The Lamp March 2017

PRIVATISATION

COVER STORY

AGED CARE

MARRIAGE EQUALITY

REGULARS

Bleak outlook for severely disabled residents

Nurses stick together at Christadelphian Aged Care

Marriage equality is a health issue

page 8

page 12

page 16

Your rights and entitlements at work Nurse Uncut – your stories What nurses and midwives said Nursing research online

p.33 p.35 p.37 p.39

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 74 NO. 2 | MARCH 2017

PRIVATISATION OF DISABILITY SERVICES GATHERS PACE

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 1

COVER STORY

Anne Mitchell Concern Australia 2016 Unsung Hero

generating hope 2 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

H.E.S.T. Australia Ltd ABN 66 006 818 695 AFSL No. 235249 Trustee of Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia (HESTA) ABN 64 971 749 321. See hestaawards.com.au for details.

CONTENTS Contacts NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association For all membership enquiries and assistance, including Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office.

Sydney Office 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au W www.nswnma.asn.au Hunter Office 8-14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2300 NSWNMA Communications Manager Janaki Chellam-Rajendra T 1300 367 962 For all editorial enquiries letters and diary dates T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnma.asn.au 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 Produced by Hester Communications T 9568 3148 Press Releases Send your press releases to: F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au

VOLUME 74 NO. 2 | MARCH 2017

8

COVER STORY

Bleak outlook for severely disabled residents Fears are growing for the welfare of severely disabled people in NSW as the privatisation of disability services gathers pace.

Editorial Committee Brett Holmes, NSWNMA General Secretary Judith Kiejda, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Coral Levett, NSWNMA President Peg Hibbert, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care Richard Noort, Justice Health Advertising Danielle Nicholson T 8595 2139 or 0429 269 750 F 9662 1414 E dnicholson@nswnma.asn.au Information & Records Management Centre To find archived articles from The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNMA nursing and health collection, contact: Jeannette Bromfield, Coordinator.

T 8595 2175 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au The Lamp ISSN: 0047-3936 General disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSWNMA. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSWNMA. Statements of fact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibility is accepted for them. All material appearing in The Lamp is covered by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission. The NSWNMA takes no responsibility for the advertising appearing herein and it does not necessarily endorse any products advertised.

Privacy Statement The NSWNMA collects personal information from members in order to perform our role of representing their industrial and professional interests. We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information.

Personal information is protected under law and can only be released to someone else where the law requires or where you give permission. If you have concerns about your personal information, please contact the NSWNMA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained, you can contact the Privacy Commission.

Subscriptions for 2017 Free to all Association members. Professional members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $30.

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12

A GED CARE Nurses stick together at

16

Christadelphian Aged Care Nurses at Christadelphian Aged Care – a religious not-for-profit organisation – were shocked when management set out to abolish a range of long-standing benefits and rights after the company’s enterprise agreement expired..

M ARRIAGE EQUALITY Marriage equality is a health issue

Australian marriage law should be amended to allow two people of the same sex to marry, according to a NSWNMA submission to a senate committee.

20 23

TRADE AGREEMENTS

TPP dead but threats live on With a stroke of a pen, Donald Trump buried the discredited Trans Pacific Partnership agreement.

Now Malcolm Turnbull wants to resurrect the deal despite its threats to our health system and jobs.

REGULARS

5 6 6 25 33 39 35 39 41 43 44 46

Editorial Competition Your letters News in brief Ask Judith Nurse Uncut Social media Nursing Research Online Crossword Book reviews Movie reviews Diary dates

PRIVATISATION

COVER STORY

AGED CARE

MARRIAGE EQUALITY

REGULARS

Bleak outlook for severely disabled residents

Nurses stick together at Christadelphian Aged Care

Marriage equality is a health issue

page 8

page 12

page 16

Your rights and entitlements at work Nurse Uncut – your stories What nurses and midwives said Nursing research online

p.33 p.35 p.37 p.39

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 74 NO. 2 | MARCH 2017

HEALTH AND INEQUALITY Cost of health: the big issue of the poor

The growing cost of health care is the number one reason people on or near the poverty line are unable to improve their health, according to the NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS).

PRIVATISATION OF DISABILITY SERVICES GATHERS PACE

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 1

OUR COVER: NSWNMA member Nat Mitchell, RN at the 14 February rally to defend the rights of ADHC clients.

Photographed by Sharon Hickey.

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 3

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EDITORIAL

Judith

Kiejda

ACTING GENERAL SECRETARY

A cautionary tale for metro members Late last year the state government unveiled plans to privatise five regional NSW hospitals.

Now, with the announced privatisation of the St George Hospital renal dialysis services, we know they are targeting our metropolitan public health services as well.

The renal dialysis service at St George Hospital is to be gifted to a private operator under a business plan drawn up without any consultation with nurses.

“Up to 11.85 full time registered and or enrolled nurses” are to be handed over to a private operator according to correspondence sent to NSWNMA by the hospital.

The privatisation is the result of a South Eastern Sydney Local Health District feasibility study carried out in secret during 2016.

The study says growing demand for renal services has “placed significant pressure” on the current number of haemodialysis chairs at the hospital.

However there is no provision for additional renal dialysis capacity in the current major redevelopment of the hospital.

In this modus operandi we see the outlines of the government’s strategy to privatise metro services by stealth. Any new service or hospital where there is a need for capital works development – like St George – gives the government an opportunity to privatise public health services.

If the government is only stumping up sufficient funds for building works and not for the operational requirements of health services the LHDs are placed between a rock and a hard place and forced down the

route of giving those services to the private sector to operate.

Services like renal dialysis, rehab and maternity services are highly lucrative targets for private corporations. There are already lots of private maternity and rehab services. Now, as we see at St George, renal dialysis is ripe for privatisation.

have on a massive scale – then you are forcing them to slash their health budgets. This trickles down to the level occupied by nurses and midwives: with less services, less staff, less resources, more privatisations and more outsourcing.

If you join all the dots: the cuts to funding, the cuts to Medicare, the privatisation of regional hospitals and the outsourcing of metro health services it is not hard to work out there is a very comprehensive agenda by state and federal Coalition governments to move people from a public health system for everybody to one where user pays.

This is an agenda that everyone should stand up and fight against.

Which comes to the next element of this strategy – the crushing of resistance to it. The Association has been made aware of several instances where nurses that have

‘It is imperative that we all stand up for a health system that is accessible to all and free at the point of service. This union will back any nurse or midwife to the hilt if they do so.’

METRO HOSPITALS FACE PRIVATISATION BY STEALTH It would be very difficult politically for the government to openly privatise major Sydney tertiary hospitals in the same way that they have with regional hospitals.

But tertiary hospitals like St George, Prince of Wales and Sutherland all have large capital works programs in play and this gives the government the opportunity to accelerate their agenda of privatising public health.

This political tactic is a variation on the great money trick played by the federal government with the state governments. If you cut their funding for health – as they

stood up and spoken out against privatisation have been put under immense pressure by their management.

This is unacceptable. Nurses and midwives have a democratic right to express their opinion on any issue they like. And they have an obligation under their registration to advocate for their patients in their care.

Management has no right to put them in a difficult situation if they speak out against privatisation. It is imperative that we all stand up for a health system that is accessible to all and free at the point of service.

This union will back any nurse or midwife to the hilt if they do so.

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 5

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Nurses and euthanasia In response to Michael Hamming, RN, NP from Taree (The Lamp, February 2017, p.7) I would like to say that we do need an outcry from nurses and other healthcare providers to ensure that the World Health Organisation’s guidelines for palliative care are followed. They are in alignment with the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and the human right of people to access pain relief. Unfortunately, in many countries in the world narcotic analgesia is not readily available, but in a country as well developed and legislated as Australia, many health practitioners need to be educated in pain management; acknowledging pain in its many forms – physical, psychosocial and spiritual (my emphasis).

I understand that the NSWNWA “is absolutely committed to protecting their (nurses’) rights to refuse to be involved in assisted dying”, but some nurses are not just personally opposed to physicianassisted dying, it is an ethical dilemma. I’d like to ask a question: If nurses do participate in assisted dying are they in violation of the NMBA Codes of Professional Conduct (currently under review) and Ethics? In particular, I note that our new NMBA Standards of Practice (1 June 2016) state “Standard 1 : Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice: Element 1.5 uses ethical frameworks when making decisions”.

Registered Nurses are advocates for their patients and use evidence-based practice to access pain treatment, as a human right. Lohman and colleagues (BMC Medicine, 2010) denounce that poor training of healthcare workers and their fear of legal sanctions for legitimate medical practice lead to violation of human rights. There is also much literature associating the pain of death and dying with the psychosocial and spiritual needs of a person, and how meeting these needs alleviates much pain.

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I had the privilege of nursing my own mother for 8 weeks of her last three months of life, until she felt ready to go to the hospice and set into action the palliative care program drawn up with the team and her consent, considering the extent of her metastases. She had a beautiful death, enhanced by her drawing all her children and step children together beforehand, talking about her pain relief and sedation, and reconciling with the world. Mum was strong and prayed that her life ended naturally, without suffering, and it did, with heartfelt thanks to the palliative care team who supported her in every decision and in accordance with the law.

Georgina Hoddle, RN, M.Appl.Ling

If there’s something on your mind, send us a letter and have your say. The letter of the month will WIN a gift card

SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Editorial Enquiries EMAIL lamp@nswnma.asn.au fax 9662 1414 MAIL 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017.

Please include a high-resolution photo along with your name, address, phone and membership number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space. Anonymous letters will not be published.

increasing need of community services is unmet. Clients do better in the community amongst their peers.

Letter of the month

Thanks for looking after members This is a brief letter to express my appreciation of the immense assistance and support which I received from the NSW Nurses & Midwives’ Association in workplace–related incidents.

As a member for 28 years, I have seldom required the Association’s intervention or help in the past, until recent years. The support officers were excellent and provided valuable, expert advice and timely assistance when it was needed most. In addition, they ensured that a fair process was observed in a dispute and that the eventual outcome did not compromise the victim.

Concerns about mental health services in the west I am a mental health carer and nurse. In Western Sydney we have serious concerns for the delivery of mental health services: •T he temporary relocation of CHIPs (Community Housing Implementation Programs) with no clear indications by Western Sydney Health re the ultimate plans for extremely important integral community integration services for those members with a serious persistent mental illness who require integrated support.

We, as nurses, practise in what we often regard as a protected environment and for the majority of times are quite oblivious to the inherent and unpredictable situations that accompany our professional practice.

The Association’s representation during times of workplace dispute and conflict is what matters most, particularly when a member is at a loss as to what is the most appropriate course of action.

Thank you for looking after your members so well and I am more than happy to recommend all my colleagues to join the Association.

Soo-Hoo Soon, RN CNS Marsfield • Westmead Hospital Precinct Proposal (see The Lamp Dec-Jan 2016).

Since May 2016 mental health is nowhere to be seen! David Borger (Sydney Business Chambers) is more interested in turning the western side of Cumberland Campus into a Science Business park without forethought of the consequences or the 170-year history of delivery of mental health services. Not to mention the tranquillity the site offers to those clients in their recovery.

• The future delivery of Community Health Services with the February 2013 announced sale of Jeffery House – the current location of mental health services – amongst other aspects at a time when the

• I ssues associated with an increasing ageing population, not to mention workforce. Clients have increasing complexities within the diagnosis and many people have more than one diagnosis: families spread across the world, increasing numbers of single people with lots of family disintegration. Nurses such as myself who still have significant knowledge and skill though no longer the physical capacity to deal with the physical demands of working on the ward level.

•N ot to mention the colony convict history that exists in Parramatta – within the Cumberland Hospital campus: Parramatta Hospital for the Insane, Parramatta Female Factory, location of first of 13 female factories to house 9000 convict women when there was population imbalance of 1 women to every 6–7 men.

Leslie Rogan EEN, Parramatta

Weird and weirder I would like to thank Annette Alldrick for her insightful comments in The Lamp re: SimBum. Just when you think things cannot get any weirder in the health system...

Paul Bennett RN, Broken Hill

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To advertise please contact Danielle Nicholson 02 8595 2139 / 0429 269 750 dnicholson@nswnma.asn.au THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 7

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COVER STORY

Bleak outlook for severely disabled residents Fears are growing for the welfare of severely disabled people in NSW as the privatisation of disability services gathers pace.

T

he state government has begun the process of closing residential facilities that care for people with severe intellectual and/or physical disabilities.

The state’s biggest residential facility, the Stockton Centre in Newcastle, had about 380 clients and 400 nurses until recently.

About 50 Stockton clients have been transferred to 10 new group homes since November. The houses are staffed by disability support workers (DSW) including former assistants in nursing who transferred from Stockton.

“So far not one staff member has transferred out to a group house as an endorsed enrolled nurse or registered nurse,” said the Stockton branch president of the NSWNMA, Kieran Kelly.

“The government claims these houses do not operate under a medical model and therefore nurses are not needed. They only require someone with a first aid certificate and driver’s licence.

