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ED HORROR ED STAFFED TO BUDGET
NOT SAFE PATIENT CARE
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ABOUT THE LAMP
C O N T E N T S
Cover story
lamp the
magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association
ED HORROR ED staffed to budget not safe patient care 14
volume 67 no.4 May 2010
Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033
12 ED nurses, patients hit by bed block 14 ED ‘like a war zone’ 17 Bathurst’s horror Easter
ED HORROR ED STAFFED TO BUDGET
Cover Orange Base Hospital nurses rally for safe staffing in ED.
NOT SAFE PATIENT CARE
Photography by Jude Keogh
News in brief
Because we care
8 8 8 9 9
28 Aged care finally on Federal agenda
10 10 10 11 11 11
Ged Kearney elected as next ACTU President More public support for Rudd’s health plan ANF supports anti-nuclear campaign INTEL beams nurses into lounge rooms Life-like mannikins revolutionise medical training Victorian hospital launches falls prevention program Sexy nurse ad on bus causes uproar UK report recognises nurses’ key role in health ANA welcomes passing of US health care reform laws US nurses join in call to free 43 Filipino health workers Walk with your Union to raise funds for breast cancer
Agenda 30 Nurses bear the brunt of Ireland’s economic crisis
Professional issues 32 National registration standards approved
NSWNA matters 37 Shop ’n save with Union Shopper 39 NSWNA branch news
Notice 43 Summary of NSWNA Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2009
NSWNA education program
Regular columns
11 What’s on
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Campaign 2010 18 Members endorse claim for Campaign 2010
Industrial issues 21 Action considered after SWAHS let down 22 Class action to defend pay 27 Staff angry over St Vincent’s closure
Building stronger communities 24 Last Drinks campaign launched 25 Better Services for a Better State campaign launched
6 33 34 35 40 45 47 48
Editorial by Brett Holmes Your letters to The Lamp Ask Judith Nurses online Nursing research online At the movies Books Our nursing crossword Diary dates
Competition 19 Win a long weekend in the Hunter Valley
Special offers 41 Win 25 double passes to 44 Inch Chest and Animal Kingdom
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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 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 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.
To all NSWNA members,
Happy International Nurses’ Day 12 May Happy International Midwives’ Day 5 May
The NSWNA congratulates you all on the wonderful work you do!
Please send us photos of any events you hold to celebrate these important days and we’ll do our best to publish them in the next issue of The Lamp. lamp@nswnurses.asn.au
2010 is International Year of the Nurse* – enjoy your special day in this special year. * The 2010 International Year of Nurse (IYNurse) is the centennial year of the death of the founder of modern nursing – Florence Nightingale 4 THE LAMP MAY 2010 (1820-1910). www.2010iynurse.net
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E D I T O R I A L BY BRETT HOLMES GENERAL SECRETARY
Rudd promises to maintain industrial conditions g Kevin Rudd has assured nurses and midwives their industrial conditions will be unchanged under his new health reforms but the NSWNA remains cautious about other details.
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he past few weeks have been tumultuous with the Federal Government and the states engaged in battle over national health reform. Obviously there are major consequences for nurses and midwives, and the NSWNA and the ANF have been active to have our voices heard. I have had the opportunity on three occasions to speak to Premier Keneally and seek information, commitments and assurances on behalf of our members. We acknowledge we have been given a reasonable hearing by the Federal Government. The ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney and I met with Kevin Rudd and Nicola Roxon over recent weeks and our concerns were listened to and in some instances allayed. Firstly, we raised the issue of employment relations and bargaining. Previously, it had been unclear which tier of government would take responsibility for this in the proposed new system. The Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mark Butler has since assured us that, ‘Conditions of employment for staff and industrial relations negotiations will continue to be the responsibility of the State [Government]. The Commonwealth is not seeking any change to the arrangements that have been negotiated with different staff groups and the unique industrial arrangements that exist in each state, which organisations such as yours have fought hard for over many years.’ The Federal Government has also indicated that existing employment arrangements will remain in place in primary care, including community health, and it will be making further announcements about mental health. The Federal Government has given an
Additional services cannot be delivered without additional nurses and midwives to meet patient need and the importance of a transparent, enforceable nurse/midwife to patient ratio is clear when activity-based funding is an incentive to do more with less. assurance that the crown employee status of NSW nurses – an important protection if a future Federal Government reintroduced WorkChoices – will not be disturbed. Another major concern was the way the efficient price – a fundamental component of the reform – is calculated. Mark Butler has confirmed that health unions will have input into the body that sets the efficient price of hospital procedures. He also assured us the efficient price will include the cost of nursing. Some of our principal concerns have
been answered but others have not and we remain cautious about the process and are uneasy about the impact of yet another restructure on nurses and midwives. There is still a lack of detail about how community health will sit within the new system. It is unclear if a national efficient price will ultimately lead to uniform pay for nurses nationally. There are still announcements to be made regarding the nursing workforce. At every opportunity we have pushed the Because we care campaign. While there has been an announcement of more money for aged care we are disappointed it is not linked to improving the wages of nurses in the sector. The long-term benefits of reform are still there. More much-needed money will be injected into the system. There will be clearer lines of responsibility for funding. The Federal Government’s undertaking to take responsibility for increases in the cost of health is a substantial step forward. There are still many facets of this reform and the politics that surround it yet to play out. Substantial additional funding has been secured for NSW but it comes with challenging targets and expectations for delivery. Additional services cannot be delivered without additional nurses and midwives to meet patient need and the importance of a transparent, enforceable nurse/midwife to patient ratio is clear when activitybased funding is an incentive to do more with less. I will be calling on both the Federal and State Governments to continue to consult with the NSWNA and the ANF as we unfold the real nuts and bolts of this National Health and Hospitals Reform process to ensure that nurses and midwives play our part in getting a better health system.n THE LAMP MAY 2010 5
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L E T T E R S
Patient supports Coffs Harbour protest
Vicki Purcell
Campaign to save Carramar aged care facility from privatisation The Leeton Branch of the NSWNA has started a campaign to keep our aged care facility, Carramar, within the public health system. A group of people from the community and some nursing staff protested outside Parliament House in Sydney on 17 March, and also sat in the Upper House while a motion was read and accepted to keep Carramar as a public facility. The Carramar carers’ group representatives had a meeting with Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt on that day. Then on Saturday, 20 March, the community and hospital staff held a rally in the main street of Leeton and the public response was encouraging. On Friday, 19 March, Gail Hartley and Rita Martin from the Association met with our Branch and were very supportive. They were full of ideas for us to pursue. I would also like to thank Louise Howell from Wallsend who has encouraged and supported the carers’ group. Louise has made herself available to us if we need any help. Vicki Purcell, NSWNA Leeton Branch
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6 THE LAMP MAY 2010
I joined your protest in Boambee and wore your shirt. I am sending it back to you as I think you need it more often. I am 75 and feel very strongly about your situation and how it was and how it should be now. I was hoping to start a group to work with you. I can’t do it under my own steam. This problem encompasses your health, your families’ happiness and the patients, many of whom I know are now afraid of being caught up in the staffing situation. My husband passed away at the Base in 2002. We all saw then how hard you had to fight to find a doctor to change some medication. I must say his palliative care was wonderful. I did live with him for two weeks at home, which helped a bit. I just feel a lot of people are behind you. Nurses might shake up the Rudderless member of our Government. In my church we were called the Pa and F (parents and friends). In public schools we were called the P and C (parents and citizens). I really feel a group could help your Association. Perhaps you would like to try it. After all, we need you so much to be there, healthy and happy in your work – not in fear, overworked, tired, and with thinning ranks because of our lousy Government. They are doing so much damage to our beautiful Australia. Soon us oldies will be gone and there will be no one left to know how good it was for all and what can be done. God bless you all. Name withheld for privacy reasons.
The letter judged the best each month will be awarded a $50 Coles Myer voucher, courtesy of Medicraft HillRom. For details on the range of hospital beds, trolleys, mattress & care solutions, please visit www.medicrafthill-rom.com or call (02) 9569 0255 *Proudly Australian Made*
Stephen Langford
Support the Sydney Alliance I would like to congratulate the people who are getting the Sydney Alliance up and running, with the two-day workshop in Marrickville (and there were others) early in March. Community Organiser Rathana Chea was an excellent MC or coordinator, and full marks to Rita Martin from our Union, who was one of the leading lights. I applaud this initiative to revive civil society in Sydney, along the lines of London Citizens in the UK, and using organising methods from the popular, non-corporate organisations in the US. Potentially, I see this as a way of defending and extending public services that most of us depend on, such as a decent public transport system, good medical services that have not been privatised, and reasonable aged care. I was rather wary of the ‘faith groups’ involved, but they turned out not to have horns or tails – at least not that I noticed. Other members of the Sydney Alliance were unions, like ourselves, and community groups. It seems that if you become involved, as I intend to, there is no danger of ‘endless meetings’. The organisation is pretty sharp, with no meeting taking more than an hour. This is something new and vital that does not have a hidden big business agenda, which our political parties often have. It is an expression of what we need, as people living in Sydney. Stephen Langford, War Memorial Hospital, Waverley. Stephen Langford won the prize for this month’s letter of the month, a $50 Coles Myer voucher.
Got something to say? 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.
NAME CHANGE
Sharon Nash
‘Between the Flags’ will save lives In the March edition of The Lamp an article reported that the NSW Productivity Commission found that public hospitals in NSW have the worst rate of mishaps causing death or serious injury across Australia. Deaths caused by failure of nurses to detect deterioration in their patients will have contributed to the findings by the Productivity Commission. The harsh reality is that there are potentially preventable deaths occurring within the NSW health system. The Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) Between the Flags (BTF) initiative aims to reduce the occurrence of these deaths by improving patient safety and implementing systems that identify and treat the clinically deteriorating patient in a timely and appropriate manner. The Clinical Excellence Commission is working to continue to implement a system-wide initiative across all NSW public hospitals that will standardise processes and provide structure around detecting and treating deteriorating patients. The initiative is striving to enhance and improve the skills that we, as nurses, have to detect and treat deteriorating patients. The BTF system will introduce colour-coded charts for use in Adult, Paediatric, Obstetric and Emergency areas along with a Clinical Emergency Response System to ensure escalation of care for patients who are recognised as having early or late signs of deterioration. The education component of the BTF initiative (DETECT) will standardise the way in which nurses are educated about early and late signs of clinical deterioration in patients and how to treat these signs. Other pillars of the BTF initiative include governance and evaluation of the initiative. As a nurse with more than 20 years’ experience in the NSW public health system and as a member of the CEC BTF Management Committee, I wholeheartedly welcome the BTF initiative and I believe it will make a
difference and will save lives. I strongly urge all nurses in NSW to actively support the CEC BTF initiative by using the tools and education packages developed by the CEC. Let’s work together to keep all our patients safe and to ensure they stay ‘between the flags’. More information about this exciting initiative can be found on the CEC’s website: www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au and the DETECT e-learning package is available on the NSW Health Moodle http://nswhealth.moodle.com.au Sharon Nash, RN, Moree District Health Service
Don’t be insulted: embrace change I write in response to Nicole Hmelnitsky’s and Katherine Grover’s letters regarding the ‘Between the Flags’ observations chart. I have been nursing for 10 years and have worked in NSW and the ACT. The ACT was the first health system to implement an observations chart such as the one they talked about in BTF. When I first moved from NSW (where I worked in ED) to working on wards in the ACT I, too, was initially insulted by the idea that nurses had to write down observations on a chart and calculate a score to decide whether the patient was unwell or not (rather than using our clinical skills). But after working on wards, where in and out of hours teams are generally unavailable, the relevancy of the chart is wonderful. I do not believe the chart was designed to ‘dumb down nursing practice’; instead it is a reference for nurses and midwives to be able to call the intern/resident to review the patient within a timely manner and then, if required, the Registrar or consultant. The implementation of such a chart in the ACT has seen a drastic reduction in MET calls and ICU admissions and re-admissions. In the ACT the chart is not used as a ‘one chart fits all’ method. The recording of BP and what is considered normal is variable for each patient (using a baseline BP for the patient), reducing the unnecessary notification of medical teams for BPs that fall outside the ‘normal’ range. I notice that Nicole and Katherine are both midwives and I do believe that maternity within ACT health also use a modified chart. I do agree we need more skilled nurses within the workforce, but
MOOTED FOR NSWNA NSWNA council has placed on the agenda of Annual Conference a resolution to change our name to include midwives. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least being new national legislation that confirms midwifery as a separate profession. Council recognises the need to be inclusive of the profession of midwifery in our name. Nurses and midwives must remain united. If we are to maintain good pay and conditions we need to use our joint strength around bargaining. The name change will go to Annual Conference for debate and a vote. We will explore this issue more in the next issue of The Lamp.
the reality is that some shifts are made up of mostly new graduate RNs and EN/ EENs. The implementation of such tools allows these nurses to confidently assess their patients and be able to confidently talk to the nursing team leader and medical officers. As a team leader on a ward of 30 patients, knowing that less experienced staff are being assisted in identifying unwell patients is also comforting. There will always be teething problems when new methods are implemented but I believe that we should embrace changes that will help us in our practice and improve patient outcomes, rather than being insulted that our clinical assessment skills are replaced. Leanne Muir, RN, ACT Health
Thanks for the memories I look forward to reading The Lamp each month, and find it very interesting and useful. I also enjoy entering the competitions, and was lucky enough to win the Samurai Beach Resort (December 2009/January2010 issue) stay. My husband and I have just come back from there. It is a delightful place and the staff are very friendly. We had a lovely, relaxing few days, and we want to thank you and your staff for giving us the opportunity of going there. Deborah Cohen, midwife THE LAMP MAY 2010 7
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N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF
More public support ANF supports for Rudd’s health plan anti-nuclear A survey has backed up research campaign commissioned by the ACTU that shows
New ACTU President, ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney.
GED KEARNEY ELECTED AS NEXT ACTU PRESIDENT NF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney has been elected as the next President of the ACTU following the closure of nominations last month for an upcoming casual vacancy. Ged was elected unopposed to replace current ACTU President Sharan Burrow, who is set to take up a major international union position later this year. Ms Burrow will continue to actively serve until the end of June, and Ged will formally take office as ACTU President on 1 July. Ged, who is a member of the ACTU Executive and has been ANF Federal Secretary since 2008, said she was honoured to have been elected to directly represent more than 1.8 million working Australians and their families. ‘It is an incredible honour to join [ACTU Secretary] Jeff Lawrence in leading Australian unions to provide a voice for working Australians and their families, particularly in an election year with the very real threat that the Liberal Party will reintroduce WorkChoices if they are elected,’ Ged said. ‘I am committed to progressing the interests of working Australians and to making sure their voices are heard in the debates that matter.’ Ged will continue as ANF Federal Secretary until the end of June.
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strong public support for the Federal Government’s health reforms. Participants in Essential Media Research’s survey were asked whether they believed the State Governments should or should not agree to the Federal Government’s health plan to take control of funding hospitals and health services. A majority (56%) said the State Governments should agree and 26% said they should not agree. States most likely to agree were South Australia (75%) and Queensland (64%), with 55% of NSW respondents and 45% of Victorians agreeing.
