammation of the ear (6) 20. Bone of the leg (5) 21. Guts, gastrointestinal ….. (5) 22. Require, call for (4) Solution page 49 THE LAMP MARCH 2010 47

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Hirudoid

1.Baici A, et al. Inhibition of human elastase from polymorphonuclear leucocytes by a glycosaminoglycan polysulfate. Biochem Pharmacol 1980; 29: 1723-1727. 2.Mitsuyama S, et al. Effects of glycosaminoglycan polysulfate on extracellular matrix metabolism in human cells. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol 1994. 3. Elling H. Drug Research 1987; 37(2): 212-213. 4.Ernst, et al. EfďŹ cacy of homeopathic arnica: a systematic review of placebo-controlled clinical trials, Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, 2008 Issue 1. 5.Homeopathic arnica for the treatment of soft tissue injury, Complementary and Alternative Medicine. www.cam.org.nz. 6.Is arnica a waste of money? www.nelh.nhs.uk. 7.Larrson, et al.MARCH Percutaneous 48 THE LAMP 2010 Treatment with a Mucopolysaccharide of Experimentally Induced Subcutaneous Haematomas in Man, Thrombosis and Haemostasis 1985; 53 (3): 343-345. 8.Mehta P, et al. Treatment of superďŹ cial thrombophlebitis: a randomized double-blind trial of heparinoid cream. BMJ 1975; 3: 614-616. amba11145N/tl

DIARY DATES Conferences, seminars, meetings SYDNEY, HUNTER & ILLAWARRA Change Champions Seminar ‘Improving Medication Safety’ 9-10 March, Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney Contact: www.changechampions.com.au or phone 9692 0533. Change Champions Seminar ‘The Deteriorating Patient’. 11-12 March, Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney Contact: www.changechampions.com.au or phone 9692 0533. Nurses Christian Fellowship Workshop – ‘Infection, protection, defence, a response to HIV/AIDS’ 12 March, 7pm, 5 Byfield St, Macquarie Park. Contact: Diana, 9449 4868 12th National Breast Care Nurses Conf. 18-19 March, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Coogee Cost: $525 (incl. gala dinner). Reduced rate for early bird and Breast Cancer Interest Group members. Contact: Kathryn Watts, 9900 7369, kwatts@matersydney.com.au, www.bcnc2010.registerevent.net Continence Awareness Day 20 March, Orange Ex-Services Club 231 Anson Street Orange. Contact: Marilyn Woodcock, 8741 5699, cfansw@optusnet.com.au 6th Royal North Shore Hospital Neuroscience Symposium 26 March, 7.30am-3.30pm, Harbourview Hotel, Blue Street, North Sydney. Cost: Early bird $80 or after 26 Feb $95, incl. morning tea and a buffet lunch. Topics include: Interventional Neuroradiology, Voice Clinic in brain injury, movement disorders, Mitochondrial disease, & case studies from ICU, neurology & neurosurgery. Contact: Nicki Pereira CNE, 9926 8074 or npereira@nsccahs.health.nsw.gov.au Australasian Rehabilitation Nurses Assoc. NSW/ACT Chapter Study Day 26 March, 8am-4pm, the Epping Club Contact: Amanda Buzio, 9808 9687, Amanda.Buzio@royalrehab.com.au Nurses Christian Fellowship Professional Breakfast 17 April, 9am, Flower Power, Enfield. Contact: Jane, 9449 4868 RPA Hospital – Nurses Professional Day ‘The Evolution of Nursing ... Your Generation’ 22 April, Kerry Packer Education Ctr, RPA. Contact: Lynn Hyde Jones by email at jonesl@email.cs.nsw.gov.au

St. George ’Connecting with Neuroscience’ Conference 7 May, St. George Hospital, Education & Research Centre. Cost: $50 Contact: Melissa Tinsley, 9113 3614/ Joanne.Mcloughlin@sesiahs.health. nsw.gov.au The Mental Health Services 20th Annual Conference 14-17 September, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour. Contact: media@themhs.org/info@ themhs.org, www.themhs.org/2010annual-conference

INTERSTATE AND OVERSEAS Leadership & Practice Development in Health Conference: ‘Quality and Safety through Workplace Learning’ 19 March, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, TAS. Contact: Anna Boyes, (03) 6231 2999, anna@cdesign.com.au Australian Practice Nurses Association – 2nd Annual Conference 6-8 May, Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast Contact: (03) 5977 0244, info&corporatecommunique.com.au www.corporatecommunique.com.au/apna 27th International Congress of Applied Psychology 11-16 July, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Contact: www.icap2010.com or call Congress Office, (03) 9417 0888. Violence Risk Training Workshops for professionals working in Mental Health and Justice Services, by Violence Risk Assessment Training and Consultancy 23-26 March, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Contact: www.northernnetworking.co.uk/ www.violence riskassessment.com