“Yet our clients are among the most severely disabled people in the state. Every one of them has an epilepsy management plan, a dysphasia plan (mealtime management plan), a mobility management plan, a hospital support plan and so on.

“They are the most disadvantaged people in the community and they have no voice and therefore no 8 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

choice in the process.

“The government is telling them what they are going to do and that is the government’s definition of consultation, which is different from ours.

“We have known these clients forever. We have so much knowledge with these guys and we know how to communicate with them.

“We feel it is totally unsafe and reprehensible to send them out into the community like this.

“I fear for the clients’ health and wellbeing as a result.”

members to take part in a Sydney rally against privatisation organised by the Public Service Association, which called a strike of its members working in disability services on 14 February.

The branch said Stockton nurses would not do any work normally undertaken by PSA workers on the strike day.

Branch secretary Terry Rae said the closure of Stockton would represent a major loss of expertise in nursing and specialist areas such as neurology and dentistry.

‘We feel it is totally unsafe and reprehensible to send them out into the community like this. I fear for the clients’ health and wellbeing as a result.’

— Kieran Kelly, Stockton Branch NSWNMA President NSWNMA MEMBERS SUPPORT PSA STRIKE In February the union’s Stockton branch called on the new Berejiklian government to reassess the decision to exit all aspects of disability care in 2018.

The branch asked the new Minister for Disability Services, Ray Williams, to visit Stockton to “discuss the absolute importance of maintaining a public sector presence”.

The branch encouraged off-duty

“A nucleus of Stockton nursing staff and specialists should be retained to help service providers in group homes deal with problems they can’t manage on their own,” he said.

“It would act as a safety net similar to the role played by crisis teams in the psychiatric system, with the aim of protecting clients and taking pressure off the public hospitals.

“At Stockton, our clients can see a visiting specialist without having to go on a waiting list or attend a public

COVER STORY

A COMMITMENT TO THE DISABLED: NSWNMA member Lynne Saville, RN and PSA members Karen Coughlin (left) and Lisa Jones (right) turn out in the driving rain to defend the rights of the disabled.

waiting room. Some of our clients would experience a high degree of stress and anxiety if they had to sit in a crowded waiting room.”

Terry said the government had stated that some group homes would be designated as medical facilities and employ nurses “but they haven’t said how many, or where they will be.

So far none of them are.”

EVEN MORE PRESSURE ON OUR EDS He said disability support workers in group houses would inevitably have to make greater use of public hospital emergency departments and the ambulance service.

And clients would have to stay longer in hospital without Stockton’s specialist nurses to look after them on discharge.

“That will put a lot of extra pressure on the clients, on staff in group homes and the health system as a whole.”

Terry said families of Stockton residents were still fighting to keep some sort of service going and were getting “fantastic support” from local Labor members of parliament.

Stockton RN Michael Grant said it was absurd for the government to justify eliminating all Stockton Centre services on the grounds that the NDIS would provide clients with greater choice of services.

“I had a client today whose only way of indicating whether he wants a particular food or not is to turn his head away. That’s about the biggest choice he can make in life.

“They are forever having issues with feeding, drinking, aspirations

and dehydration. Some of them need blood tests every day.

“To talk about giving these clients greater choice is just ludicrous.

“At Stockton we have doctors who keep an eye on the clients and direct them to specialists. However, in the community there’s already a struggle to find enough doctors and health specialists to cater for the small number of clients who have left Stockton to date.

“A lot of doctors have closed their books or are not set up to take big wheelchairs. And very few will do a house call.

“When Stockton closes we will still need a centre of last resort – perhaps three or four dozen beds somewhere within the health system.” ■ THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 9

COVER STORY

Disability nurses coerced into new roles NSW legislation allows the Minister to dictate where disability nurses will work.

T

he National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS) was a federal Labor government initiative aimed at giving disabled people and their families more choice and control over the types of care and support they receive.

State governments are mainly responsible for implementing the NDIS. In NSW, state Liberal governments used the NDIS rollout as an opportunity to privatise the entire disability and homecare sectors.

As part of the privatisation process the NSW government passed the NDIS Enabling Act in 2013 allowing it to forcibly transfer disability and home care workers from the state to a private provider.

This means the government avoids its responsibility to find suitable alternative employment in the public sector or alternatively offer a redundancy.

“We have no right to redundancy if we refuse because we have no choice as to where we may work,” said Stockton branch president Kieran Kelly.

Branch secretary Terry Rae said some Stockton nurses through an “expression of interest” process had been offered three month’s retraining to take up nursing positions in the general medical, psychiatric and 10 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

aged care fields.

“Nurses currently at Stockton are only guaranteed employment for two years after privatisation and we don’t know what will happen to our pay rates, long service leave and other conditions after that.

“We call on the ministry to make funds available to retrain all Stockton nurses who wish to enter an alternative field of nursing.”

-bound with a series of physical conditions including Friedreich’s ataxia, heart disease, insulin-dependent diabetes and scoliosis. Ms Lhota told the Herald home care had deteriorated dramatically since Australian Unity took over midway through last year.

“Home care under the government wasn’t perfect, but it was very good,” Ms Lhota said.

‘We have no right to redundancy if we refuse because we have no choice as to where we may work.’

— Kieran Kelly, Stockton Branch NSWNMA President PRIVATISED HOME CARE SERVICE “APPALLING” Terry said increasing reports of problems with the privatised home care service did not bode well for the future of Stockton clients.

Families of home care clients in the Hunter region have told the Newcastle Herald the quality of care has dropped dramatically since the service was taken over by Australian Unity in 2016.

Dawn Lhota’s 37-year-old son, Graham Roberts, is wheelchair

“Under Australian Unity, it’s been appalling.

“Now, we are regularly rung by head office telling us at very short notice that there will be no carer available the next day for my son, that I will have to do it.”

She said her son, being wheelchair-bound, needed help to get in and out of bed and for other things, including his “Epipen” insulin injections.

“He has an NDIS plan, he has the funding to cover all of this, but

COVER STORY

STOCKTON FIGHTS ON: Michael Grant RN, Kieran Kelly (NSWNMA Branch President) and Terry Rae (Branch Secretary) from the Stockton Centre in Newcastle.

they keep ringing to say they can’t get the staff,” Ms Lhota said. “They say, you’ll have to do it. When home care was government owned I went to visit my son, not to care for him.”

PRIVATISATION DELIVERING REDUCED SERVICES Another family upset with Australian Unity’s management of home care listed at least nine occasions since August last year when staff had not turned up as rostered, with no explanation given.

“Australian Unity has no head office person to complain to, you only get a call centre,” this family said.

The Herald said Port Stephens MP Kate Washington had fielded a growing number of concerns from constituents and home care staff. She said the home care privatisation had been a disaster.

Ms Washington said clients and workers were both “at breaking

point” over what was happening.

“Since the privatisation, clients have experienced great difficulty accessing the services they once had.

And there appears to be no accountability whatsoever – nowhere to complain and no oversight,” she said.

Australian Unity told the Newcastle Herald that it accepted there had been problems with the way home care was being delivered, and these had been “compounded by a range of significant industry reforms” including the NDIS and changes to home care packages, that “occurred simultaneously, directly impacting the same clients and staff”.

But when the Herald sought a response from the new Disability Services Minister, Ray Williams, a departmental spokesperson said the department was “not aware of any complaints in relation to the quality of services provided by Australian Unity of the nature alleged”.

When Australian Unity did the privatisation deal with the government last year its senior executive Derek McMillan claimed Australian Unity would provide increased levels of care.

“We see the extensive range of services as one of the key benefits we bring to clients of home care,” he said. ■

STOP PRESS As The Lamp goes to print the new Minister for Disability Services, the Hon Raymond Williams MP, has agreed to meet with the Association and a delegation of members to discuss concerns with the current framework and the exclusion of the public sector from being a much needed service provider.

The necessity to maintain a public sector safety net, especially for those with the most profound needs, will be a key ingredient in those discussions.

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 11

AGED CARE

Nurses stick together at Christadelphian Aged Care Nurses at Christadelphian Aged Care – a religious not-for-profit organisation – were shocked when management set out to abolish a range of long-standing benefits and rights after the company’s enterprise agreement expired.

Assisted by an aggressive law firm the company wanted to take away benefits protected in the enterprise agreement ranging from one week’s annual leave down to provision of tea and biscuits in staff rooms.

And it wanted to impose additional conditions such as the right to force employees to move between different sites during a single shift.

During six months of tough negotiations many nurses joined the NSWNMA for the first time.

Two new union branches were formed at workplaces and a group of union members gained valuable experience in negotiating with the employer and conducting campaigns in the workplace.

The nurses stand to gain an annual 2.5 per cent pay increase and saved many important conditions.

A new enterprise agreement covering all staff at seven nursing facilities was narrowly approved with 42 per cent voting against. The agreement is now in the Commission waiting for approval.

The Lamp asked three Christadelphian Aged Care nurses to sum up their experiences and lessons learned during the campaign.

12 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

Big Health and Safety issues the catalyst to form union branch Forming a branch of the NSWNMA was high on the agenda when members at the Southhaven Aged Care facility first met to discuss their campaign for a new enterprise agreement.

Nurses got together and agreed a NSWNMA branch with a stronger union presence would help them push for improvements at the 130-bed facility in Padstow Heights.

They decided to recruit more nurses to the union during the campaign in preparation for setting up a branch.

“There was a good roll-up at that first meeting because there were so many issues we needed to address, especially in workplace health and safety,” said registered nurse Julia Bundy.

“Construction work had been going on for years and some of us had individually approached management about the safety risks several times. We got a very negative response with no improvements.”

MANAGEMENT LACKED INTEREST IN HEALTH AND SAFETY In another example, management installed ceiling-mounted lifts in every resident’s room but waited more than a year before training nurses on how to use them.

“These cases showed management’s complete lack of interest in occupational health and safety, which is still a very big issue for nurses. That’s partly why nurses felt passionately about talking to the union,” Julia said.

NSWNMA staff conducted health and safety inspections accompanied by representatives from Christadelphian Aged Care head office, which “shook things up a lot” and produced some improvements.

Once enterprise agreement negotiations got underway Julia joined NSWNMA representatives from other Christadelphian facilities and NSWNMA staff at negotiations with management and their lawyer.

“I had no idea that the negotiation process was so complex and drawn out – it was a real eye opener and an education for me,” Julia said.

“I had a new understanding and respect for the union and what they do. The union officials were extremely well educated and very polished and professional.”

NEW UNION PRESENCE KEPT STAFF INFORMED OF ATTEMPTED ROLLBACKS Julia was the main link between the negotiating team and Southhaven nurses.

AGED CARE

‘ These cases showed management’s complete lack of interest in occupational health and safety, which is still a very big issue for nurses. That’s partly why nurses felt passionately about talking to the union.’ — Julia Bundy

BUILDING A STRONGER UNION PRESENCE: Julia Bundy

“After each negotiating session the negotiating team would discuss the outcome and the next steps in the campaign. I would take a summary of the negotiations back to the members at Southhaven and relay any advice from the union.

“The most difficult thing was having to go back to my co-workers and tell them what rights and benefits the Christadelphians intended to take away from them.

“The nurses were shocked and disappointed to learn the details.

“For example, the company wanted to abolish one week’s annual leave and reduce our uniform allowance so we weren’t paid it while we were on holidays. They even wanted to remove tea, coffee and biscuits to staff from the agreement.

“At one stage management told me not to talk to staff about the negotiations. I answered that everything I’ve told the staff is true, and just reflects the written demands the Christadelphians have put to the union.

“I said the staff have a right to know what they stand to lose when it comes time to vote on the agreement.

“The nurses were very appreciative of me being involved in the negotiations. I’ve worked there for 30 years and I’ve got a good rapport with the staff.”

The prospect of losing a swag of benefits prompted more nurses to join the union during the course of the campaign. Julia and other members called a meeting in the tearoom to form a branch and elected a president, secretary (Julia) and two delegates.

“I was very impressed with the support the union gave to the staff.

The employer will usually have the upper hand in negotiations so I think the union did a great job.” ■

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 13

AGED CARE

‘ People were outraged at what they were trying to take away from us. That inspired me and a lot of other people to get actively involved in the campaign.’

— Helen Kennedy

Outrage led to boost in union numbers “We wouldn’t have got anywhere near what we wanted without the union, that’s for sure,” said Helen Kennedy, a registered nurse at Ridgeview Aged Care facility.

Ridgeview is a 150-bed nursing home run by the Christadelphians at Albion Park in the Illawarra region.

Helen got involved in EBA negotiations when they started in October.

“People were outraged at what they (Christadelphians’ management) were trying to take away from us. That inspired me and a lot of other people to get actively involved in the campaign,” she said.

“The company wanted to cut a week’s annual leave.

“We couldn’t understand why they wanted to take this and other things away from us. We are working harder than we have ever worked. Many of us have worked here for years.