The ANF is supporting a campaign against nuclear weapons by hosting a petition to Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith for nurses to sign. The petition is asking for the abolition of nuclear weapons through the establishment of a Nuclear Weapons Convention at the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference this May in New York. It is in partnership with the International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Sign the petition at www.anf. org.au/html/topics_abolish_nuclear_ weapons.html
INFORMATION OFFICERS 1 x 12 month and 1 x 6 month positions The Association is seeking applications for Information Officers within the Member Industrial Services Team (MIST) based in the Camperdown office. The positions are available on a secondment or contract basis and are vacant due to internal staff movements. The Role This position is responsible for providing telephone advice and information on industrial, professional and legal matters. The promotion of the Association and active recruitment of new members is an important component of this position. To be successful in the role it is essential that you be able to demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, negotiation and conflict resolution skills and be computer literate. You must be self-confident, energetic, motivated and be able to deal with dynamic groups/individuals, conflict and rapid change. Essential Criteria c Demonstrated commitment to the union movement. c Demonstrated ability to articulate and interpret complex Agreements and documents. c Demonstrated competence in appropriate computer skills. c Demonstrated ability to produce written documents and letters. c Ability to work within a complex team environment.
c Demonstrated polite and articulate telephone manner. Desirable Criteria c Relevant tertiary qualifications in Industrial Relations, Social Science, & Human Resources Management. c Ability to speak a second language. c Previous experience in working within the union movement. c Nursing or Midwifery experience. 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 an Information Officer Position Description. Applications should be received by 21 May 2010 to: Robyn Morrison Employee Relations Coordinator PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 Email: rmorrison@nswnurses.asn.au
INTEL BEAMS NURSES INTO LOUNGE ROOMS
The SimMan3G is the latest model in high-fidelity mannikins.
he number of long road journeys taken by regional Australian nurses to visit sick people in their homes could be cut drastically by the introduction of a computerised device that allows the elderly and infirm to have a video conference with a nurse. The internet-enabled unit will guide these patients through a daily process of checking their own blood pressure, pulse and weight while automatically transmitting the data to a clinic for centralised monitoring. IT giant Intel is carrying out a pilot study with 50 of its Health Guide units recently introduced to Australia. The pilot study with Hunter Nursing shows nurses are able to consult with up to 50 patients a day when using the new system. Margaret Scott OAM, who heads a community care nursing service north of Sydney, told the Sydney Morning Herald: ‘You could have one registered nurse monitoring maybe 50 or 60 patients in a day using this remote patient monitoring, while they can only do 10 or 15 when they do it face-to-face. ‘A lot of my nurses travel 100km in the course of their community visits in a day ... therefore we’re making real effective use of the scarce commodity called the Registered Nurse.’ However, the device is not meant to replace a home visit by a nurse to perform hands-on care such as wound treatment, but could be used for the many visits that are for monitoring purposes alone.
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Life-like mannikins revolutionise medical training In the face of increasing demands on newly graduating nurses and doctors, medical educators are turning to new life-like mannikins that simulate human trauma symptoms to improve the practical skills of new graduates. In line with the broader national trend toward more realistic healthrelated education, Australian hospitals and nursing colleges have started to take delivery of the new high-fidelity patient simulators known as ‘SimMan3G’. The mannikin can simulate a wide range of life-like human reactions including crying, convulsions, fever, hypertension, vomiting, bleeding and cardiac arrest. This new simulation technology means that medical training institutes and nursing colleges can deliver practical learning opportunities in a safe environment that allows mistakes to be addressed in a positive manner. The Federal Government has recently made a number of announcements regarding ongoing support for simulated learning environments and other medical education innovations. As part of its investment in infrastructure to support the training of the future health workforce, the Government announced $175.6 million investment in capital infrastructure, ‘including funding for the construction of new and mobile high-tech simulated learning environments’. SimMan3G’s family includes female mate Simone and children Simbaby and SimNewB.
Sydney Nursing School’s Clinical Simulation Laboratories (CSL) is making full use of mannikins for its pre-registration and post-graduate nursing students.
‘These electronic fullbody, life-like mannikins have many capabilities such as pulse, blood pressure, heart, lung and bowel sounds.’ The CSL has a large number of medium-fidelity (realistic) mannikins, such as MegaCode Kelleys (4) and Nursing Anne Vital Sims (12) plus highfidelity mannikins SimMan and SimBaby. The mannikins are prepared to simulate real patients and are based on authentic patient scenarios that have their own charts and specific nursing care. ‘These electronic full-body, life-like mannikins have many capabilities such as pulse, blood pressure, heart, lung and bowel sounds, ECG interpretation, pre-recorded vocal sounds plus live voice through the use of a wireless microphone, which enhance the students’ assessment skills, critical thinking and time management skills,’ said Evelyn Dalton, CSL Manager. And the mannikins are proving popular with students, Evelyn added. ‘‘Student feedback supports utilisation of the simulation mannikins, stating that they provide a realistic environment, connecting theory with clinical practice.’ To see a ‘real life’, emergency training simulation using SimMan3G visit www. laerdal.com/simman3g/movie/ THE LAMP MAY 2010 9
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VICTORIAN HOSPITAL
LAUNCHES FALLS PREVENTION
PROGRAM
Two nurses at St Vincents & Mercy Private hospital with the Ruby Red Socks that are a feature of its falls prevention program.
t Vincents & Mercy Private Hospital (SVMP) in Melbourne has launched a program to prevent falls in hospitals. Strategies used in the Ruby Red Socks Falls Prevention Program include posters (and soon an inhouse video) that make patients, relatives and staff aware of the increased risk of falls in hospitals; staff education and support program incorporated into all levels of the hospital; ongoing patient risk-assessment; and the provision of non-slip Ruby Red Socks, which are physiotherapist designed and clinically tested in Australia to assist in the reduction of falls within the hospital setting. The socks also serve as a visual reminder for staff to identify high falls risk patients, and to remind patients to take care when moving about in SVMP hospitals. More than a third of all hospitalacquired injuries are caused by falls, according to Christos Kondogiannis, an Orthopaedic Surgeon at SVMP.
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Sexy nurse ad on bus causes uproar Nurses in Worcester in the UK are up in arms about a bus company’s advert that features a sexy nurse, claiming the image ‘demeans’ and ‘devalues’ them. The image appears on the back of Diamond buses to promote its routes between the city centre and Worcestershire Royal Hospital. It depicts a blonde woman clad in a skin-tight ‘naughty nurse’ outfit and cleavage on display, posing provocatively next to the words ‘Ooh, Matron’ – reminiscent of the old British ‘Carry On’ films. But the campaign has upset a number of nurses in Worcester, who feel it belittles the job they do, the Worcester News reported. Shaunee Irvine, a nurse and Royal College of Nursing steward at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, told the newspaper: ‘Using this kind of imagery to portray nurses is clichéd and, frankly, an insult to the intelligence of most people, and it’s clear that it demeans nurses and devalues the nursing profession. ‘Nurses object to the trivialisation and gratuitous sexualisation of nursing, not least because it can risk fuelling a mistaken impression of nurses among some people, and this makes our already difficult job even more challenging.’ Diamond has refused requests by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to remove the adverts, arguing that the adverts were part of a ‘bright and positive’ campaign and had been shown to a group of nurses – before they were used – who said they found the adverts funny.
UK report recognises nurses’ key role in health England’s nurses and midwives are ideally placed to influence health and improve the experiences of service users and families. To do this, they must be highly educated and recognised as clinical leaders, according to the Prime Minister’s Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery in England. The Commission carried out the first overarching review of nursing and midwifery in England since the Committee on Nursing reported in 1972 and presented its report to the Prime Minister in March. The report, Front Line Care, sets out 20 recommendations to overhaul the nursing and midwifery professions. Among the recommendations is a requirement for nurses and midwives to take a pledge to society to deliver high-quality, compassionate care – and that they must be better supported to do so by their employers. Other recommendations include restoring the roles of ward sister and charge nurses and equivalent midwifery roles; protecting the title ‘nurse’ and limiting its use solely to nurses registered by the Nursing and Midwifery Council; and ensuring nurses and midwives acknowledge they are seen as role models for healthy living and take personal responsibility for their own health. Nurses and midwives must also recognise their important role in improving health and wellbeing and reducing inequalities, and engage actively in the design, monitoring and delivery of services to achieve this, the report states. It also reinforces the importance of nurses’ education. ‘To ensure high-quality, compassionate care, the move to degreelevel registration for all newly-qualified nurses from 2013 must be implemented in full,’ it says. ‘All currently registered nurses and midwives must be fully supported if they wish to obtain a relevant degree. A relevant degree must become a requirement for all nurses in leadership and specialist practice roles by 2020.’ The report – which the UK Government will consider in due course – acknowledges that the public image of nursing is out of date in many ways. ‘A new story of nursing is needed to recruit suitable talent and demonstrate that nurses are not poorly-educated handmaidens to doctors,’ it says.
ANA welcomes passing of US health care reform laws The American Nurses Association (ANA), the largest nursing organisation in the United States, has applauded the passing of President Obama’s health-care reforms. ANA President In late March, the Rebecca M. Patton Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 was given final approval by the House of Representatives with a vote of 220-207. ‘This was the final step needed in the long fight for meaningful health-care reform,’ said ANA President Rebecca M. Patton. ‘This legislation greatly increases access to care for tens of millions of people, and will strengthen and improve the health-care system for generations to come. On behalf of the nation’s 3.1 million nurses, ANA is proud of its accomplishments in reinforcing the need to adopt reforms and believes we helped make changes to the new health-care overhaul law a reality.’ Over the past 15 months, ANA played an especially critical role in advocating for reform. Nurses were tireless advocates for reform; thousands joined ANA’s health-care reform team, sending letters to representatives of Congress, sharing their stories, and taking time out of their busy days to meet with members of Congress and participate in rallies and events. ‘Nurses should be proud that this hard work has paid off; both for the nursing profession and the patients we serve,’ said Rebecca.
US nurses join in call to free 43 Filipino health workers National Nurses United (NNU), a 150,000-strong United States-based organisation of Registered Nurses, has asked the Philippine government to free 43 detained health workers with supposed links to the New People’s Army now detained at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal Province, just 20km east of Manila.
As reported in last month’s issue of The Lamp, the 43, who include 26 women and two physicians, have been in detention since Saturday, 6 February, after they were arrested at a guest house owned by Consultant to the Philippine General Hospital and Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine Dr Melecia Velmonte. The NNU’s appeal, through the organisation’s co-Presidents Deborah Burger, Karen Higgins and Jean Ross, was accompanied by a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
‘This outpouring of support is a great source of inspiration to all the detainees, their relatives and all their colleagues.’ Free the 43 Health Workers Now! Alliance spokesperson Dr Eleanor Jara said their organisations were very pleased with the overwhelming support – from letters to mobilisations, including fasting and other symbolic actions. ‘This outpouring of support is a great source of inspiration to all the detainees, their relatives and all their colleagues and everyone working for their release,’ Dr Jara said.
Walk with your Union to raise funds for breast cancer The Mother’s Day Classic is a walk/run fundraiser for breast cancer. This year, participants from unions are asked to come together under the theme of Women’s Rights at Work. This is a community event and we would like to see a high number of participants proudly walking with their NSWNA logos. We encourage you to get local teams organised in your workplaces. The Mother’s Day Classic will be held Sunday, 9 May, starting at Domain or Parramatta in Sydney from 7am to 12pm. To register, visit http:// mothersdayclassic.com.au/register-online
s Policy & Guideline Writing 7 May, Camperdown, 1 day 10 September, Camperdown, 1 day Seminar is suitable for all nurses. Members $85 Non-members $170 s Legal & Professional Issues for Nurses and Midwives 14 May, Batemans Bay, ½ day 28 May, Armidale, ½ day 25 June, Tweed Heads, ½ day 2 July, Albury, ½ day 12 July, Sydney, 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 Basic Foot Care for RNs & ENs 26 & 27 May, Wagga Wagga, 2 days 3 & 4 June, Shellharbour, 2 days This course aims to provide nurses with the competence to provide basic foot care. Members $203 Non-members $350 s Computer Essentials for Nurses and Midwives 1 June, Concord, 1 day 3 August, Concord, 1 day 25 October, Concord, 1 day Seminar is suitable for all nurses and midwives. Members $85 Non-members $170 s Appropriate Workplace Behaviour 17 June, Newcastle, 1 day 27 August, Tamworth, 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
TO REGISTER or for more information go to www.nswnurses.asn.au or11ring THE LAMP MAY 2010 Carolyn Kulling on 1300 367 962
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ED nurses, patients hit by bed block g Public urged to support staff-to-patient ratios
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range Base Hospital nurses want an immediate increase in staff numbers to cope with a mounting workload that often forces nurses to work double shifts then turn up for a third shift after just a few hours sleep. The hospital’s NSWNA Branch organised a BBQ lunch outside the front gate to launch a petition calling on the NSW Government to make safe
NURSE ED DAYS CAMPAIGN TO ACHIEVE SAVE STAFFING NSWNA members at Coffs Harbour and Orange Base hospitals have held the first in a series of ‘Nurse ED Days’ to highlight the desperate need for improved staffing in Emergency Departments and other sections of the State’s hospitals. Coffs Harbour and Orange nurses had earlier voted to support the NSWNA’s 2010 wages and conditions claim, which includes mandated minimum nurse-topatient ratios in each hospital and healthcare setting.
‘We have to deal with constant bed block and patients are walking out of the ED waiting room because they can’t be seen in time.’ Luke Marks
12 THE LAMP MAY 2010
patient care the highest priority when determining hospital budgets. The petition asks the Government to ensure adequate numbers of appropriately qualified nurses and midwives are employed and to make minimum nurse-to-patient ratios mandatory across the State. NSWNA Branch President Luke Marks said Emergency Department nurses had been doing double shifts on afternoons and nights, going home to sleep then returning to the hospital for a 4pm shift. ‘That’s happened three or four times in the past week – it’s becoming a regular thing,’ said Luke, a Registered Nurse in the ED. ‘Nurses are fed up with excessive overtime and patients are fed up too. We have to deal with constant bed block and patients are walking out of the ED waiting room because they can’t be seen in time. ‘We have tried taking our requests for additional staff to the reasonable workloads committee but we don’t get anywhere. ‘The workloads committee is pretty much defunct – everyone is
Nurses are taking part in similar Nurse ED Days at other NSW hospitals. The campaign to achieve safe nurse-to-patient ratios includes a petition, calling on the NSW Government to make safe patient care the highest priority when determining hospital budgets. The petition calls for mandatory minimum staffing levels. These have operated in Victoria for the past decade.
unhappy with it. We take a lot of time to collect data to be presented to the committee only for our recommendations to be ignored.’ Last year the ED handled more than 27,000 patients, including more than 1,300 high-acuity patients who needed to be seen immediately. The ED has 15 general beds, two resuscitation beds, a Nurse Practitioner cubicle and six chairs for patients waiting for admission to a ward. The Branch believes ED should have at least nine or 10 nurses on duty each shift rather than only five or six for most of the morning and afternoon shifts and three or four at night. ‘Management claims we are staffed according to budget but we are certainly not staffed according to presentations,’ Luke said. ‘We are supposedly now a level 5 hospital accepting patients out of area because there is no longer any orthopaedic coverage in Bathurst so all these cases come to Orange. ‘The trouble is we just don’t have the beds to cater for them.’n
Orange Base Hospital Branch rallies for safe patient care. THE LAMP MAY 2010 13
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ED ‘like a war zone’ g Coffs Harbour protest demands another nurse per shift
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o understand why Emergency Department nurses at Coffs Harbour Hospital took to the streets in protest last month, consider the following: c The ED waiting room is packed with people waiting up to three days for a bed. ED acuity levels are so high that procedure rooms designed for plastering, suturing, and so on are used to hold seriously ill patients awaiting admission to a ward. Despite the need for close monitoring of mental health patients in particular, procedure room beds are given no funding for nursing staff. This diverts ED nurses from their normal duties – including the Clinical Initiatives Nurse allocated to the waiting room to monitor and care for patients during their long wait for admission, who is instead obliged to attend to ‘overflow’ patients in the procedure rooms. Night shift can be a nightmare. Only four nurses are rostered on night shift (eight on day shift) yet patient
Coffs Harbour nurses say ED is a nightmare.
turnover in the ED can be up to nine patients per bed over a 10-hour period. NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said these are a few examples
of the North Coast Area Health Service’s lack of support for Coffs Harbour nurses as they struggle to respond to community needs.