NSWNA events NSWNA’s Branch Officials and Activists Training Dates 3-4 March, 11-12 March and 17-18 March for rural members, NSWNA’s head office, 43 Australia Street Camperdown. Contact: Diana Modderno, 8495 1234 or 1300 367 962 (freecall), www.nswnurses.asn.au/topics/ 25798.html ‘Practical Leadership Skills for N/MUM – 3 Days 31 March, 28 April and 23 June, NSWNA Offices, Camperdown. ‘Legal and Professional Issues for Nurses and Midwives’ – ½ Day 9 April, Shellharbour Resort and Conference Centre.

Diary Dates Diary Dates is a free service for members. Please send diary date details, in the same format used here – event, date, venue, contact details, via email, fax and the web before the 5th of the month prior, for example: 5th of May for June Lamp. Send information to: Editorial Enquiries Email: lamp@nswnurses.asn.au Fax: 9550 3667 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. ‘Basic Foot Care for RNs and ENs’ – 2 days 29-30 April, NSWNA offices, Camperdown. Contact and registration: Phoebe Turner, 8295 1234 or 1300 367 962 (freecall), www.nswnurses.asn.au/topics/2761.html

Reunions Weeroona Nursing Centre Cowra Reunion – Past & Present Staff 20 March, Cowra Services Club Contact: Weeroona, 6342 3333, weeroona@nexon.com.au Gosford District Hospital Group 80B Reunion 17 April Contact: Prue Pendlebury, pphp@ optusnet.com.au/ Sue Oriordan née Pugh, ciarano@optusnet.com.au Sydney Hospital PTS 752 Reunion June Contact: Jennifer Clarke, 0414 511 655, jenclarke58@bigpond.com or Carol Campbell née Feather, 0418 433 152, lovelife@tpg.com.au Bathurst District Hospital, PTS 1980 Reunion Seeking interest. Contact: Marie Cusick, pca09713@ bigpond.net.au

Due to high demands on the page, some dates too close to publication or too far in the future may be cut. Only Diary Dates with an advised date and contact person will be published. 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. Diary Dates are also on the web – www.nswnurses.asn. au/events

Send us your snaps If you’re having a reunion, send us some photos and any information from the night, and we’ll try to publish them. ’Fair Go for Women, in Australia and around the World’ 6 March, 11am, Sydney Town Hall Contact: http://iwdsydney.wordpress. com/Note Lecture by Dr Robert Svoboda Presented by Ayurveda Yoga Australia, 12-14 March. Contact: 8850 1356, www.ayaustralia.org NSWNA members get a 10% discount. National Close the Gap Day 25 March. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still die 10-17 years younger than other Australians. The Australian Government has committed to Close the Gap, but much more needs to be done. Ensure government gets it right; show your support to close the gap within a generation. Registration: oxfam.org.au/national-day Young Carers Team at Carers NSW. Looking for Volunteer Camp Leaders 10-14 April Invitation to lead the young carers aged 13-17 at Port Hacking Camp. Contact: Godelieve Hoffman Verkyul, 9280 4744, www.youngcarersnsw.asn.au

Crossword solution

Liverpool, Fairfield and Camden Hospitals PTS January 1978 Seeking interest. Contact: Katherine Collins, 0449 824 233, collinsk1712@yahoo.co.uk/ Facebook group ‘PTS 1978’

Other notices Sydney International Women’s Day March & Rally 2010 THE LAMP MARCH 2010 49

Make a difference.

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Health Professionals thinking of travelling to the UK to live and work? Excellent rates of a pay offering you the flexibility for travel plans in Europe An opportunity to work with the UK’s leading care agency whilst you register to Nurse in the UK Specialising in first class care for the elderly in their own homes we have daily and live-in work available in London and all over the UK

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Foster carers are needed at Wesley Dalmar Wesley Dalmar has a huge need for people (singles and couples) who can care for a child or children in the community. There are many children of all ages who are in need of a helping hand, and are looking for a caring family. Wesley Dalmar needs reliable caring people to share their homes with children in need of the stability of a family. You can make a difference by: ü offering a child a permanent home with your family ü offering a child a short-term home while their future options are explored ü offering a short respite placement in a safe and caring environment.