“A lot more is expected of us than there ever used to be.

It’s more like a medical ward than a home for the aged now. Our skills are expected to be a lot closer to those of a medical nurse in a public hospital yet we are paid well below public health system nurses.

“People are living longer, residents are sicker and older and relatives have higher expectations. Plus our documentation gets more and more demanding.

“The workload is very heavy and it just seemed so unfair they wanted to take conditions away from us.”

She said the EBA campaign resulted in a stronger union in the workplace with a lot of new members and forming the first NSWNMA branch at Ridgeview.

Elected office bearers include Linda Cruickshank as president, Rebecca Lawyer as assistant secretary and Helen as secretary.

Helen and Linda are attending union training courses and delegates meetings in Sydney to learn how to better represent nurses and improve working conditions.

“We work hard without complaining but when the company said we couldn’t go to Fair Work over workload issues, we felt our voice was being taken away.”

14 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

50% increase in membership

An increase in the number of branches A large increase in the number of workplace leaders Information key to bargaining progress Registered nurse Helen Sharpe has worked at Courtlands North Parramatta nursing home under various owners since 1998. But even she was taken aback when management set out to remove longstanding conditions from the enterprise agreement that Courtlands was to become a part of.

“The company expected us to fight for everything that had already been achieved,” she said.

As a member of the NSWNMA bargaining committee Helen’s role included keeping her fellow nurses informed of progress in EBA negotiations.

“I do night shift so I was able to talk to some of the afternoon nurses, the night nurses and the morning shift in one day.

AGED CARE

What member action achieved at Christadelphinian Aged Care During the six-month campaign: More than 400 nurses signed the petition calling on Christadelphian not to cut conditions

Safety inspections across two facilities uncovered Health and Safety breaches

A process to elect Work Health and Safety reps has begun

There was significant growth in union membership

New branches were formed.

UNITED FRONT AT RIDGEVIEW AGED CARE: From left, Bernadette Akakpo, Helen Kennedy, Linda Cruickshank, Jacky Kazadi and Trudi Coyl

“When I told them the company intended to take everything off us they could see it was so unfair.

“We picked up quite a few new members who joined after the union ran information sessions at the nursing home.”

Helen said another positive aspect of the campaign was a recent union health and safety inspection of the workplace.

“One of the things we were looking at was the health and safety impact of understaffing, partly due to people on annual leave not being replaced.

“With six nurses caring for 39 or so residents, and some of them requiring two staff members to assist them, it can be really difficult to provide proper care.

“Working one short on night shifts and having to cover three areas is really hard. If someone has a fall or similar it really impacts on the rest of the residents and it leaves us vulnerable in the event of an emergency.”

‘ Working one short on night shifts and having to cover three areas is really hard. If someone has a fall or similar it really impacts on the rest of the residents and it leaves us vulnerable in the event of an emergency.’ — Helen Sharpe THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 15

MARRIAGE EQUALITY

Marriage equality is a health issue Australian marriage law should be amended to allow two people of the same sex to marry, according to a NSWNMA submission to a senate committee.

T

he NSWNMA submission to the senate committee, which is considering the issue of same sex marriage, highlighted the health and human rights issues at stake.

“The issue of marriage equality was discussed at last year’s Annual Conference, and delegates overwhelmingly supported the campaign of Australians for Marriage Equality to establish a legislative framework for same sex marriage in Australia,” says Judith Kiejda, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary.

“We consider this a matter of human rights, specifically the right for all members of our community to be treated equally before the law.”

‘It is time for all Australians to be equal before the law.’

— Brett Holmes

In October last year, the federal government released what is known as a ‘draft exposure’ of the same sex marriage bill it intends to introduce if a plebiscite is held and the community votes in favour of same sex marriage.

The union made a submission in response to the draft exposure bill in January 2017 after a vote in support of marriage equality at the last NSWNMA annual conference. A recent survey – sent to all members – showed the vast majority support marriage equality.

In the submission, NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes notes that marriage equality is not only a human rights issues, it is also a health issue.

“As health professionals we recognise the compelling 16 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

research that identifies the health risks to those who are discriminated against on the basis of gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, including social isolation, poor self-esteem, and the risk to mental health and well-being,” Brett wrote.

He says the Association therefore supports the draft exposure bill’s proposal to change the definition of marriage in the current Marriage Act by replacing the words “a man and a woman” with “two people”.

SUBMISSION ALSO SUPPORTS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM The NSWNMA’s submission, however, also recognises the right to religious freedom: the Association supports the draft exposure bill’s exemptions for ministers of religion – in order to allow them to conduct religious marriage ceremonies in accordance with their religious beliefs.

But the Association doesn’t support the draft’s proposal to also allow civil celebrants to decline to officiate same sex marriages because of religious beliefs.

“Given that marriage in Australia is a civil institution and laws defining and regulating marriage are made by the Commonwealth of Australia and not by any Church or religious body or organisation, we object to these exemptions being extended to civil celebrants,” Brett writes.

“It is time for all Australians to be equal before the law,” he says.

“Legal discrimination against the Australian LGBTI community [is an anachronism that] must be consigned to history and this federal government has an opportunity to make a clear and unambiguous statement that there is no place in our community for this form of discrimination.” ■

MARRIAGE EQUALITY

‘ As it stands at the moment it is like Animal Farm, where all animals are equal and some animals are more equal than others’

TRAILBLAZERS: Bill and Andrew Whitbread-Brown

Trailblazing nurse wants his marriage recognised Bill Whitbread-Brown, a clinical trials coordinator at Newcastle’s Mater hospital, flew to Canada in 2007 to marry his partner Andrew, then a worker with BHP Newcastle. Although the couple have now been together for 27 years, they are still waiting to have their relationship formally recognised in Australia.

“There’s a lot of politicians who have had three or four marriages in that time and we can’t even get married,” Bill notes.

“We’re hoping that we will eventually get marriage equality.

We’ve been through quite a few rallies in support of the change. It would mean that we are equal citizens to everyone else in Australia.

“As it stands at the moment it is like Animal Farm, where all animals are equal and some animals are more equal than others. In Australia a same sex relationship is not equal to a heterosexual relationship.”

Bill and Andrew Whitbread-Brown are no strangers to the struggle for equality. In 1995 the couple queried a bill from the health insurer NIB to cover the two men and their then one-year-old son.

NIB treated the pair as two single men, rather than charging them a family rate – an amount of $2,745 compared to the $1,830 they charged families. In an over-the-counter exchange NIB advised them that if Bill was a woman they would be eligible for the family rate.

The couple took their complaint to the Equal Opportunity Tribunal, and the case eventually reached the Supreme Court.

NIB argued that the rules of its health fund overrode the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act. The tribunal rejected NIB’s case, but the insurer appealed the decision. To fight the case Bill and Andrew had to raise $15,000 and put their house on the line.

Bill remembers: “It was extremely scary at the time, and we had no idea when we put everything in motion that it would be as big as it was, but looking back I can see it was a landmark case establishing what a family relationship is.”

A BIG WIN AGAINST DISCRIMINATION Bill and Andrew eventually prevailed, and their case led to the government changing the wording of the National Health Fund Act to prevent discrimination against same sex couples.

“Even today we encounter 20-year-olds and they go ‘Oh my god you’re that couple!’”

The battle to end discrimination against same sex couples is far from over though, says Bill.

“Even though we technically have equal rights under the de facto laws, where one person [in a same sex relationship] is sick in hospital, the parents can still come in and say they are next of kin, and they can make decisions about treatment in a way that would not happen in a heterosexual relationship.”

“It makes it very difficult for the health professional if the sick person is unconscious.

“To the politicians, I would say it’s time to listen to the public – and there is a huge majority of people in favour of same sex relationships – and recognise them as equal.”

In a draft exposure bill on changes to the Marriage Act currently being released for comment, Bill and Andrew’s marriage in Canada would be recognised.

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 17

MARRIAGE EQUALITY

Association’s Mardi Gras float a first

F

or the first time in the history of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, members and officials of the NSWNMA are taking part in an official Association float emblazoned with the words ‘‘Nurses and midwives for equality”.

The decision to take part in the parade down Sydney’s Oxford Street on 4 March comes after an extensive round of discussion within the Association about marriage equality, including a recent survey of members.

The survey found that over three-quarters of union members and associate members are in favour of marriage equality. A similar proportion of members said they would be willing to take action to support the LGBTI community in the fight for marriage equality.

As The Lamp goes to print, the survey has already been completed by close to 1500 members.

The survey follows on from the 71st NSWNMA Annual Conference held in July last year, where delegates passed a resolution to support marriage equality.

As well as support for marriage equality, the association is also concerned about the discrimination against the LGBTI community that is still allowed by law: faith based health providers are still exempt under the Anti-Discrimination Act and can refuse to employ LGBTI workers.

“The NSWNMA holds strong values around social 18 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

justice and human rights and believes in a fair, just and equitable society for all people,” says Judith Kiejda, the NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary.

The Association’s action in support of marriage equality and the LGBTI community is backed up by the overwhelming body of research that has identified the health risks to those who are discriminated against on the basis of gender, sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Association’s support for marriage equality also aligns with the codes of ethics that nurses work under; nurses are expected to care for patients regardless of their gender, sexuality or other identities, and to treat all patients, their family and friends and colleagues without discrimination. ■

MARRIAGE EQUALITY

‘ I treat patients equally, that’s my job. I want to be treated equally and fairly in the eyes of the law’

ABOVE AND LEFT: Nurse Sally Whitney features in the television commercial

If we can nurse you, surely we can marry too?

Sally Whitney, an Association member is starring in a new television commercial promoting marriage equality.

She told The Lamp that the inability of LGBTI people to marry means “we are unequal”.

“There is no social equality, there is no legal equality.”

Sally grew up in regional Queensland, where homosexuality was not acknowledged and positive role models didn’t exist.

“I thought it was weird or somehow subversive to be gay. That can have an incredibly damaging effect, particularly during adolescence.

“If LGBTI people are seen by their own government as unequal, how then can we expect people to accept us for who we are? How can the teenager or young

adult feel that their emerging sexuality and feelings of love for whichever gender is valid and not something to loathe within themselves?”

“Marriage recognition is also an enabler of other rights,” Sally says.

“For example, access to your partner in hospital when they are unwell, resolution of wills and joint assets after death.

“These are the issues that nobody in government wants to discriminate on, but I see loving couples tormented by these barriers – it’s unnecessary and it’s cruel.

“I am a nurse, a friend, a daughter, a sibling, an aunt, a cousin; I am many things. I am an ordinary Australian, who pays taxes and works hard. I treat patients equally; that’s my job. I want to be treated equally and fairly in the eyes of the law.

“I want the same freedoms and choices as the majority of other Australians.

I want the legal and social protection that you receive if you choose to marry.

I want to be able to make the ultimate commitment the person I choose above

all others and it be seen equally as my heterosexual friends.”

The ad also features a firefighter, a lifesaver and a soldier, and the words: “We can put our lives on the line. We can stand the heat. We can nurse you back to health. So why can’t we get married?”

Sally is grateful to all the people who have worked for the Marriage Equality Campaign.

“They are the real reason we have come so far and why this campaign is going to be so successful in making the politicians take note,” she says.

“Their passion, dedication and selflessness blew me away.”

How you can help Australians are coming together like never before to ensure every couple is treated fairly under the law. Go to www.australianmarriageequality. org to find out how you can help.

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 19

TRADE AGREEMENT

TPP dead but threats live on With a stroke of a pen, Donald Trump buried the discredited Trans Pacific Partnership agreement.

Now Malcolm Turnbull wants to resurrect the deal despite its threats to our health system and jobs.

W

hen Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum withdrawing the United States from the TPP in January, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke for many world leaders when he said the TPP would be “meaningless” without US participation.

Despite this, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants to push ahead with a vote in the Australian Parliament on legislation to implement the deal.

“The TPP is a very important element in continuing to build those open markets of trade in our regions,” he said.

But as the ABC’s business editor Ian Verrender points out, the TPP isn’t about trade and certainly not free trade.

“It’s about entrenching the interests of major corporations at the expense of ordinary citizens. It’s about entrenching power and governance among the wealthy,” he writes.

Verrender calls the TPP “a stinker for Australia”.

“Negotiated by Labor and Coalition governments for the best part of a decade, it delivered almost no benefits and came saddled with a dreaded clause that would deliver foreign companies the power to seek compensation for any decision that might harm their business activities.”

NSWNMA OPPOSED PROVISIONS HARMFUL TO HEALTH The NSWNMA opposed many TPP provisions including the ability for pharmaceutical companies to slow, or stop, access to more affordable ‘generic’ medicines.

General Secretary Brett Holmes warned last year the TPP would extend patent rights on medicines and delay the access to research data for costly biologic medicines used to treat cancer and other serious diseases.

“It would restrict and delay access to lower-priced medicines for millions of people, especially in developing 20 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

countries,” Brett said.