STAFF ALLOCATIONS ‘POLITICAL’ offs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser (National Party) has called for nurses to be recruited based on specific needs rather than Coffs Harbour MP staff numbers at other Andrew Fraser hospitals. Mr Fraser said he was ‘appalled’ by a statement attributed to North Coast Area Health Service Chief Executive Chris Crawford regarding staff levels at Coffs Harbour Hospital’s Emergency Department. Mr Fraser took exception to Mr Crawford’s statement: ‘The key question is whether the staffing levels in the Coffs Harbour Base Hospital ED are less than in equivalent hospital EDs.’ ‘This statement proves that politics
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are entering into staff allocations in health care in NSW,’ Mr Fraser said. ‘Coffs Harbour health campus should have staff allocated on the basis of demand, not on whether the staffing levels are more or less than other hospitals on the North Coast, or anywhere else in NSW.’ He said nurses had already provided evidence that staffing levels are too low, yet it could take up to seven months for the North Coast Area Health Service (NCAHS) to recruit one new nurse. ‘When the decision is made that you need more staff, it has to go to the North Coast Area Health Service, then it has to go to the Premier’s Department, then it’s advertised,’ he said. ‘If an agreement has been reached through the Industrial Relations Commission that staffing levels are to be determined by the “reasonable
nursing workloads” process, it is totally inappropriate that submissions for extra nursing staff have to be presented to the Premier’s Department for approval,’ Mr Fraser said. Amanda Short, NSWNA Branch Secretary at Coffs Harbour Hospital, said the North Coast Area management compared Coffs Harbour to Lismore, Tweed and Port Macquarie hospitals, despite them having lower ‘on the floor’ staffing levels. ‘Coffs has a consistently higher presentation rate than Lismore and Port, though Tweed’s presentation is higher,’ she said. ‘2010 figures are that Coffs has 42.43 FTE, Tweed 47.69 FTE, Lismore 54.47 FTE and Port 49.44 FTE. The staff at Coffs are not asking for more staffing than other facilities but parity with other facilities.’
‘We just cannot continue to run our Emergency Departments like this. It is not good for patients and it is not good for the staff,’ Brett said. The Coffs Harbour ED has 14 general beds, two resuscitation beds and six procedure rooms, which means it should have at least nine or 10 nurses on duty each shift – one triage nurse, one in-charge nurse and one nurse per three beds/rooms, according to Brett. Amanda Short RN, the NSWNA’s Branch Secretary at the hospital, describes the ED as ‘like a war zone.’
from several speakers including Amanda and Branch Vice-President Jenny Ryan, called for reduced waiting times for patients and one more nurse per shift with priority to be given to one more nurse at night. NSWNA members handed out pieces of fruit to those patients in the ED waiting room who were allowed to eat, because ‘they’ll be waiting for a while’, and other members erected a placard on the Pacific Highway. ‘The public were very supportive,’ Amanda said. ‘A patient who came out
‘Area management are really good at stalling the process. Some cases have been before the workloads committee for two years and the data we submit is never good enough.’ Amanda Short, RN
‘There was an 8% increase in patients presenting to the ED last year alone – including an increase in triage 1 and 2 patients – but we received no extra staff,’ Amanda said. ‘Sometimes they have a worse staffto-patient ratio than on the wards. The staff are sick of it.’ The ED protest rally, which heard
of ED saw the cameras and starting going on about his nine-hour wait, which was excellent publicity.’ Amanda said there was significant bed block in mental health and general wards. ‘What makes it worse for regional hospitals like Coffs is that, unlike Sydney hospitals, we’ve got no bypass facility. Our area has increased, meaning we now
take people from Maclean, as far north as Grafton down to Kempsey. ‘There is no orthopaedic surgeon in Grafton anymore so all those patients who would have gone to Grafton Hospital before, come to us.’ She said the hospital had been hit by a recent exodus of senior staff, mainly due to excessive workloads. ‘This has been followed by abominably slow recruitment, which has plagued NCAHS for years. For example, an incumbent on maternity leave can often come back to work before the vacant hours are filled! ‘Jobs sit on e-recruit, unadvertised for months, and some for over a year. The ED in Coffs has had no permanent local ward management for months either. This creates uncertainty among staff as well.’ Amanda said Coffs Harbour staff considered current ‘reasonable workloads’ provisions and procedures to be inadequate. ‘We went to the reasonable workloads committee where management said some of the paperwork hadn’t been done properly, which meant we had to re-submit a brief. ‘Area management are really good at stalling the process. Some cases have been before the workloads committee for two years and the data we submit is never good enough.’n Coffs Harbour ED nurses took to the streets in protest at staffing issues.
THE LAMP MAY 2010 15
NSW NURSES’ ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Staffing and skill mix for safe patient care
ProfessionalDay Friday, 23 July 2010, Australian Jockey Club, Randwick, Sydney
MC for the day is ANGELA CATTERNS, who has more than 20 years broadcasting experience with a number of different ABC and commercial networks.
WHERE Australian Jockey Club, Randwick, Sydney
WHEN SPEAKERS
Friday, 23 July 2010
ROSEMARY BRYANT, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Department of Health and Ageing
TIME
PROFESSOR MARY CHIARELLA, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney
COST
8am-3pm. Registration from 7am.
JARROD MORAN, ACTU
NSWNA members $50, Branch Officials and students free of charge, Non-members $75.
DARREN FLANAGAN, Beaconsfield Mine Disaster
Free parking on site.
PLUS ... international speakers from the South Pacific and California Nurses Association.
REGISTRATION
LEE THOMAS, Assistant Federal Secretary, ANF
NSW Health has agreed to one day’s leave being granted to nurses and midwives to attend Professional Day on 23 July 2010.
16 THE LAMP MAY 2010
Go to www.nswnurses.asn.au for registration form or contact Carolyn Kulling on 02 8595 1234 (metro), 1300 376 962 (rural) or email ckulling@nswnurses.asn.au
PUT THIS DATE IN YOUR DIARY
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Bathurst’s horror Easter g Vote for industrial action brings promise of more staff.
Bathurst Hospital surgical ward nurses were unhappy about chronic understaffing and voted to take industrial action: (from left) Janelle Adams,Tara Lewis, Jane Harris, Jess Inwood, Cath Poschich and Jane Nicholson.
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SWNA members at Bathurst Base Hospital voted to take industrial action unless management acted to relieve the ‘horrendous and unacceptable’ workloads pressure on staff. The decision foreshadowing industrial action led management to promise to recruit sufficient nurses to staff 15 surgical ward beds. The ward currently has 15 beds open but is only staffed for 12. Nurses say the additional surgical ward staffing is ‘a big win’ but remain unhappy with understaffing in other areas, particularly the Emergency Department. NSWNA Branch President Lyn Sloane said management decided to open extra beds over Easter without any planning as to how they would be staffed. Lyn said the surgical ward was funded for 12 beds but fluctuated between 15 and 18 patients for most of the Easter weekend. The medical ward was funded for 20 beds but ranged between 24 and 25 for most of the weekend. She said an urgent Branch meeting on 7 April resolved to take industrial action if surge beds in the surgical ward were opened again without adequate staffing. The resolution called for the NUM to
be provided with a staff roster for the surge beds and for the Nurse Educator position not to be reduced from full to part time. Lyn said the hospital’s general manager later promised that three more beds would be opened in the surgical ward and outlined a plan to recruit and co-ordinate staffing for the beds. ‘It is a big win for the nurses who will have some of the pressure taken off and for the community because they are getting a better, safer service,’ she said.
NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said what happened at Bathurst Base Hospital over Easter proves mandated nurse-to-patient ratios are the only way to protect nurses and patients from unsafe staffing levels. Brett said management resorted to ‘inadequate and reactive staffing cobbled together at the last minute’ to try to cope in the surgical and medical wards over Easter. ‘The pressure on the nurses was horrendous and unacceptable,’ he said.
‘It is a big win for the nurses who will have some of the pressure taken off.’ Lyn Sloane
‘There has been very strong community support for the stand taken by the Branch and we had two to three days of coverage on local TV and radio. ‘However, ED staff remain disappointed that no extra nurses will be employed there because we don’t think we have adequate safe staffing. ‘The ED is funded for eight beds, but it actually has 17 patient spaces. It has had an increase of 1,200 presentations over the past 12 months but no extra staffing. At night we have just one RN on the floor and a triage nurse.’
‘Such pressure also increases the risk for patients, many of whom were very sick and unable to do very much for themselves. ‘In the surgical ward at the end of the week there were four post-operative joint replacement cases and a major bowel resection case. That is an example of how sick these patients are. ‘With Bathurst’s St Vincent’s Private Hospital set to close, the pressure on the Base will increase even further, so it is vital we fix this staffing and funding problem now.’n THE LAMP MAY 2010 17
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Members endorse claim for Campaign 2010 g Public health sector members endorse NSWNA draft claim that would deliver 5% pa pay rises and mandated staff ratios.
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y 9 April, NSWNA Branches at public health hospitals and facilities voted to endorse the NSWNA draft claim for the Campaign 2010. At Branch meetings across the state, public health sector members gave a resounding endorsement to the draft claim.
The claim includes a 5% pay and pay-related allowances increase per year for all nurses and midwives, over a proposed four-year agreement. ‘You deserve fair recognition and reward for your dedication and responsibility,’ said NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes. ‘Members told us that staffing
and skill mix for safe patient care is a top priority, so the claim also includes mandated minimum staffing ratios.’ In developing the claim, the NSWNA consulted extensively with members in focus groups across Sydney and regional areas, an online survey last November, Branch meetings in December and through delegates at NSWNA Annual Conference.n
Research will inform nurse to patient ratios and skill mix he NSWNA is carrying out further extensive research to develop a more detailed claim for mandated staffing ratios, which will be served on NSW Health and the Government. The first stage was a survey conducted in January-March of staffing levels in over 400 units and wards in public health system services across NSW. The survey results provide a clear, tangible picture of current staffing levels and a vision of what the future might look like. ‘Members were given the opportunity to examine their current ratios and skill mix and give feedback on what they think they really need to provide safe patient care,’ said NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda. ‘Overall these preliminary results reveal that current staffing levels are inadequate. The survey results reveal evidence of staffing gaps, with not enough staff to provide safe patient care.’ Building on the survey results, the NSWNA has commissioned a major research project of nurse staffing levels and skill mix issues to be jointly conducted by leading nurse workforce and industrial relations academics, Associate Dean (Research) (Acting), UTS Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and
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Health, Christine Duffield, and Director, University of Sydney Workplace Research Centre, John Buchanan. Professors Duffield and Buchanan will be formulating a research tool that will be used in the development of a ratios model for the specialty areas of general medical/surgical wards, palliative care, rehabilitation, emergency departments, community health and mental health. Judith Kiejda said, ‘The Victorian ratios model does not cover community or mental health but the NSWNA is working to develop a mandated minimum staffing system that can be applied to these areas of nursing.’ In developing the ratios models for these specialty areas, NSWNA Officers will be visiting Public Health Services in May and convening expert panels to get input from experienced nurses in the specialty areas. ‘In addition, the NSWNA has already claimed the implementation of
‘The NSWNA will be also holding workshops to enable members to discuss and have input into the final ratios claim that will be presented to NSW Health.’ ACORN 2008 standards for operating theatres but there has been no response from NSW Health. A response from the Department about possible wide implementation of Birthrate Plus is expected in May,’ said Judith. ‘The NSWNA will be also holding workshops in the next few months to enable members to discuss and have input into the final ratios claim that will be presented to NSW Health,’ said Judith. The expert panels and workshops will be held at selected representative locations.
NSWNA OUT OF OFFICE IN MAY Please note that between 10-28 May NSWNA Officers will be on the road visiting Public Health Services across NSW to get members input into the research project. During this time there may be delays in having your calls and queries responded to. If possible, hold your calls until after 28 May.
C O M P E T I T I O N
WHAT YOU VOTED ON RECOGNITION AND REWARD FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND RESPONSIBILITY c 5% pay and pay-related allowances increase per year for all nurses and midwives, over a proposed four-year agreement. c 1% extra employer-provided superannuation per year ie. 13% by 2013. c Meal allowance to be paid for overtime before, as well as after a rostered shift. c Return 100% of salary packaging savings to nurses, not just 50%. c Clearer rules for In Charge of Shift payment.
STAFFING AND SKILL MIX FOR SAFE PATIENT CARE c Mandated minimum staffing ratios with a skill mix consideration. c A clear and simple set of workload rules that management must stick to. c Award to include fair rostering principles.
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT
WIN A LONG WEEKEND IN THE
Hunter Valley
Surrounded by spectacular gardens, vineyards and distant mountains, Harrigan’s Irish Pub & Accommodation has won multiple awards. The four-star accommodation includes 48 guest rooms, including 10 deluxe suites (four with fireplaces), spa baths and a second bedroom. Each has direct ground floor access and undercover parking right outside. When you’re tired of enjoying your private balcony or courtyard, you can meander down to the pool, take a walk in the stunning gardens or pop into Harrigan’s Cellars for a beer or wine-tasting experience. The NSWNA is offering one lucky member the chance to win a fantastic long weekend at Harrigan’s, valued at $1,680. The prize includes: c Three nights’ accommodation in a premier suite at four-star Harrigan’s Irish Pub & Accommodation c Hot buffet breakfast for two people each morning c Entry for two adults to the award-winning Hunter Valley Gardens
c Reinstate Higher Grade Duty payment for every shift (not only for 5+).
c Free cheese and wine tasting at Tempus Two and the Smelly Cheese Shop
c Improved study leave to match Queensland nurses: three days per annum for conferences plus allowances; plus leave and course costs for tertiary study.
c Dinner for two at Harrigan’s Irish Bistro
c ENs graduating as RNs should start at the RN Year 2 pay rate. c Continuing Education Allowance for CNCs who achieve a qualification higher than the minimum required for their role.
c A case of Roche Tallawanta wine. Prize cannot be taken during event weekends or peak holiday periods. Terms and conditions apply. Valid until 1 April 2011. Harrigan’s is also offering special accommodation packages for NSWNA members who want to experience the beautiful Hunter Valley. Call the venue on 02 4998 4300 or visit www.harrigans.com.au for details.
c Union delegates to have paid leave for NSWNA Committee of Delegates meetings.
To enter this month’s competition, simply write your name, address and membership number on the back of an envelope and send it to:
PROMOTING A BETTER WORK-LIFE BALANCE FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES
Harrigan’s Hunter Valley competition PO Box 40, Camperdown, NSW 1450.
c
Competition closes 31 May 2010.
