The Lamp March 2005 by NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association

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lamp the

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

volume 62 no.2 March 2005

Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

Public health THERE’S NO FIX WITHOUT NURSES

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ABOUT THE LAMP

C O N T E N T S

Contacts NSW NURSES’ ASSOCIATION For all membership enquiries and assistance, including Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office. SYDNEY OFFICE 43 Australia Street Camperdown NSW 2050 PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9550 4524 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au W www.nswnurses.asn.au HUNTER OFFICE 120 Tudor Street Hamilton NSW 2303 ILLAWARRA OFFICE L1, 63 Market Street Wollongong NSW 2500

Cover story

Nurses deserve equal pay 14 Cover Lyn Hopper, NSWNA Council Member and NUM Intensive Care, Manly Hospital

News in brief

Aged care

8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 12 13 13

28 Six years’ backpayment of penalties

Brutal attack on nurse at Dubbo Base Medical teams reach isolated tsunami victims Agreement on enrolled nurse traineeships ‘Stop a Bully’ hotline Sexual assault nurse examiners a step closer Rally to save Camden maternity unit Nurses match doctors in knowledge test Clinical news bites Patients ‘grateful’ for telephone debriefing Freedom Rides again Problem in agency nurse pay policy Medical bills main cause of US bankrupcies

29 Rural community nurses talk safety

Nurses in the media 30 Nurses’ right of reply

Special people 33 Honouring our nurses

Nurses who dare 34 Surviving Sudan leads to a passion for nursing

Industrial news 22 22 22 23 23

OHS

More private nurses win 3.5% Fair pay by Calvary Macquarie hospitals agree to pay parity Equal pay for Mayo nurses Pay breakthrough at St Vincent’s Lismore

Agenda

New faces 36 From university to the workplace

Regular columns 5

24 Howard’s power grab threat to nurses 25 Union rights are human rights, says bishop

Editorial by Brett Holmes Your letters to The Lamp Ask Judith Tips from members who know Obituary Book me Our nursing crossword Diary dates

Workloads

6 19 39 41 43 45 46

27 Promoting nurses’ right to a reasonable workload

Competition!

Professional issues 25 New Area DoNs on deck ...

now the spotlight’s on the third tier

37 Win a retreat to the Dooralong Valley

The Lamp COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Noel Hester T 8595 2153 EDITORIAL For all editorial enquiries, letters and diary dates: Claire Buckis, Editorial Coordinator T 8595 2199 E cbuckis@nswnurses.asn.au M PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 PRODUCED BY Lodestar Communications T 9698 4511 PRESS RELEASES Send your press releases to: F 9550 4524 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au THE LAMP EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Brett Holmes, NSWNA General Secretary Judith Kiejda, NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Coral Levett, NSWNA President Therese Riley, St George Hospital Mark Kearin, Wyong Hospital John Lyons, Coonabarabran District Hospital Jonathan Farry, RPA Hospital Roz Norman, Tamworth Base Hospital Stephen Metcalfe, Lismore Base Hospital ADVERTISING Patricia Purcell T 8595 2139 or 0416 259 845 F 9550 4524 E ppurcell@nswnurses.asn.au RECORDS AND INFORMATION CENTRE - LIBRARY To find old articles in The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNA library’s nursing and health collection, contact: Jeannette Bromfield, RIC Coordinator T 8595 2175 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au General disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSW Nurses’ Association. Statements of fact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibility is accepted for them. All material appearing in The Lamp is covered by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission. The NSW Nurses’ Association takes no responsibility for the advertising appearing herein and it does not necessarily endorse any products advertised. Privacy Privacy statement: The NSWNA collects personal information from members in order to perform our role of representing their industrial and professional interests. We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information. Personal information is protected under law and can only be released to someone else where the law requires or where you give permission. If you have concerns about your personal information please contact the NSWNA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained you can contact the Privacy Commission. Subscriptions Free to all Association members. Ex-members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $44. Individuals $60, Institutions $90, Overseas $100.

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THE NEW AND EASY WAY TO FIND THE BEST HEALTHCARE JOB.

A good job is one thing. Finding a job you really love is another thing altogether. For the largest choice of healthcare jobs, simply log on to the Internet and go to seek.com.au to our healthcare section. Then SEEK and you shall find. 4 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

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

Public health There’s no fix without nurses g A fair pay rise is a crucial step to solving the nursing shortage.

he NSWNA and the state government have been in intense talks for several months now about a pay increase for public hospital nurses. The Association has been resolute in its position that nurses deserve a pay increase that maintains wage parity with other public sector workers. But the midnight hour is now approaching and it is time for the government to act. There is still much to do to fix our public health system. In responding to our wage claim the government needs to recognise that unless nursing is properly valued we will continue to have a shortage of nurses in our hospitals. The Carr Government committed to pay for the special wages case outcome and the introduction of reasonable workloads. But that isn’t enough. Despite some improvements there continues to be a nursing shortage. Nurses are still working under enormous pressure and carrying massive workloads. There is still a desperate lack of university places. This is a Federal responsibility which aggravates the problem. Despite the best efforts of the government the profession is still not attracting enough people. And as Bob Carr has himself conceded, it is farcical when the states increase their health budgets by billions and rebuild hospitals but can’t find the nurses to staff them. The Carr government cannot rest on its laurels and think it has done enough to provide the sort of health

‘To get what we are entitled to will require all public sector nurses in NSW involved and sticking together.’

system the people of NSW want and deserve. The government has to realise there is no fix to the problems of our public health system without nurses. This means retaining current nurses and recruiting new nurses. Making the nursing profession attractive and respected is pivotal to solving the problems of public health. It isn’t just about improving the pay of nurses but pay is of critical importance. Reports of impending attempts to downgrade nurse managers jobs despite the increase in work and responsibilities - in the ongoing Area Health Services restructure is an example of a lack of respect for the contribution of nurses. If the government doesn’t come up with an acceptable offer the NSWNA will be campaigning hard to make sure nurses are fairly remunerated for their hard work and the extra lengths they have gone to to keep our health system working. Our history and the history of other successful unions show that the best and most successful union campaigns combine tight discipline and controlled pressure to achieve fair results. That will be our goal. To get what we are entitled to will also require all public sector nurses in NSW involved and sticking together. There is no better time than a pay campaign to convince our workmates who are not in the union that it is in their interest to join. Wage increases in the last few years have seen nurses catch up somewhat with other health and public sector professionals. Now we need to convince the government that it needs to do more to boost recognition for nursing. The Carr Government loves saying that nurses are the heart and soul of the health system. It is essential it translates these fine sentiments into properly paid jobs that will attract our best young people to a public service that is valued by the community. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 5

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L E T T E R S

LETTER of the month The perils of shift work This letter is a heartfelt plea from a sleep-deprived jet-lagged cranky night nurse. When, oh when will it be recognised (and the recognition translated into action) that staying up all night has serious short- and longterm negative effects upon our health and functioning – and we be compensated accordingly. If what I read is correct, the effects of sleep deprivation are well documented. Not only do we feel under par, fuzzy-headed, depressed and irritable while working, and for a day after our shifts finish – we’re taking years off our lives as well! Until robots are designed to replace us, hospitals need night nurses, right? Can’t we at least be compensated with more than a lousy 15% penalty rate, and/or a few extra weeks holiday a year while we’re killing ourselves? Not to mention ruining our families and quality of life. I’d like to thank the NSWNA for the work you do – but please, on behalf of night staff everywhere, please try and find us a fairer deal.

Seeking Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital stories In 2006, 50 years after opening, Hornsby Ku-ringgai Hospital will open a new maternity unit in the brand new Emer-gency, Maternity and Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Paediatrics building. Hospital’s lion As part of the celebrations, we are producing a book of past memories and experiences to celebrate 50 years of Maternity at HKH. We want to hear from those who have worked and lived in the unit, past students, staff or anyone else who has participated or contributed to the maternity unit. We’d also love to see any old pictures you may be willing to share, which can be scanned and returned to you. If you could please contact Melissa Clarke by 30 June on 9477 9146, or email mclarke.Hornsby.NSAHS@doh.health.nsw. gov.au Alternatively, you can drop by or send your stories and photos to the maternity unit, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, Palmerston Road, Hornsby, 2077.

Fed-up night nurse Dear Fed-up night nurse, you’ve won the prize for letter of the month, a $50 Myer voucher. Please contact us at The Lamp so we can send you your prize.

Melissa Clarke Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Health Service

Competition thanks Just a thank you for the book that I won in The Lamp All I Want for Christmas competition. It was a real surprise to receive it between Christmas and New Year. It was a great book, thank you.

Wendy Ven Der Wel Parkes Hospital

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

Mental Health Nursing Forum –

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Interested in mental health? The 2005 Mental Health Nursing Forum will be held at NSWNA Head Office, 43 Australia Street, Camperdown on 27 May. Nurses are invited to submit an abstract for a 20 minute presentation and 10 minute discussion on mental health related topics. The forum is an ideal opportunity for nurses to present matters of interest to your peers in a relaxed format. The deadline for abstracts is 8 April. Please contact Angela Garvey, agarvey@nswnurses.asn.au or call the NSWNA for more information.

Every child needs a family to grow -

talk to us about sharing your family with a child Centacare is looking for people in the Sydney Metropolitan area who are interested in becoming foster carers in our various out of home care programs.The children and young people you would be caring for are unable to live with their own family and need carers to provide stability during their time away from home.

Carers need to be able to provide a consistent, nurturing environment and bring such qualities as flexibility, openness and humour to children’s lives. As a foster carer your commitment can range from caring for a child one weekend a month, temporary care up to twelve months or a permanent place in your family. Centacare

provides training, support and an opportunity to become part of a professional caring team. Carers receive an ongoing allowance to help them meet the needs of the children in their care. Screening of prospective carers is a requirement of the child protection legislation.

Centacare Children & Youth Services • 9793 7522 • www.centacare.org 6 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

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Got something to say?

Send your letters to: Claire Buckis email cbuckis@nswnurses.asn.au fax 9550 4524 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.

Michael Grant

The X Factor What’s the X Factor of a professional nurse? No, it's not having a pen or a pair of scissors in your pocket when someone else needs them. We find out by listening to our clients. ‘Those nurses were so good.They understood what I was going through.They were so patient with me even though I was such a Moaning Millie.’ From this we can see the X Factors for a good nurse: being patient, empathetic, and understanding. Our clients often see these attributes in the professional nurse, but our co-workers often do not! Let’s use the X Factor for ourselves. Let’s understand that our colleagues just want to get a better job and life. Let’s realise they are involved in the same situations, are much less informed than ourselves, therefore in a much more frightening situation. And let’s be more patient with each other, understanding that we are all in this together, and we will survive it, together.

Michael Grant Stockton Centre

Anna Fitzpatrick

Blame has no place in pregnancy George Pell’s says his ‘support program for pregnant women’ (proposed recently as the public debate about abortion was reopened) will make no judgements about the early weeks of a pregnancy. Those ‘early weeks’ presumably cover the time from the seminal deposit to the male partner's decision to exit the scene. No need, then, for awkward questions about a father's obligations toward his offspring. That leaves us free to apply Tony Abbot’s ingenious interpretation of sex and conception: we have in our midst thousands of fertile young women who just go out and ‘fall pregnant’. Women as whores and burdens – the old familiar scenario. Easy for the Catholic Church to deal with this one.Those oldstyle workhouses for wayward pregnant women look like making a comeback.

Anna Fitzpatrick St George Hospital

Sheree McArthur

Fair share for aged care I recently read in The Lamp Volume 62 no.1 February 2005, the article regarding the pay increase for those employed by the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care.This prompted me to look for any further information on the Fair Share for Aged Care campaign. But I couldn't find anything in this edition or the previous edition of The Lamp. Can you give me any information as to where things stand with our pay increases or when things may be happening? Thank you for your time.

Sheree McArthur Lilian Wells Nursing Home Editor’s Note: The NSWNA has outlined its case for a wage rise for the aged care sector in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.We are now waiting for the Commission’s decision. Every letter published receives a copy of the Australian Nurse Diary 2005. The diary includes weekly shift planners, reference materials, foreign language translations, and is available from hospital newsagents.

THE LAMP MARCH 2005 7

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B R I E F

Brutal attack on nurse g NSWNA demands better safety at Dubbo Hospital he Nurses’ Association is demanding improved safety at Dubbo Hospital following a brutal attempt to strangle a nurse. The nurse, aged in her fifties, is recovering at home from the assault by a female mental health patient. The Association called in Workcover to investigate the assault and related safety conditions, and sent two organisers to Dubbo to help staff prepare a list of needed safety improvements. The nurse was assaulted in the emergency department on 2 February shortly after a security guard left the area. The nurse did not have a personal duress alarm. On the Association’s recommendation, members are now

demanding that alarms be issued to every staff member in the emergency department. The department’s clinical nurse educator, Andrew Patterson was in the department when the assault happened. ‘The patient had a tight grip on her windpipe and it took several staff members to pull her off and restrain her,’ Andrew said. ‘The nurse was severely emotionally traumatised by the incident.’ Andrew said the hospital has no mental health unit but does have a threebed special care suite. The hospital is expected to open an 18-bed mental health unit around March this year. ‘The patient was admitted on the evening shift and was kept in the emergency department because there was a drug overdose issue.