He said the TPP would have allowed corporations to sue state and federal governments in international tribunals if a change in law or policy “harmed” their investment.

“This provision would have been used against health, environment and even minimum wage laws as evidenced by the case brought by big tobacco company Philip Morris against the Australian government over our plain packaging laws.”

Ian Verrender reported that the US last year clocked up an $US11 billion ($A14.6 billion) trade surplus with Australia thanks to the US Australian Free Trade deal we signed 12 years ago.

TiSA aims to promote privatisation of government services and reduce government regulation on services including health care, aged care and child care.

“That also was a stinker,” he wrote.

“As the Australian National University’s (ANU) Thomas Faunce reported, that deal was a major contributor to the 80 per cent blowout in the cost of the Pharmaceutical Benefits System, which has put enormous strain on the federal budget.”

Verrender said the government was ignoring numerous Productivity Commission reports “that repeatedly call for greater caution in signing ‘free trade agreements’

TRADE AGREEMENT

More ‘trade deals’ on the way

because they deliver few benefits and may ‘impose net costs on the community’.

TiSA IS A VEHICLE FOR PRIVATISATION While public attention has been focused on the failed TPP, governments and corporations have been working hard to push through the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA).

Negotiations are going on behind closed doors but leaked documents show that global services corporations and some governments are using the deal to push a deregulation and privatisation agenda, the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET) warns.

European countries as well as the US, Australia and 20 other mostly high-income countries are involved in TiSA negotiations, meaning the deal will cover around 70 per cent of global trade in services, says AFTINET’s convenor Dr Patricia Ranald.

She says TiSA could set rules affecting almost all service provision including health care, aged care, child care, education, transport, water, telecommunications, postal services, energy, retail and banking services.

TiSA aims to promote privatisation of government services and reduce government regulation on services, by freezing regulation at current levels and reducing it over time.

As Dr Ranald points out, this suits global services corporations but not peoples’ needs, since “many services require regulation or public provision to ensure that they are delivered safely and equitably.”

TiSA requirements that licensing, qualifications and service standards must not to be “burdensome” could prevent future improvements in staffing and qualifications in industries like childcare and aged care, she says.

TiSA also has provisions to increase numbers of temporary overseas “contractual service providers” without testing if local workers are available.

“Studies show these workers are vulnerable to exploitation, which can undermine wages and conditions in those industries.” ■

The Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is not the only worrying international agreement our government is negotiating.

The Australia-Indonesia Free Trade agreement is due to be finished later this year.

Entry of temporary workers is a major element of this agreement, AFTINET reports.

In a submission to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, AFTINET calls for greater transparency in the negotiation process and says temporary movement of workers should not be included in trade agreements.

“Labour mobility discussions should happen in separate agreements and include extra protection for vulnerable migrant workers,” it says.

“There should be no erosion of Australia’s high standards for qualifications and prerequisite language skills.”

Meanwhile, discoveries of imported Chinese asbestos in Australian buildings have highlighted the need for greater import controls to prevent workers from being exposed to the deadly substance.

Asbestos also remains in common use in Indonesia.

‘ We will never know how much foreign asbestos has entered the country despite the banning of asbestos imports in 2003.’

— Angelique Donnellan, ABC political reporter

Donnellan explains that China’s lower standards for asbestos are creating confusion, because “asbestos free” products in China can still contain quantities of asbestos.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has written to Trade Minister Steve Ciobo calling for the suspension of free-trade agreement talks with India until there are better systems to stop asbestos imports.

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 21

START YOUR NEXT SHIFT WITH A SPRING IN YOUR STEP! UNSIGHTLY VEINS? TIRED, THROBBING, ACHING LEGS? Nursing is one of the most common professions to suffer from varicose veins – and when you work as hard as you do, the last thing you need to worry about is tired, aching legs.

SURGERY FREE VARICOSE VEIN TREATMENTS Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA) is the very latest in surgery free varicose vein treatment. Benefits include: • • • • • •

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THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

STEP INTO OUR CLINIC The Vein Institute is a leading Australian medical clinic specialising in the non-surgical treatment of varicose veins.

SPECIAL OFFER for NSWNMA members: All members will receive 25% off the fee for the first consultation with The Vein Institute. The first consultation includes a ultrasound scan of your legs.* For more information or advice on our treatments visit theveininstitute.com.au/nurses or call 1300 701 221.

CLINIC LOCATIONS 9/135 Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000 56 Burwood Rd Burwood NSW 2134

*Offer valid until 30th December 2017. Only valid for current NSWNMA members.

22 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

HEALTH AND INEQUALITY

Cost of health: the big issue of the poor The growing cost of health care is the number one reason people on or near the poverty line are unable to improve their health, according to the NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS).

A

new report from NCOSS, ‘Poor Health: The Cost of Living in NSW’, reports on a survey of 400 lowincome earners from Sydney and regional NSW about their experience of health services in NSW and their priorities for action.

NCOSS CEO Tracy Howe said when respondents were asked to select what they saw as the most important state government issues, the top response was ‘a quality health system’ (50% of respondents).

Respondents rated health above issues such as cost of living, crime and even jobs.

When survey respondents were asked what was stopping them from improving their health, the most frequent barrier they identified was cost.

“Australians pay more out of their own pockets for health treatment than most other OECD countries,” Ms Howe said.

“People on low incomes are more likely to experience a broad range of chronic health conditions, such as arthritis, kidney disease, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, poor oral health and some cancers, but they are least likely to be able to afford to treat these conditions.

“This has a huge impact on their ability to remain independent, with people experiencing poor health also likely to experience a loss of income because they can only work shorter hours or not at all.”

COST OF HEALTH OUTSTRIPS INFLATION The cost of health care in NSW over the last decade has risen by just over double the rate of CPI. Medical and hospital services such as GP and specialist consultation fees, hospital charges, and medical insurance prices, have risen at almost three times the rate of CPI. Almost one in five (17.3%) people said they could not afford medical treatment, with those receiving Newstart Allowance (31%) or parenting payments (35%) most likely to identify cost issues.

Those surveyed nominated a state-wide dental health scheme that provided all people with access to timely and affordable dental care as the top policy proposal, with two-thirds (67%) of respondents saying that it would make a big difference to their lives and the lives of their families.

Reduced waiting times for surgery and in emergency rooms also rated high in people’s health priorities. Shockingly, the report notes that even within the public health system, the median waiting time for non-urgent elective surgery for patients living in low socio-economic areas was almost 100 days longer than for patients living in high socio-economic areas. ■

50%

of respondents rated ‘a quality health system’ as the most important state issue

17.3%

people said they could not afford medical treatment

67%

of respondents identified affordable dental care as the policy that would make the most difference to their families

READ THE REPORT

Poor Health: The Cost of Living in NSW December 2016

Poor Health: the cost of living in NSW can be downloaded at: https:// www.ncoss.org.au/sites/ default/files/public/ policy/CostofLiving_ Health_FINAL.pdf THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 23

NURSES & MIDWIVES: There are many benefits of being a financial member of the NSWNMA — did you know that

Authorised by B.Holmes, General Secretary, NSWNMA

YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEES COVER YOU FOR TRAVEL TO AND FROM WORK? If you are involved in an accident while travelling to or from work, NSWNMA’s Journey Accident Insurance provides you with peace of mind.

In recent years this insurance has been a financial safety net for many members who have met unfortunate circumstances travelling to or from work.

As a financial member of the NSWNMA you are automatically covered by this policy. It’s important to remember however, that it can only be accessed if you are a financial member at the time of the accident.

So make sure your membership remains financial at all times by paying your fees by Direct Debit or Credit.

Watch Alexis talk about Journey Accident Insurance

JOURNEY ACCIDENT INSURANCE

Your journey injury safety net

UNSURE IF YOU ARE FINANCIAL? IT’S EASY! Ring and check today on 8595 1234 (metro) or 1300 367 962 (rural).

Change your payment information online at

24 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

www.nswnma.asn.au

NEWS IN BRIEF

UNITED STATES

WORLD

Health coverage of millions of Americans at risk

Inequality is a threat to the world economy

A repeal of key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare) – would leave 32 million Americans without health coverage according to a study by the United States Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

A fundamental reform of the world economy may be needed to tackle public anger says a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The new Trump administration has promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act as one of its first priorities. The CBO report says this would lead to 18 million people losing their insurance and premiums would rise by 20 per cent to 25 per cent in the first year following the dismantling of the law. The number of uninsured could rise to 32 million by 2026, while causing premiums to double in that timeframe reports the Guardian (January 2017).

23 million fewer people would have coverage through the individual insurance market and 19 million fewer people would have coverage under Medicaid. These losses would be partially offset by an estimated increase of 11 million people who are covered through insurance offered by their employer.

“ According to a recent NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll the Affordable Care Act has ‘never been more popular’.”

In the WEF’s Global Risks Report 2017, 750 experts assessed 30 global risks to the global economy, as well as 13 underlying trends.

“Trends such as rising income inequality Figure 1: The and Risks-Trends Interconnections Map societal polarisation triggered political change in 2016 and could exacerbate global risks in 2017 if urgent action is not taken,” the WEF claimed in its annual survey.

The report highlighted the connection between high structural unemployment or underemployment and profound social instability.

Climate change ranked as the second most important threat. For the first time, all five environmental risks in the survey were ranked both high-risk and highlikelihood, with extreme weather events emerging as the single most prominent global risk.

The WEF also warned of new threats to social cohesion from the robotics and artificial intelligence revolutions.

“We live in disruptive times where technological progress also creates challenges. Without proper governance and re-skilling of workers, technology will eliminate jobs faster than it creates them,” it said.

The WEF said the “risks can be arrested or reversed through building more inclusive societies, for which international cooperation and long-term thinking will be vital”.

‘The World Economic Forum said the risks can be arrested or reversed through building more inclusive societies.’

Source: World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey 2016 Note: Survey respondents were asked to select the three trends that are identified, respondents were asked to select the risks that are most stro figure. See Appendix B for more details. To ensure legibility, the names o

The estimates do not account for a replacement plan which the new Republican administration is yet to announce. President Trump has promised a new plan would provide “insurance for everybody”.

According to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll the Affordable Care Act has “never been more popular”. The poll found that 45% of respondents believe Obamacare is a “good idea” – the highest percentage since they began asking the question in April 2009.

Meanwhile, the poll found that half of Americans say they have “little to no confidence” that Republican proposals would improve the law.

The WEF’s five top risks to the global economy for 2017 are: • Rising income and wealth disparity • Changing climate • Increasing polarisation in societies • Rising cyber dependency • An ageing population For more information read the Global Risks Report 2017 at http://reports.weforum.org/ global-risks-2017.

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 25

EDUCATION@NSWNMA

what’s ON

NEWS IN BRIEF

MEDICATION SAFETY FOR NURSES & MIDWIVES – ½ Day n WATERLOO Wednesday 8 March n LIVERPOOL Wednesday 26 April Members: $40 | non-members: $85

MANAGING OVERTHINKING – 1 Day n WATERLOO Friday 17 March Members: $85 | non-members: $170

ARE YOU MEETING YOUR CPD REQUIREMENTS? – ½ Day n BATEMANS BAY Tuesday 28 March n GYMEA Friday 7 April An essential ½ day workshop for all nurses and midwives to learn about CPD requirements and what’s involved in the process.

Members: $40 | non-members: $85

LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL ISSUES FOR NURSES & MIDWIVES – ½ Day n BATEMANS BAY Wednesday 29 March Learn about potential liability, disciplinary tribunals, NMC and HCCC complaints, Coroners Court and more.

Members: $40 | non-members: $85

PRACTICAL SKILLS IN GETTING PEOPLE ON-SIDE – 1 Day n WATERLOO Friday 31 March Members: $85 | non-members: $170

PRACTICAL, POSITIVE LEADERSHIP SERIES – 4 Day Program n WATERLOO Mondays 3 April, 1 May, 5 June and 3 July Leadership program designed to meet the needs of managers and senior staff in their leadership roles.

Members: $340 | non-members: $600

FOOT CARE FOR NURSES – 2 Days n WATERLOO Thursday 6 and Friday 7 April This 2 day course is designed to equip nurses with the knowledge and skills for maintenance of healthy, functioning feet.

Members: $203 | non-members: $350

AUSTRALIA

Join a union and get better pay Workers who are on enterprise agreements are paid 25 per cent more than workers on awards or the minimum wage, according to new biennial Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data.

The number of Australian workers who are on either the minimum wage or awards has increased from 1.9 million at May 2014 to 2.3 million at May 2016, while there are 3.8 million workers on enterprise agreements.

The latest data “strongly confirms that unions are vital to ensuring working people get decent pay and conditions” says the ACTU. ACTU President Ged Kearney said the ABS data highlight why the federal government and big corporations want to transfer workers onto the award as “they are paid far less”.

“Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s government has done nothing to actively stop businesses tearing up enterprise agreements and putting workers back on award wages,” she said.