Rotating shift nurses should be free from night duty immediately before starting leave and on the first shift back from leave.
c
Increase paid maternity/adoption leave to 26 weeks (partly funded by the proposed Federal Government scheme) and paternity leave to four weeks.
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Management should not unreasonably refuse nurses’ requests for 12-hour shifts on a unit.
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Better insurance for NETS (Newborn & Paediatric Emergency Transport Services)/Air Ambulance nurses.
Please note: only one entry per member will be accepted.
THE LAMP MAY 2010 19
Go Direct Debit &
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.
Our lucky Direct Debit winner and friend will explore the beautiful Inside Passage using the local Alaska Marine Highway ferries and sail through narrow sheltered stretches that the big cruiseliners simply cannot access. During the voyage, you will stop in wonderful little towns including Prince Rupert, Wrangell and Haines and undertake incredible sightseeing tours to AnAn Bear Sanctuary and the pristine wilderness of the Stikine River.
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.
3PECTRUM (OLIDAYS
Direct debit is not only the easiest and most convenient way to pay your membership, but switching over could win you a luxury holiday! Don’t risk your membership lapsing from changing workplaces. With direct debit you are always protected on the job. Membership Application forms or Direct Debit forms can be downloaded from our website www.nswnurses.asn.au Alternatively call the NSWNA on 8595 1234 (metro area) or 1300 367 962 (non-metro area) for more information. 20 THE LAMP MAY 2010
Information on tours to Alaska and Canada are available at www.spectrumholidays.com or call Spectrum Holidays on 1300 130 840
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Action considered after SWAHS let down g Western Sydney members are considering action after SWAHS fails promise to recruit adequate staff.
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ublic demonstrations at hospitals across Western Sydney last month brought a promise from Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS) to overturn a freeze on recruitment. In the face of swelling community support for nurses who are under intolerable pressure and concerned about the critical impact of the shortages on patient care, the SWAHS agreed to immediately start recruiting to fill vacancies across the AHS. But the SWAHS promises to fill vacancies quickly fell to disappointment when it was revealed the recruitment plan was woefully inadequate and would be delayed due to initial attempts to recruit internally. ‘There are severe staff shortages in all hospitals in SWAHS. It doesn’t take a genius to work out SWAHS is not going to recruit staff from an already depleted pool. They’ll be just bit filling – moving staff and vacancies around from department to another, with more and more vacancies appearing as they go,’ said NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda. ‘The attempt by SWAHS to advertise positions internally, before advertising externally, is causing at least a month’s delay. ‘The number of positions advertised is also not enough to fill the vacancies – only a fraction of positions required have been advertised. ‘Members are very angry, they are feeling totally let down by the SWAHS. We need urgent, external advertising of all vacancies to happen immediately,’ said Judith. ‘Members are considering action because they are totally fed up and extremely concerned about patient care.’ Like many wards and units in public hospitals across SWAHS, Maternity Services at Nepean Hospital is suffering critical staff shortages.
Shirley Hammond, NUM in Maternity Services, said she was utterly dismayed to discover SWAHS was not recruiting according to the unit’s profile. ‘We have 25 FTE vacancies in maternity services. SWAHS has only advertised six positions,’ she said. ‘For the past 15 months I have not been able to fill shifts. Sometimes we’re 18 short. There really is a critical situation in maternity services. ‘Like other NUMs here, I’m tearing my hair out trying to fill shifts. It’s a constant juggling act – robbing Peter to pay Paul. ‘I’m having to pull midwives from the wards to the delivery suite, I’m constantly chasing staff to fill sick leave,’ said Shirley. ‘I can use agency staff to fill some of the gaps but agency staff won’t necessarily have the appropriate skills, knowledge or experience. They also don’t know the patients, this means patients are not getting continuity of care. ‘Patients are suffering, care is being compromised. For example, in the ante natal clinic women are not being seen until 21 weeks into their pregnancy. If something is going wrong it’s not picked up until 21 weeks. ‘Only this morning a patient turned up to her first ante natal visit at 21 weeks pregnancy but the midwife could not
find a foetal heartbeat. We don’t know how long ago the baby died or whether earlier testing and monitoring would have picked up a problem. ‘It’s a terrible state of affairs. Nurses are really afraid for their patients,’ said Shirley. ‘Members are very angry that SWAHS has failed on its promise to recruit enough staff to fill vacancies. ‘We’re asking the community for support and the branch is considering further action if SWAHS won’t respond to our concerns,’ said Shirley. Judith Kiejda said, ‘The NSWNA is committed to supporting members in taking further action to have appropriate numbers of staff recruited. We will be on hand 24/7 to give members advice and support.’n
‘Members are very angry that SWAHS has failed on its promise to recruit enough staff to fill vacancies.’ Shirley Hammond, NUM
THE LAMP MAY 2010 21
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Class action to defend pay g 284 NSW homes named in Fair Work application.
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he NSWNA and other nursing unions have launched an unprecedented class action to protect the wages of thousands of aged care nurses not covered by Enterprise Agreements. The NSWNA, Queensland Nurses’
Union and Australian Nursing Federation have asked Fair Work Australia to issue a ‘take home pay order’ to preserve current award rates. The new national Nurses Award 2010 replaced State-based awards for aged care on 1 January. There will be a four-year transition
NURSING HOMES PUT TO TEST g Negotiate before 1 July, employers told bout half the aged care nurses in NSW are threatened by pay cuts from 1 July. They risk having their wages reduced when new national award rates – lower than the old NSW and Queensland award rates – come into force in July. These nurses are already the lowest-paid in NSW, on minimum award rates only. Their employers so far have denied them the benefits of an Enterprise Agreement – including above-award wages, guaranteed annual wage increases and paid maternity leave. The NSWNA has written to nursing homes that do not have Enterprise Agreements, asking them
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to agree to maintain current pay and conditions while negotiating Enterprise Agreements before July. ‘This will test the sincerity and intentions of employers,’ said NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda. ‘In the next three months we will find out which nursing homes value the contributions of their nurses, and which don’t.’ Judith said that in moving to a uniform national award for aged care nurses the Fair Work Australia tribunal has set rates below what nurses in NSW and Queensland are already getting. The result could be pay cuts of up to $300 a week for a senior nurse. ‘Aged care nurses who already have an Enterprise Agreement are not only protected from the risk of a pay cut, they are also getting guaranteed annual pay increases and improved conditions,’ she said.
‘Instead of waiting for employers to cut wages we are seeking to block them with this class action.’ NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda.
to uniform wage rates across Australia, starting 1 July. NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda said Fair Work Australia has
17th Enrolled Nurse State Conference
TWENTY 10 and BEYOND Enrolled Nurse Professional Association NSW 17th NSW Enrolled Nurse Conference DATE
16th and 17th September 2010
VENUE
Cessnock Supporters Club Darwin Street, Cessnock
22 THE LAMP MAY 2010
Sessions/Speakers include : • Organ Tissue Transplantation • The transition from EN to Nurse Practitioner • Infection Control & Immunization Updates • EN’s in Perioperative Nursing
• • •
To register or for further information please contact: Rebecca Roseby PO Box 775 KINGSWOOD 2747 Phone: 1300 554 249 E-mail: nroseby@bigpond.net.au Assessment & Retrieval of a Paediatric Patient Cardiac Rehabilitation EN Education – current information
set pay rates below what nurses on award wages in NSW and Queensland are already getting. ‘This gives employers the opportunity, if they so wish, to reduce nurses’ pay and other conditions,’ Judith said. She said the Federal Labor Government promised that no worker would lose pay in the transition to uniform national awards. ‘The Government said that if any employer imposes a wage cut, unions can apply to Fair Work Australia for a take home pay order to preserve that worker’s previous conditions,’ Judith said. ‘Instead of waiting for employers to cut wages we are seeking to block them with this class action for take home pay orders. ‘This is also a landmark case because no one has ever tried to use the take home pay provisions to protect the workforces of a large number of employers.’ A total of 284 private and not-for-profit nursing homes in NSW and 116 in Queensland are named in the class action.n
‘Lighting the Way’ The Enrolled Nurse Professional Association of NSW : a voice for all Enrolled Nurses.
www.enpansw.org.au FOCUS : • to pursue the professional, career and educational interests of EN’s • support and advocate for Enrolled Nurses in the NSW Health sector. • yearly enrolled nurse conference for networking and information.
‘FOR PROFIT’ SECTOR IS WORST OFFENDER ost aged care nurses not covered by an Enterprise Agreement work in the ‘for profit’ sector of the industry. ‘Under the old WorkChoices system, most “for profit” employers refused to bargain for an Enterprise Agreement because the Howard government’s legislation did not require it,’ said NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda. ‘It is now easier for the NSWNA to get employers to the negotiating table and it is time for the for-profit sector to match the pay rates offered by most charitable sector employers.’ Judith said most nurses at ‘not for profit’ or charitable nursing homes were covered by Enterprise Agreements based on a template negotiated by the Union and the employer association, the ACS. ‘However, a few not-for-profit employers are still holding out despite the recommendation of their own employer organisation. ‘The charitable-sector employers that have not offered their employees an Enterprise Agreement have made a decision that they don’t value their staff – because even their own advisor ACS has been recommending they adopt an agreement that provides for annual pay rises.’
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• to promote extended roles through further education. Join this progressive organisation and participate in the enhancement of your career. Membership fee’s are tax deductible. Membership $30 per annum FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Phone: 1300 554 249 Forward cheque/ money order & details to : ENPA, PO Box 775 Kingswood 2747
Name: Address:
Work Place: Contacts: (H)
(W)
MOB
THE LAMP MAY 2010 23
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BUILDING STRONGER COMMUNITIES
Last Drinks campaign launched g Nurses speak out against alcohol-related violence.
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orking in the ED at night, especially at the weekend, is no walk in the park at the best of times: chronic staff shortages mean nurses are already over-worked in busy EDs. So to be verbally and physically abused by patients under the influence of alcohol on top of this is unacceptable. This is why the NSWNA has joined forces with other emergency services organisations to launch the Last Drinks campaign, which calls on the NSW Government to introduce alcohol trading restrictions such as lockouts and reduced trading hours, similar to those already in place in Newcastle, state-wide to help put an end to nurses, doctors, police and paramedics becoming the victims of alcohol-related abuse. The Last Drinks report, which was launched on 30 March, pulls together statistics that show alcoholrelated violence ‘occurs mainly where extended late trading licensed premises are concentrated and is the major cause of injury and hospital admissions in areas surrounding the same “hotspots”’. The report cites two Australian studies that found almost 90% of ED nurses experience physical intimidation or assault at some point in their career, with up to 50% of episodes associated with alcohol or drugs, and that such violence occurs more commonly during evening and weekend shifts. Paula Brown’s experience bears this out. Paula is an RN at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown, who spoke at the campaign launch. She says she and her colleagues are routinely spat on, threatened and verbally abused by patients under the influence of alcohol. Occasionally they are even punched and kicked. ‘Unfortunately, we are easily accessible 24 THE LAMP MAY 2010
‘We get very worn down with the constant abuse of patients.’ Paula Brown, RN. in that they can find out who we are so the threats are not empty promises – there’s a good chance they could carry out their threats,’ she told The Lamp. ‘It does worry you as it happens most nights and it wears you down, mentally. We get very worn down with the constant abuse of patients.’ Paula says Wednesday through to Sunday evenings are the worst, especially during festivals such as Mardi Gras, Halloween and Christmas, as well as long weekends. In addition to taking its toll on the wellbeing of nurses, intoxicated patients also require more attention, especially when they need to be restrained. ‘They take your main focus when they become aggressive. Everyone focuses on that one patient and it takes you away from other patients who are less medically
well,’ said Paula. ‘Sometimes it takes up to six nurses to help restrain a person.’ One of the reasons so many nurses are leaving the profession or switching to parttime work is because they are so physically tired and mentally exhausted, especially if they are also constantly subjected to verbal and physical abuse, according to Paula. ‘You do definitely dread doing those shifts,’ she said. ‘You wonder what is going to come in each night. It’s very stressful – you’re constantly putting yourself in danger when attending to intoxicated patients.’ The current approach of appealing to people’s better instincts and calling for personal responsibility is not working, so the Last Drinks campaign is seeking stronger restrictions on late-night alcohol trading across the State, including a 1am lockout for all hotels, unless an earlier lockout has already been imposed. The campaign cites the success of a similar initiative in Newcastle in which reduced trading hours led to a decrease in the numbers of alcohol-related violence. Visit www.lastdrinks.org.au to sign a petition that will be delivered to Premier Kristina Keneally and Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell.n We would like to hear from you if you work in an ED about what it’s like in the early hours of the morning in relation to alcoholaffected patients. How does this impact on your job/department? Have you been assaulted/ threatened by alcohol-affected clients or their friends in your ED? Please share your experiences by emailing them to Rita Martin at rmartin@nswnurses.asn.au
Better Services for a Better State campaign launched g Campaign calls for investment in jobs and services in NSW.
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urses, along with other workers in the public sector, turned out for the launch of the Better Services for a Better State campaign on 24 March at the Domain in Sydney.
NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes spoke at the event, which was organised by Unions NSW. Unions NSW has been speaking to the NSW public in workplaces and community groups. The consensus is that NSW needs a commitment to better services across health, education, transport, basic utilities such as power and water, and community safety. For more information on the campaign visit www.betterstate.org.aun
NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes addresses the crowd at the Better Services for a Better State launch.
BETTER STATE
CHARTER At the heart of the campaign is the Better State charter, a set of five principles that Unions NSW will ask every candidate in the 2011 State election to endorse. They are: 1. Investing in workers. 2. Valuing our public assets. 3. Investing in infrastructure. 4. Improving workplace standards. 5. Respect for the public sector workforce.
Locomotive Divisional Secretary Alex Claassens from the Rail, Tram & Bus Union (RBTU) speaks to the crowd. On his left is Donna Evans, NSWNA Branch President at Sydney Hospital/ Sydney Eye Hospital (SH/SEH).
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THE LAMP MAY 2010 25
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26 THE LAMP MAY 2010
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I N D U S T R I A L I S S U E S
Staff angry over St Vincent’s closure g Nurses at St Vincent’s Hospital, Bathurst, are worried about their future.
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ixty-two nurses will lose their jobs in September when St Vincent’s Hospital in Bathurst closes. Catholic Healthcare, which owns the private hospital, was forced to announce the closure to the hospital’s 100 staff on 2 March after the media got wind of the news. It plans to redevelop the site and turn it into an aged care facility. The hospital was initially due to close on 1 June, but several days after the announcement the St Vincent’s Branch of the NSWNA passed a resolution to give Catholic Healthcare a week to reconsider its decision or face a community campaign against the closure. ‘Catholic Healthcare came back to us saying they were in discussions with a group of doctors from Orange who were looking at the possibility of setting up a day surgery in Bathurst and, because of this, Catholic Healthcare said they were prepared to keep the hospital open until 1 September,’ said NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda. ‘They want to see what they can negotiate with other key stakeholders in as far as keeping services in the community because they have copped a bit of community backlash.’ The closure of the hospital and its 30 beds is a huge blow to the community who will lose the local services, and to the nurses who will be out of a job.
‘There are no jobs at Bathhurst Base Hospital because of their budget situation,’ said Judith. ‘The most we can do for these nurses who will be out of work is get them on the casual pool at Bathurst Base and Orange Base and we’ve done that. We’ve given their names and what their specialities are.’