‘We have a consistent problem with verbal threats and aggression from patients and relatives, and we are forced to call the police at least a couple of times every month.’ Clinical nurse educator, Andrew Patterson 8 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

‘There are only two personal duress alarms for the entire emergency department.’ ‘A security guard was present in the department until he was told he was no longer required. Soon after he left the patient jumped up and tried to strangle the nurse.’ Andrew said the incident was probably the most serious assault on a nurse so far, though security guards had occasionally been punched or pushed to the ground. ‘We have a consistent problem with verbal threats and aggression from patients and relatives, and we are forced to call the police at least a couple of times every month,’ Andrew said. ‘I have been subject to verbal threats and have been spat on by a patient, and I’ve had to call police several times to get them to remove patients from the department.’ Andrew said there were only two personal duress alarms for the department and the emergency medical unit, despite there being 16 staff on an average morning shift. ‘We are drawing up a list of necessary improvements to safety and the issuing of an alarm to every staff member is one of our priorities,’ he said. ‘The union representatives suggested we place more signs stating that verbal and other aggression won’t be tolerated and police will be called. We think that will help to reinforce the message. ‘The staff feel more positive since the NSWNA got involved – we feel our concerns are more likely to be addressed now. We’re really grateful for all their help. ‘I have a passionate belief that people should feel safe and secure in their workplace. Nurses shouldn’t feel threatened while they’re trying to look after people.’ The Lamp sought comment from the Greater Western AHS on this incident but had received no response at the time of printing.

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NO WORD ON

AGED CARE

t the time of printing, no announcement had been delivered on the aged care wage case by the Industrial Relations Commission. The NSWNA put forward a strong case to the Commision and we are now waiting for the Commision’s decision.

TRAINEESHIP TENS

Volunteer medical teams reach isolated tsunami victims g Donations to APHEDA top $800,000 ndonesian medical teams financed by Australian unions are making a hazardous crossing over a mountain range to reach isolated communities devastated by the December tsunami. The medical teams are made up of volunteers from various parts of Indonesia. Their medical supplies, food

READY TO ROLL IN PRIVATE SECTOR

n December 2004 the Vocational Training Order for enrolled nurse traineeships (TENs) in the private sector was finally agreed to. This will open the way for traineeships for enrolled nurses in the aged care sector. Negotiations are also underway between NSWNA and NSW Health for the development of a traineeship in the public hospital system. However, outstanding issues with TENs in public hospitals such as clinical supervision, numbers of trainees, mode of delivery of courses, safety and quality still need to be resolved prior to NSWNA agreement for the traineeships to proceed. The Taskforce for the Implementation of the Review of the Education and Role of Enrolled Nurses will hold its final meeting on 3 March 2005.

‘Negotiations are underway between NSWNA and NSW Health for the development of a traineeship in the public hospital system.’ The traineeships cannot proceed without agreement to adequate Award protections for TENs. The NSWNA is currently working to achieve proper entitlements for TENs in the Award. The NSWNA will also ensure consistency in EN education, regardless of the delivery pathway.

is assisting tsunami victims temporarily housed in refugee camps. Donations from Australian unionists are supporting the work of clearing rubble and helping people rebuild their homes and repair fishing boats, the main source of income for coastal villagers. Peter said tsunami donations to APHEDA have so far reached $538,000, with another $300,000 pledged by unions. Individual Australian unionists have given $145,000 of this. APHEDA has already sent $215,000 to be used in the emergency phase of relief operations in Sumatra and Sri Lanka. The rest of the money will assist the rebuilding phase.

HOW TO DONATE TO An Indonesian volunteer medical team funded by APHEDA providing health check-ups for Sumatran villagers made homeless by the tsunami.

and transport are paid for with donations collected by Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, the overseas aid arm of Australian unions including the NSW Nurses’ Association. Three teams of doctors, nurses and paramedics had reached the district of Meulaboh on Sumatra’s west coast, 200km south of the capital Banda Aceh, when The Lamp went to press. With the main coast road between Banda Aceh and Meulaboh washed away by the tsunami, the only land access is a 14-hour journey on a dangerous mountain road. ‘Most aid to remote communities is delivered by army helicopter, and the further you get from Banda Aceh, the less chance there is of aid having got through to people who desperately need it,’ said APHEDA executive officer Peter Jennings. ‘We are getting a medical team in for two weeks at a time, together with Indonesian volunteer hydraulic engineers who have high pressure pumps to clean out wells to provide drinking water,’ Peter said. APHEDA is also active in Sri Lanka, supporting a Norwegian aid group which

UNION AID ABROAD–APHEDA

(AND PAY LESS TAX) Nurses can make tax-deductible donations individually, through workplace collections or by organising a payroll deduction. s Ring 1800 888 674 (free call) or (02) 9264 9343 between 8:00am and 6:00pm. s Ring 0409 047 353 any time, day or night, 7 days a week s Visit the Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA website on www.apheda.org.au s Mail a cheque to APHEDA, Level 3, 377 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000 s At any National Australia Bank. Please specify the Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA Appeal, BSB Number 082 024 Account Number 57 877 0001 Any donation over $2 to APHEDA Overseas Projects is tax-deductible. APHEDA’s ABN is 76 425 451 089. Authority to Fundraise CFN12752. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 9

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ANGLICAN RETIREMENT VILLAGES OFFERS 7% ABOVE AWARD he NSWNA has been meeting with Anglican Retirement Villages (ARV) members to discuss a proposed Enterprise Agreement that will apply across all facilities. The Agreement will cover wages and conditions for one year.

In December 2004, ARV delivered a draft agreement offer to the NSWNA, which was distributed to members for consideration. Members were encouraged to attend paid information sessions in January and February to discuss the offer. The key features of the Agreement offer include: c

7% above Nursing Home Award wages;

Nine weeks’ paid maternity leave and one week paid paternity leave;

Option of taking single days of annual leave;

Option of salary sacrifice for superannuation;

Option for voluntary salary packaging for expenses up to $3,750 per year;

Family friendly arrangements e.g. ordinary hours to be calculated over a fortnightly period where by agreement the employee can choose to work irregular hours week to week;

Make up pay for jury duty.

The NSWNA met with ARV in late February to discuss the final agreement offer, which will be voted on by members in March. 10 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

4:21 PM

SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINERS A STEP CLOSER NSW Health initiative that will see nurses trained as sexual assault examiners is closer to fruition, with commencement of nurse Sydney West Area training for the Health CNC, role expected in Karen Bedford. mid 2005. NSW Health proposed the establishment of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) Program to train nurses as forensic examiners because of the requirement for the examination to be conducted as soon as possible after the assault. Currently all victims of sexual assault are examined by medical officers and delays often occur due to the shortage of doctors, particularly in rural and remote areas. NSWNA member Karen Bedford is a CNC with Sydney West Area Health and is on the working group established by the Department to provide advice during development of the program. ‘It’s essential examinations are conducted as soon as possible after an assault to obtain evidence and also minimise trauma to the victim. As time passes, evidence becomes more difficult to collect. ‘The introduction of sexual assault nurse examiners does not threaten the role of medical officers, rather it expands the pool of health practitioners available to assist victims of sexual assault,’ said Karen. The working group is currently exploring who can best deliver training for the role and is examining overseas models where nurses are working as sexual assault nurse examiners.

00 36

2 22

STOP A BULLY

HOTLINE orkers who are bullied or harassed can now call a special hotline recently launched by the ACTU. The bullying hotline is a national service to allow workers to air grievances and receive advice from trained consultants. ‘The right of all employees, whether they are in small business or big business, to be treated fairly is fundamental to a decent Australia,’ said ACTU President, Sharan Burrow, at the hotline launch in Melbourne. Callers to the bullying hotline can expect to receive confidential advice, and are not obliged to give their names. The ACTU will report the effects of workplace bullying and harassment to parliamentarians and key policy figures, but will not give out any information that could identify a worker. ‘Unions are determined to actively represent people who experience bullying, harassment or discrimination at work,’ Ms Burrow said. The national free ACTU hotline number is 1300 362 223.

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NURSES MATCH DOCTORS IN KNOWLEDGE TEST

se of an online information retrieval system allows nurses making clinical decisions to be just as accurate as doctors also using the system. That is the finding of a University of NSW study into how clinicians’ use of a new search engine affects their performance in answering clinical questions. The study in a computer laboratory involved 26 hospitalbased doctors, 18 family practitioners and 31 clinical nurse consultants. They provided 600 answers to eight clinical scenarios before and after the use of the search engine. UNSW Associate Professor Johanna Westbrook, from the Centre for Health Informatics, was the lead author of the study.

The people of Camden take to the streets to show their support for the local hospital’s maternity unit.

Rally to save maternity unit

Battling to save Camden’s maternity clinic – Sonja MacGregor (left) and Tina Mulholland.

ore than 1,000 midwives, pregnant mums, residents and NSWNA representatives rallied to save Camden Hospital Maternity unit last month. Some local shops closed in solidarity with the rally, to allow the protesters to pass through the main shopping precinct. The rally, which received widespread media coverage, followed a 500-strong march in early January which was organised with just a week’s notice. A NSW Health review of the maternity unit has recommended that its functions be transferred to Campbelltown Hospital, 18km away.This would mean the end of the unit’s natural birth centre, according to Sonja MacGregor, president of the Macarthur Midwives Association. ‘We hoped the review committee will come up with an alternate option rather than closure,’ Sonja said. ‘Camden offers a midwifery-based model of care with the support of medical staff and a birth centre, whereas Campbelltown Hospital is obstetrics-based,’ she said. A midwifery-led unit gives the women

M UNSW Associate Professor Johanna Westbrook.

Professor Westbrook said that while there was variation in the performance of clinical groups when answering questions unaided, performance did not differ significantly when using the search engine. She said the search engine produced a significant improvement in the quality of answers to typical clinical problems provided by all groups. ‘The search engine could be of significant benefit to nurses, as they will be increasingly put in situations where they will be making more high-level clinical decisions,’ she said.

of Macarthur district more choice in maternity care.The closure of Camden would mean less choice and longer distances to travel. ‘A midwifery-led model is more costeffective and safer for well women who want a normal natural birth. ‘Having this alternative model of care is the main reason local people are passionate about keeping the maternity unit open. I was blown away that so many people joined the march on such a hot day.’ Sonja said many people are passionate about birthing at Camden because they were born there and so were their parents. She said the unit, staffed by 22 experienced and skilled midwives, has an excellent safety record with an 87% natural birth rate. NSWNA branch president at Camden Hospital,Tina Mulholland, said the maternity unit assists more than 500 births a year in a district experiencing a population explosion. ‘New housing developments mean the population of Camden and Wollondilly Shire will more than double in the next six years,’ Tina pointed out. One local woman who attended the march, Avice Butcher, said her daughter was expecting a baby in March and wished to have a natural birth at Camden’s waterbirthing facility. ‘It’s an essential service,’ Mrs Butcher said. ‘It’s ridiculous that there’s talk of closing it when we have so much housing development going on in the area.’ THE LAMP MARCH 2005 11

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B R I E F

CLINICAL NEWS

BITES c Maths unravels ED Code Reds Emergency Departments may be able to predict the likelihood of a Code Red and roster staff to cover the busy periods, thanks to a new system being developed by CSIRO mathematicians. Code Red is a stage when all but critical patients are turned away, and occurs when all beds are full, all clinicians are busy, or both. The new system will predict periods of demand by forecasting patient arrival rates and staffing needs, allowing hospitals to estimate their workloads more effectively.

Saving on wound care

Nursing homes could save millions of dollars and reduce nursing time by 20% simply by using the latest wound management practices, a Monash University study has found. The research, which surveyed 2,600 nursing home patients, found using modern ‘moist care’ products such as gels and films were much more effective in long-term treatment of wounds, and were cheaper and more effective than gauze.

HIV used to kill cancer

HIV may hold the key to curing cancer in an extraordinary twist on the devastating disease, according to researchers from the University of California. The researchers stripped HIV viruses of their dangerous AIDS-causing properties and reprogrammed them to attack lung cancer cells in mice. The modified virus proved the best carrier in the gene therapy trial, and while human trials are a long way off, researchers say the virus has potential to be used on all types of cancer. 12 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

PATIENTS ‘GRATEFUL’ FOR TELEPHONE DEBRIEFING

FREEDOM

CU patients from Royal North Shore Hospital have said they are very grateful for a new follow-up telephone service initiated by ICU nurses. Rosalind Elliott Patients now receive a follow-up phone call from ICU nurses after they are discharged from the hospital, to debrief and discuss general health information.

orty years ago, a busload of Aborigines and white activists undertook the Freedom Ride around rural NSW to expose Andrew Tibbits (right) with a friend. racism and discrimination. This year, Sydney University students are re-enacting the 1965 Freedom Ride to mark that historic journey. The NSWNA is sponsoring one of the 2005 Freedom Ride students to promote reconciliation. Our sponsored student is Andrew Tibbits who is studying health science and considering a nursing career. In 1965, Aborigines people had only just won the right to vote, and were still excluded from many public places. The original Freedom Ride headed by Charlie Perkins helped bring the routine discrimination of Aborigines to public attention. The 2005 Freedom Ride was launched at Sydney University with a traditional Aborigines smoking ceremony and a speech from NSW Treasurer Andrew Refshauge. This year’s riders hope their journey will reveal how the country has changed, and continue to promote the reconciliation message.

‘Patients now receive a follow-up phone call from ICU nurses after they are discharged from the hospital, to debrief and discuss general health information.’ Nurses Rosalind Elliott, Sharon McKinley and Deirdre Moran reported in the Intensive and Critical Care Nursing journal that most patients are thankful for the opportunity to talk about their experience and discuss any ongoing medical problems, including muscle weakness, fatigue and disturbed sleep. Nurses participating in the service have also experienced greater job satisfaction, saying it has added insight into the long-term effects of ICU care, and allowed the nurses to complete the patient’s ICU care. Rosalind Elliott said the service was part of providing a holistic ICU service. ‘There are many benefits, and nurses in particular benefited from closing each episode of care. It’s the finishing touches, really,’ she said.