Ms Kearney cited the example of dairy company Parmalat, which threatened to tear up an enterprise agreement if workers didn’t take a pay cut.

“It is one of many unscrupulous examples of how corporate Australia is ripping workers off by attempting to use loopholes in the Fair Work Act.”

‘ The latest data strongly confirms that unions are vital to ensuring working people get decent pay and conditions.’ — ACTU

PRACTICAL, POSITIVE WAYS IN MANAGING STRESS & BURNOUT – 1 Day n WATERLOO Wednesday 12 April Members: $85 | non-members: $170

POLICY & GUIDELINE WRITING FOR NURSES & MIDWIVES – 1 Day n WATERLOO Friday 21 April Members: $85 | non-members: $170

Register online 26 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

bit.ly/ NSWNMAeducation For enquiries contact NSWNMA Metro: 8595 1234 Rural: 1300 367 962

ACTU PRESIDENT GED KEARNEY

NEWS IN BRIEF

WORLD

AUSTRALIA

Eight men own more than world’s poorest 50%

Low wage growth has blown hole in budget revenue says ACTU

The world’s eight richest billionaires own the same wealth as the poorest half of the world’s population according to a report released

by Oxfam.

Oxfam claims that “a group of men who could easily fit in a single golf buggy” are worth $426 billion – equivalent to the wealth of 3.6 billion people.

Last year, Oxfam said the world’s 62 richest billionaires were as wealthy as half the world’s population. However, the number has dropped to eight in 2017 because new information shows that poverty in China and India is worse than previously thought, making the bottom 50 per cent even worse off and widening the gap between rich and poor.

‘ Rising inequality was because big corporations led by the super-rich are dodging taxes, driving down wages and cutting prices paid to producers.’

Oxfam based its research on the Forbes rich list and data provided by investment bank Credit Suisse.

“This is much more than a numbers game: these figures reflect an economic system that has left hundreds of millions of people behind,” wrote Winnie Binyima, Oxfam’s Executive Director on the Project Syndicate website (January 2017).

Oxfam said rising inequality was because “big corporations led by the super-rich are dodging taxes, driving down wages, cutting prices paid to producers, and investing less in their businesses in order to maximise returns for their wealthy shareholders”.

“There are countless examples of super-rich elites – to whom our political leaders seem beholden – pursuing naked self-interest and profits at any cost,” said Binyima.

The ACTU has told the Turnbull government it must confront wealth inequality, stagnant wages and unemployment in its next budget.

In its pre-budget submission, the ACTU has challenged the Turnbull government to raise more revenue to invest in infrastructure, education and industry assistance.

The ACTU warned that despite employees working “longer, harder and more productively the fruits of that labour have gone to profits rather than wages”.

“Average weekly ordinary time earnings have grown at 1.5 per cent a year over the past 20 years, less than half the rate of GDP growth of 3.2 per cent,” it said.

The ACTU says wage growth is at “a record low”, which has “blown a hole in budget revenue” as the government receives less in personal income tax revenues.

“Given the government’s agenda to drive down job security and wages it is not clear where the pick-up in wage growth will come from unless we have a higher minimum wage, stronger public sector bargaining and other industrial reforms that will drive up wages,” it says.

The ACTU said the government needed to increase infrastructure spending, including major investments in schools, hospitals, roads, rail, the electricity network, renewable energy and the National Broadband Network.

It also called on the government to abandon its $51 billion in corporate tax cuts.

The ACTU report cites statements by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and OECD that say reducing inequality drives job creation and growth.

‘ Average weekly ordinary time earnings have grown at 1.5 per cent a year over the past 20 years, less than half the rate of GDP growth of 3.2 per cent per cent.’

“Meritocracy is a myth as well. More than half of the world’s billionaires either inherited their wealth, or accumulated it in industries prone to corruption and cronyism.”

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 27

NEWS IN BRIEF

BRITAIN

Eating disorders “common” in middle-aged women Eating disorders are more common among middle-aged women than previously thought, according to a new British study.

The study of 5,650 women in their 40s and 50s found more than 3 per cent had an active eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia, which are usually associated with adolescence or early adulthood.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Medicine (January 2017).

Just over 15 per cent of the women in the study reported having an eating disorder at some stage of their life, while 3.6 per cent had one in the previous year.

Only 27 per cent of those who had eating disorders had sought help or received treatment.

It found that all potentially harmful childhood life events such as child sexual abuse, death of a carer and parental divorce, were associated with the onset of eating disorders.

The researchers say that the research has implications for health service provision, which needs to recognise that women in mid-life can still be suffering from the effects of longstanding disorders, or be at risk of developing new disorders. Therefore, better awareness of eating disorders and their symptoms is needed.

“Many of the women who took part in the study told us this was the first time they had ever spoken about their eating difficulties so we need to understand why many women did not seek help,” said lead author of the report Dr Nadia Mycale from University College London.

28 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

‘ Health providers need to recognise that women in mid-life can still be suffering from the effects of longstanding disorders, or be at risk of developing new disorders.’

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA

Industry super funds have “enviable reputation” for delivering strong financial returns

Victorian conference call for abstracts

A new report by former Reserve Bank governor Bernie Fraser into not-for-profit super fund governance has found that the memberfirst ethos is central to the success of industry funds.

Mr Fraser’s review also found the government has not adequately made the case for a mandatory quota of independent directors, and members’ interests will be better served through a focus on directors’ values, skills and expertise.

Mr Fraser recommended Australia’s not-for-profit superannuation funds prioritise values, skills and expertise in a mandatory principles-based governance code to commence on 1 July 2017.

Mr Fraser said rapidly changing investment markets and political risks will challenge funds, and clear processes designed to deliver high-quality boards with the right values and expertise will best serve members’ interests.

He proposed the sector would benefit from a mandatory code of conduct that would take funds beyond current regulatory requirements to reflect best practice governance for representative trustee boards.

Do you have nursing or midwifery research, a project or innovative practice to share?

ANMF (Vic Branch) is calling for abstracts for 20-minute oral presentations at the 2017 Australian Nurses and Midwives Conference.

The conference features national and international speakers and includes compelling specialist presentations on nursing and midwifery practice and/or clinical care, safe patient handling, workplace health and safety, and workplace violence and aggression, which demonstrate a range of clinical, research or managerial initiatives that enhance nurses’ and midwives’ professional practice.

Topics for abstracts may relate to any care setting including aged and community care, consumer directed care, palliative care, emergency, neonatal, critical care, primary health care, school nursing, enrolled nursing, midwifery, maternal and child health, mental health, occupational health and safety, IT innovation, research, education, workforce or clinical innovation, health and environment.

Conference organisers are particularly looking for abstracts that highlight nursing and midwifery theory and/or case presentations that promote contemporary and innovative practice or optimal patient outcomes.

The two-day conference, in Melbourne on 21 and 22 September, is a high-profile opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with hundreds of nurses and midwives working in executive, managerial and clinical care roles.

Share your knowledge Abstracts close on 10 March 2017.

For details visit www.goo.gl/1BDbyA

Get more out of life with

Union Member Benefits • Banking • Movies • Gift Cards • Travel

• Wine • Tyres • New Cars • Car Rental

Get the app! www.nswnma.asn.au/member-benefits Unions Member Benefit Third.indd 1

2:53| PM THE LAMP23/11/2016 MARCH 2017 29

Do you have a story to tell?

INTERNATIONAL MIDWIVES’ DAY & INTERNATIONAL NURSES’ DAY

2017 Short Story & Poetry Competition Nurses and midwives have always talked about the amazing, uplifting and special moments they experience in their work. These stories inspire the nurses and midwives who hear them, as well as some who, after hearing such poignant stories, decide to take up the profession.

. Conditions of Entry Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z

Entrant must be a financial or associate member of the NSWNMA Entry must be original and the work of the entrant Entry must not have been published previously Stories/poems to be no longer than 2500 words Confidentiality must not be breached, patients/clients names must not be used. And the facility in which your story takes place must not be identifiable Please keep a copy of your story as your entry/entries will not be returned The NSWNMA reserves the right to retain and publish copies of the entries, in The Lamp and on NSWNMA online (including nurseuncut.com.au) Copyright remains with the author Judges’ decision will be final Failure to meet the conditions above will render entries ineligible.

So without breaching confidentiality, let’s celebrate International Midwives’ and International Nurses’ Days 2017 by sharing our stories in prose or poetry.

. How to enter

First State Super is once again proud to help celebrate this short story and poetry competition by sponsoring the FIRST PRIZE OF $2000, and the 2 RUNNER-UP PRIZES OF $500. These prizes will be awarded to members or associate members of the NSWNMA who can tell an entertaining and inspiring story that promotes the wonderful work of nurses and midwives.

Z There is no limit on the number of entries, but each entry must have its own entry form Z Complete the online entry form Z Number and title each page of your story or poem Z Do not include your name and address anywhere on your story/ poem copies Z Keep within the word limit Z 3 copies of the story to be included for the judges and to be double spaced on one side only with a 2cm margin.

First prize Two runner-up prizes of

Entries close 5 pm Friday 17 March 2017 Winners will be announced on 2 May 2017 30 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

www.nswnma.asn.au

OBITUARY

A fighter to the end

June Gabriel Union activist and Quality Aged Care Action Group (QACAG) member

J

une was born in the Depression, the eighth child of Albert and Olive Saunders. From that moment, on the 31st May 1930, the world got to experience a wonderful, committed, humanitarian activist who tirelessly fought against injustice and dedicated her life to making other people’s lives better. June always chose the path less travelled. She always embraced the alternatives.

She was a trailblazer and a fighter for justice throughout her life.

You could never ignore her presence or her principles. As she once stated: “My grandfather drove the first train to Bourke. He was a railway man, as were my brothers and uncles. My grandfather struck in the 1917 strike and was a strong union man. He told me ‘die with your principles intact. You have to prove that everybody doesn’t have a price.

That’s what I live by.”

June worked as a bus conductor and was elected as the first female President of the Bus Union in NSW and delegate to the NSW Labor Council. June represented her workers, took on politicians from every party and went to every protest imaginable.

She ran the clothing department for the buses, went on a women’s delegation to the Soviet Union (and came back raving about their health system) and also implemented one of her crowning achievements; the right for women in NSW to drive buses.

Not only was June a dedicated trade unionist her whole life, she was also a committed feminist who strove for equality for all.

Following her retirement June became active with Combined Pensioners and Superannuants (CPSA) and campaigned to improve the conditions in nursing homes.

June had witnessed a dear sister-in-law who was confined to a nursing home after a stroke. She saw how vulnerable such patients were, and she became a strong advocate for improving conditions. The CPSA appointed her to represent them on the federal government’s aged care agency.

She was amazed at the cavalier attitude the agency had to some of the terrible things that were happening in homes at the time, where inadequate staff received very poor pay. At one of her first meetings the eminent members patronisingly informed June that the unlicensed workers were perfectly trained to administer medications in nursing homes.

To which June tartly responded: “Is that right? If they’re so well trained how come they aren’t allowed to do the pill rounds at the kid’s hospital?”

June complained about all these issues, and many more, until the chairman grew irritated, and asked why she only talked about the bad things in nursing homes. “What about talking about some of our very good homes?” he asked. “I’m not interested in the good homes,” said June. “They are only what they should be. I want something done about the bad homes.”

June was one of the founding members of QACAG and along with her sister, Shirley Baines, was tireless in the campaign to retain nurses in nursing homes. She was very proud of the nurses and their union, and whenever she could, supported any NSWNMA campaigns. She was particularly proud of helping to sell cakes outside Parliament House during the fight for ratios, and sold a cake to then opposition MP Jillian Skinner, who told June she supported ratios!

June managed to convince her niece to take a petition about nursing homes around the thousands of teachers at HSC marking.

June confronted Bronwyn Bishop, the then Minister for Aged Care, at one of her demos outside her office in Narrabeen. June grabbed Bronwyn Bishop’s attention and told her all the things wrong with nursing homes, Bronwyn replied “No June, all they need is love and the owners of nursing homes would never do anything bad”. June spent the rest of her life sending up the ‘all you need is love’ statement – and Bronwyn. ■ Julie Bains

“Die with your principles intact. You have to prove that everybody doesn’t have a price. That’s what I live by.”

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 31

Edith

Cavell

Quality Surveyor and Senior Quality Surveyor APS 5 and 6 broadband Ongoing/non-ongoing Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (Quality Agency) is responsible for holding aged

TRUST BEQUESTS

care providers accountable against the Accreditation standards for residential aged care, the Home Care Standards for home care services, Quality Review of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Care Services (NATSI Flex) and also supporting service provider performance through education, training and compliance assistance.

T

The Quality Agency is offering full-time ongoing and non-ongoing opportunities in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, to become a Quality Surveyor/Senior Quality Surveyor. The non-ongoing positions are for a minimum 12 month period. Successful candidates will be provided with a training program that is internationally accredited by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare, (ISQua) leading to registration as a Quality Assessor.

he Edith Cavel Trust is now able to receive non-tax deductable donations/ bequests.