Wesley Dalmar will help you make a difference by: ü providing ﬁnancial support ü providing a friendly, ﬂexible and approachable foster-care team to support you and the child in your care ü providing wrap-around supports such as educational or psychological assistance if it’s needed. Start making a difference by contacting Kate or Gillian for an information pack: ü PH: (02) 8805 7200 ü EMAIL: dalmaroohcenquiries@ wesleymission.org.au ü Or visit www.wesleymission.org.au/ dalmaroohc

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FAM10959_JAN10

lamp the

magazine of the NSW Nurses’

volume 64 no.8 September

Association

lamp the

2007

magazine of the NSW

volume 64 no.3 April

Nurses’ Association

2007

lamp the

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

volume 64 no.2 March 2007

REGISTERED GENERAL NURSES SES

We are looking for nurses to perform a variety of roles including: medical assessments & infusion services.

PROTECTED

EXTRA PAY

PP241437/00033

in aged care with new agreements

Print Post Approved:

for continuing education

3:22:06 PM 28/ 28/8/07

For The Lamp advertising enquiries contact: Lamp_September07_1.55.indd

Lamp_April07_1.32.indd

Patricia Purcell Tel: (02) 8595 2139 • 0416 259 845 Email: ppurcell@nswnurses.asn.au Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

Lifescreen undertakes work for all Insurance Companies and has recently diversiﬁed into the Pharmaceutical area.

2,000 NUR

Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

Due to it’s rapidly expanding business Lifescreen Australia, a division of Sonic Healthcare, is currently recruiting Registered Nurses on a sub contractual basis.

GIVING NURSES

A VOICE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

Competent in venepuncture and/or cannulation CPR Certiﬁcation Cannulation Certiﬁcation (if applicable) ABN Own car Internet, printer and mobile phone with message bank

Choose in which locations you wish to work, work as little or as much as you want. Lifescreen Australia is currently looking for contractors in both metropolitan and rural areas. For all queries, please call 1800 673 123 or send your resume to evaluations@lifescreen.com.au

The Lamp.indd 1

18/10/07 10:50:22 AM

LOOKING FOR A NEW CAR? CONTACT OUR FLEETSALES SPECIALISTS ON:

02 9735 8498 OR nurses@gillenmotors.com.au PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

HAVE YOUR CAR SERVICED BY FACTORY TRAINED EXPERTS. EXPRESS SERVICE AVAILABLE.

TRUSCOTTS Established 1946

This role is only available to Australian Residents or to those who hold valid working visas or permits. 50 THE LAMP MARCH 2010

PH: 8799 7577

PH: 9735 8411

644 PARRAMATTA RD, CROYDON

76 PARRAMATTA RD, LIDCOMBE

ARE YOUR WORKMATES OR FRIENDS MEMBERS OF THE NSWNA? Why not ask them and if they aren’t, sign them up. Like you, they need the security of belonging to a strong and dynamic union.

DRAWN 3 0 J UN E 2010

Not only will you be building your union by signing up a new member, you and a friend could win this fabulous Hong Kong holiday. The more members you sign up, the more chances you have to win!

THE PRIZE INCLUDES • Return airfares for two ﬂying Virgin Atlantic • Five nights’ accommodation at the Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees Hotel • Return Airport Express Link transfers • Delicious seafood dinner on Hong Kong’s Lamma Island • Explore the city with a 24 hour MTR rail pass. HURRY! Call the Association now for a recruitment kit and recruitment incentive scheme details. Ph: 8595 1234 (metropolitan area) or 1300 367 962 (non metropolitan area) or go to www.nswnurses.asn.au

THE LAMP MARCH 2010 51

For a confident financial future

Plan to make a difference You want

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Issued by FSS Trustee Corporation (FTC) ABN 11 118 202 672, AFSL 293340, the trustee of First State Superannuation Scheme (the Fund) ABN 53 266 460 365. Q Invest Limited ABN 35 063 511 580, AFSL Number 238274, trading as FSS Financial Planning, provides financial planning services under its own Australian Financial Services Licence. Neither FTC nor the Fund is responsible for any advice given to you by FSS Financial Planning. While FTC is not involved in the provision of financial planning services, the Trustee has retained FSS Financial Planning to provide financial advice to Fund members relating to their Fund account. The information contained in this document is current as at October 2009. 52 THE LAMP MARCH 2010