RIDES AGAIN

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PROBLEMS IN AGENCY NURSE PAY POLICY

he Association has welcomed new NSW Health rules on payment of agency nurses, but criticised the timing and implementation of the measures. Area Health Services must only use agencies that allow contracted nurses to be paid directly by NSW Health, rather than indirectly by the agency. NSW Health will directly pay agency nurses the award rate plus ‘on costs’ such as worker’s compensation, public liability and employer’s superannuation contribution. Agencies are to be paid their commission separately. The new arrangement was announced in January and came into effect on 1 February. NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said the Department wanted to reduce profiteering by nursing agencies and free up more funds for direct care. ‘We support these aims, but the arbitrary nature of the directive is creating problems around the State and nurses and patients are being affected,’ Brett said. He said nurse managers in rural areas were concerned that the directive could hurt rural services which depended on agency nurses for their survival. ‘Many managers are concerned that agency nurses will be harder to get unless the pay rates cover the extra costs that go with living away from home. ‘Putting agency nurses on payroll rates, as required by the directive, will not necessarily do that.’ Brett said the new measure was badly timed as it coincided with induction of hundreds of new graduate nurses. The disruption to supply from agencies was forcing nurse managers, CNCs and nurse educators to do clinical shifts instead of mentoring new graduate nurses.

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Medical bills main cause of US bankruptcies

alf of all bankruptcies in the United States are caused by soaring medical bills and most people sent into debt by illness are middle-class workers with health insurance.

A study published in the journal Health Affairs, estimates that medical bankruptcies affect about two million Americans every year if both debtors and their dependents, including about 700,000 children, are counted. ‘Our study is frightening. Unless you’re Bill Gates you’re just one serious illness away from bankruptcy,’ said Dr David Himmelstein, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who led the study. ‘Most of the medically bankrupt were average Americans who happened to get sick. Health insurance offered little protection.’

‘Unless you're Bill Gates you're just one serious illness away from bankruptcy.’ The average bankrupt person surveyed had spent US$13,460 (A$17,450) on copayments, deductibles and uncovered services if they had private insurance. ‘Even middle-class insured families often fall prey to financial catastrophe when sick,’ the researchers wrote. Dr Steffie Woolhandler, a Harvard associate professor and doctor who campaigns for universal health coverage, said the study supported demands for health reform. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 13

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S T O RY

Nurses deserv 4% IS THE PUBLIC S 5 REASONS

NURSES

DESERVE A 4% PER urses are set to launch a major campaign aimed at securing a four-year agreement with pay rises of 4% per annum. As The Lamp went to print, the NSWNA was urging the State Government to make a fair offer after lengthy negotiations. All other major groups employed in the NSW public sector, including members of the Health Services Union, have negotiated agreements delivering 4% per annum pay rises. The NSWNA also wants any agreed pay rise backdated to July 2004, when the last agreement with nurses expired. Agreements with other major groups in the public sector have been backdated. NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said that nurses must now organise to exert pressure on the government if the goal of 4% per year is to be realised. ‘We have a very, very strong case. We have a large potential for public support. Now we need to organise and harness the collective energies of the 38,000 nurses in NSW public hospitals,’ said Brett. NSWNA officials were planning the pay campaign strategy as The Lamp went to print. Brett Holmes said that the success of the campaign will depend on the level of active support from nurses around the state. ‘We need to show the public and the government just how strongly nurses feel about this issue,’ said Brett. ‘That cannot be

14 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

ANNUM

PAY RISE 1. EQUITY Other major groups of public sector workers have been offered at least 4% per annum by the NSW Government.

2. INCREASED WORKLOADS Nurses are working harder, handling more responsibility and performing more complex tasks than ever before.

3. INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY With bed days up 4.1% last year and ED attendances up 8%, nurse productivity has soared.

4. RECOGNISING NURSES Recognising the valuable contribution nurses make is key to solving the problems of the public health system.

5. NURSE SHORTAGE The nurse shortage is possibly the biggest single problem facing the NSW health system.

achieved through the efforts of our elected officials alone. ‘If there is no fair offer in the near future, we will be rolling out our campaign strategy with NSWNA workplace delegates to members across NSW. ‘We need rank-and-file members to take the issues and run with them, in their workplaces and in their communities.’ Brett Holmes stressed the need for a disciplined, coordinated campaign. ‘With the right strategy and strong involvement from members, we can and will win a fair agreement. ‘This wages campaign cannot be a simple campaign of direct industrial action. Nurses will again need to convince the

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rve equal pay SECTOR STANDARD OUR CLAIM: KEY POINTS s Four-year agreement s 4% pay increase per annum s Backdated to July 2004

OTHER CLAIMS INCLUDE s s s s

14-weeks paid maternity leave Award rights for union delegates Improved long-service leave arrangements And over the next four years ... c The right to pursue improved shift work conditions, including increasing the number of facilities with 10-hour night shifts and increasing the night duty penalty rate; c The right to pursue further salary increases for clinical nurse specialists, clinical nurse educators and nurse educators; c The right to pursue guaranteed study leave entitlements; c The right to pursue increased salaries for ENs administering medication; c The right to pursue further salary increases for undergraduates working as AINs.

THE STORY SO FAR The NSWNA and the State Government have been in intense talks for several months now about a pay increase for public hospital nurses. The Association has been resolute in its position that nurses deserve a pay increase that maintains wage parity with other public sector workers. Our claim is:

public and the politicians of the merits of our arguments for further pay increases.’ The campaign also provides an ideal opportunity to recruit nurses to the union. ‘The more nurses in the NSWNA, the stronger we are in our campaign. And a pay campaign is very strong proof to nurses that it’s in their interests to sign up and get on board,’ said Brett.

• backed by extensive preparation and • involves 14 negotiation meetings, so far, with the health department and the government. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 15

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S T O RY

Nurses say Why we deserve 4% per year g Three leading nurses tell The Lamp why a fair pay rise is needed.

‘We deserve an equitable pay rise’

‘We do so much more now’

‘Do I want my daughter to be a nurse?’

‘In the 12 years I’ve been an enrolled nurse my job has changed significantly.Today, we provide a higher level of care, our work is more complex and we have greater responsibilities. I trained at St George Hospital where you are one of many ENs working with many RNs. At Gulgong Hospital, we have one EN rostered on with one RN. We’re required to deliver a much higher level of care here. If our RN is busy with something else and there is an accident, then you have to deal with the work in Accident and Emergency. I think we are seeing more aggressive patients this days, too, which adds to our stress levels. And our workloads and responsibilities will continue to increase with the ageing population and new technology that means we are treating people for longer and for a wider range of conditions. I think that a 4% per year pay rise is a very reasonable benchmark if we are to retain and recruit the nurses that the system needs.’

‘I’ve been a nurse for 30 years and I am passionate about my profession.Yet when my daughter came to me to discuss her career options, I felt I had to caution her about following in my footsteps. I told her that I enjoy coming to work every morning. I love the challenges, the variety, the different people I meet.The teamwork with my comrades.You work hard all day, head down and bum up, and you feel when you go home that you haven’t just shuffled papers.You’ve made a difference to people’s lives, whether it’s providing a comfortable death or cleaning their teeth. But we are not adequately rewarded for our work. My 18year-old daughter makes $15 per hour coming straight from school into an unskilled job.That’s only $5 an hour less than an RN. In my case, as an NUM with 30 years experience, I have 30 staff and a budget of several million dollars. I earn $70,000 per year – far less than my friends at similar levels of their professional careers.’

‘We deserve an equitable pay rise. Other workers in the health industry have been offered 4% per year, so that is a very fair benchmark for nurses. I think we have tremendous community support, even though the general public doesn’t fully understand the deep changes that our profession has undergone in recent years. When people come into our care as patients they are astounded at the level of responsibility that nurses carry and the complexity of our work today. Not to mention the training that nurses have to undertake, and the responsibilities for training student nurses, ENs and so on. Every day, patients in our clinical wards tell us that nurses deserve more pay. And we’ve had patients on many occasions make the obvious connection – that if nurses were paid more, maybe there would be more of us. I think the government and political decision-makers also understand this. But they are trying to avoid the expense of paying a fair pay increase to nurses.’

Rebecca Nairne, NSWNA Council Member. EN, Gulgong Hospital.

Lyn Hopper, NSWNA Council Member. NUM Intensive Care, Manly Hospital.

Coral Levett, NSWNA President. Manager, Nurse Education, St George Hospital.

16 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

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SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

WEAR THE BADGE

Actions speak louder than words, Mr Premier g Premier Bob Carr and NSW Treasurer Andrew Refshauge have often supported nurses in their public comments, as the following quotes illustrate. Now it’s time for our political leaders to show real support in the shape of a 4% per annum average pay rise. BOB CARR ON NURSES ‘What a farcical situation, delegates, where the States increase their health budgets by billions and rebuild their hospitals but can’t find the nurses to staff them.’

‘Nurses are the heart and soul of our hospital system.’

— Speech By Premier Bob Carr – NSW ALP State Conference – 5 October 2003

‘Nurses are an indispensable force at the heart of our health care team. Every day in every hospital across NSW our nurses deliver the very best of care to tens of thousands of patients. In every ward there are unheralded acts of professionalism and dedication to the public health system for which we are all grateful.’ — Media release by Bob Carr – 12 May 2004

‘Nurses are the heart and soul of our hospital system.’

‘The hard work of nurses has not been adequately recognised.’

ANDREW REFSHAUGE ON NURSES ‘Nurses play a pivotal role in sustaining a quality, effective, compassionate health system. We are indebted to them for the extraordinary work they do every day in caring for patients and their families.’ — Press release – Feb 1999

‘The cornerstone of Labor’s health professionals policy is the recognition of nursing as a professional discipline. For too long the hard work of nurses has not been adequately recognised and rewarded.’ — 1995 NSWNA Election issue of The Lamp, special pamphlet

— Press release – June 2002

s Go to http://www.nswnurses.asn.au for a campaign update. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 17

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Pay your membership by DIRECT DEBIT and WIN! YOU COULD WIN A FABULOUS 4-NIGHT LUXURY STAY FOR 2 ON BEAUTIFUL KANGAROO ISLAND, SIMPLY BY PAYING YOUR MEMBERSHIP BY DIRECT DEBIT, OR CONVERTING A COLLEAGUE TO DIRECT DEBIT. Often described as a ‘zoo without fences’, Kangaroo Island is one of Australia’s premier wildlife destinations; home to dramatic coastline, iconic sights and culture. The prize includes: • 4 nights’ accommodation • return ﬂights Sydney/Adelaide • return and transfers from Adelaide Airport to Kangaroo Island return • car hire • an island tour • dinner for two with a bottle of Kangaroo Island wine included

WHAT IS DIRECT DEBIT? Direct debit means your NSWNA membership fees are deducted direct from your bank account or credit card each month. WHY DIRECT DEBIT? It’s: Conﬁdential meaning your union membership is your business. Convenient as your payments are deducted automatically. Safe from interference from government policies, so you will never lose your NSWNA protection. Secure as only your fees will ever be deducted 1 8 from THE LA M P Maccount. ARCH 2005 your

TO ENTER You will go into the draw to win the holiday to Kangaroo Island when you: • Return the completed direct debit or direct credit form to the NSWNA • Convert a colleague to direct debit or direct credit, or sign up a new member to direct debit or direct credit, and ﬁll your name in on the space provided and you both will go in the draw. FOR DIRECT DEBIT OR DIRECT CREDIT FORMS, TO ENTER THE COMPETITION OR FOR MORE INFORMATION: CALL THE NSWNA ON 8595 1234 (METROPOLITAN AREA) OR 1300 397 962 (NON-METROPOLITAN AREA) GO TO www.nswnurses.asn.au

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Q & A

ASK

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

JUDITH

THIS MONTH JUDITH LOOKS AT THE PUBLIC HOSPITALS PAY CLAIM.

Negotiating pay increase How do we go about negotiating the pay increase?

Pay increases that compensate for things like increases in the cost of living are negotiated between the NSWNA representing nurses, and the NSW Health Department. Once there is agreement they are written in a document called ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ and the Public Hospital Nurses (State) Award. In recent times these wages agreements have tended to cover 4 year periods. Sometimes unions have to campaign to achieve an offer that is acceptable.

industrial action to win our just cause in the public arena.

Fixing nursing shortage Will a pay increase fix the nursing shortage?

Strike for a pay increase

Not on its own. But maintaining pay is crucial. Fixing overwork and burnout by achieving reasonable workloads also needs to happen. Making the nursing profession attractive and respected is the key to bringing nurses back into hospitals and keeping more new graduates into the system to relieve the unreasonable pressure on existing nurses. Without maintaining pay rates none of this can be delivered.

Will we have to go on strike to get the pay increase we are after?

A say on an offer

Industrial action isn’t the only way to bring pressure to bear on an employer to agree to a fair wage increase. Community and political action to build support and understanding of our position is often more effective.The wider community understands well that nurses care about and act to preserve the integrity of the health system.They are also aware that governments have become obsessed with bean counting and managerialism.This means there are other options to explore before resorting to

Will we get a say on the employer’s offer?

Once a proposed agreement is reached all NSWNA branches will be given full information about the employer’s offer and asked to hold a vote of branch members to accept or reject the offer.

Backdated increase When we finally get an agreement with the employer will it be backdated?

The NSWNA argues that any increase should be

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backdated to July 2004. It is a long-established practice to backdate pay rises to the expiry of the previous Agreement – in this case July 2004. HSU members, public servants and rail workers have all received backpay from the government – nurses are the only group being denied.