The Trust – named in honour of Edith Cavell assists in the advancement of NSW nurses and midwives through further studies and research, made available through scholarship. The knowledge and expertise gained by nurses and midwives, supported by the Edith Cavell Scholarships, is an asset to the care of their patients and clients. Bequests to the trust would continue to support this important work.

Edith, a British nurse serving in Belgium in WW1, is a hero to most nurses and midwives. She helped some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium. Her actions saw her arrested, accused of treason, found guilty by a court-martial and sentenced to death. Despite international pressure for mercy, she was shot by a German firing squad.

The following are the key responsibilities of a Quality Surveyor: • Assess the quality of care and services provided through aged care services against the applicable standards • Interview care recipients and their representatives about the quality of care and services provided through an aged care service.

• Collect, synthesise, and analyse evidence to make findings; • Prepare and write accurate reports to inform statutory decisions; • Work effectively as a team member to accomplish organisational goals; • Manage internal and external stakeholder relationships effectively; • Represent the Quality Agency with credibility and professionalism; • Provide information and training to aged care services to improve performance against the standards, promote high quality care and continuous improvement.

Eligibility: The Quality Agency is seeking people with backgrounds and experience in the following roles: • Systems auditors • Human service managers, e.g. disability services, indigenous services, services delivered to culturally and linguistically diverse consumers • Quality Improvement managers • Health professionals • Professional standards or human services investigators • Complaints managers • Aged Care sector experience, home care, community care and residential care • Adult educators To succeed, applicants will have strong inter-personal and communication skills, an ability to understand, analyse complex situations, and sound IT skills to write reports using mobile device technology. A driver’s licence is mandatory.

These roles involve regular travel away from home within each state to aged care services in rural and regional centre’s with consecutive weeknight stays each fortnight.

These roles are broadband classified APS5/6 and as such the range of salary will commence at $70,220.00 up to a maximum of $92,265.00. The salary offered will be subject to experience of the successful candidate/s and upon registration as a Quality Surveyor. In addition, 15.4% superannuation will be paid.

NAME

The diversity of our staff is very important to us. We welcome and actively encourage applications from people with disability, women, and people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

We recognise the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and the unique knowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees bring to our workplace, policy development and service delivery. We welcome and actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

ADDRESS

Only candidates who hold Australian citizenship can apply. Refer to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website www.border.gov.au for further information. Appointment is conditional on successfully completing a national police check.

PHONE EMAIL BEQUEST/ DONATION AMOUNT

How to apply?

Please refer to the Positions Vacant page on our website www.aacqa.gov.au to download and read the Quality Surveyor Recruitment pack.

$

Preferred method of payment

Please complete an online application form and submit your resume to https://agedcareassessor. submittable.com/submit/77494/aged-care-quality-surveyor-aps-5-6-broadband-ongoing-non-ongoing by 5:00pm (local time) This is an open recruitment drive till August 2017.

ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFER ACCOUNT NAME: New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association BANK: Commonwealth Bank BSB: 062-017 ACCOUNT NO: 10017908 CREDIT CARD I authorise the NSWNMA to debit my credit card for the amount of Mastercard

Visa

CARD NO NAME ON CARD SIGNATURE OF CARDHOLDER

Only completed applications will be accepted i.e. a completed application form, a current resume and you have addressed the above selection criteria.

$

EXPIRY DATE

Ensure you outline your relevant work-related experience, and provide examples to show how they align with the required selection criteria • Please make a statement of claim as to how your capabilities, background and experience will contribute to your success in the Quality Surveyor role.

• In this role, you are required to have strong inter-personal and communication skills. Please describe a situation where you have demonstrated strong inter-personal and communication skills.

• Provide an example that demonstrates your ability to understand and analyse complex situations.

/

This advertisement is advertising positions that are both ongoing and non-ongoing, applicants should clearly state in their application which option they are seeking.

For enquiries, please contact Iana Jerdetski – Human Resource Officer on (02) 8831 1071 Further information: For further information about the Quality Agency, office locations and other related resources, please visit http://www.aacqa.gov.au.

For more information on the Australian Public Service, please visit http://www.apsc.gov.au/publicationsand-media/current-publications/cracking-the-code/factsheet-4 and http://www.apsc.gov.au/publicationsand-media/current-publications/cracking-the-code.

YOUR RIGHTS

Ask

Judith Breaking News Review of Recruitment policy in NSW Health The Ministry of Health has commenced a review of PD2014_029 (Leave Matters in the NSW Health Service). The Ministry states that this review is aligned with the ongoing work of the HCM Program Recruitment & Onboarding Project.

The revised Module would still appear to outline the mandatory standards for all recruitment and selection processes in the NSW Health Service, while attempting to reflect the outcomes of the consultation process said to have occurred around system requirements and design.

The Association is working collectively with other unions to ensure that any redrafted policy directive is reviewed with precision to ensure that it properly deals with merit, process and timeliness. Initial feedback has been provided and further consultation will occur on any amended draft or outstanding issues.

When it comes to your rights and entitlements at work, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda has the answers.

S8 drug disposal in aged care

Scope of practice

I work in residential aged care and the policy on S8 drug disposal has changed and Registered Nurses are being asked to do this with a community pharmacist rather than the Director of Nursing.

Is this right?

I am an Enrolled Nurse and I am constantly being told I must work within my scope of practice. Can you explain how this is determined and who is responsible for doing this?

The NSW Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulations (specifically sections 125 and 128) state that the pharmacist who is engaged in supplying the S8 drug (i.e. drugs of addiction) is authorised to destroy any unwanted drugs on the premises but this must occur in the presence of either: (i) the person who is named on the license as being responsible for the storage of such drugs; or (ii) alternatively the Director of Nursing.

A Registered Nurse cannot be asked to substitute or replace the Director of Nursing in such disposals.

When sick leave runs out

Initial review of complaint

I am a Registered Nurse working in a public hospital. I recently had a stint of sick leave that exhausted my paid entitlement. The hospital then put me onto sick leave without pay. What other options do I have?

I work in a public hospital as an Enrolled Nurse. Recently I was put through a fact-finding process that involved an issue that seemed pretty trivial. Shouldn’t these be weeded out first and dealt with differently?

If you exhaust your paid sick leave entitlement, you may alternatively choose to be paid annual leave or long service leave for this period. This entitlement is set out in PD 2014_029 (Leave Matters for the NSW Health Service), section 3.1.

Yes, under PD2014_042 (Managing Misconduct), an initial review must be undertaken to determine if a disciplinary pathway should in fact occur. For example, if the issue raised is a workplace matter by a staff member which is causing them concern or distress (e.g. interpersonal conflict, the way work is allocated or managed, a perceived unfairness in the workplace), this should be dealt with as a grievance, rather than a disciplinary matter.

Medication records in aged care

Information Sheet 5 to PD2014_042 sets out the variety of policy options and processes available other than a disciplinary approach, which if utilised unnecessarily only causes greater harm to the workplace and distress to all concerned.

I am an Assistant in Nursing working in a residential aged care facility. Is it OK for me to countersign medication with the Registered Nurse?

Yes, there is no law in NSW that requires countersigning to be done by a second Registered Nurse – although this is best practice.

However, your workplace will need to make sure they have a policy on who can countersign and you should have received medications training so that you can do this safely.

Scope of practice is best defined as the boundaries that a nurse must work within. There are different aspects to determining a nurse’s scope of practice. The main requirement is that you should only be nursing to your level of training, knowledge and experience, and you should be assessed for competency in the procedure.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia has produced a very good flow chart to assist nurse managers and registered nurses in determining whether a certain procedure fits within your scope of practice. I would refer you to the AHPRA/ Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia website, the document is titled “Nursing practice decision flowchart”.

Your employer must also reflect scope of practice for all nursing and care staff within their policy directives; it is not appropriate for nurses to be asked to carry out procedures where the policy is unclear or does not allow for them to carry out the procedure.

It is the employer’s responsibility to clearly define a nurse’s scope of practice based on all aspects of the work they are required to undertake, it reflects best practice and ensures safe care for those nurses care for as well as a safe working environment for the nurse. Management are responsible to ensure that nurses are assessed for competence in the care they provide, individual nurses are responsible for ensuring they keep up to date with best practice principles, and to build on their level of knowledge and experience on a continuing basis.

Scope of practice is not static; it can change based on further training and experience. It is important to understand that working outside of your scope of practice has the potential to jeopardise your registration, which is why you should always work within it.

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 33

REGULARS

INTERNATIONAL NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ DAY 2 0 1 7 NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION

nurses & midwives’ short film festival

MEMBERS & ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

We look forward to receiving your entries in the 2017 Film Festival

$5000 FIRST PRIZE

ENTRIES CLOSE FRIDAY 14 APRIL 2017 Tell your unique story in 5 minutes or less for a chance to win the festival’s $5000 first prize, $2000 second prize and $1000 third prize.

There is also a prize of $1000 Maureen Puhlmann Encouragement Award for a first time entrant.

Festival will be screened 23 May 2017.

So if you haven’t already started your film yet – it’s time to get started.

Sponsored by FSS

Check out the Rules of Entry and some of the entries from previous NSWNMA film festivals on

www.nswnma.asn.au/short-film-festival

34 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

SOCIAL MEDIA

Do you have a story to tell? An opinion to share?

Nurse Uncut is a blog written by everyday nurses and midwives.

We welcome your ideas at nurseuncut@nswnma.asn.au

New on our Support Nurses YouTube channel PVC in IVs, tubing and oxygen masks can be recycled!

WHERE DO OUR HEALTH $ GO?

Where do our dollars go when public hospitals are privatised? bit.ly/healthdollars

An estimated 5O million IV bags go to landfill each year, where they release harmful contaminates. Now nurses lead the way in recycling. www.nurseuncut.com.au/pvc-in-ivbags-tubing-and-masks-it-can-berecycled/

America’s nurses oppose the Muslim ban The USA’s largest nurses’ union stands against President Trump’s edict barring of all refugees from seven predominately Muslim nations. www.nurseuncut.com.au/whyamericas-nurses-oppose-themuslim-ban/

Rich: ‘I had a serious crash on my return from work’

JACQUI MYERS

A midwife speaks out against a huge coalmine. bit.ly/adanitalk

Connect with us on Facebook Nurse Uncut www.facebook. com/NurseUncutAustralia New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association www.facebook.com/nswnma Ratios put patient safety first www.facebook.com/ safepatientcare Aged Care Nurses www.facebook.com/ agedcarenurses Look for your local branch on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/nswnma Follow us on twitter @nswnma / @nurseuncut Share on Instagram by tagging @nswnma and don’t forget to use the hashtag #nswnma!

Rich spent five days in ICU where a trauma nurse told him that the NSWNMA had him covered with accident insurance. www.nurseuncut.com.au/rich-ihad-a-serious-crash-on-my-returnfrom-work/

E-Medical records: a source of frustration This nurse finds e-records a waste of time and a huge source of frustration. www.nurseuncut.com. au/e-medical-records-a-complaint/

Agency AIN vs hospital AIN A nursing student working as an AiN compares her agency experience with being on staff – and it ain’t pretty. www.nurseuncut.com.au/agency -ain-vs-hospital-ain-treateddifferently-by-the-nursing-staff/

Vanessa: Why medication errors happen in aged care She wasn’t surprised to read that aged care has a high rate of medication error. www.nurseuncut.com.au/vanessawhy-medication-errors-happen-inaged-care/

Dear Australian student nurses…

Mental health nurse Paul writes a letter of encouragement to new grads looking for work. www.nurseuncut.com.au/ dear-australian-student-nurses/

Listen to our podcast AGED CARE FORUM Podcasts from our last aged care forum. bit.ly/agepodcasts THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 35

Going to work shouldn’t mean stepping into this.

ARE YOU A VICTIM OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE? Have you or a colleague been assaulted at work?

Have you reported your incident?

Download the NSWNMA App and report your workplace violence incident.

The NSWNMA has a new tool as part of our NSWNMA Toolkit App that allows you to quickly report an incident to the Association as soon as it happens. It’s an easy fillable form that you can submit from your mobile device and an officer of the Association will be in touch with you.

Nursing is considered one of the most dangerous professions.

HELP STOP VIOLENCE AT WORK!

36 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

NSWNMA Toolkit App is FREE and available to download from iTunes and Google Play store

SOCIAL MEDIA

your

Say

What nurses and midwives said and liked on Facebook www.facebook.com/nswnma

the gallery

Great for Renal patients who are notoriously hard to cannulate...

Will save a lot of distress for many children where it is not so easy!

/1

Finding that vein A digital vein viewer that shows up to 15mm below the skin helps practitioners find the best point of insertion. What did you think?

There’s no need if you’re a good phlebotomist. You’re also meant to go for the veins you feel, not the veins you can see.

Actually, an anaesthetist whom I worked with regularly with years of experience used this when he anaesthetised my mother. Not all patients have easy to find veins even for the most experienced of needle wielders.