NSWNA organiser Linda Griffiths (centre) met with RN Helen Price (front left) and her colleagues at St Vincent’s Hospital on 2 March.
feeling angry and disillusioned about the closure. ‘Our initial reaction was shock – we didn’t see it coming,’ Helen told The Lamp. ‘As a nurse you assume you’ll be able to walk into any job but that’s not the case as there’s very few jobs here, especially for RNs. We don’t know what we are
‘There are very few jobs up here, especially for RNs. I don’t know what we are going to do.’ Helen Price, RN, St Vincent’s Hospital.
The NSWNA is calling on the State Government to release new funding from the Treasury to open the 15 closed beds at Bathurst Base, which will then allow the hospital to employ more staff. Union Officials have also met with State MP Gerard Martin and a working party comprising key stakeholders has been set up to consider possible options for the community and nurses. ‘We think there needs to be a similar model to Lithgow, which has a community-owned and run private hospital, co-located with their public hospital, and they share the services,’ said Judith Kiejda. The Association held a rally on 30 March, which was attended by 250 nurses as well as the local community. Helen Price, an RN who has worked at St Vincent’s for 10 years, said staff are
going to do. I’ve got a home loan and three children so I’m really worried. It’s a very stressful time and we are very angry at the way Catholic Healthcare is repaying the amazing loyalty of staff, many of whom have been employed here for more than 20 years.’ Helen said she and other nurses would either have to move out of the Bathurst area completely or travel to Orange for work, which is an hour’s drive each way. ‘We don’t want to have to up sticks and move. Many of us are settled with homes and have children in schools. And if I have to travel to Orange, instead of working a nine-day fortnight I’ll have to work fulltime to pay for the fuel.’ The NSWNA will continue to support members at St Vincent’s by exploring every option that becomes available during the working party discussions.n THE LAMP MAY 2010 27
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B E C A U S E W E
C A R E
Aged care is finally on the Federal agenda
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ecuring more funding for aged care and addressing the staffing crisis in the sector are key aims of the Because we care campaign. Last month the Federal Government finally took steps to put aged care firmly on its agenda.
Extra funding announced In mid-April the Federal Government announced $700 million for more aged care beds but did not address the primary issues such as ensuring adequate staffing levels and long overdue pay increases for nurses.
Productivity Commission to examine staffing issues However, a week later, the Government announced that aged care workforce issues will be included in the Productivity Commission’s review of the sector. The ANF has welcomed this decision. ‘This review provides an opportunity to finally address the major issues facing the aged care sector systematically,’ said ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney. ‘It demonstrates that the Prime Minister is listening to our concerns and it is the first sign of hope for aged care nurses in a long time.
funding to aged care providers is being spent and help ensure that the right level of funding is going to nursing care. ‘We are hopeful that along with this broad review of the system, the government will take some more immediate steps in next month’s Federal Budget, particularly in relation to the dire need for minimum staffing levels in aged care,’ Ged said.
Aged care to be part of health reform At the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on 19 April, aged care and primary care were named as being included in the Federal Government’s sweeping reforms of the health sector to receive additional funding and support. These wins are to be celebrated. However, the NSWNA is keen to see funding allocated specifically to improve aged care nurses’ wages. ‘These announcements are very welcome,’ said NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes. ‘It’s a credit to everyone involved in the Because we care campaign that raised awareness of the issues in aged care; the Federal Government seems to have listened. It is imperative, however, that funding is allocated to guarantee minimum staffing levels across the sector with the right skill mix and to ensure that aged
AGED CARE GETS OUR VOTE g Members and NSWNA Officials have been taking part in a series of events to promote the Because we care campaign.
SOUTH COAST LABOUR COUNCIL SUPPORTS AGED CARE NSWNA Organiser Stella Topaz spoke at the South Coast Labour Council (SCL) in Wollongong on 10 March, with three aged care members, and the SCL Council passed a resolution to publicly support the Because we care campaign. It also resolved to focus on Seniors’ Week to mobilise support for the campaign in consultation with its affiliates. SLC emailed its members on 23 March, urging them to visit the Because we care website and send a message to their MP.
‘This review provides an opportunity to finally address the major issues facing the aged care sector systematically.’ ‘Workforce issues are the most critical challenge facing the sector and this review has the scope to ensure we fix them in the long term. We are also pleased the review will examine ways of making funding for aged care more transparent and accountable. ‘This will help better inform the community on where the taxpayers’ 28 THE LAMP MAY 2010
care nurses receive the pay rise they so richly deserve. ‘Even the public recognise that aged care workers are not paid enough. According to a report by Essential Research, 76% of respondents said they believed aged care workers’ pay to be “too low”. By contrast, 84% found CEOs’ salaries “too high”,’ said Brett.n
QACAG GOES TO BENNELONG At a Seniors’ Week event in Bennelong on 30 March, QACAG members, in conjunction with a local community group, presented Member for
AGED CARE NURSES ATTEND COMMUNITY CABINET =A delegation of aged care nurses, NSWNA Officers and community members from the Quality Aged Care Action Group attended the Community Cabinet in Bennelong on 8 April. Community Cabinet is the Rudd Government’s initiative that gives communities the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Federal Government representatives about the issues that matter to them.
Meeting with Treasurer Wayne Swan (right), as part of the Bennelong Community Cabinet meeting, are (left to right): Rita Martin (Organiser Government and Community Relations, NSWNA); Stella Topaz (Professional Officer, NSWNA); Margaret Zanghi (Quality Aged Care Action Group); Lucille McKenna (DoN, St Mary’s Villa, NSWNA Council member); and Terri Burrell (RN in aged care).
Rita Martin from the NSWNA was able to ask a question directly to PM Rudd in the open forum, asking about his plans for aged care in the health reform. The PM said aged care is on the agenda for long-term change but gave no detail, and then requested that Minister Elliott and Treasurer Wayne Swan meet with the delegation after the Forum.
MEMBERS RUN STALLS 6On 18 March, a lunch and stall was held at Wollongong Nursing Home and 55 campaign postcards calling on MPs to fund aged care were collected from relatives, residents, nurses and other staff. This event was sponsored by Members Equity. On 20 March, members ran a stall at a large community event in Cessnock: ‘Relay for Life’. They invited their local MP Joel Fitzgibbons to visit the stall and receive the many hundreds of postcards collected in his electorate.
L-R: Sam Wilson (Members Equity); Linda Hardman, (AiN); Sharon Buchholtz; Michelle Duggan; and Sam Johns (General Services Officer) ran a stall at Wollongong Nursing Home to raise awareness of the NSWNA’s Because we care campaign.
FLYING HIGH The NSWNA has created some bookmark-size flyers to distribute to nurses and the wider community to make them aware of the Because we care campaign and what they can do to get involved. Contact Stella Topaz at stopaz@nswnurses.asn.au for more information.
L-R: NSWNA Professional Officer Stella Topaz, Shirley Ros-Shuley, Maxine McKew, Annette Peters, Glenys Moffat and Margaret Zanghi at a Seniors’ Week event in Bennelong.
Bennelong Maxine McKew with 1,700 pink QACAG postcards for her to pass on to Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot.
STALLS RUN BY QACAG MEMBERS =On 20 March members of QACAG held a stall at Bateau Bay shopping Centre where they collected 251 signed postcards in under three hours from the local community. The stall made good use of the new QACAG banners, which were sponsored by the NSWNA. During Seniors’ Week, a QACAG stall also took place on 30 March at Marrickville Seniors’ Expo in Federal MP Anthony Albanese’s electorate of Grayndler.
Marta Frasca from QACAG Central Coast Division (in campaign t-shirt) collected signed aged care postcards from community members. THE LAMP MAY 2010 29
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A G E N D A
Nurses bear the brunt of Ireland’s economic crisis g The global financial crisis smashed the Irish economy, with nurses and other public sector workers paying the heaviest price.
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he Irish Government, faced with one of the most severe economic crises since the 1930s, has slashed the public sector, with Irish nurses, teachers and police taking massive hits in pay and conditions. This policy approach is the opposite to that taken by countries like Australia, Britain, the United States and China, which opted for government intervention in the economy to maintain employment and living standards. Irish nurses have had a 20% pay cut, been burdened with a raft of new
The pressure on Laura Strain and her family was so great they were forced to emigrate to Australia.
taxes and seen their personal finances devastated by crumbling house prices. Laura Strain, now working at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, worked as
an ICU nurse in various hospitals around Dublin for eight years from 2002. She says that when the global financial crisis hit in 2007 public sector pay increases that were negotiated by unions were frozen by the Government in breach of agreements.
SLASH SPENDING VS STIMULUS
Laura says her take-home pay dropped from 600 euros a week to 500 euros or over 5000 euros per year. In Australian dollars that’s a $7,300 pay cut!
Ireland took a divergent path from other countries like Australia in dealing with the global financial crisis. While Australia opted for government intervention in the economy with a stimulus package, Ireland slashed public sector wages and social security and raised taxes. The results have been catastrophic.
Unemployment As at January 2010, Australia’s unemployment rate was 5.3%. Ireland’s was 11% and was disguised by the increasing number of Irish citizens emigrating.
GDP Growth Australia’s economy grew by 2.7% in 2009 and is estimated to grow by a further 2% in 2010. Ireland’s economy shrunk by 7.3% in 2009 and
30 THE LAMP MAY 2010
is estimated to shrink by another 2% this year.
House prices House prices in Ireland fell by 26.7% between February 2007 and December 2009. International researchers Capital Economics say a further 25% drop is still likely. Australian house prices increased by 12.3% in the year to December 2007, dropped by 3.3% the following year and increased by 13.6% in the year ending December 2009 (ABS).
Government debt Ireland’s Government debt rose to 63.7% of GDP in 2009 and is expected to rise to 70% in 2010. Australia’s government debt stands at around 18.6% and is projected to fall to 2.2% of GDP ($45.4 billion) by 2019-20.
‘Then, at the beginning of 2009, the Government started introducing pay cuts across the public sector and placed an embargo on staffing. They weren’t replacing nurses, teachers or police,’ she said. Laura says all the 2009 nursing graduates went to England after the British Government did a recruitment drive. ‘After investing in four years of university training, the Irish Government let them go,’ she said. Not only did the Government cut wages but it also introduced an income levy of 2% and a pension levy of 7-9%. Laura says her take home pay dropped
from 600 euros a week to 500 euros or over 5,000 euros per year. In Australian dollars that’s a $7,300 pay cut!
Social security slashed, house prices collapse The Government also slashed a host of social security benefits. ‘I’m a parent with two kids. The child benefit and another supplementary child benefit were axed as well so there was no help with childcare,’ says Laura. While things became very grim in the public sector it was even worse in the private sector with industries like construction practically folding overnight. ‘My husband became unemployed in 2008 when the construction industry collapsed. He didn’t work for 12 months,’ says Laura. ‘He earned less than me but we had our own home. It wasn’t a fantastic standard of living but a reasonable standard. When he lost his job and my pay was cut, things changed and we had to look at what was best for our children.’ Laura says the big drop in a joint income was a common problem. ‘There were many families like us. There were a lot of people with big mortgages and other debts who then lost equity in their houses as well as their jobs. ‘We bought our house in 2003 for 215,000 euros. In 2006 it was worth 420,000 euros. Now it would be worth 280,000 euros. Anyone who bought at the height of the market would have been destroyed.’
Reckless banks and poor government
A TALE OF TWO ECONOMIES
The root cause of Ireland’s economic woes was an out-of-control property market that has now imploded. Property has nosedived in value over the past two years. The country’s banks are in a catastrophic state with ‘toxic loans’ estimated to be half as big as the entire Irish economy. Irish taxpayers have had to shell out 8.5 billion euros (12 billion Australian dollars) to bail out its banks after years of reckless lending that has brought the economy to its knees. Ireland took the opposite path to Australia in response to the global financial crisis. Rather than inject money into a stalling economy via a stimulus package it raised taxes and cut spending that reduced demand in the economy. The Finance Minister Brian Lenihane, in a draconian Budget late last year, cut public sector pay by up to 20% – including that of nurses – and raised prescription charges by 50%. The dole was slashed by up to 50%. These policies deepened the slump. In contrast, Australia’s expansion is being boosted by spending by the Federal Government, which is outlaying $22 billion on roads, railways, ports and schools. Following the stimulus, 194,600 more jobs were added in the five months through to January this year, cutting the unemployment rate to 5.3%.
or centuries Ireland was one of the poorest countries in Europe with a population hardwired to emigration. This all changed from the mid1990s when its economy often grew by 10% or more per year until it was one of the wealthiest European nations. Ireland was widely lauded by economists and financial commentators as the ‘Celtic Tiger’. The global financial crisis and the Irish Government’s response have virtually annihilated these gains. While Australia has managed to avoid recession following the global financial crisis, Ireland has experienced a near depression. During 2009 Ireland’s GDP fell by 7.5% and it is expected to fall by another 2% in 2010. It is the biggest economic contraction in an industrialised nation since the 1930s. Government debt rose to 63.7% of GDP in 2009 and is expected to rise to 70% in 2010. By comparison, during 2009 Australia’s economy grew by 2.7% and is projected to grow by a further 2% in 2010. Despite large-scale spending to stimulate the economy, Australian Government debt as a percentage of GDP remains low at 18.6%.
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Forced emigration reappears David Begg, General Secretary of Ireland’s Congress of Trade Unions, described the policies of Ireland’s conservative Government as ‘a charter for exploitation that puts very deep blue water between this Government and the majority of the Irish people’. Begg described the options available to a young worker as ‘take a job at any price or emigrate. Once again we will see our youngest and best educated either beaten down by exploitation or forced overseas’. Over 60,000 Irish citizens have moved to Australia, Canada and New Zealand in the past year. The number of residence visas for Australia increased by 25% last year to 2,501. Another 22,786 people aged under 35 took up working holiday visas.n
PUBLIC DEBT AS % OF GDP Australia Switzerland Spain
18.6% 43.5% 50.0%
United States
52.9%
World
56.0%
Netherlands
62.2%
Ireland
63.7%
United Kingdom Germany France Italy Singapore Japan
68.5% 77.2% 79.7% 115.2% 117.6% 192.1% Source: CIA World Fact Book 2009 THE LAMP MAY 2010 31
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PROFESSIONAL ISSUES
National registration IMPORTANT! standards approved g The Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council has approved national registration standards and other National Board proposals.