Asking for more We’ve already had good pay increases over the last few years. Are we being greedy in asking for more?

Wage increases in the last few years have seen nurses catch up some of the gap that existed with other health and public sector professionals. Now we are seeking to maintain that parity in light of the 4% increases that other health and public sector unions have recently received. Accepting a lesser offer would mean nurses’ pay would quickly slip behind other health therapists’ pay rates. Nurses are proving their increased productivity – there are greater workloads with more beds open, more responsibility and more roles - and nurses continue to develop their skills to deal with new technology. We are asking for what we are worth and what we are entitled to.

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EgdjY id WZ i]Z aVlnZgh [dg i]Z CZl Hdji] LVaZh CjghZh¼ 6hhdX^Vi^dc# THE LAMP MARCH 2005 19

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I S S U E S

New Area DoNs on deck … now the spotlight’s on the third tier g The restructured public sector Area Health Services are in operation and the Area DoNs have been appointed on the second tier of the new system. Now the pressure is on to keep nurse influence in other management positions. he restructured Area Health Service (AHS) came into effect on 1 January 2005. CEOs at the first tier of each AHS and positions at the second tier – including the Area DoNs – have been appointed. As a direct result of pressure from NSWNA members, Area DoNs will be kept at second tier, with direct access to CEO. NSWNA members had inundated NSW health with a fax deluge to drive home the determination of nurses to be representated at the top end of decision making in the new health system. ‘NSW Health had wanted to diminish the influence of nurses and relegate the Area DoNs to a lower position in the new system but NSWNA members stood firm,’ said Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda. ‘Maintaining a leadership role at this level reflects the valuable role of the nursing profession in the NSW health system.’ ‘The area DoN position is to be reviewed in 12 months time so it’s crucial for the nursing profession that we keep the pressure on to keep the Area DoN position involved in high-level, clinical decision

20 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

making, with the influence and authority to ensure nurses receive appropriate professional recognition. Now the second tier positions have been determined, NSW Health is now turning its focus to the make up of the health system’s third tier. The initial timeframe for third tier advertising was supposed to be early February but this has not happened. At the time of printing The Lamp, NSW Health advised the NSWNA that it is still engaged in discussions on a range of issues related to the third tier structure and gave its assurance that the third tier structure will not be signed off until consultation with unions has occured. Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda reiterated to the Department that the NSWNA will not accept downgrading nor removal of nurse managers and health service managers at this level. ‘We will resist any options that will undermine the role and influence of the nurse managers.’ Rural nurse managers tell us that one suggestion is the clustering of smaller hospitals in rural areas, which would fall under the responsibility of a general manager.This could mean that the executive management role of the DoNs in rural areas would be diminished. ‘The reality is that the DoNs in rural areas would be required to continue their management functions because the general manager would not be on-site to address issues,’ said Judith. ‘It’s unacceptable to the NSWNA that they would lose recognition for what they do. ‘We’ve put pressure on the department and have been pushing for discussions to ensure our position is considered,’ said Judith. ‘We’ll keep members informed about this important issue.’

Meet the Area DoNs g The Lamp caught up with our Area DoNs to track their rise to the top and see what makes them tick.

JENNY COUTTS – SYDNEY WEST Jenny Coutts has a vision for nursing that sees nurses reaching their potential through clinical experience, professional development and clinical research. Jenny’s career began at Royal Newcastle Hospital with General Nursing and Intensive Care Nursing, followed by Midwifery at the Mater Misericordiae in Newcastle. Jenny was appointed to Sydney West AHS in January 2005 after three years as Area DoN in Western Sydney AHS.

KERRY RUSSELL – SYDNEY SOUTH WEST Kerry is Area Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services for Sydney South West AHS. Kerry completed her general nursing certificate at Concord Repatriation General Hospital and has held a range of senior nursing positions. Kerry looks forward to the enormous challenges ahead and hopes to make a significant contribution to reducing the use of agency staff in favour of a more stable, permanent nursing workforce.

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MICHELE PITT – GREATER WESTERN

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DENISE HEINJUS – NORTHERN SYDNEY/ CENTRAL COAST

JENNI JARVIS – CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL WESTMEAD

Denise Heinjus has recently moved from Illawarra AHS to the Northern Sydney /Central Coast AHS, following her appointment as the Area Director of Nursing and Midwifery. Prior to Denise’s appointment in the Illawarra, she worked at Greater Murray AHS, with a strong background in community health. Denise completed her general nursing training at Albury Base Hospital and midwifery in Melbourne, and went on to gain her Masters of Health Science (Honours) and Graduate Certificate in Management. Denise is looking forward to the many challenges of her new job, including her role in nursing leadership, patient flow and sustainable access.

Jenni Jarvis is a paediatric nurse who is now the Director of Clinical Services at the Children’s Hospital, Westmead. She previously held several leadership positions at the Children’s Hospital in Adelaide. Among her many achievements, she conducted a paediatric nurse dependency study across 15 Australian hospitals. The findings of this study were used to refine the DRG classification system for paediatric care. Jenni is passionate about leadership and the development of the nursing profession, and is an active member of the Children’s Hospitals of Australasia, particularly in clinical improvement and nurse leadership.

ANNE O’DONOGHUE – NORTH COAST

MAUREEN HANLY – JUSTICE HEALTH

JENNIE WEST – HUNTER AND NEW ENGLAND

Anne’s Donoghue’s management journey has been a round trip – she started in Sydney and has worked in the far north and far south of NSW. Anne’s first venture into management was with the two “princes” in the 1980s – Prince Henry and Prince of Wales. She later joined another prince – Prince Alfred, as Deputy Director of Surgical Nursing. She has also worked in rural NSW in the Greater Murray and Northern Rivers. Her new role as Area Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the North Coast AHS covers Tweed Heads to Port Macquarie.

Maureen Hanly, Area DoN for Justice Health, is responsible for the provision of primary health, population health, women’s health, drug and alcohol and nursing services in the area. She has a long career in justice health, both in NSW and other states, and has experience working in the public and private health sectors. She finds the specialty area of justice health to be a professional and personal challenge, and an extremely rewarding area of the health sector to work in.

Conjoint Professor Jennie West is the Area DoN for Hunter and New England Health. She started out at Newcastle Hospital, and then worked in operating theatres at Parramatta Hospital, where she also trained in nurse education. Jennie’s career progressed through the ranks from DoN at Gunnedah District Hospital, Tamworth Base Hospital, to district and Area positions in New England AHS. On New Year’s Day this year she was appointed as Area DoN of the newlymerged Hunter New England AHS.

Michele Pitt is Area DoN for Greater Western AHS. Michele comes to the position with 30 years’ experience in health. Her strong history of nursemanagement and administration includes working as Far West AHS DoN since 2002 and, prior to this, Far West AHS Manager of Clinical Quality Improvement. She was also acting Deputy DoN for Broken Hill AHS and NUM of the Specialist Clinic at the hospital for eight years. Michele commenced nursing at Broken Hill Base Hospital, and later moved on to specialise in midwifery. She holds a Masters of Health Services Management from Charles Sturt University.

MARIANNE WARREN IS ACTING DON OF GREATER SOUTHERN AHS AND KIM OLESEN IS THE ACTING AREA DON OF SOUTH EAST SYDNEY/ILLAWARRA AHS. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 21

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More private nurses win 3.5% g The union is winning the campaign to get private hospital nurses the same pay as public nurses. We broke through employer opposition late last year when two of the biggest hospital chains, Ramsay and Affinity agreed to pay the 3.5% increase. They were followed by a third major employer, Healthscope, early this year. Now the smaller operators are steadily falling into line. This month we report on some of the campaign’s latest successes – St Vincent’s Private at Lismore, Calvary Hospital at Wagga Wagga, and five Sydney hospitals under the Macquarie group. 22 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

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Macquarie hospitals agree to pay parity rates. The Association is continuing to press for the increase to also be applied to allowances. Nurses at Delmar Private are ‘really happy’ to be receiving the increase, said Liz Thurlow, an enrolled nurse in the hospital’s operating theatre. ‘The Association has done a brilliant job of Delmar Private nurses Liz Thurlow, Liz Collins and getting the increase Elaine Teal…happy to be getting the 3.5%. and keeping us informed all the way,’ said Liz. She said the hospital’s acting director, Ingrid Statis, had explained to the company that there was a danger of losing nurses to the public sector unless private sector pay was improved. ive Sydney hospitals under ‘The imbalance between public Macquarie Hospital Services are and private is even greater when you now paying nurses the 3.5% pay consider that the public sector is going increase after strong for a further 16% increase over four representations from the union. years from July,’ she said. The hospitals are Delmar Private at ‘This is a happy hospital and a lot Dee Why, Manly Waters Private, Eastern of us have been here a long time – I’m Suburbs Private, Minchinbury Private in my 14th year at Delmar. Hopefully and President Private. the 3.5% rise will help us to retain The 3.5% increase applies to wage staff,’ she said.

‘Hopefully the 3.5% rise will help us to retain staff.’

FAIR PAY BY

CALVARY Calvary Hospital at Wagga Wagga has agreed to pay nurses the 3.5% increase on wages and allowances.

Calvary Hospital branch members

An Enterprise Agreement is currently been negotiated by Calvary and the NSWNA.

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Equal pay for Mayo nurses ollowing the lead of private hospital employers Ramsay, Affinity, and Healthscope, management at Mayo Private Hospital at Taree has agreed to pay nurses a 3.5% pay increase, providing them equal pay with public hospital nurses. Mayo nurses have been paid the increase since 1 February 2005. Mayo Branch wrote a letter, signed by all members, to the Hospital’s Board of management, asking for pay parity with public sector nurses. ‘There was no doubt we deserved the pay rise,’ said NUM Nita Mackie. ‘We do the same work as nurses in public hospitals and work just as hard.’ And Nita should know – she’s been with Mayo Private since 1970, and a member of the NSWNA since 1958. ‘Members were delighted when we received notification of the pay rise. We have a strong working relationship with management and they know how hard we work.’

‘We do the same work as nurses in public hospitals and work just as hard.’ NUM Nita Mackie

Members of Mayo Private Hospital

NSWNA members meet at St Vincents’ Private Hospital, Lismore.

Lismore private nurses win pay breakthrough g Lismore meeting brings quick offer of 3.5%. embers at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Lismore won an immediate 3.5% increase in wages and allowances and has commenced negotiation for an Enterprise Agreement. Management’s decision to pay the increase came after a meeting of 50 of the hospital’s 200 nurses voted unanimously to pursue equal pay with public nurses, who got the 3.5% last year. Pressure from nurses helped bring management to the table. Pressure included media publicity and nurses wearing the Association’s campaign badge. ‘Management sensed the urgency and willingness of members to take action,’ Secretary of the Association branch at the hospital, Michael Koenen said. Nurses also got support from patients who were unaware that many private hospital nurses get lower pay and conditions than public hospital nurses. ‘They obviously saw a need to respond to members’ dissatisfaction, and also to do something to attract new staff. We are short-staffed and are advertising for more nurses,’ he said. ‘Now that we’ve got the 3.5%, we will be sitting down to seriously discuss the EBA. ‘We are seeking a number of improvements including maternity leave,

family-related sick leave and minimum 10-hour breaks between shifts.’ Many of these conditions are enjoyed by other private hospital nurses and are standard for public hospital nurses. St Vincent’s management agreed to negotiate a new EBA with the Association. The Association wants negotiations completed by 31 March 2005. St Vincent’s Private Hospital is a standalone, not-for-profit hospital owned by the Catholic Diocese of Lismore.

‘Next comes a better EBA.’ Michael Koenen THE LAMP MARCH 2005 23

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STATE

A G E N D A

FEDERAL IR SYSTEMS

Howard’s

power grab threat to nurses ‘It would have been almost impossible for NSW nurses to get the pay rises of the last few years if they had been within the federal system.’ n a move with far-reaching significance for NSW nurses, Prime Minister John Howard has come out in support of the abolition of state industrial relations systems. The Coalition is also flagging it will target conditions in awards and the minimum wage when it takes control of the Senate in July. NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes says it would have been almost impossible for NSW nurses to get the pay

rises of the last few years if they had been within the federal system. ‘In the federal system there is no scope for a work value case or a special case. We would not have got the 9.5% pay increase that rewarded public hospital nurses for their increase in skills and work value. The employers would never have agreed and, unlike in the NSW system, there would be no recourse to an independent umpire that could actually award pay increases such as the NSW Industrial Relations Commission,’ he said.

HOW THEY COMPARE s

working days lost due to industrial action are 65% to 70% higher in the federal system operating in Victoria compared with NSW; the federal system now accounts for 70% of all lockouts; building projects were 20% to 30% higher in Melbourne (federal awards) than the same projects in Sydney (state awards).

Brett Holmes also sees the proposal to further restrict the types of entitlements that are allowed to be included in awards as opening workers up to attack from employers. ‘If the Coalition is successful in paring back the number of minimum conditions in awards it will raise the risk of losing existing conditions. These conditions would have to be renegotiated. Again, if the employer does not agree, they could be lost.’