I agree, watching 6 people trying to cannulate your arresting, dehydrated neonate with damaged veins is not fun. If this technology prevents that sort of trauma to baby and family, why not use it?

I’ve tried them and didn’t find them that useful. At the end of the day the use of ultrasound is still the best option for difficult venous access.

It’s not nurses that need this so much at technicians who inject dye at places that give you MRIs etc. Hopeless at finding veins!

I’ve seen it in use in ED - it’s awesome unless you have full sleeves of tattoos.

As a paramedic, when you have a patient who’s crashing and has zero output these would be lifesavers!

Please staff us like the other states, midwives who move to NSW are horrified by our staffing levels.

A less than fond farewell The resignation of Health Minister Jillian Skinner drew a big reaction.

Great news but will the next incumbent be any better?

After being told the people of Wyong would not be happy about their community-built hospital being privatised her response was “Good!” Well GOOD riddance to her.

Skinner is just the symptom of what’s happening to health. Get rid of parasitic bureaucrats and start looking after the patients instead of pumping out forests of paper to justify their existence.

How can they possibly know what it’s like or be a champion for something they know nothing about. The only public hospitals they see are the ones that have been “cleaned out” for them.

Some free advice for the new minister So then we asked what you want to say to the new Health Minister Brad Hazzard.

Stop talking to the administrators - actually go and spend a day (not 5 mins) tagging a nurse on a busy ward or ED.

Nurses are the backbone on the frontline of healthcare.

We don`t complain for no reason. Ratios are essential for patient health and safety outcomes. Our aged population deserves the same care as the rest of the community, who by the way ALL deserve healthcare. To privatise means that lower socio-economic populations miss out.

If you want to diagnose an illness you assess, watch, talk and listen to the patient; if you want to know what’s wrong with the health system work with us, listen to us, talk to us! We see the system’s strengths and weakness as we are there on shift 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year.

We need better nurse to resident ratios in aged care, I’m sorry but 2 AINs and a cert IV between 20 residents is not good enough.

Patients need and deserve the same care regardless of their postcode - bring in standard 1-4 nursing ratios in ALL wards.

Mr Hazzard as Health Minister will you engage with local communities?

Can you justify the decision to privatise 5 regional hospitals when the multitude of concerns have not been addressed?

Keep our hospitals public!

/2

/3

/4

/5

1/ Keen new members at the new grad orientation at St Vincent’s Hospital.

2/ Enthusiastic students join their Association at Notre Dame University Orientation Week.

3/ New graduates starting out on great careers with union back-up at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

4/ Greeting the new Premier when she made a visit to the Central Coast.

5/ South Coast members didn’t want broken hearts on Valentine’s Day – or any day.

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 37

REGULARS

The Mother’s Day Classic held on 14 May is a national fun run raising money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Come along and join in the fun on Mother’s Day as we make our way around the Domain in Sydney or around any one of the events held across NSW. There are both running and walking events to cater for all levels of fitness.

CALLING ALL RUNNERS, JOGGERS & WALKERS JOIN US ON SUNDAY 14 MAY FOR THE

EARLY BIRD RATES UNTIL 13 APRIL Save up to $20 per registration

MOTHER’S DAY CLASSIC VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Register and nominate the Association as your team, all participating members will receive a NSWNMA team running shirt for the day*.

TO REGISTER 1 www.mothersdayclassic.com.au/register 2 Enter your details and select the event and race 3 When prompted with the page asking if “you would like to join a team” select yes 4 Search and select our team name – NSW Nurses & Midwives’ Association using team password NSWNMA if prompted. *To be eligible for the team running shirt, please register by Wednesday 12 April.

We are also looking for volunteers to hand out water and refreshments on the day at the Domain and Parramatta events. Please contact Miriam Galea at events@nswnma.asn.au

Mothers Day Classic 2017.indd 1

15/02/2017 3:27 PM

1300 368 117

unionshopper.com.au

bers on a huge m e m r fo ls a e d & ts n Great discou rvices. range of products & se ing today! v a s rt ta s d n a ll a c a Give us

38 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

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Electrical

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Professional services

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Cameras & computers

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NURSING RESEARCH ONLINE

The latest from

AJAN

The Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing aims to provide a vehicle for nurses to publish original research and scholarly papers about all areas of nursing. Papers develop, enhance, or critique nursing knowledge and provide practitioners, scholars and administrators with well-tested debate. The latest edition of this excellent journal is available at http://www.ajan.com.au/index.html

Patient-to-patient interactions Being a fellow patient to a critically ill patient leads to feelings of anxiety Jannie Laursen, Trine Bonnevie Lundby, Anne Kjaergaard Danielsen, Jacob Rosenberg

The aim of this study was to investigate in-patients’ experiences of being a fellow patient to patients who become critically ill.

Most studies of hospital interactions have investigated the patient/nurse interaction or the doctor/patient relationship (Birklund and Larsen 2013; Larsen et al 2013).

The perspective has changed during the last years from a focus on the health professionals to a focus on the patients’ view (Larsen et al 2013) but still, little research has focused on the patient-to-patient interaction.

A recent study on the relationship between fellow patients stated that 90% of patient interaction in the ward was with fellow patients and only 10% was with health professionals (Larsen et al 2013) .The study found that interactions between patients were ambiguous, meaning the negative experiences were interconnected to the positive experiences, and the interaction was linked to the strength of the fellow patient (Larsen et al 2013).

A study on roommates’ stress stated that being with similar fellow patients reduced anxiety (Kulik et al 1993).

Thus, patients who were preoperatively assigned with a postoperative patient experienced less anxiety before an operation. The argument was the fellow patient could see that the other patients had a positive recovery (Kulik et al 1993). http://www.ajan.com.au/Vol34/Issue2/4Laursen.pdf

Interactions on the ward:

90%

of patient interaction in the ward was with fellow patients

10%

10% was with health professionals

Plagiocephaly prevention and management Exploring infant deformational or positional plagiocephaly prevention and management by Maternal Child Health Nurses and Paediatric Physiotherapists Elizabeth N. Williams, Professor Mary P. Galea

The term plagiocephaly is nonspecific and used ‘to denote an asymmetrical head shape’ (Inverso et al 2015, p348).

Colloquially, it is a flat head.

Plagiocephaly is an unexpected outcome of the successful strategy to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which was endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and introduced in 1992. The AAP, in its ‘Back to Sleep’ campaign recommends that babies sleep in supine.

Concurrently, the incidence of plagiocephaly has risen from 5% in the early 1990s to an estimated 46.6% in 7–12-

week-old infants in 2013 (Mawji et al 2013; Kane et al 1996).

The ‘Back to Sleep’ campaign has saved lives, and there is no reason to question it. However, there is controversy about how plagiocephaly should be managed, the effectiveness of current guidelines such as helmet therapy (van Wijk et al 2014; Graham et al 2005), whether it causes developmental delay (Collett et al 2013; Darrah and Bartlett 2013) or is it an indication of prior risk of delayed development (Branch et al 2015; Knight et al 2013; Shweikeh et al 2013; Bialocerkowski et al 2008; Biggs 2004; Persing et al 2003).

While both the nursing (Flannery et al 2012; Looman and Flannery 2012;) and physiotherapy (Kennedy et al 2009; Darrah and Bartlett 2013) professions have expressed concern about the high incidence of plagiocephaly and its effect on motor development, there is no published information about the experience of MCH nurses and physiotherapists with infant plagiocephaly in their clinical practice. http://www.ajan.com.au/Vol34/Issue2/6Williams.pdf

The incidence of plagiocephaly has risen from:

5%

in the early 1990s

46.6%

an estimated 46.6% in 7-12week-old infants in 2013

The benefits of seeking help What prompts nurses to seek help from wound care consultants in spinal cord injury management?

Julie Bundz, Sarita Schuurs, Melissa Kendall, Delena Amsters

Clinical nurses work in complex and challenging situations and may not always have the knowledge and skill set to meet the demands of all care tasks they must undertake.

In such instances, help-seeking from colleagues may be beneficial. In the field of spinal cord injury management (SCI), understanding the help-seeking behaviour of community nurses confronted with clients with pressure injuries could be valuable for improving outcomes.

“Help-seeking behaviour represents intentional action to solve a problem that challenges personal abilities,” (Cornally and McCarthy 2011, p286). A variety of factors may influence help-seeking behaviour, including individual characteristics of the helper and the recipient, as well as relational and contextual factors (van der Rijt et al 2013; Bamberger 2009; Hoffman et al 2009; Nadler et al 2003).

Success in acquiring the knowledge to resolve a problem is linked to the selection of a capable helper. This choice can be influenced by a variety of factors including personality, relationship, economic and societal factors, as well as knowledge and skills (Amsters et al 2013; Cornally and McCarthy 2011). As the goal of help-seeking is to resolve or improve a problem, failure to do so may negatively influence the decision to seek help, or choice of a helper in the future. http://www.ajan.com.au/Vol34/ Issue2/1Bundz.pdf THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 39

REGULARS

Upd

nline o s l i a ate your membership det aw to win r d e t o t n i & go

5-NIGHT BATEMANS BAY ESCAPE Eurobodalla, land of many waters, sits less than 4 hours’ drive south of Sydney and 2 hours east of Canberra on the NSW South Coast. Eurobodalla is over 110kms of unspoilt beauty. The region is known for award winning Montague Island; home to thousands of fur seals and colonies of penguins, 83 spectacular beaches and ancient headlands, four major rivers and vast tracts of wilderness, national parks and forest. Abundant wildlife dominates the visitor experience while vibrant communities and the picturesque historic and coastal villages connect the main towns of Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma.

UPDATE YOUR DETAILS ONLINE AT WWW.NSWNMA.ASN.AU AND YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE ENTERED IN THE DRAW TO WIN A 5 NIGHT ESCAPE FOR TWO TO BATEMANS BAY. You and a friend will stay at Corrigans Cove for 5 nights in a gorgeous pool view room with continental breakfast daily. This fantastic package also includes dinner for two on two nights of your stay at Corrigans Cove; entry for two to the fantastic Mogo Zoo and a double pass to the Original Gold Rush Colony Mogo.

VALU ED AT $150 0.

For your chance to win, simply login online at www.nswnma.asn.au to register or update your details. You can now change your details at a time that suits you, pay membership fees online, print a tax statement or request a reprint of your membership card – it’s simple!

All members who use our online portal from 1 December 2016 until 30 June 2017 will automatically be entered in to the draw to win this fantastic escape. *Conditions apply. Rooms subject to availability. Prize must be redeemed by June 2018 and is not valid for use during school holidays or public holidays. The prize is non-redeemable for cash or any unused portion of the prize. Competition entries from NSWNMA members only and limited to one entry per member. Competition opens 1 December 2016 and closes 30 June 2017. The prize is drawn on 1 July 2017. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date. NSW Permit no: LTPM/14/00042 40 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

CROSSWORD

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ACROSS 1. Dyspnoea (16) 9. Internal Thoracic Artery (1.1.1) 11. A non-steroid oestrogen analogue, used as the citrate salt to stimulate ovulation (10) 13. An apparatus for maintaining optimal conditions for growth and development (9) 14. Symbol for rhenium (2) 15. One of a series of similar bony structures, such as the vertebrae (10)

17. Feels dejected (9) 19. Symbol for platinum (2) 20. Situated on the axis of a body structure or part (5) 21. Appointed union officials (10) 24. Acceptable use procedure (1.1.1) 26. Towards (2) 27. Unusually or abnormally deep or rapid breathing (16) 31. Estimated Minimum Effective Dose (1.1.1.1) 32. Thyroglobulin (2)

33. One of the two identical, threadlike filaments of a chromosome (9) 37. One part in ten equal parts (3.5) 40. A n anaesthetic used for topical and dental anaesthesia, cardiac arrhythmias (9) 43. A ny slender appendage; cauda (4) 44. Surgical formation of a junction between nerves (16)

DOWN 1. Irreversible brain damage and loss of brain function (5.5) 2. Impressively great (4) 3. The network of osseous tissue that makes up spongy bone (10) 4. An instrument for judging of the richness and purity of milk by the translucency of a thin layer (10) 5. Myopia (16) 6. Require (6) 7. A fatty substance from the head of the sperm whale used to impart firmness to ointment bases (10) 8. People who manage properties or other affairs for someone else (8) 10. To revolve (4) 12. Unable to be found or recovered (4) 16. Not closed; exposed (4) 18. Speech with a low, soft voice; a low, sibilant sound (7) 22. Hand held computer (4) 23. Radix (4) 25. The vascular, pigmented, middle coat of the eye (4) 28. Intramuscular (2) 29. A small, flat, pigmented spot on the skin (7) 30. The most common sexually transmitted disease in men (1.1.1) 33. The large intestine extending from the cecum to the rectum (5) 34. Excessively large or big (5) 35. An electrically charged atom, group of atoms, or molecule (3) 36. Inwardly, into (5) 38. Symbol for tantalum (2) 39. Depressions or pits at the part of an organ where vessels and nerves enter (4) 41. Daunorubicin (1.1.1) 42. Intrinsic cardiac nerves (1.1.1) THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 41

REGULARS

RECRUIT A NEW MEMBER & GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN A 4-NIGHT STAY AT

LOCKYER VALLEY, QUEENSLAND

PRIZE DRAWN 30 JUNE 2017

THE 2016 – 2017 NSWNMA MEMBER RECRUITMENT SCHEME PRIZE The winner will experience all the style and comfort of a luxury retreat with the warmest of country welcomes. A four-night (midweek) stay for two with: • • • • •

Wine and Cheese plate on arrival; Breakfast daily; 2 x 2 course lunches; 2 x 3 course dinners; 2 x 60 minute facial or massage for 2 guests (4 in total) • 4 wheel drive tour for 2 guests.