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andatory registration standards that will apply to all health practitioners registered under the national scheme as well as Board-specific registration standards have been signed off by the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council. For nursing and midwifery this includes: c the five mandatory registration standards: c criminal history, c English language, c professional indemnity insurance,
c continuing professional develop-
ment, and c recency of practice. c Endorsement for nursing practitioners. c Endorsement for scheduled medicines (RNs) for rural and isolated practice. The Ministerial Council is still deciding on accreditation standards and codes and guidelines for nursing and midwifery. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) has now released its draft proposal on the registration standard for endorsement of eligible midwives. The Board has also prepared a draft guide on eligibility requirements and
The NMBA will be writing to every nurse and midwife currently registered to advise you of your registration type from 1 July 2010 and the process for transition into the new scheme. It is critical that your contact details with the Nurses and Midwives Board of NSW are correct. Nurses and midwives are asked to check this letter carefully and provide any feedback about incorrect information to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Contact details for the agency will be provided in the letter.
qualifications required for a registered midwife to be endorsed under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 as an ‘eligible midwife’. The NSWNA is also still waiting on notification of transition arrangements.n
The Edith Cavell Trust
Scholarships for the academic year 2011 Applications for the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarships are now being accepted for 2011. Members or Associate Members of the NSW Nurses’ Association or the Australian Nursing Federation (NSW Branch) are invited to apply. Applicants should meet one of the following criteria: 1. Student nurses undertaking full-time courses leading to initial registration as a nurse. 2. Registered or enrolled nurses who 32 THE LAMP MAY 2010 wish to attend:
an accredited clinical nursing education course of six months or less, either full-time or part-time; an accredited nursing conference or seminar relevant to applicant’s clinical practice. 3. Properly constituted nursing organisations, faculties or schools of nursing or registered or enrolled nurses wishing to: attend full-time, relevant postbasic studies at an approved institution for a period or periods of more than six months;
undertake an academically approved research program in the theory and practice of nursing work; conduct or fund a relevant professional or clinical nursing educational program. Applicants must be currently registered or enrolled with the NSW
Nurses’ Registration Board (or the Registration Board of the state where practising). Applicants must use the official Edith Cavell Trust application form. Details of the Edith Cavell Trust Rules are available on request and will also be supplied with the application form.
For further information or forms, contact: The Secretary – The Edith Cavell Trust PO Box 40, Camperdown NSW 1450 Mrs Glen Ginty on 1300 367 962 gginty@nswnurses.asn.au www.nswnurses.asn.au – click on ‘Education’
Applications close 5pm on 30 July 2010
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Q & A
ASK
JUDITH
WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR RIGHTS AND ENTITLEMENTS AT WORK, NSWNA ASSISTANT GENERAL SECRETARY JUDITH KIEJDA HAS THE ANSWERS.
Do I have to attend mediation? Following an investigation into a complaint I lodged about a colleague, I have been directed by management to attend mediation with the person I complained about. Do I have to go to mediation and can my employer direct me to go?
Mediation is a voluntary and confidential process that is conducted by a skilled mediator. You can decline the offer to attend mediation. Mediation can have many benefits with the main aim being to assist both parties to air their differences, reach an understanding of the other’s position and find their own solution. A mediator may also suggest ideas for resolution. The mediation meeting should be conducted in an informal atmosphere and no formal minutes of the meeting are taken. The mediator can either be a trained person who works for the organisation or an outside professional mediator but it should not be anyone who has conducted interviews with the staff involved. The mediator needs to be independent, should be seen to be independent, be neutral and not make judgements.
Can I access my Award online? My work colleagues and I often have questions about rates and entitlements. Is it possible to access our Award online to find out the answers to our questions?
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Yes, all current awards, agreements and pay rates are available on the NSWNA website www.nswnurses.asn.au and are located in the members-only area. You will need your membership number to log in to the members-only section.
Am I being disadvantaged in regards to leave? I am a permanent part-time employee in a public hospital. My contracted hours are 24 hours per week, but I routinely work more hours. I would like to increase my hours permanently, but my NUM keeps saying she hasn’t got any vacancies. I think I am being disadvantaged by not accruing leave based on the hours I actually work. Can you advise?
Depending on how long you have been working extra shifts, this may not be correct. The Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2008 states in Clause 29. Part-time, Casual and Temporary Employees, Part 1, Subclause (xii): ‘A part-time employee may elect to increase their contracted hours to reflect the average of the actual hours worked per fortnight in the preceding 12-month period (except in circumstances where the part-time engagement has been specifically for the purpose of temporarily backfilling a position where the substantive occupant has been on extended leave). The employer will not unreasonably withhold agreement to this request.’ So, if you have been working extra shifts for a period of 12 months, you can
ask that these additional hours be added to your contract. Also, it is important to note for part-time employees, that any additional shifts (not shifts paid at overtime rates) are calculated for the purpose of sick, annual and long service leave. That is, your pay office will base your leave on the actual hours worked, not the contracted hours, so you will not be disadvantaged in this manner.
Workload in aged care is too great I am an RN working in an aged care facility with 145 beds where only one RN is rostered on the night shift. The workload is too great and the owner is saying that at the moment, all they need to have is one RN on at night or, in fact, at any time of the day. Is this true and, if so, what is the Union doing about it?
The current legislative requirement for nursing homes is that a facility with any amount of high care beds only need have one RN on duty at all times (s.52 of the Public Health Act 1991). However, the NSWNA and the ANF are lobbying the Federal Government through our Because we care campaign to increase Federal funding for aged care and introduce legislation that sets minimum staff-to-patient ratios and appropriate skill mix. For further information on the Because we care campaign and how you can get involved, go to www.becausewecare.org. au or call the Association.n 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 MAY 2010 33
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N U R S E S O N L I N E
What’s hot on Nurse Uncut HOT TOPICS Violence in nursing homes Many people think elderly patients don’t have the strength or the know-how to be violent, but that’s not the case. Many aged care nurses are routinely punched, kicked and grabbed, usually by demented patients. What’s been your experience? Should we have to put up with violence, even in nursing homes? Have your say at Nurse Uncut.
Obesity Everyone’s got an opinion on it. Do we have too much choice over what we eat in the developed world? Is it really about eating too much or is obesity an addiction or a cultural issue? Tell us your views at Nurse Uncut.
Romance in the workplace Getting together with someone you work with is great when things are rosy between you but can be awkward when the relationship falls apart – not just for you but your colleagues. Should medical staff who work at the same place enter into a romantic relationship? Tell us what you think at Nurse Uncut.
34 THE LAMP MAY 2010
WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT ... ROSTERING ‘Because one particular person did the roster he ignored requests and seemed to single out certain people to give the worst rosters to. We are allowed three requests per roster and I only ever make one request every couple of rosters. This person totally ignored what we had put into the draft planner. Mad.’
‘We have a brilliant rostering system – a very clever EEN does our roster and everyone gets exactly what they want. I kid you not. Of course, we are not in a metropolitan area and there are less of us. Come to the country city folks – there is life outside Sydney. Of course, you will not get a full-time position; our area health service does not believe in that, but there’s lots of casual work to be had.’
COMPETITION: BEST NURSING TIP Have you ever received or read a great tip that helped you in your life as a student nurse and/or as a professional? Did you ever come across a wonderful way for studying nursing or working well at your nursing job? Share your best nursing tips at Nurse Uncut to be in with a chance to win a $150
book voucher from Elsevier Australia. The runner-up will receive a perfume. Leave your tip online in the comments section at www.nurseuncut. com.au/archives/780.html Competition closes 15 May.
BLOGGERS WANTED: BECOME A NURSE UNCUT CHAMPION! We hope you have had the chance to visit the nine-month-old social networking site for nurses, Nurse Uncut (http://nurseuncut.com.au) that is endorsed by the NSWNA. As you know, we launched on 12 July last year and have received tremendous support and positive feedback from the nursing community. The first and second group of Nurse Uncut champions we have worked with have been brilliant but now it is time to ‘change the guards’, so to speak. We are again looking for websavvy members passionate about nursing to become part of Group 3 of the Uncutters. The Uncutters will help
us write content for the blog and start the conversations going at Nurse Uncut from 1 June to 31 August 2010. Don’t worry: successful applicants will be provided with training and support. If interested, Please email Christine at admin@nurseuncut.com.au by Monday, 17 May with the following: c Email expressing your interesting in volunteering to be part of Group 3 of the Uncutters c Write a test piece (or blog post as we call it) with the topic ‘Nursing and Me’ (tell us something about you, your background, why you took up nursing and what you love about your profession).n
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NURSING RESEARCH ONLINE
Battle continues over health reforms t’s hard to know how much is just political theatre, but it appears the Premiers, particularly Brumby in Victoria and Keneally in NSW, drove a hard bargain during the recent COAG health reform talks. While Western Australia has remained resolute in its opposition to the financial arrangements in the scheme, the rest of Australia has signed up for a proposal that should result in some major changes for many nurses and midwives. This month Nursing Research Online covers some of the latest developments in the health reform discussion.
I
A National Health and Hospitals Network: Further investments in Australia’s Health
Rudd’s Health Reforms: More politics than policy
Commonwealth of Australia, 2010
Kevin Rudd might well be wondering after a two-day long COAG meeting if he should have been careful what he wished for. Having gained a hard-fought agreement with the states (with the exception of WA) on health reform, his Government now has to move onto the more difficult task of ensuring that his proposed reforms actually deliver (and are seen to deliver) better health care in the complex and high-profile area of public hospitals. While there may be some benefits to the plan – principally the imposition of a nationally consistent funding system and more transparent reporting and standards – there are also some serious potential disadvantages.
This document outlines the next stage of our health reforms to deliver substantial improvements in the quality and availability of health care for Australians. The Government proposals include a guarantee that elective surgery will be performed within the recommended clinical timeframe, the four-hour national access targets will be established in Emergency Departments, the Government will pay for better health outcomes rather than merely fee-for-service through plans for individualised diabetes case management, and the Government will assume full responsibility for aged care in Australia. www.health.gov.au
Jennifer Doggett, 20 April 2010
http://cpd.org.au/article/healthreforms-more-politcs-policy
The National Health Debate ABC News, Tuesday, 23 March 2010, National Press Club
Panel picks apart the Prime Minister’s plan The World Today, ABC News, 21 April
Watch the entire health debate between Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/ 03/23/2853722.htm
The World Today is a comprehensive current affairs program that backgrounds, analyses, interprets and encourages debate on events and issues of interest and importance to all Australians. Panellists providing input into this discussion included three experts with a range of perspectives on the issue: Professor John Dwyer (Professor of Medicine at the University of New South Wales), Prue Power (Executive Director of the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association) and Dr Sally McCarthy,
who is head of emergency at the Prince of Wales Hospital and the President of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine – an area of care that was a major focus of the negotiations between the Premiers and the Prime Minister. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/ content/2010/s2878916.htm
Australian Health Ministers’ Conference 22 April 2010, Joint Communiqué
Australian Health Ministers from the Commonwealth and all States and Territories met in Perth and discussed a range of health issues including the groundbreaking national health reforms negotiated at COAG. Ministers noted that under the new National Health and Hospitals Network Agreement, the Commonwealth has committed $5.3 billion in new money over the next four years. In addition, the Agreement includes a Commonwealth guarantee of at least an extra $15.6 billion in health funding from 2014-2015 to 2019-2020 – noting that both these amounts include a share for Western Australia, which has not yet signed the Agreement. The Commonwealth has guaranteed that each State and Territory will be no worse off and that any GST revenue foregone by States and Territories under this deal is returned to jurisdictions as health funding.n http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ main/publishing.nsf/Content/mryr10-dept-dept220410.htm THE LAMP MAY 2010 35
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nnn%fiXe^\%ejn%^fm%Xl fi nnn%fiXe^\Ylj`e\jj%Zfd%Xl G% ') -*0* /),' 36 THE LAMP MAY 2010
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N S W N A M A T T E R S
Shop ’n save with Union Shopper g If you’re looking for a bargain, check out Union Shopper, which offers members discounted prices on a range of items and services.
R
egistered Nurse and Midwife Erica Campbell decided it was time to get a new television when she found out that the 2009 School Spectacular was only going to be shown in full on ABC’s digital channel, ABC2. It was the last year her daughter would be performing in the spectacular and she didn’t want to miss it, but living and working in the small, rural town of Forbes made looking for a new TV difficult. ‘To find a good selection of digital televisions I would have had to travel to Orange, which is 100km away and possibly to Dubbo, too, which is 140km away. But then I remembered Union Shopper, and I thought I’d give it a go,’ says Erica. ‘My husband had also been looking on the internet, but Union Shopper got back to me within 24 hours with a price that was $120 cheaper than the best online deal, even after the $75 delivery fee. It would have cost me a lot more than that in petrol to go shopping in Orange or Dubbo,’ says Erica.
The new wide-screen LCD television was a wonderful way to see her daughter perform in the school spectacular for the last time and Erica has since recommended Union Shopper to her colleagues. ‘It’s a fantastic service that takes the hassle out of finding a good deal, especially if you live in a small town. I’d recommend it to anybody wanting to save time and money,’ says Erica.
c c c c c c c c c c
What is Union Shopper?
How can I save money?
The Union Shopper Inc. is a 100% unionowned organisation working exclusively for unions, which means that each union’s membership (that’s you) owns this great service.
How does Union Shopper work? Union Shopper uses the combined bargaining power of unions to offer members discounts on a wide range of products and services, including: c Whitegoods and appliances
Travel and accommodation Computer hardware and software Home entertainment Cars and accessories Cameras Insurance Magazine subscriptions Entertainment tickets Garden products Health and fitness. Call Union Shopper on 1300 368 117, quote your NSWNA membership number and tell them what product you’re interested in. Union Shopper will get back to you with a quote within 24 hours. More information is available on the Union Shopper website at www. unionshopper. com.aun
RN and Registered Midwife Erica Campbell was delighted with her purchase of a new TV through Union Shopper.
THE LAMP MAY 2010 37
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Bio-Oil Celebrates International Nurses Day Bio-Oil® is a specialist skincare product formulated to help improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tone. Its unique formulation is also highly effective for ageing & dehydrated skin. International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. To celebrate, Bio-Oil® is giving away a Travel Voucher valued at $500, a Home Theatre System worth up to $300 and 250 bottles of Bio-Oil® to the 1st 250 correct entries. 1st Prize: Wotif Gift Voucher 2nd Prize: Samsung Home Theatre System Go to http://bio-oilnurseday.campaign.net.au NOW to win!
The Nielsen Co. ScanTrack Pharmacy Co© for Bio-Oil® 60ml. Cosmetic and Therapeutic skincare (excl washes, anti-fungal and cold sore preps) for MAT 05/07/2009. Bio-Oil® is a registered product of Union-Swiss | Successfully treating skin since 1954, © Union-Swiss 2010, All rights reserved. Distributed by Aspen Pharmacare 34–36 Chandos Street, St Leonards, NSW 2065 | BOT075
38 THE LAMP MAY 2010
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The McKesson branch of the NSWNA, formed in 2009, recently held its first Annual General Meeting. Pictured is Branch President Vicki Brimelow (left) and delegate Renee Parish. As telephone triage nurses, Vicki said their members’ roles cover ‘multiple dimensions of nursing and present unique issues including modes of support and communication with each other’. For more information on future meetings see Diary Dates.
N S W N A M A T T E R S
NSWNA Branch News Photo courtesy of Women’s Electoral Lobby
ns get active in campaig g NSWNA members . lebrate achievements and protests, and ce
The NSWNA’s Leeton Branch members took their protest to keep Carramar Aged Care Facility in public hands to the main street of Leeton. The Branch’s next stop will be NSW Parliament. Vicki Purcell shares her story in Letters to the Editor, see page 6.
0 NSWNA staff, members and their families took part in International Women’s Day celebrations marching through Sydney’s CBD on 8 March. NSWNA Organiser Holly Rebeiro said the day was important as ‘2010 marked 99 years of marching for women’s rights and we’re hoping for a huge turnout next year to celebrate 100 years of International Women’s Day marches’. 7 NSWNA members and staff took part in the Branch Officials and Activist Training (BOAT) ‘Safe Patient Care’ workshop on 12 March. From left to right: NSWNA Organiser Michael Whaites, (back) Wendy Moir, (front) Rosalie Menadue and Hye Se-Yong, Sonia Malour (back) Kathy Wong (front), NSWNA Organiser Jo McKeough, Susan Green (front), NSWNA Organiser Gayle Hartley (back) and Claire Waites.