Katie says

PAY BY DIRECT DEBIT & PROTECT OUR UNION

Katie Griew says she has changed the payment of her Association fees to direct debit from payroll deductions for two reasons. ‘First, it is convenient for me. Second, it protects my union from any possible future attack by the Federal Government. If the government was able to stop payroll deductions for union fees it would have serious consequences for the way our union could function.’ See page 18 for information on how to get your direct debit form and how you can win a great prize for changing your method of payment. 24 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

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‘Surely collective action is logical, necessary, and a basic human right.’ Kevin Manning, Catholic Bishop of Parramatta

Union rights are human rights, says Bishop g The Catholic Bishop of Parramatta is going to Canberra to argue for stronger laws to protect workers. s a boy growing up in the small NSW town of Coolah in the 1940s, Kevin Manning witnessed numerous injustices inflicted on poor farm labourers. ‘Those farmhands were so underpaid they could barely survive,’ he remembers. Today, in his role as the Catholic Bishop of Parramatta and a member of the Church’s Commission for Employment Relations, Kevin Manning continues to recognise injustice in the workplace. He does not hesitate to speak out against it. ‘Probably the most vulnerable people are young casual workers. There’s almost no protection for them,’ Bishop Manning told The Lamp. ‘I learned of a young man of 20 who was sacked from his job as a pizza courier just before Christmas. The employer decided to replace him with a school student younger and cheaper.’ In another case, a niece of his was sacked for refusing to work on Christmas Day. Bishop Manning believes governments have a responsibility to care for vulnerable people and protect the rights of workers. It is a message he is keen to reinforce at a time when the federal government plans to reshape industrial laws to weaken

unions. The new legislation is expected to become law once the government gains control of the Senate after July. He is joining a church delegation to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, and will study the proposed legislation in detail before that meeting. In support of his arguments in favour of employee rights, Bishop Manning invokes the Bible as well as a landmark proclamation on workers' rights by Pope Leo XIII in 1891. The papal encyclical entitled Rerum Novarum addressed the ‘vast imbalance in power between employers and employees’ and has a ‘remarkably contemporary’ message, Bishop Manning said in a recent speech on the anniversary of the Industrial Relations Commission. He pointed out that Pope Leo XIII defended the right of workers to organise and bargain collectively with employers, and even to strike when all else fails. ‘Trade unions in Australia have not been without reproach, but the principle of collective action in pursuit of legitimate collective interests must not be dismissed because some unions have abused their power at different times,’ he said. ‘Today the use of individual contracts once more threatens to undermine equity and solidarity among workers. When

employers hold all the cards, what can workers do? Surely collective action is logical, necessary, and a basic human right? ‘ Bishop Manning is concerned that more than a century after Leo XIII’s encyclical, more and more Australian families are joining the ranks of the working poor. ‘They feel pressed to accept contracts that do not deliver a living wage,’ he said. ‘Low wages, insecure short-term contracts, casual work and seasonal work are frequently the lot of young people, migrants and holders of Temporary Protection Visas, unskilled or semi-skilled workers. ‘These patterns of employment are making inroads into white-collar work. At the same time, top executives are earning preposterous salaries.’ Rather than more laws restricting unions, he argues for the introduction of legislation to allow the arbitration system to become a ‘watchdog with teeth’ so it can better protect workers’ rights. He pointed out that the setting up of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission represented an early effort by government to intervene to ensure justice in employment relations. ‘Today, we again face the challenge of building mechanisms that ensure that workers are paid a living wage.’ Bishop Manning says labour market flexibility is not in itself a good thing. ‘If flexible arrangements undermine the ability of workers to earn a living wage or to plan a family, then the State has a responsibility to intervene in favour of the common good,’ he said. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 25

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Have you been doing a lot of

overtime lately? Do you work a lot of regular overtime?

What is salary sacriﬁce?

If you do, you are probably aware that between penalty rates and overtime payments, you may be paying more tax.

Salary sacriﬁce is a contract that you make with your employer where you agree to reduce part of your before tax salary to make contributions to your superannuation.

For example, if you are earning more than $58,000 in a year, you are paying around 42% tax on your earnings. If your annual income was over $70,000, your tax would increase to around 47%*.

How can you reduce tax and still save for your future? One way to reduce your tax and still contribute to your future savings is by making regular salary sacriﬁce contributions to your superannuation.

Making salary sacriﬁce contributions means that your contributions are deducted from your before tax salary rather than from your after tax salary. You must enter into a salary sacriﬁce arrangement with your employer that covers salary that is going to be earned in the future, not salary that has been earned in the past.

You’ve been working harder, so why not make your money work harder? Speak to your employer or payroll office about whether you can make regular salary sacrifice contributions to your super with your overtime payments. If your overtime is irregular, you will need to check whether you can stop and start making salary sacrifice contributions when you receive overtime payments.

How do I know if this is the right choice for me? Making a decision about whether to salary sacriﬁce is complex. You need to seek independent, professional ﬁnancial advice about your own situation.

Like more information?

Go to www.ﬁrststatesuper.nsw.gov.au/ Member Area/Publications and download the Fact Sheet 3.1 Salary sacriﬁce contributions.

Ring 1300 650 873 to request the salary sacriﬁce fact sheet to be sent to you.

Notes: * Taxable income between $58,001–$70,000 is taxed at $13,572 plus 42c for each $1 over $58,000. * Taxable income over $70,000 is taxed at $18,612 plus 47c for each $1 over $70,000. This does not include the Medicare levy. (Source: Australian Tax Ofﬁce)

Disclaimer: FSS Trustee Corporation (FTC) ABN 53 226 460 365 has taken reasonable care in producing the general information contained in this article and nothing in it is to be regarded as professional or personal advice. Members should seek their own independent, professional advice before making any decisions which may affect their future. FTC does not guarantee the repayment of capital or any particular rate of return for investments and past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance.

www.ﬁrststatesuper.com.au

26 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

OVERT1 10-04 10 04 LAMP.indd LAMP i dd 1

OVERT1 10/04

How can you make salary sacriﬁce contributions?

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W O R K L O A D S

Promoting nurses’ right to a reasonable workload g Nurses in public hospitals are receiving training on using a Reasonable Workloads Committee at their new workplace and the reasonable workloads tool to address workload issues ver the past six weeks, the Association has been visiting nurses in public hospitals across NSW to promote their right to a reasonable workload. In a joint initiative between the NSWNA and NSW Health, nurses in public hospitals have been receiving training in how to use the Reasonable Workloads Committee (RWC) in their workplace to address workloads issues.

OVERT1 10/04

Training session at Nepean

20/1/05 4:59:01 PM

Under the Reasonable Workloads Clause (Clause 48) in the Public Hospital Nurses’ Award, all nurses in NSW are entitled by law to a reasonable workload. The Award allows for the establishment of

RWCs and negotiation of tools to assist in determining safe and fair workloads. NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda said, ‘The NSWNA campaigned for the inclusion of the Reasonable Workloads Clause in the Award because nurses cannot work effectively and safely if they are under pressure from excessive workloads. Clause 48 ensures that nurses have a right to a reasonable workload. They can work through their RWC to implement measures such as staff increases, bed closures and the reprioritisation of duties to relieve workload pressure.’ Sue White is an RN at Coffs Harbour Base Hospital and was active in the NSWNA ‘Just One More Nurse’ campaign to increase nurse staffing at the hospital. Sue attended the workplace training at her hospital. ‘The training clarified what the Reasonable Workloads Clause in the Award means for nurses and how it can be used to address local workload issues,’ she said. ‘Addressing workloads is a whole new concept for nurses. Many older nurses accept a constant, demanding, heavy and sometimes aggressive work environment as the norm,’ she said. ‘But younger nurses vote with their feet, which leads to a very real problem with retention of nursing staff. ‘As a member of my reasonable workloads committee, the training taught me the importance of being involved in the process of the workload committees and to take ownership of workload issues in the local workplace.The information would have been useful during the “Just One More Nurse” campaign. I would have had a better idea of how to do the research.’

‘The training clarified what the Reasonable Workloads Clause in the Award means for nurses and how it can be used to address local workload issues.’ Sue White, an RN at Coffs Harbour Base Hospital

The workplace training is also designed to assist the implementation of the Reasonable Workloads Tool at the 19 hospitals in the first phase of the roll-out. ‘It’s important members know that even if their hospital is not in the first phase of the roll out, they can still use a RWC to address workload issues,’ said Judith. ‘We’re had a number of successes so far including Maitland Hospital, Bankstown Hospital and Coffs Harbour Base Hospital. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 27

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C A R E

6 years’ backpayment of penalties g Aged care nurses at Weroona and Aldersgate Nursing Homes have received backpayment of up to six years’ weekend penalty entitlements.

Make the

SWNA action has won aged care nurses at the Lucan Care nursing homes up to $3,000 in unpaid weekend penalties. Lucan Care had avoided paying the penalty rates by recording regular weekend shifts as overtime and the overtime shifts as part of the nurses’ regular rosters. Nurses working a regular roster that includes a weekend shift are entitled to a 50% penalty on Saturday and 75% on Sunday, regardless of overtime worked. Take the case of Elvira*, who has worked full-time as an AIN for the past three years, working regular shifts Thursday to Monday. She is entitled to penalty rates for regular weekend shifts.

➔ right move

Often Elvira has been asked to work an overtime shift on Wednesday. Rather than being recorded as overtime, Elvira noticed on her payslip that this was recorded as ordinary hours and overtime appeared as having been worked on a Sunday, thus enabling her employer to avoid paying the Sunday penalty rate. ‘I discussed this with the nurses at work and we discovered that others had a similar problem with their pay. ‘I approached management and when they realised the problem they responded quickly and paid back what we were owed,’ she said. *Not her real name. Member’s name has been changed to protect her identity.

NURSECOVER a legal plan for members of the NSWNA

Members now get relevant legal advice and representation for all sorts of workplace issues such as having to appear before the Coroner’s Court, the Health Care Complaints Commission or the Nurses’ Registration Board and of course the all-too-common problem for nurses work injuries and the tangled web that is called the ‘workers’ compensation system’. You are also entitled to have one free standard will drawn up and one free consultation in relation to other legal problems. But what happens when you need a solicitor for anything else? Legal costs can be crippling and it’s virtually impossible to get legal aid these days. For $2.50 a week, you will get access to a whole range of discounted legal services.

For more information on NURSECOVER, ring the NSWNA on 1300 367 962 or go to www.nswnurses.asn.au 28 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Rural community nurses talk safety g Members discuss safety in rural and remote area nursing.

ANN TIPPET, NUM of Tweed Heads community health:

ecluded farmhouses and remote bush shacks are just some of the places you might find a rural community nurse – but the isolation also means these nurses have to be extra careful about violence from patients and relatives. In remote homes there are no security guards or even colleagues to help diffuse aggressive situations and come to the aid of a nurse under attack. But recently the NSWNA, WorkCover and groups of rural community nurses from Tweed Heads, Lismore, Casino, Grafton and Dubbo got together to talk about how prevent violence and improve safety for nurses who work alone. The Lamp spoke to two of the nurses about how they think laterally to tackle the problem.

‘Nurses have to sign out for home visits and record addresses and phone numbers of the patients they are going to visit. ‘If they are running late they call and let us know. At the end of the day we check that everybody’s in. ‘If someone is not back we would try their mobile, then call the clients to ask if the nurse was there. If we still can’t locate the person we call the police.’ ‘As well as being issued with a mobile phone, nurses have access to a satellite phone for areas with poor network coverage. ‘Nurses have been known to go off the dirt road in a sugar cane field, and tip the car over.’ ‘If a nurse is concerned about making a home visit they should go with

Members from Tweed Heads focus groups

another nurse, or invite the patient to come to the clinic. ‘It is the employer’s responsibility to provide a safe working environment. But it is also employee’s responsibility to really make sure they are safe and raise issues with their manager if they feel unsafe. ‘Sometimes a well-intentioned nurse thinks, “I’ll be alright, I won’t make a fuss” but that can be dangerous. Asking questions about safety fears is not being a wuss, it’s being sensible.’

BELINDA SPARKES, NUM of community services at Lourdes Hospital, Dubbo: ‘It’s brilliant that the Union has taken this initiative to research our safety and it’s brilliant that the Union and Workcover are working together on it.’ ‘Certain parts of Dubbo are higher risk areas where we always send two staff on a visit. And we only do morning visits to lessen the risk of alcohol being involved. ‘Before the first visit to a client, nurses must carry out a risk assessment interview with the client by telephone.

The nurse asks questions such as how many people are in the house and how are they related to the client, and the answers are written down. ‘Once the nurse parks outside the house there is another page of assessments they must complete before they go in, in the form of a check-off list. This asks for such detail as: s Is the access safe? (e.g. do you have to climb over mountains of rubbish to get to front door?) s Are there steps to the front door? s Is the verandah safe? s Are dogs restrained? s Are the premises isolated? ‘Nurses must also go by their gut feeling. Sometimes you drive up to a house and think, I don’t like the look of that.

There might be 10 cars in the front yard. Well you just don’t go in. ‘Once through the front door the nurse continues to check off the assessment form, answering questions like: s Is the house clear of clutter? s Are the floor surfaces safe? s Is the temperature acceptable – sometimes it might be over 40 degrees outside and hotter inside, and you’re there for an hour. ‘Nurses must also look at where and how they are going to perform their tasks. ‘You look at the layout, the environment, the size of the room, whether it’s too dark and so on. We don’t want a nurse to suffer a back injury because the client won’t get off a low chair into a more suitable chair, for example.’ THE LAMP MARCH 2005 29

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Nurses’ right of reply g Sometimes the media gets it wrong when covering health and nursing issues. NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda sets the record straight on two recent examples.