Wallsend Aged Care Facility celebrated its one-year milestone after its successful campaign to stay open by holding a barbeque for residents, their families and staff. Pictured (centre) is resident James, with his mum (left) and his nurse (right). James’ parents campaigned tirelessly to protest THE LAMP MAY 2010 39 against privatisation.
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A T
T H E
OUR REVIEWERS & TIPSTERS RECEIVE A DELIGHTFUL
M O V I E S
ABC CLASSICS CD
FOR UPLIFTING ENJOYMENT! Gifts so good, you won’t want to give them away. There is an ABC Shop near you. For locations visit abcshop.com.au or call 1300 360 111. Ask about our rewards program.
Food, Inc. g The shocking truths about what we eat, how it’s produced and the cost to our health is revealed in this gripping documentary.
A
wise, former colleague once made a prophetic statement decades ago that ‘our end will come through the food chain’. I didn’t really understand the full implications of what she said at the time and, not wanting to appear too dumb, nodded sagely and let it pass unquestioned. Watching Food, Inc. recently was the equivalent of being slapped across the face and being shaken awake from my complacency regarding the food industry in general. Food, Inc. is a gripping documentary of food production processes in the US but the parallels in Australia are only too obvious. It is an exploration and exposé on the source of food production with particular emphasis on how it is, in large part, driven by the fast-food industry. Producer-director Robert Kenner and investigative authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) reveal surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it’s produced and what the cost is to our health. Fast food is increasingly a staple of the average American family as it has become cheaper than fresh food, and Coca Cola is cheaper than water. The result is an explosion of diabetes with 40 THE LAMP MAY 2010
one in three children born after 2000 becoming diabetic or one in two if from a minority group. It shows how the images still used to sell products are those of agrarian America – a pastoral fantasy. Seasons no longer exist in supermarkets and roughly 47,000 products line the shelves of the average supermarket, giving the illusion of fantastic choice when, in fact, the food industry is increasingly contracting, with only a handful of multinational companies controlling food supply. The ubiquitous corn is a remarkable plant! Clever rearrangements of corn give the illusion of diversity in supermarkets with corn found in practically every processed product on the shelves, ranging from cleaning products to fertilisers, nappies and even batteries. Fresh food production is being replaced by corn production with 30% of land mass in the US devoted to this. Modern meat processing methods are shown in graphic detail to be detrimental not only to the animals that are made to live in appalling conditions until slaughtered but also to the humans that eat them. Chickens are no longer farmed but mass-produced. Their confinement in tiny, overcrowded areas, together with hormone-enhancing growth processes leads to them no longer being able to
Review by Anni Cameron, Clinical Co-ordinator, Nursing Section, St George College of TAFE
support their own weight. Antibiotics put into their feed have culminated in resistance to various bacteria which, in turn, is passed onto human consumers. Cows are now fed on corn, replacing the grass they would normally eat, to speed up growth and plumpness. One of the consequences of that is E.Coli strain 157H7 has flourished, not only in meat but plant products as well with food poisoning outbreaks across the US and a significant number of affected people succumbing to kidney failure and death. Farmers are now forbidden to save and reuse seeds and must buy new seed from Monsanto each season. This company employs 75 mainly ex-military types as private investigators to ensure that this occurs, and farmers themselves have been silenced – afraid to speak out about what’s happening to the food supply for fear of retaliation and lawsuits from giant corporations. This documentary is not for the fainthearted and at times was difficult to watch but it is one I would strongly urge that all nurses see. It is a timely reminder that unless we are vigilant, this could become the norm here in Australia. We are already on the path in terms of our utilising horrific factory farming practices.n Food, Inc. opens on 20 May.
Animal Kingdom g Animal Kingdom is a riveting psychological crime drama set in the Melbourne underworld.
Review by Stephanie Gray, RN, Australian Red Cross Blood Service
GIVEAWAYS FOR NSWNA MEMBERS
44 INCH CHEST Provocative, outrageously profane and surprisingly tender amidst an explosion of unbridled testosterone, 44 Inch Chest explores the masculine ego at breaking point, testing whether fear is stronger than love.
W
elcome to the Melbourne underworld, where tensions are building between dangerous criminals and equally
dangerous police. Animal Kingdom tells the story of 17year-old Josh Cody (James Frecheville) as he navigates his survival among an explosive criminal family and the detective who thinks he can save him. Armed robber Pope Cody (Ben Mendelsohn) is in hiding, on the run from a gang of renegade detectives who want him dead. His business partner and best friend, Barry ‘Baz’ Brown (Joel Edgerton), wants out of the game, knowing that their days on the run and their bandit days are pretty much over. Pope’s younger brother is speedaddicted and volatile Craig Cody (Sullivan Stapleton), who is making quite a lot of money in the illicit substance trade – he is the true ‘cash cow’ of the family. The youngest Cody brother, Darren (Luke Ford), is rather naïve and just rolls along with his criminal family – the only world he has ever known. Following the death of his mother from a drug overdose, Josh enters into
this estranged dysfunctional family, under the watchful eye of his doting grandmother, Smurf (Jacki Weaver), mother of the Cody boys. Josh quickly assimilates into the family and thinks he is a player in their world, but soon discovers this world is far larger and more menacing than he could imagine. When tensions between the family and the police reach a bloody peak, Josh finds himself at the centre of a coldblooded revenge plot that turns the family upside down and threatens to ensnare innocent by-standers such as his girlfriend, Nicky (Laura Wheelwright). One senior cop, Nathan Leckie (Guy Pearce), must lure Josh into the police fold and then shepherd him through a complex minefield of witness protection, corrupt cops, slippery lawyers and a paranoid and vengeful underworld. This film is violent, but insightful into the law of the jungle – the animal kingdom of the daily lives of corrupt, violent cops and an equally corrupt and violent underworld, how they justify what they do as ‘normal’ and that their way is right. It is an excellent film depicting the criminal world of Melbourne and the disintegration of an Australian crime family.n Animal Kingdom opens on 3 June.
RAY
WINSTONE
IAN
McSHANE
JOHN
HURT
TOM
WILKINSON
STEPHEN
DILLANE
JOANNE
WHALLEY
FROM THE WRITERS OF SEXY BEAST
THE MEASUR E OF REVENG E
PRESCIENCE MEDIA 1 LLP OMNI FILMS LLP AND TWILIGHT PRODUCTI RAY WINSTONE IAN McSHANE JOHN HURT TOM WILKINSON ON & ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION PRESENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH IM GLOBAL AN ANONYMOUS CONTENT/PASSENGER EXECUTIVE STEPHEN DILLANE “44 INCH CHEST” JOANNE WHALLEY MELVI PRODUCTION PRODUCERS PAUL BRETT GLENN BROWN EXECUTIVE L POUPAUD CASTIBYNG DAVY CDG PRODUCERCO-PETER HESLOP TIM SMITH STUART FORD PRODUCERS EXECUTIVE LOUIS MELLIS & DAVID SCINTO PRODUCERS ADDITIONAL RAY WINSTONE IAN McSHANE DESICOSTUMEGNERCAROLIGARY MUSIC BY 100 SUNS EDITOR RICK RUSSELL PRODUCTION NE HARRIS MUSIBYCANGELO BADALAMENTI DIRECTOR OF DESIGN BY JOHN STEVENSON PHOTOGRAPHY EXECUTIVE PRODUCED DANIEL N PRODUCERS PAUL GREEN DAVE MORRISON BY RICHARD BROWN AND STEVE DIRECTED GOLIN WRITTENBYLOUIS MELLIS & DAVID SCINTOLANDI BY MALCOLM VENVILLE
Colin (Ray Winstone) is in agony, shattered by his wife’s (Joanne Whalley) infidelity. However, he has friends who do more than stand by – they kidnap the wife’s French lover and hold him prisoner so that Colin can restore his manhood with revenge. A kangaroo court takes place and as the situation escalates, loverboy’s life hangs in the balance as Colin wrestles with revenge, remorse, grief and self-pity, all the while egged on by his motley crew of friends who just want him to get on with it so they can get down the pub. www.44inchchestfilm.com 44 Inch Chest opens on 29 April. To win one of 25 double passes to 44 Inch Chest and Animal Kingdom, email lamp@nswnurses.asn.au with your film preference, name, membership number, address and contact number. First entries win!
We are seeking closet film buffs to share with other nurses their views on the movies they love and hate. It’s a chance to see previews of next month’s new releases. Please contact us with expressions of interest to be part of our movie review team. Call Editorial Enquiries now on 02 8595 1258 or email lamp@nswnurses.asn.au THE LAMP MAY 2010 41
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-
dation, White Pass Rail, AnAn bear viewing tour and Stikine River wilderness and glacier cruise
Vancouver & Rockies Tour x 12 day/11 night independent tour x Land from $A 3,800 per person twin share basis x Includes: Rocky Mountaineer Redleaf, ViaRail
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
S Spectrum Holidays Licence No 32827
42 THE LAMP MAY 2010
511 Whitehorse Rd, Mitcham, VIC 3132 enquiries@spectrumholidays.com.au www.spectrumholidays.com.au Telephone - 1300 130 840 Fax - 03 8804 2426
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N O T I C E
Summary of NSWNA Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2009
T
he financial statements of the New South Wales Nurses’ Association have been audited in accordance with the provisions of the Industrial Relations Act 1991, and the following summary is provided for members in accordance with Section 517 (2) of the Act, as applied by section 282(3) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1996. A copy of the Financial Statements, including the Independent Audit Report, will be supplied free of charge to members upon request. Certificates required to be given under the Act by the Accounting Officer and the Committee of Management have been completed in accordance with the provisions of the Act and contain no qualifications.
INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED TO MEMBERS OR REGISTRAR In accordance with the requirements of the Industrial Relations Act 1991 [NSW], the attention of members is drawn to the provisions of Sub-sections (1) and (2) of Section 512 which read as follows: 1. A member of an organisation, or the Industrial Registrar, may apply to the organisation for specified information prescribed by the regulations in relation to the organisation. 2. An organisation must, on the making of such an application, make the specified information available to the member or the Industrial Registrar in the manner, and within the time, prescribed by the regulations.
STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2009 INCOME Membership Subscriptions
2009 ($)
2008 ($)
20,982,291
19,933,682
NursePower Fund Subscriptions
5,577,571
5,298,917
Other Income
2,172,092
2,644,943
28,731,954
27,877,542
(28,026,496)
(25,329,156)
705,458
2,548,386
1,206,740
(2,631,639)
Actuarial Gains/(Losses) – Defined Benefit Fund
797,170
(3,316,570)
Limitation on Net Assets – Defined Benefit Fund
-
748,600
2,709,368
(2,651,223)
TOTAL INCOME Less total expenditure SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR Net Gain/(Loss) on revaluation of Financial Assets
Total comprehensive income attributable to members
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2009 ACCUMULATED FUNDS
26,622,778
23,913,410
6,291,327
3,112,278
Non-Current Assets
33,523,611
27,825,069
TOTAL ASSETS
39,814,938
30,937,347
Current Liabilities
6,504,511
6,176,296
Non-Current Liabilities
6,687,649
847,641
TOTAL LIABILITIES
13,192,160
7,023,937
NET ASSETS
26,622,778
23,913,410
Represented by:
AUDITOR’S CERTIFICATE We certify that the above Summary of the Financial Statements is a fair and accurate summary of the Report, Accounts and Statements of the New South Wales Nurses’ Association for the year ended 31 December 2009. Our Independent Audit Report to the members dated 13 April 2010 on the Financial Report did not contain any particulars of any deficiency, failure or shortcoming as referred to in the Industrial Relations Act 1991 [NSW], as applied by Section 282 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1996.
DALEY & CO Chartered Accountants 98 Kembla Street Wollongong NSW 2500
Michael L Gleeson Registered Company Auditor Dated this 13th day of April 2010.
Current Assets
A copy of the Financial Report, including the Independent Audit Report, may be found on the Members page of the website www.nswnurses.asn.au or can be obtained upon written application to: Brett Holmes, General Secretary, New South Wales Nurses’ Association, PO Box 40, Camperdown, NSW 1450.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation THE LAMP MAY 2010 43
Sydney August 11 & 12 Rosehill Racecourse Open from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm Delegates - free attendance Register online today at www.totalagedservices.com.au
For all enquiries re exhibiting or attending, contact: Wayne Woff, Manager Total Aged Services P: 03 9571 5606 / 0422 484 209 F: 03 9571 9708 E: office@totalagedservices.com.au www.totalagedservices.com.au CAREX is proudly supported by:
Post-Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing in Canberra (Full Scholarship)
Second Semester July Intake – 2010 ACT Health through Mental Health ACT (MHACT) has developed a program for Registered Nurses (RNs) to gain post-graduate mental health nursing qualifications. The Post Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing is an excellent means by which RNs can build their knowledge and skills base in caring for people experiencing a range of mental health conditions. The program is clinically based and provides RNs with the option of either part-time or full-time paid employment with MHACT for 12 to 18 months in Canberra, while they study through the University of Canberra. Living in Canberra offers a culturally diverse lifestyle and stimulating environment with all the benefits of a city while retaining its rural personality, it is an ideal place to educate and bring up a family. During the program, RNs rotate through a range of diverse clinical services, including crisis assessment, acute inpatient, rehabilitation, community adult, child and adolescent and older persons as well as placement options with specialist teams. ACT Health.indd 44 THE LAMP MAY 12010
Registered Nurses who undertake the program are: • Paid while they study; • Guaranteed a scholarship to cover course fees; • Well supported • Eligible for a qualification allowance on completion and ; • Able to fast track their nursing careers. Eligibility/other requirements: Registered or eligible for registration with the ACT Nursing and Midwifery Board. Applicants need to be an Australian Citizen and have permanent residency to apply. For information on the selection criteria please go to the ACT Health Website at www.health.act.gov.au Contact Officer: Natalie Robinson (02) 6205 3661 or natalie.robinson@act.gov.au
Closing Date: 14 May 2010 16/4/10 11:38:10 AM
s
B O O K S
NEW REFERENCE BOOK
Depression – A Nurse’s Experience: Shadows of Life
Book me Professional Guide to Diagnostic Tests by Springhouse (editor), Wolters Kluwer/ Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, RRP* $65.00 : ISBN 1582553041 Professional Guide to Diagnostic Tests is a practical, up-tothe-minute guide to more than 600 diagnostic tests. It focuses on the key information nurses need at the point of care and includes tips, checklists, quickscan tables, and 500 illustrations.
Visual Nursing: A Guide to Diseases, Skills and Treatments
Mosby’s Essentials for Nursing Assistants provides coverage of the concepts and skills that are essential for becoming a nursing assistant. It clearly and logically presents the responsibilities of the nursing assistant in a readable, highly visual format that will appeal to learners of all levels. The text’s intention is to provide teachers and their students with the current information on safe and effective care during this time of dynamic change in health care.
Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (2nd ed.)
Edited by Springhouse, Wolters Kluwer/ Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, RRP* $58.95 : ISBN 9781582556826 Visual Nursing provides a unique approach to learning pathophysiology and hands-on nursing procedures and treatments as it features hundreds of full-colour illustrations, photographs, wave forms, diagrams, and other creative visual aids. Step-by-step illustrations with succinct instructions show nurses exactly what to do when assessing patients and administering treatments.
By Ruth Elder, Katie Evans and Debra Nizette, Mosby Elsevier (available through Elsevier Australia), RRP* $79.00 : ISBN 9780729538770 Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (2nd ed.) takes a holistic approach that helps students and beginning practitioners understand the complex causation of mental illness, its diagnosis, effective interventions and treatments, and the client’s experience of mental illness. Mental wellness is featured as a concept, and the consideration of a range of psychosocial factors helps students contextualise mental illness and psychiatric disorders.
Mosby’s Essentials for Nursing Assistants (4th ed.)
Nursing Pharmacology Made Incredibly Easy (UK edition)
By Sheila A. Sorrentino, Leighann N. Remmert and Bernie Gorek, Mosby Elsevier (available through Elsevier Australia), RRP* $48.25 : ISBN 9780323066211
By William N. Scott and Deirdre McGrath, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, RRP* $41.95 : ISBN 9781901831047
WHERE TO GET THIS MONTH’S NEW RELEASES These books are all available on order through the publisher or your local bookshop. Members of the NSWNA can borrow any of these books and more from our Records and Information Centre. For borrowing information, contact Jeannette Bromfield, 8595 2175, jbromfield@ nswnurses.asn.au or Cathy Matias, 8595 2121, cmatias@nswnurses.asn.au Reviews by NSWNA librarian, Jeannette Bromfield.
PUBLISHERS’ WEBSITES c Medical Society Bookshops: www.medicalsocietybookshop.com c Elsevier Australia: http://shop.elsevier.com.au c Radcliffe Publishing: www.radcliffe-oxford.com c Springer Publishing: www.springerpub.com c Lippincott Williams and Wilkins: www.lww.com Disclaimer: Some of the items featured in Book Me are based on information received and have not been independently reviewed.
By Veronica Burton, Radcliffe Publishing, RRP* $26.50 : ISBN 9781846 193057 Depression – A Nurse’s Experience: Shadows of Life recounts the author’s experiences of major depression, hospital admissions and treatments including medication, ECT and ‘talking treatments’. It discusses the care given by medical and nursing staff and social and medical prejudices against those with psychiatric illnesses from a medical practitioner’s perspective. Nursing Pharmacology Made Incredibly Easy explains difficult and complex pharmacology concepts. This text covers fundamentals of pharmacology, including where drugs come from, how they are classified and administered, and drugs by pharmacologic class for various body systems. It is useful for nursing students as it is organised by body system, and illustrated with numerous features to help the learner understand.
Nursing Models: Application to Practice By John Cutcliffe, Hugh McKenna and Kristiina Hyrkäs, foreword by Sister Callista Roy and Alison Tierney, with a contribution by Professor Phil Barker, Quay Books (available through Medical Society Bookshop) , RRP* $41.35 : ISBN 9781856423793 Nursing Models: Application to Practice provides a comprehensive and userfriendly explanation of the theories behind nursing models, what functions they serve, how they are created and what common characteristics they share. Importantly the text focuses on how to apply nursing models to everyday clinical scenarios while at the same time being mindful of evidence-based practice.n *Price in Australian dollars at time of printing THE LAMP MAY 2010 45
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DANA 2010 Conference Secretariat PO Box 457, Spring Hill QLD 4004 Tel: 07 3831 3788 Fax: 07 3831 9246 Email: dana@guild.org.au
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Test your knowledge in this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nursing crossword.
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Common virus (9) Vital organ of detoxification and metabolism (5) Bone of the lower leg (5) Assigns, distributes (9) A cancer treatment (12) Sudden repetitive muscle movement (3) Immediate (7) Outcome (6) Vitamin B3 (6) Getting worse, spreading (9)
6. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 14. 17.
24
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Antioxidant found in cooked tomatoes (8) Bring back to life (11) Smell (5) Remnants of fire (3) Cleanse, purify (8) Walking aids (5) Chance, accidental (6) Organ of cardiac muscle (5) Doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organisation, (1.1.1.) Contains the lens and iris (3)
Solution page 49 THE LAMP MAY 2010 47
DIARY DATES Conferences, seminars, meetings SYDNEY, HUNTER & ILLAWARRA Child and Family Health Nurses Association – Karitane ‘The Wonder Years – Understanding the Wonders of Toddlers’. 4 May, Karitane conference and function centre, Carramar. Contact: Education Department; 9794 2362, www.cafhna.org.au Sydney Alliance Reflection Group ‘Mike Gecan in conversation’ 5 May, 7pm, Shalom College, Kensington. Contact: Liliana, 8007 6055 or lcapacchione@sydneyalliance.org.au St. George ’Connecting with Neuroscience’ Conference 7 May, St. George Hospital, Education and Research Centre. Cost: $50. Contact: Melissa Tinsley, 9113 3614 or Joanne.Mcloughlin@sesiahs.health. nsw.gov.au Surgical Symposium ‘The Evolution of Surgery, How far Have We Come?’ 14 May, 8am-4pm, Auditorium: Education Centre, Westmead Hospital Cost: $140 (includes morning tea/ lunch) Contact: Dee Maguire, 9845 8819, page: 08968, dee_maguire@wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Change Champion Seminars Future Proofing the Aged and Community Care Workforce 25-26 May, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. Contact and registration: 9692 0533, www.changechampions.com.au The workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney, 2010 Climate Change at Work Conference ‘Growing the sustainable workplace’ 26 May, 9am-5pm, Hilton Hotel, Sydney. Cost: $795. Contact: Karen Treacy, 9351 5624. www.wrc.org.au Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgery Nurses Association of NSW Meeting 29 May, 12-2pm, Boardroom, Westmead Private Hospital. Contact: Helen Johansen, busybee4570@yahoo.com.au Child & Family Health Nurses Assoc. ‘Change, Challenges & Celebration’ – 20th Anniversary. 4 June, Luna Park, Milsons Point. Contact: CAFHNA, 9794 2362 www.cafhna.org.au Nurses Christian Fellowship Workshop ‘Spiritual Aspects of Dementia Care’ 15 June, 9am, Baptist Community Services, Marsfield. Contact: Diana, 9476 4440.
Nurses Christian Fellowship Winter Dinner 15 May, 7pm, Rhodes Ninety restaurant, 90 Rider Blvd. Contact: Jane, 9449 4868
Continence Foundation of Australia in NSW Continence Education Days 9-10 June, 8am-4.30pm, Goulburn Soldiers Club Contact: Marilyn Woodcock, 8741 5699, cfansw@optusnet.com.au
Asbestos Diseases Foundation Seminar 14 May, 6pm, Strathfield Town Hall. Contact: 1800 006 196, www.adfa.org.au
Sydney Alliance Reflection Group ‘The history of coalitions & civil society in Australia’ 16 June, 6-7.30pm, CFMEA Trade Union
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. 48 THE LAMP MAY 2010
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.
Centre, Lidcombe. Contact: Liliana, 8007 6055 or lcapacchione@sydneyalliance.org.au Sydney West Wound Interest Group 29 June, 5-6pm, Education Centre, Our Lady of Consolation Aged Care, Rooty Hill Contact: Jill Sparks, 8887 4484, 0414 192 691
‘Love the Skin You’re In’. 15-16 May, Darwin Convention Centre, Darwin, Northern Territory. Contact: Pam Viret, (02) 9553 7055, pviret@bigpond.com, www.adna.org.au
Annual CNS Midwifery Conference – ‘Mountains to the Sea’ 23 July, Wollongong Hospital. Contact: Jo Goldstein or Snez Avramoska, 4253 4275
6th Australian Women’s Health Network, Australian Women’s Health Conf. – ‘The New National Agenda’. 18- 21 May, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, Tasmania. Contact: Jenna Tomlin, jenna@ leishman-associates.com.au, www. leishman-associates.com.au/awhn2010
Orthopaedic Conference ‘Bones on the beach’ 31 July, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong. Contact: Carol Jackson or carol. jackson@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au
27th International Congress of Applied Psychology 11-16 July, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Contact: Congress Office: (03) 9417 0888 www.icap2010.com
Day Surgery Nurses Association of NSW Conf. – ‘Education into Practice’ 11 September, Sydney Masonic Centre Earlybird registration closes 11 July Contact: Tricia Goh, 9553 9905, pgoh@aestheticdaysurgery.com.au, www.adsna.info
Cancer Nurses Society of Australia, 13th Winter Congress ‘Leadership, Diversity and Innovation: The Global Picture’. 29-31 July, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Perth. Contact: Angela Delnevo at CNSA, (02) 9265 0700, cnsa2010@airnex.com.au
RURAL Anaesthetic & Post Anaesthetic Care Conference – ‘The Twighlight Zone’ 31 July, 8am-5pm, The Crowne Plaza, Terrigal Contact: Nicole Field, 4389 9400, fieldn@ramsayhealth.com.au or Elizabeth Hunt, 4389 9490. Australian Women’s Health Nurses Assoc. Professional Update 2010 – ‘Participate, Progress & Praise’ 5-6 August, Orange. Contact: Anne Smart, 6392 8600 or Anne.Smart@gwahs.health.nsw.gov.au 10th Rural Critical Care Conference – ‘Delivering Safe Rural Critical Care’ 20-21 August, Orange Ex-Services Club. Contact: www.ruralcriticalcare.asn.au 17th Enrolled Nurse State Conference ‘TWENTY 10 and BEYOND’ 16-17 September, Cessnock Supporters Club, Cessnock. Cost: members $220, non members $260. Contact: Roz Norman, 1300 554 249, nroseby@bigpond.net.au Community Nurse Audiometrists Association Inc, 28th Annual Conf. ‘Hearing through the years’ 20-22 October, West Diggers Tamworth Contact: Kathy Challinor, 0428 667 502, kathy.challinor@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au
INTERSTATE AND OVERSEAS 9th Annual Australian Dermatology Nurses’ Association Conference
Drug & Alcohol Nurses of Australasia Conf. & workshops 2010 14-16 July, Holiday Inn, Surfers Paradise, QLD. Contact: Kim Thorne, (07) 3831 3788, www.danaconference.com.au
NSWNA Events Branch Official and Activist Training (BOAT) workshops ‘Safe Patient Care and Your Workload’ 19-20 May (Rural members), NSWNA’s head office, Sydney. Contact: Diana Modderno, 8495 1234 or free call 1300 367 962, www.nswnurses. asn.au/topics/25798.html
NSWNA MCKESSON BRANCH WELCOMES POTENTIAL AND NEW MEMBERS As telephone triage nurses members work from home and are based across NSW. The committee would like to invite members to input their views at our meetings which are held on the fourth Monday, every second month by teleconference via the NSWNA. Next Branch Meeting: 28 June, 1pm. Contacts: Vicki Brimelow, President, 4928 1837; Danielle Verhoeven, Secretary, 6495 0045; or Renee Parish, 4751 3051. Email: mcknswnabranch@gmail.com
NSWNA Branch Officials’ and Activists’ Training Program 2010 Education Course: ‘Basic Foot Care for AINs’ – 1 day. 3 May, Wagga RSL Club, Wagga Wagga.
Leadership Skills for Nursing & Midwifery Unit Managers’ – 3 days. 23 June, NSWNA Office, Camperdown.
Education Course: ‘Leadership Skills for the Aged care Team – all Aged Care nurses’ – 4 days. 6 May, NSWNA Office, Camperdown.
NSWNA Education Courses contact: Carolyn Kulling, 8295 1234/1300 367 962, www.nswnurses.asn.au/topics/2761.html
Education Course: ‘Legal and Professional Issues for Nurses and Midwives’ – ½ day 14 May, Batemans Bay Soldiers Club / 28 May, Ex-Services Memorial Club, Armidale / 25 June, Twin towns Clubs & Resort, Tweed Heads. Education Course ‘Basic Foot Care for RNs and ENs’ – 2 days 26-27 May, Wagga RSL Club /3-4 June, Shellharbour Resort & Conference Centre. Education Course: ‘Appropriate Workplace Behaviour – all nurses & midwives’ – 1 day. 17 June, Panthers Club, Newcastle. Education Course: ‘Computer Essentials for Nurses & Midwives – all nurses & midwives’ – 1 day. 1 June, Concord Hospital, Concord
ORDER ONLINE:
Tuesday 18 May & Tuesday 21 September, 1-4pm, NSWNA Sydney
Negotiation & Advocacy Part 1 for Branch Officials and Activists Wednesday 19 May; Wednesday 22 September; Wednesday 17 November, 9am-4pm, NSWNA Sydney
Reunions
Negotiation & Advocacy Part 2: ‘The IRC, NMB and You’
Western Suburbs Hospital Graduate Nurses Reunion 29 May, 12 midday, Ryde-Eastwood Leagues Club. Contact: Robyn Daniel, 9644 9692/ Margaret Gane, 8753 1411
Wednesday 19 May; Wednesday 22 September; Wednesday 17 November, 9am-4pm, NSWNA Sydney Details will be sent to Branches in GenSec Circulars For more information contact Lyn Stevens at the NSWNA Metro (02) 8595 1234 • Rural 1300 367 962
Sydney Hospital, 1975 PTS 2nd Group June. Contact: Jennifer Clarke, 0414 511 655 or jenclarke58@bigpond.com or Carol Campbell née Feather, 0418 433 152 or lovelife@tpg.com.au
pca09713@bigpond.net.au
30 Year Reunion – General Nursing Training Group, RPAH July 1980 10 July, Summer Hill Contact: Tracey Goddard, 9519 6312, 0425 261 633, gotracey.g@gmail.com
Other notices
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1300 886 814 THE LAMP MAY 2010 49
NURSING & MIDWIFERY UNIT MANAGERS’ SOCIETY OF NSW (INC.) Locked Bag 3030 Burwood NSW 1850 • Phone: 97457525
PO Box A103, Enfield South NSW 2133 / ABN: 68 014 575 993 / www.numsociety.org.au
Administrative Asst Ph: - (02) 9715 1056 Or email: - numsexecadmin@optusnet.com.au
A CALL FOR ABSTRACT
TRAINERS/ ASSESSORS – AGED CARE • Contract positions available • Registered or Enrolled Nurses with experience desirable
All Nursing Unit Managers and Associates are invited to to submit a 250 words ABSTRACT to present at the Annual Conference by 30 June 2010
You will need to have a background in training Aged Care together with industry experience. The ideal candidates will be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills, a commitment to client service and an understanding of adult learning principles. Knowledge of the Community Services Training Package combined with an understanding of the VET sector and AQTF guidelines is required. Applicants must have Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or equivalent as well as a relevant vocational qualification. You must possess your own vehicle and be able to work flexible hours. Training will be conducted primarily in the City, South and Western Sydney. Established in 1923, St Patrick’s Business College Ltd is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that is value driven, with a strong commitment to meeting the needs of our clients.
KEEPING THE BALANCE Friday, 22 October 2010 at the Citigate Central Hotel 169-179 Thomas St, Sydney 2000
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*Nurseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pack is FREE with all new Nissan & Kia vehicles purchased during the month of May 2010 only. 1. Offer is for a 2010 Kia Rio S 5 door hatch manual, not including metallic paint. 2. Offer is for a 2010 Kia Cerato S sedan manual, excluding metallic paint. 3. Offer is for a 2010 Nissan Micra, manual, 5 door, not including metallic paint or headlight protectors. 4.Offer is for a 2010 Nissan Tiida ST 5 door manual, excluding metallic paint. Offers valid to in stock vehicles only, cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or manufacturer promotions / campaigns, and to private buyers only.
Blacktown Hospital
own ckt Bla
www.landernissan.com.au
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