CASE STUDY 1 INDENTURE AND LOW-PAY NO SOLUTION TO NURSING SHORTAGE

Bob Day, managing director of Home Australia, penned an article to The Australian (18 January 2005) promoting the role of industrial relations reform and a return to a system of ‘indentured’ apprenticeships – with modest pay and unregulated conditions – overcome to meet the shortage of workers in high-demand sectors such as building and nursing. He blamed such shortages on the demise of apprenticeships and other forms of workbased training. Spurred on by unions, the introduction of regulations covering apprenticeships imposed through the Industrial Relations Commission and the increased cost of an apprentice had led to the collapse of the apprenticeship system. ‘The idea of lifting apprenticeship wages sounded noble but lifting these wages beyond the economic value of their output only served to sound the death knell,’ he said. He writes that this ‘nonsense’ extended to the nursing profession, where ‘hospital-based training was abolished and superseded by university degree courses. Students in drama courses were paid to act out the role of hospital patients for the benefit of students doing nursing degrees. Role-playing became the substitute for real learning.’

30 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

they say

we say

NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda replies to The Australian. While Mr Day may be in a position to comment on the shortage of skilled trade professionals in the building industry, his pronouncements regarding the abolition of hospital-based training for nurses are confused. Modern health care service provision is a sophisticated science that continues to be transformed by advances in our application of technology. There has been an utter transformation of the nature of day-to-day nursing work since hospital-based training was the norm and, as would be expected, the preparation of skilled nurses has been similarly transformed. While no-one would dispute that regular and intensive exposure to real clinical environments remains a critical aspect of nurse education, the argument that everything a nurse needs to know can be learnt on the job was lost long ago.

‘Dr Graham has failed to grasp that the key problem is the difficulty attracting enough doctors and nurses to meet the demand for care.’

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CASE STUDY 2 DR GRAHAM IS LIVING IN THE PAST

In an article in The Sydney Morning Herald on 6 January 2005, Dr John Graham, emeritus consultant physican at Sydney Hospital and chairman of the Department of Medicine called for ‘federal and state governments to take the Australian health system forward by winding the operational public hospital clock back 40 years’ – to a time when we had ‘compassionate care from nurses … modelled on traditions set by Florence Nightingale in the Crimea’. Dr Graham lamented the loss of respect for doctors in the public health system and the ‘mediocraticisation of virtually every activity with our public hospitals’.The first problem, he said, is that clinical doctors are no longer in charge of running the hospitals. He critiques a system where the ‘most affluent people can line up for free care’. Dr Graham describes the abolition of residential training for nurses as a disaster. ‘In return for the accommodation, full board and tuition, nurses happily received very modest trainee wages during 3 years appenticeship.’ ‘Honorary’ (unpaid) overtime was routine but it meant the wards were well serviced and at the highest level and this enhanced the education of nurses. Rigorous academic achievements demanded of today’s student nurses is ‘totally out of touch with prerequisites for being an efficient, capable and caring nurse’. ‘A passion for the job is what matters … As doctors working in hospitals, we desperately need compassionate grassroots nurses working in tandem with us,’ he said.

they say

we say

NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda replies to the SMH. Dr Graham’s misdiagnosis of the maladies that plague our public hospitals in NSW is enough to make the most seasoned HCCC investigator blush. While we certainly don’t dispute that doctors and nurses have a very important and critical contribution to make in terms of the running of our health system, Dr Graham’s nostalgic reminiscences are not a helpful contribution to this most important of debates. Dr Graham’s analysis demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of some of the most basic features of our public health system. The care provided in public hospitals is not ‘free care’. Medicare is paid for by Australians through the taxation system. It is a cost-effective and efficient system that has delivered a standard of health for Australians that is among the highest in the world (with the obvious exception of our Indigenous population). When the Kerry Packers of our community choose to access care at public facilities such as Royal Prince Alfred, it is not because it is free – it is because the care and treatment available at such public facilities is equal to the best available anywhere in the world. Given that Dr Graham appears to appreciate the vast technological transformation of health care delivery over the last 30 years, his condemnation of nursing education in universities and his suggestion that ‘academic achievements are totally out of touch with the genuine prerequisites for being an efficient, capable and caring nurse’ is completely incongruous. Is Dr Graham arguing that the modern nurse does not require a vast and complex knowledge base in order to administer sound care in today’s technologically-driven health care settings? Or is he suggesting that a high standard of knowledge, skill and expertise will somehow preclude a nurse from dealing with their patients compassionately? Dr Graham has clearly failed to grasp the fact that the key problem undermining our public hospitals in NSW is the difficulty attracting enough doctors and nurses to meet the demand for care. The solution, quite simply, is to train and recruit more skilled health professionals. Dr Graham’s recommendation that we return to the dark ages of ridiculously long shifts, low wages and unsafe working conditions for both doctors and nurses is absurd.

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NURSES WHO DARE

UNICEF Photographer/Newspix

g Peter Lokiri is just one of six million people forced to leave his home in Sudan because of the country’s savage civil war. But with an extraordinary story of survival, he’s determined to become a nurse so he can help other people suffering an emergency.

Surviving Sudan leads to a passion for nursing

(CLOCKWISE LEFT TO RIGHT): Sudanese displaced people queue up for food at the Kasab camp, Peter attending to patients in Lacor Hospital, Peter joined the Ugandan army to raise funds for school fees.

eter Lokiri was ten years old when he was forced to leave his home in southern Sudan as a brutal civil war erupted around him. He has lived in a makeshift city of 200,000 refugees in northern Uganda since he left Sudan, and has not seen his parents since then. The United Nations has called the Sudan civil war the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Two million people have been killed in Sudan over the past two decades, six million more have been forced to leave there homes, while thousands of others have been raped, tortured and kidnapped. It is a bloody civil war between the Arab Islamic government in Sudan and a group of African rebels calling themselves the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M), but it has been the peaceful civilians of

32 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

Sudan who have been used as pawns by both sides. Peter spent his childhood in Kajokeji, a county of savanna grasslands and mango trees in southern Sudan. He was eight

every possession, including clothes, sheets and mattresses. They robbed every house in the town, and kidnapped some of the villagers to train as rebels. The family moved around southern

‘Peter took a job as a cashier and even joined the Ugandan army for three months to help raise money to pay the fees so he could study nursing.’ years old the night the rebels came to his village. ‘The night was full of noises like a thunderstorm as the rebels manoeuvred their way into houses and shops with axes,’ says Peter. They broke into the family’s house and pushed and beat his mother, before stripping the house bare of

Sudan for the next few years, trying to avoid the conflict. Peter’s older brothers slept in the bush so they wouldn’t be kidnapped. But by 1995, the region was in crisis. ‘There were heavy clashes between the government and SPLA/M, and hundreds of thousands of people were

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CAN YOU HELP? Médecins Sans Frontières Nurses can volunteer to provide much-needed care in countries like Sudan, or donate to support the efforts of MSF. Call 1300 13 60 61, or visit www.msf.org.au. If you are interested in directly helping Peter Lokiri or donating to refugee nursing students in the area, contact Claire Buckis at the NSWNA on 8595 2199, or cbuckis@nswnurses.asn.au

NURSE’S EYEWITNESS

ACCOUNT IN SUDAN In a hospital of tents, mud-brick buildings and plastic sheeting, Newcastle nurse Nicole Trim has witnessed first hand the suffering of the Sudanese people. ‘At first glance, the children at the camp seemed to be happy playing with toy "cars" made from plastic bottles, but looking more closely into their eyes you sometimes see a sadness no child should know.’

forced to flee the country on foot with whatever they could carry,’ says Peter. ‘The killing of innocent civilians, the torture of people on suspicion of supporting the other side, this seemed so inhuman to me.’ As they left Sudan, ten-year old Peter and his siblings became separated from their parents. Peter has not seen them since. Peter and his siblings were escorted into Uganda by the UNHCR. ‘When we arrived at the camps in Adjumani, there were so many refugees that it looked like a city crowd,’ he says. Life was hard in the refugee camps. Firewood, food and drinking water were in very short supply, which often meant Peter went without meals, until assistance from the World Food Program began to filter through. Diseases like malaria and measles were also rife. Various rebel groups, including a Ugandan group called the Lord’s Resistance Army, continued to threaten the refugees. In spite of the hardships in the refugee camp, Peter enrolled in school and achieved excellent results, eventually graduating from Adjumani Secondary School with credits and distinctions.

He decided to enroll in Lacor School of Nursing. ‘I want to become a nurse so in emergencies I will be able to help people,’ Peter says. ‘Nursing is also a profession that makes a person kind, empathetic and generous to the patient.’ Peter excelled in Lacor Nursing School but the fees of 1.26 million Ugandan Shillings (A$900) were well beyond his means. He took a job as a cashier and even joined the Ugandan army for three months to help raise money to pay the fees. However, the modest income he earned was not enough, and Peter is still trying to slowly pay off his fees. At 18 years of age, Peter has seen more than a lifetime’s worth of persecution, and yet he is quietly optimistic about the future. Despite being caught amid a conflict based on power and ethnic prejudices, he remains a true humanitarian. ‘I plan to work in any part of the world because nursing is a profession about dealing with human beings,’ he says. ‘All human beings are the same physiologically, regardless of their height, weight, or the colour of the skin.’

Nicole worked at Mornay, a refugee camp of 80,000 people in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan. Black Africans fled to the camp after thousands were routinely killed and tortured by local Arab militiamen known as Janjaweed. ‘Every person I spoke to had these terrible stories of survival – people lost brothers, mothers, children, saw their babies thrown into fires,’ says Nicole. Nicole was the supervisor of the makeshift Mornay hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), and also doubled as pharmacy manager and supervisor of oral rehydration. Diseases like meningitis and hepatitis E were rife in the camp, as well as severe malnutrition. ‘No child should have to starve to death,’ she says. ‘But many parents had to watch their children die of these preventable problems.’ Nicole works in the ED of Belmont Hospital near Newcastle, and has completed postgraduate studies in immunisation, health promotion and epidemiology. She volunteered with MSF because she wanted to help disadvantaged people. ‘It’s easy to look at the big picture in Sudan and feel lost … but being able to help people one at a time, save one child from something as simple as malnutrition, that helps,’ she says. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 33

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STC advertorial

Pooled Fund members â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Leaving public sector employment before retirement age? Then hold onto your valuable superannuation benefits! The Pooled Fund is made up of members of SASS (State Authorities Superannuation Scheme), SSS (State Superannuation Scheme), and PSS (Police Superannuation Scheme). If you resign from public sector employment before your schemeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early retirement age (55 or 58 depending on your scheme) you should be aware that by taking an immediate withdrawal (resignation) benefit you may be forfeiting many thousands of dollars of employer financed benefits. As an alternative to receiving an immediate payment, you may choose to leave (defer) your accrued benefits in the scheme, to be paid later: at retirement age, on total and permanent invalidity, or on death when payment is made to a surviving eligible spouse or de facto partner (which may include a same sex partner). The value of a deferred benefit can be much greater than that of the withdrawal benefit as it includes much of the employer financed component of benefits you have accrued during your scheme membership. If you choose to defer your benefit in your scheme, you can opt at any time to receive a cash termination payment, which is the original withdrawal benefit, adjusted for investment earnings during the period the benefit was deferred. The deferred benefit option is also available if you are retrenched and are not immediately entitled to a retirement benefit. Although the difference in value between a retrenchment benefit and the retirement benefit may not be as great as in the case of a withdrawal benefit, deferral of a retrenchment benefit may still have advantages eg. if you are a SSS member, a deferred benefit gives you the right to take your benefit as a pension at the retirement age. The retirement benefits and options applying to a deferred benefit depend on your scheme. Please check your annual benefit statements or call Customer Service for details.

For more information go to www.statesuper.nsw.gov.au or call Customer Service on 1300 130 096 , from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday for the cost of a local call (except from a mobile or pay phone). Reasonable care has been taken in producing the information in this advertorial and nothing in it is to be regarded as personal advice. If there is any inconsistency between this advertorial and the relevant scheme legislation, the scheme legislation will prevail. Neither the SAS Trustee Corporation nor its respective Boards or officers will be liable for any decision taken on the basis of information shown or omitted from this advertorial. Members should seek professional advice before making decisions which may affect their future. 34 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

STCLEAVPS03/05 LAMP

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P E O P L E

Honouring our nurses g From a one-woman nursing agency to a CNC with a passion for neonates, NSW nurses have once again taken out the nation’s top award, the Order of Australia, in this year’s Australia Day honours.

Neonatal care has moved in leaps and bounds since 1983 when Sandy started at RPA Newborn Care (left) and Sandy (OAM) (right).

MARGARET SCOTT When Margaret Scott set up the Hunter Nursing Agency in 1983, she was the agency’s one and only nurse. She’d identified that the Hunter was in dire need of community nurses, and enlisted the help of her sister as business manager, and her mother (who is also a nurse) as a consultant. It was a massive task to build the agency from scratch. ‘To create something credible and within legislation, it is very hard,’ says Margaret. She and her sister had to research legal responsibilities, consult allied health professionals, and put up the finance to cover their indemnity to get the agency up and running. But it all paid off, when within a few months of starting, Margaret was inundated with requests for more community nurses. ‘All of a sudden we had five nurses working for us,’ Margaret recalls. Twenty-two years later, the Hunter Nursing Agency is now an award-winning organisation that employs over 220 staff. ‘It’s just a runaway train now!’ she says. Margaret was recently recognised for her work, including her many years as a nurse, with a Medal in the Order of Australia (OAM), awarded on Australia Day this year. ‘We have flexible working hours so staff can combine work and family without clashes. The agency also provides training to staff. We have a very high retention rate of staff, which says to me we must be doing the right thing, they must be satisfied,’ she says.

DR SANDY BREDEMEYER

eonatal care has moved in leaps and bounds since 1983 when Sandy Bredemeyer started at RPA Newborn Care, and Sandy has also changed with the times. She started out as an RN, and now holds a PhD in Advanced Nursing. She has long been a passionate advocate for the specialty and has an interest in many of the developmental advances in the area.

‘Sandy has long been a passionate advocate for neonatal care and has an interest in many of the developmental advances in the area.’ Holistic treatments such as touch therapy are now the norm in neonatal care, and families have a lot more input into the care of their babies than in years

DON’T HESITATE …

NOMINATE!

gone by. ‘We also have a very multidisciplinary approach with the doctors, physios and psychologists,’ she says. More babies now survive premature birth from lower ages but many still suffer from severe disabilities that present families and clinicians with difficult ethical decisions. ‘The problem is, you can look at statistics about babies surviving at 24 weeks but when it comes down to talking to the family, it’s not as black and white,’ Sandy says. Sandy was one of the founding members of the Neonatal Nurses’ Association and, besides her work at RPA, conducts clinical research and lectures at Sydney University, UTS and the College of Nursing. Sandy was recognised on Australia Day with a Medal in the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to neonatal nursing. ‘I was gobsmacked.’ she says. ‘I feel very privileged.’ If you know a hard-working nurse who goes that extra mile, nominate them for an Order of Australia award. Visit www.itsanhonour.gov.au, or call 1800 552 275. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 35

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FA C E S

From university to the workplace g It’s a big world out there for new nursing graduates, which is why the NSWNA runs a free session called ‘from university to the workplace’, where new graduates learn the things you’re not told at uni – how to calculate your pay, how the Award works, legal issues, and other workplace essentials. This year The Lamp caught up with a few of the new faces at the session to see how they feel about facing the wards as RNs for the first time.

c ALEXIS REID (UTS)

Beverley worked as an enrolled nurse for several years before finishing her degree. However she admits to feeling ‘a little bit nervous’ starting as an RN.‘Uni is a lot of hard work but I got there eventually. I’m looking forward to working in the areas that most interest me – cardiac, burns or drug dependency.’ b BEVERLEY DALZIEL (UTS)

c NAOMI ENDICOTT (UTS) 36 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

Alexis said she ‘really enjoyed’ study at UTS ‘because I think it has the most contact clinical hours and you get to work in a lot of different areas. But it’s still a bit scary now that I have full responsibility. I’m doing the new grad program for added support. Despite being nervous, I’m glad I chose nursing – it opens up so many doors.’

It is the thought of her first night shift that most worries new graduate Naomi.‘The responsibility is so big, and also I hate the dark. I realise it takes a while to get your confidence and find your feet. I hope to get through the new grad program and eventually work in the community as a mental health case worker.’

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DREAMS COME TRUE

COMPETITION

FOR NEW AINS

WIN! RETREAT TO THE

DOORALONG VALLEY Dooralong Valley Resort is an award-winning retreat established on 360 acres, just north of Sydney on the Central Coast. This relaxing bushland resort features colonial-style luxury cottages or hotel accommodation, and offers a host of activities including a restaurant, licensed tavern, horse riding, tennis, target golf, beach volleyball, bike riding, swimming pools, canoeing, bushwalking, and a wildlife sanctuary and animal farm. For more information, call Dooralong Valley Resort on (02) 4351 2611 or visit www.dooralong.com. (Top) Diane Beamer, Minister for Western Sydney, with AiN graduate Michael Higgs; (bottom) Diane Beamer with new AiN graduates.

SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS to these new AiNs who graduated from Nepean as part of the 'Corporate Partners for Change' program. A collaborative venture between the NSW Government, the NSWNA and other program partners, the 'Corporate Partners for Change' program links disadvantaged and long-term unemployed people with training and jobs in industries needing skilled staff. AiN graduate Michael Higgs (top far right) said the Program has enabled him to realise a lifelong ambition to work in the health care industry, after being unemployed for two years.

The NSWNA and Dooralong Resort are giving you the chance to win a luxury two-night stay in a colonial cottage for four adults, plus buffet breakfast and four one-hour horse trail rides. To win, write your name, address and membership number on the back of an envelope and send it to: The Lamp/Dooralong Valley Resort competition PO Box 40, Camperdown NSW 1450 Conditions: Open to NSWNA members only. Winner will be notified by mail, winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name is not published for privacy reasons. Competition closes 1 April.

THE LAMP MARCH 2005 37

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I.C.U. @ Soldiers Point Holiday Park The prescription for too much O.T. is some R&R and a little T.L.C. at Soldiers Point Holiday Park, Port Stephens. Just 2.5 hours north of Sydney… your beachside Intensive Care Escape includes: • 2 nights villa accommodation • Breakfast basket • Cheese platter & wine tasting at Port Stephens Winery• Dinner for 2 at The Point - Soldiers Point Marina..

from $299* for 2 adults or ask us about our great villa only rates! So why wait - call us STAT! 1800 600 204

* Conditions apply. Prices are based on midweek rates and include GST. Subject to availability and conditions apply. Valid from 1/3/2005 - 1/9/2005. Not available on long weekends, public or school holidays.

www.beachsideholidays.com.au

PSHP/1945

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

Helping you plan your future 38 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

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For more information, call 1800 620 305 or visit our website at www.ssfs.com.au

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TIPS FROM MEMBERS WHO KNOW

Hooked on the beat of a dragon boat g Fran paddles to the beat of a dragon boat for fun and fitness ou might find Fran O’Brien churning up the water on a dragon boat on Blackwattle Bay when she’s not on duty at Canterbury Hospital. For the past 18 months she’s been involved in dragon boat racing, and has even competed in the World Championship in Shanghai. Dragon boat racing involves up to 20 paddlers in a long boat, 10 on each side, with a ‘drummer’ at the helm and a ‘sweep’ at the back to steer the boat. The paddlers attack the water for races of 250 metres to a kilometre. Dragon boats have to take off from a standing start, so much strength is needed to accelerate the boats. Paddlers attempt to work in unison, and so the sport is said to create strength and endurance as well as friendships.

According to Fran, there are many benefits to dragon boating. ‘It’s great fun, you meet a lot of interesting people while improving your fitness.’ Attending the Dragon Boat World Championship in Shanghai last year required total commitment to complete the rigorous training and trials to make the team. The host nation staged a wonderful world-class event with 17 countries competing. Canada was the overall winner with an excellent performance by Australia. While the team didn’t win in Shanghai, all teams produced personal bests and they are already training four times a week for the National Championship in Canberra this year. ‘It’s a great sport and I would recommend it to anyone,’ said Fran. ‘I’m hooked’!

HOW TO JOIN

A DRAGON BOAT s There are no prerequisites for

dragon boat racing – anyone of any age can join a club. The sport is relatively low impact, and paddling a dragon boat builds strength and endurance. Dragon boating is a very social sport. It’s a great way to build teamwork and friendships. A wide variety of people are involved in the sport, including people of all ages, both men and women and people from all walks of life. For more information, or to find your local club, visit www.dragonboatsnsw.org.au

THE LAMP MARCH 2005 39

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For more than a decade, the team at HIP has been building a complete superannuation service. Today, members enjoy low fees, investment choice, excellent returns, easy and efficient administration and accessible affinity programs including low-cost health insurance, home loans, discounted computer and internet packages and a car-buying service. We think it’s the best superannuation service around.

40 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

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O B I T U A RY

Dedicated nurse and trustworthy friend Mary Hicks 26 January 1946 – 30 August 2004

‘Mary was a loyal, ethical and trustworthy friend and colleague. She had a great sense of humour and a most wonderful laugh. She also had a stubborn streak that saw her fight tenaciously for issues in which she believed.’

t four years of age, Mary Hicks decided she was going to become a nurse, and she never changed her mind. She was a loyal, ethical and trustworthy friend and colleague. She had a great sense of humour and a most wonderful laugh. She also had a stubborn streak that saw her fight tenaciously for issues in which she believed. Mary’s nursing career started at Lismore Base Hospital in1963, where she made lifelong friends. Not satisfied with a single certificate, Mary completed her midwifery at Royal Newcastle Hospital in 1968. After a brief stint at Gosford Hospital, Mary married David in Kingscliff in 1969. Mary and David moved around over the next few years, and soon their sons Peter and Bernard arrived. Mary didn’t preach anti-racism – she acted it. When she took up the position of Community Nurse for Aborigines in Dareton NSW, she supported and fought for the rights of her clients. One of the local hotels had a policy of only issuing the key to the toilet to white people – Aboriginal people had to cross the road to the park. One afternoon, Mary went to the pub with Olive Mitchell, the local Aboriginal Health Worker, and asked for the key to the toilets.The two women provoked quite a reaction, and when all the dust had settled, the discriminatory practice ended. In 1980 Mary was appointed to Wentworth District Hospital as director of nursing and served in that position for nine years with her usual dedication. Mary resolved some extremely difficult situations in her role, to the extent that the community nominated her for the Citizen of the Year Award in 1987. The hospital was extended and refurbished as a result of submissions Mary helped put together.

When David was transferred to Coonabarabran in 1988, Mary was faced with a period of unemployment. Her desire to serve as a nurse was so strong that she accepted a position as deputy director of nursing at Coonamble Hospital in 1989. This involved commuting 110 kilometres over a mix of bitumen and gravel roads and rough creek crossings. Her persistence – and a Subaru – ensured she didn’t miss any shifts. The family later moved to Tamworth, where Mary worked for a short time as evening supervisor at Tamworth Base Hospital. She was also a founding staff member of the Palliative Care Unit, Nioka. While working in Nioka, Mary completed her Bachelor of Health Services Management at Charles Sturt University, and went on to obtain her Oncology Certificate from the College of Nursing.This equipped her for her work in the Oncology Unit and as clinical nurse consultant for the New England Area Health Service (NEAHS). Mary was elevated to the position of acting director of Cancer Services. Once again she demonstrated her skills in negotiating political issues and always fought for the needs of the people of New England in cancer provision for the NEAHS. Mary inspired trust from her colleagues and patients, was empathetic and always alert to holistic issues. Mary’s true character shone through during her short aggressive illness. She did not complain. She remained courageous, courteous and kind. She would not ask for pain relief or attention if she thought that the nursing staff were too busy. She discussed her condition dispassionately with doctors and offered them advice if asked. They invariably followed that advice. Mary died on 30 August 2004 at 11.30 pm. Mary was a wonderful nurse, friend and colleague and we miss her.

KATE LAURIE CNC RESPIRATORY, NEAHS THE LAMP MARCH 2005 41

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Take advantage of our

member seminars

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

Date

• Sydney city

6 April 2005

• Blacktown

4 May 2005

• Penrith

22 June 2005

• North Sydney 27 July 2005 • Parramatta

17 August 2005

• Sydney city

14 September 2005

• Newcastle

12 October 2005

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

Seminar times are 5.30 pm - 6.30 pm, doors opening at 5.00 pm

www.ﬁrststatesuper.nsw.gov.au 42 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

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

SEMIN2 01/05

How to book a seminar?

Disclaimer: FSS Trustee Corporation (FTC) ABN 53 226 460 365 has taken reasonable care in producing the general information contained in this article and nothing in it is to be regarded as professional advice. Members should seek their own independent, professional, ﬁnancial advice before making any decisions which may affect their future. FTC does not guarantee the repayment of capital or any particular rate of return and past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance.

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L I F E S T Y L E

Book me

Nurses and Politics: the impact of power and practice

Mini Encyclopaedia of Nursing

by Chris Hart, Palgrave Macmillan, $49.00 Collectively, nurses make up a huge section of the workforce, and yet comparatively little has been written about the power of the nursing profession. Nurses and Politics explores the profession’s place in the health system and wider society, and asks what needs to be done to change things for the better. While the book is written from a UK perspective, the cover image shows a NSWNA member at the What’s a Nurse Worth? rally in 2001, showing nurses’ struggles resonate across the world.

Edited by Chris Brooker, Elsevier, RRP $44.55 Where nursing dictionaries provide short definitions, the Mini Encyclopaedia of Nursing includes supplements information with applied anatomy, physiology, psychology and sociology. The book contains illustrations and is written specifically for nurses.

What Dying People Want: Practical wisdom for the end of life game by David Kuhl, ABC Books, RRP $29.95 ‘Talking about dying is very difficult. We know death is inevitable, death fascinates and disturbs us; but we don’t want it to happen. Maybe, we think, if we don’t talk about death, death might not notice us.’ Author David Kuhl is a palliative care doctor who discovered that, while much has been done to alleviate the physical pain of terminally ill patients, their emotional and spiritual needs are often neglected. What Dying People Want explores the needs of dying people through their own stories and experiences to help professionals and patients alike come to terms with life’s end.

WHERE TO GET

SEMIN2 01/05

Grant Application Writer’s Handbook

n s ce of nce.

by Liane Reif-Lehrer, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, RRP $78.10 Want to apply for a grant but don’t know where to start? Grant Application Writer’s Handbook covers everything you need to know when applying for a grant for yourself or your organisation. While written for US health professionals, much of the information is universal, including how to get started and tips on what makes a successful application.

Living with illness: Psychosocial challenges for nursing edited by Cath Rogers-Clark, Kristine Martin McDonald and Alexandra McCarthy, Elsevier, RRP $44.00. Beyond the physical symptoms of a disease, the emotional pain of living with an illness can be the hardest thing for a patient to overcome. Primarily written for undergraduate students, Living with Illness explores the psychosocial role of nurses in providing holistic care for patients, including issues such as age, gender, culture, class, loss and grief.

MARCH 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, email jbromfield@nswnurses.asn.au or Cathy Matias, 8595 2121, email cmatias@nswnurses.asn.au THE LAMP MARCH 2005 43

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The College of Nursing incorporating The NSW College of Nursing

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•Thousands of jobs across the UK •Exceptional rates of pay •Help with visas and work permits •Mandatory training provided free of charge* •Reimbursement of NMC fees* For over 35 years, Corinth has been finding the best jobs for the right people across the UK, from exciting and vibrant cities to the peace and tranquility of the countryside. Find out more about working in the UK, call now on

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www.scrubs.com.au 44 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

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CRoSSWoRD

Test your knowledge with The Lamp’s nursing crossword 1

8 9 11

12 13

20 21 23

24 25

s 1. 5. 8. 9. 11. 13. 15. 16. 18. 20. 21. 23. 25. 26. 27.

ACROSS Relating to the liver (7) Partial or complete loss of memory (7) Feverish, hallucinating (9) Relating to the heart (7) Group of analgesic drugs including codeine and morphine (7) Contains more sodium chloride than before (7) Haematocrit, abbrev. (1.1.1) Swellings (5) The duration of pregnancy (9) One of the basic elements of DNA (7) Shoulder blade (7) Milk product made with bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus (7) Invasion of microorganisms into body tissues (9) Acetyl salicylic acid, a common pain reliever (7) Long duration (7)

s 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 10. 12. 14. 16. 17. 19. 22. 24.

DOWN Warm water exercise program often used in rehabilitation (12) Treatment type that relieves symptoms towards the end of life (10) Sinus ….. Syndrome, characterized by pain in the ankle (5) Coagulated blood formations (5) Infections in cavities (9) Pain along a nerve (9) A thought or notion (4) Relating to substances that can cause cancer (12) A pair (3) Itching, inflammation (10) One of the tarsal bones (9) Processing food in the body (9) A device that controls the flow of liquid (3) Pressure sore (5) Monounsaturated … can be found in fish, nuts and olives (4)

Solution page 49 THE LAMP MARCH 2005 45

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D I A RY D AT E S

Conferences, seminars, meetings SYDNEY, HUNTER & ILLAWARRA Holistic Nurses Association of NSW Date: First Tuesday each month, 7pm Venue: Macquarie Hospital, North Ryde Details: Kate Belfield 9634 3924 Infection Control Association NSW Southern Metro Interest Group Date: First Wednesday each month, 2pm Venue: Rozelle Hospital Details: Jan O’Hara, 9556 9179, jan.ohara@email.cs.nsw.gov.au Sydney Hospital Graduate Nurses’ Assoc. Date: 3rd Wednesday each month, 10.30am, commencing Feb 05 Venue: Nightingale Wing of Sydney Hospital Details: Karys (Hall) Fearon 4323 1849; Jeanette Fox, 4751 4829 Australian Orthopaedic Nurses’ Association annual conference Date: 11 March Venue: Novotel Hotel, Brighton Details: Sally Goodchild 9386 2100, sallygoodchild@unique-journeys.com.au NSW Lactation College Rural conference Date: 11 March Venue: Central Hotel, Queanbeyan Details: Tracey Foster, 6361 0332, centralwestparenting@ozemail.com.au Northern Sydney Health Renal Nursing series Dates: 17&24 March Venue: RNSH Details: 9926 7459 Women’s Gynaecological Health Professional Day, SESAHS Date: 1 April Venue: St George Hospital Details: Christine Jones, 9350 3665, johnsc@sesahs.nsw.gov.au Cardiac Nurses’ Network of Aus. and NZ Date: 6 April Venue: Concord Hospital Details: Julie Chalmers, 9542 3765

Northern Sydney Health Haematology series Dates: 13&27 April Venue: RNSH Details: 9926 7459 ACAT meeting Date: 19 April, 1pm Venue: Bankstown Hospital, L4 Details: Wendy Oliver, 9722 7300 Gosford Hospital Midwifery conference ‘Midwifery: New Life, New Challenges’ Date: 6 May Venue: Apollo Resort, Wamberal Details: Penny McCulloch, 4320 2111, pager 18292, pmucculloch@doh.health.nsw.gov.au Neuroscience Nursing Dates: 5&6 May Venue: Sydney University Details: Nada Dunda, 9351 0677, ndunda@nursing.usyd.edu.au International Nurses’ Day Masquerade Ball Date: 13 May Venue: City Beach Function Centre, Wollongong Details: Glen Barrington, 0402 000 841, Nevia Kusa, 4222 5214 HIV Nursing Practice workshop Dates: 16-19 May Venue: Surry Hills Details: Applications close 9 April. Ph 9332 9720, albeducation@sesahs.nsw.gov.au Wound Management Dates: 26 & 27 May Venue: Sydney University Details: Nada Dunda, 9351 0677, ndunda@nursing.usyd.edu.au Nurses’ Christian Fellowship Professional Evening Date: 3 June Venue: NCF, 5 Byfield Street, Macquarie Details: Diana Marshall, 9476 4440 ACAT meeting Date: 21 June Venue: Bankstown Hospital, L4 Details: Wendy Oliver, 9722 7300

Nurses’ Christian Fellowship Autumn Dinner Date: 9 April Venue: Ryde Anglican Centre Details: Jane Cooper 9449 4868

Nursing and Allied Health Stroke conference ‘Smart Strokes’ Dates: 7&8 July Venue: Sofitel Wentworth, Sydney Details: Louise Pitney, 9437 9333, Louise@conferenceaction.com.au

Cancer Nursing Dates: 14 &15 April Venue: Sydney University Details: Nada Dunda, 9351 0677

HIV, Sexual Health and Viral Hepatitis course Dates: 11-15 July Venue: RNSH

46 THE LAMP MARCH 2005

Details: Carol Martin, 9926 6508, cmartin@doh.health.nsw.gov.au Infection Control Association of NSW 28th Annual Conference Dates: 21 & 22 July Venue: Hilton Hotel, Sydney Details: Jan O’Hara, 9556 9179, jan.ohara@email.cs.nsw.gov.au Westmead Midwifery Dinner ‘A Professional Evening for Midwives – Celebrating Midwifery’ Date: 2 September Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Parramatta Details: Sadie Dugdale, 9845 5555, page 01793, or lesleypotter@bigpond.com 5th Australian Update on HIV and Hepatitis C in Children and Families Dates: 22-24 September Venue: Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick Details: Kidest Nadew, 9382 1654, or NadewK@sesahs.nsw.gov.au Wound Care Association of NSW conf. Dates: 11&12 November Venue: Luna Park Conference Centre Details: Debbie Blanchfield, 4295 8203, or wcansw@lists.health.nsw.gov.au

INTERSTATE Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia conf. ‘Moving Forward, Looking Back’ Dates: 23&24 June Venue: Rydges Capital Hill, Canberra 3rd Australasian Conference on Safety and Quality in Health Care ‘Evolution or Revolution!’ Dates: 11-13 July Venue: Adelaide Convention Centre Details: www.aaqhc.org.au/resources.asp, or aaqhc05@sapmea.asn.au

INTERNATIONAL Oncology Nursing Society 30th Annual Congress Dates: 28 April-1 May Venue: Orlando, Florida USA Details: www.ons.org, customer.service@ons.org

Reunions Griffith Hospital reunion and book launch Date: 19 March, 2pm Venue: Griffith Southside Leagues Club Details: From Bagtown to Base, a collection of stories from the hospital, will be launched. Contact Rae Brown (Blair), 6962 1784

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• ••

••••••••

s CONNECTIONS Are you a midwife? Holistic Nurses’ Association of NSW 10-year Anniversary Celebration – all past and current members welcome Date: 19 March Venue: College of Nursing, Burwood Details: Honouring all nurses. Free therapies and lunch. Kate Belfield, 9634 3924, or Carol Morphett, morfeet@iprimus.com.au St Vincent’s Hospital 30-year reunion March PTS 1975 Date: 20 March Venue: Il Pergolato Restaurant, 71 Renwick Street Leichhardt Details: Sylvia Shepherd, 9799 1174, S.Shepherd@arthritisnsw.org.au RPAH 40-year reunion PTS Feb/Mar 1965 Date and Venue: TBA Details: Cathie Harris (Roper) 6974 1205, robcathie@bigpond.com.au Royal Newcastle Hospital commencing 1975, 30-year reunion Date: 2 April Venue: Bimet Executive Lodge Function Centre, The Junction Details: Therese Gleeson, 4954 9989, theresegleeson@hotmail.com Prince of Wales Hospital and Eastern Suburbs Randwick reunion April 1975 graduates Date: 24 April Venue: Randwick Golf Club Details: 1975 graduates contact Robyn Flowers, 9960 7370 Lewisham Hospital 30-year reunion PTS April 1975 Date and venue: TBA Details: Wendy Janick, 6925 0578, or Julie MacQueen (Conlan) 6686 7727 Western Suburbs Hospital Trained Nurses Association luncheon and reunion Date: 28 May Venue: Burwood RSL Details: Lesley Potter, 9349 8387, lesleypotter@bigpond.com RPAH 30-year reunion PTS September 1972 Date: TBA September Venue: Vanuatu for 5 nights!!! Details: ‘Don’ Stibbard, Stephen or Martha, 6629 5742, debraelfes@hotmail.com Orange Base Hospital PTS Feb and March 1981 Date and venue: TBA Details: Joyce Kennedy (Biggs), 6361 0408, jkenne14@postoffice.csu.edu.au

Desperately Seeking Debra Hoste (or Host) Debra was born around 1960, grew up in Toongabbie. She was a triple certificate nurse at Blacktown Hospital in the mid ‘80s. Debra loved to waterski and was last heard of living in Parramatta, she may have married and changed her name. If you know Debra’s whereabouts, contact Mark Compton, mark.compton@tandbergtv.com.

What’s on Mardi Gras NSWNA members are invited to be part of the Union’s NSW float for Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2005 on Saturday 5 March. This year’s theme will focus on the attacks on workers’ rights. There will be a large puppet of John Howard and people dressed as slaves with whips. Volunteer marchers can wear anything red, and ‘Comrade Darling’ shirts are available for purchase from Unions NSW for $20. Ideas for working songs are Dolly Parton’s Working 9 to 5. Volunteers will meet in The Star Hotel at 5.30. For more information, contact Alison Peters, Unions NSW, 0425 231 814. Kenmore Hospital Museum – Goulburn “Village life in the asylum” Kenmore Hospital Museum invites visitors to take a walk through history. This year the museum will showcase the hospital village of Kenmore and the old asylum. Open weekends 12 March – 1 May, 10am to 4pm with guided tours at 11am and 2pm. Visit Kenmore Hospital Museum, Taralga Road, Goulburn. The Great Australian Bite Have a ‘bite’ for diabetes to raise funds for Diabetes Australia anytime this April. Get together with friends, colleagues or family for a meal or quick bite and make a donation to diabetes education and research. For more information, call 1300 136 588, or www.diabetesaustralia.com.au

A University of Western Sydney Maternal and Child Health Node study. Our team of researchers at UWS believe midwives are in a privileged position to be able to identify specific research priorities that could contribute to the improvement of health outcomes for families. We are seeking to consult current clinicians to complete a survey designed to ascertain these priorities. Ultimately, it is hoped that this project will provide direction for future research projects relevant to midwifery practice, ensure effective utilisation of research resources and foster partnerships between UWS and current clinicians and area health services. If you are a practising midwife in NSW and want to have a say on what you think that research priorities for midwives in NSW should be, contact Judy Reid 4620 3325 (business hours); or mobile: 0418227440 or email je.reid@uws.edu.au. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

Diary Dates Diary Dates is a free service for members. Please send information at least two months before the event, in the same format used here – event, date, venue, contact details. Send information to: Claire Buckis cbuckis@nswnurses.asn.au Fax 9550 4524 PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 Please double-check all information sent is correct. The Lamp cannot guarantee that the issue will always be mailed in time for the listed event. Due to high demands on the page, some dates too close to publication or too far in the future may be cut.

Special Interest Groups Special Interest Groups is now part of Diary Dates. If you are a special interest group, you now must send information about your event as above.

From page 47 Crossword solution

Send us your snaps If you’re having a reunion, send us some photos and any information from the night, and we’ll publish the results in The Lamp. THE LAMP MARCH 2005 47

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HEEL SPURS (Plantar Fasciitis) Standard Treatments: stretches, rest, ice, cushion pads, heat, acupuncture, arch supports, anti-inflammatories, cortisone, orthotics etc.

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Aged Care Hostel Coordinator Registered Nurse Challenging! Rewarding! Attractive Conditions! Managed by the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading humanitarian organisation, Katherine Aged Care Hostel NT is a fully accredited, 31 bed facility that provides low, medium and high care to residents. Responsibilities of the position include resident assessment, statutory requirements, standards, accreditation, resource management, staff training, risk management & OH&S. The successful applicant will possess experience in a similar position, knowledge of Aged Care and current registration. For details & Selection Criteria call the Personnel Manager on 08 89243900 or email mrichards@redcross.org.au

Applications close March 31, 2005

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This scholarship provides funding for a nurse to complete the FPA Health Post-graduate CertiďŹ cate in Sexual and Reproductive Health. $6000 will be awarded for necessary course tuition, travel and away-from-home living expenses. Applications will be accepted from registered nurses with at least two years post-basic experience who are working in rural or remote NSW. Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents, and able to commence study in 2005.

50 THE LAMP MARCH 2005 #P *C

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NSW Nurses Association members should talk to ™ me about a l o w w w w Home Loan Rate.

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*Comparison Rate for a Standard Variable Home Loan of $150,000 for a term of 25 years. WARNING: This comparison rate applies only to the example given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraw fees or early repayment fees, and savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. A comparison rate schedule is available from Members Equity. Interest rate as at 25/02/04 and subject to change. Terms and conditions available on request. Fees and charges apply. Applications subject to credit approval. #CANNEX, mortgage star rating, Sept 03. Members Equity Pty Ltd ABN 56 070 887 679 12820 AD01 C113/1/0204