42 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

The NSWNMA will arrange return flights for two from Sydney to Brisbane and car hire for the duration of the prize.

Spicers Retreat Hidden Vale is a gem, an uncomplicated escape just an hour’s drive from Brisbane.

Experience the uniquely revitalising effect of spending time on 12,000 acres of true Australia bush. Space to relax. Space to listen, to laugh and to embark on an adventure amongst the abundant wildlife.

Every member you sign up over the year gives you an entry in the draw!

RECRUITERS NOTE:

Join online at www.nswnma.asn.au If you refer a member to join online, make sure you ask them to put your name and workplace on the online application form. You will then be entitled to your vouchers and entry in the NSWNMA Recruitment Incentive scheme.

SPICERSRETREATS .COM

Conditions apply. Prize must be redeemed by 30 June 2018 and is for stays outside of School Holiday periods, midweek (Monday to Thursday). Competition opens on 1 August 2016 and closes 30 June 2017. The prize will be drawn on 30 June 2017. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date.

NSW Permit no: LTPM/16/00329.

REVIEWS DISCOUNT BOOKS FOR MEMBERS The Library is pleased to announce that McGraw Hill Publishers are now offering members a 25% discount off the RRP! The offer currently covers medical as well as a range of other professional series books. Please see the online Book Me reviews for a link to the promotion code and further instructions, or contact the Library directly for further information.

C

T ES

S PE

Catherine Butcher with forward by Baroness Caroline Cox Monarch Books (available through Amazon) http://www.amazon.com RRP $28.85. ISBN 9780857216571

INTE IAL

ST RE

Edith Cavell: Faith Before The Firing Squad

SPE C

book club

All the latest Book Club reviews from The Lamp can be read online at www.nswnma.asn.au/libraryservices/book-reviews.

Evidence-Based Practice In Nursing (3Rd Ed) / Transforming Nursing Practice Series Peter Ellis

SAGE Publications (available through Footprint Books): https://www.footprint. com.au RRP $49.95.

ISBN 9781473919280

The need for an evidence base for nursing is widely accepted. However, what constitutes evidence and how nurses might apply it to practice is not always clear. This book guides nursing students through the process of identifying, appraising and applying evidence in nursing practice.

It explores a wide range of differing sources of evidence and knowledge, and helps students to develop key skills of critiquing research and using evidence in clinical decision-making.

Medicine, Patients and The Law (6th Ed) Margaret Brazier and Emma Cave Manchester University Press (available through Footprint Books) http://www.footprint. com.au RRP $58.95.

ISBN 9781784991364

In this book the authors provide an incisive survey of the legal situation surrounding the areas

of fertility treatment, patient consent, assisted dying, malpractice and medical privacy. This 6th edition has been fully revised and updated to cover the latest cases from assisted dying to informed consent, legislative reform of the NHS, professional regulation and redress, European regulations on data protection and clinical trials, and legislation and policy reforms on organ donation, assisted conception and mental capacity.

Smoking: What All Healthcare Professionals Need To Know Dr Graham Francis Cope M&K Publishing: https://www. mkupdate.co.uk GBP 25.00.

ISBN 9781905539598

This book is based on many years of detailed research, and presents substantial evidence that smoking actually affects every organ system in the body and is instrumental in many diseases. It provides helpful, accurate advice and feedback to reduce smoking among their patients.

Preventative medicine is a greater priority today, and programs to reduce smoking (whether at the National level or aimed at the individual) have been shown to be effective – both in terms of improving patient outcomes and reducing health service expenditure.

This book should therefore be required reading for all healthcare professionals.

R

IA This book is a short biography of a British nurse whose L IN T E execution by the Germans caused an outcry. Edith Cavell was celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from both sides and for helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German occupied Belgium during the First World War. She was arrested and subsequently court-martialled, found guilty of treason, and sentenced to death. She was shot by a German firing squad in October 1915 at the age of 49. A woman of profound faith, she told her chaplin on the night before her execution, “Standing as I do in view of God and eternity, I realise that patriotism is not enough. I must have no bitterness or hatred towards anyone.”

A Practical Guide To Forensic Nursing Incorporating Forensic Principles Into Nursing Practice Angela F. Amar and L. Kathleen Sekula

Sigma Theta Tau International: http://www.nursingsociety. org/ ISBN 9781940446349

A Practical Guide to Forensic Nursing is an evidence-based guide to understanding and applying forensic nursing science. The authors introduce practical and theoretical perspectives on violence and provide valuable resources, including injury assessment and violence prevention strategies as well as an overview of relevant legal, ethical, societal, and policy issues. This book provides the right tools and strategies to broaden the understanding of violence and also helps to show how to integrate forensic science into patient care.

All books can be ordered through the publisher or your local bookshop. NSWNMA members can borrow the books featured here via the Library’s Online Catalogue: visit http:// www.nswnma.asn.au/library-services.

Call 8595 1234 or 1300 367 962, or email gensec@nswnma.asn.au for assistance with loans or research. Some books are reviewed using information supplied and have not been independently reviewed.

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 43

REVIEWS

O ME TR

GIV E A W

Dance Academy explores fear, failure and friendship writes Robin Moon.

This delightful movie picks up from where the ABC’s acclaimed TV series left off.

The group of friends is now grown up and they all have roles in ballet corps and companies worldwide. This leaves Tara – with her spinal injury – in a state of frustration and discontent.

However, New York beckons, and with it a glimmer of hope.

The dance scenes in the barn in Texas are cinematically beautiful and a delightful if not random choice of location; the whole movie is a 44 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

IE

IV Raised By Wolves S1 & S2

Choose dance!

Filmed on location in Sydney and New York City this feel-good movie explores fear, failure and friendship within the choices and directions of life and even death. Tara and her friends are tested when they need to assess whether the choices they make are all they hoped they would be.

DVD

complete treat for teens and adults alike. Take your tissues!

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Dance Academy

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Guest reviewer, Robin Moon, freelance Nurse/Midwife, gives us the lowdown on Dance Academy. If you would like to be a movie reviewer, email lamp@nswnma.asn.au

BER M

ME

at the movies

EA

Raised by Wolves, written by bestselling author Caitlin Moran and her sister Caroline, is a hilarious modern-day reimagining of their childhood on a Wolverhampton council estate. After a hugely successful first series, the Moran’s are back for round two! Hormones are raging as we continue to follow the lives of the six socially-isolated siblings and their acid-tongued, highly capable and semi-legendary mother, Della Garry, as the fall-out from Britain’s austerity drive really starts to hit home.

http://www.danceacademymovie.com.au/

Email The Lamp by the 12th of the month to be in the draw to win a double pass to Dance Academy thanks to Studiocanal. Email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!

Email The Lamp by the 15th of the month to be in the draw to win a DVD of Raised By Wolves S1 & S2 thanks to Nixco. Email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!

REVIEWS Guest reviewer, Sharon Ketelaar, retired RN, gives us the lowdown on Jasper Jones. If you would like to be a movie reviewer, email lamp@nswnma.asn.au

O ME TR

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at the movies

GIV E A W

Jasper Jones Small town turmoil Jasper Jones is a film that touches on issues of racial prejudice, sexual abuse, immigration, Aboriginal treatment in custody, and family breakdown writes Sharon Ketelaar.

Jasper Jones is the film adaptation of Craig Silvey’s lauded novel set in Corrigan, Western Australia in 1969.

It is a coming-of-age story told through the adventures of bookish thirteen-year-old Charlie Bucktin.

Charlie is thrown into a surreal situation after rebellious halfAboriginal teenager Jasper Jones comes to his window in the dead of night and asks him for help. Desperate to impress Jasper, he has to make decisions and face his fears. The pair tries to solve a mystery, and is locked together by knowledge they share. The events of that summer will change their lives forever.

Charlie (Levi Miller) is the son of a local schoolteacher (Dan Wyllie) and a mother (Toni Collette) who is restless in the small town

environment. A town outcast, Jasper is played by Aaron McGrath. Aaron is well known in Australian film and TV, for his roles in Redfern Now and Secret River.

are also brilliant newcomers like Kevin Long, the son of Vietnamese migrants, who was spotted for the part at his Western Sydney martial arts school.

When a teenage girl, the daughter of the shire president, goes missing the tension in the town increases and the townspeople’s fear pervades everything. Secrets and rumours abound but the truth proves elusive.

The story is set with the backdrop of the Vietnam War. A subplot shows a refugee family suffering abuse and bearing the brunt of another family’s grief.

Jasper Jones is a suspenseful film from start to finish, not only for the mystery at its core, but also in the stark contrast between the juvenile version of Charlie, acting his place in the family, and the suddenly-adult Charlie who has experienced more than he ever should. Charlie’s courage is continually tested in his quest to do what’s right.

Charlie attempts to lead a normal life within his family and with his Vietnamese friend, Jeffrey Lu. His growing love for the missing girl’s sister, Eliza, complicates everything.

Charlie has to balance his old life with this new unbelievable situation, and juggle promises made to his mother, to Jasper and to Eliza.

The cast is peppered with popular Australian actors including Hugo Weaving and Matt Nable. There

For the viewer the answers seem just out of reach, and with the eerie feeling of the bush setting encircling the town, and a heart-stopping climax, the film will keep you entranced until the conclusion.

Email The Lamp by the 12th of the month to be in the draw to win a double pass to Jasper Jones thanks to Madman Entertainment. Email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@ nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!

THE LAMP MARCH 2017 | 45

DIARY DATES

make a date

Diary Dates for conferences, seminars, meetings and reunions is a free service for members. lamp@nswnma.asn.au

EVENTS: NSW 26th Nepean Midwifery Conference 10 March 2017 Hawkesbury Valley Race Club, Clarendon Juanita Taylor: 0417 123 900 Nepean Blue Mountains Nursing and Midwifery Research & Practice Development Conference 12 March 2017 Penrith Panthers, NSW Call for abstracts now open (closing 10 March) Contact Leigh Burns at leigh.burns@ westernsydney.edu.au or (02) 4734 3180 Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital Nursing and Midwifery Research Symposium 12 April 2017 Call for abstracts now open Contact Caroline O’Donnell at caroline. odonnell@health.nsw.gov.au 2017 Westmead Women’s and Newborn Health Conference 5-6 May 2017 Education and Conference Centre, Westmead Hospital WSLHD-Women&newbornhealth@health. nsw.gov/au Nepean Blue Mountains Nursing and Midwifery Research & Practice Development Conference 12 May 2017 Penrith Panthers Call for abstracts open now (Closing 10 March) Contact Leigh Burns at leigh.burns@ westernsydney.edu.au Resus at the Park 1-2 June 2017 Luna Park, Sydney http://resusatthepark.org.au/ 4th International Collaboration of Perianaesthesia Nurses [ICPAN] Conference 1-4 November 2017 Luna Park, Sydney www.icpan2017.com.au

Please send event details in the format used here: event name, date and location, contact details – by the 5th of each preceding month.

Send your event details to: lamp@nswnma.asn.au Fax 02 9662 1414 Post 50 O’Dea Ave, Waterloo NSW 2017. All listings are edited for the purposes of style and space.

Priority is given to non-profit professional events.

EVENTS: INTERSTATE Australasian Cardiovascular Nursing College (ACNC)’s 2017 Conference Brisbane 10-11 March 2017 http://acnc.net.au/ Impact of Mass-Gatherings on Emergency Departments 16 March 2017 Flinders University, Victoria Square, Adelaide Register at https://www.stickytickets.com. au/46188 Digital Health Show 29-30 March 2017 Melbourne http://www.digitalhealthshow.com.au/ 15th World Congress on Public Health 3-7 April 2017 Melbourne www.wcph2017.com Health and Environmental Sustainability Conference 28 April 2017 Melbourne http://www.anmfvic.asn.au/events-andconferences/2017/04/28/2017-anmfhealth-and-environmental-sustainabilityconference 14th World Rural Health Conference 29 April – 2 May 2017 Cairns https://acrrm.eventsair.com/ QuickEventWebsitePortal/ ruralwonca2017/home/ Australian & New Zealand Addiction Conference 15-16 May 2017 Gold Coast https://www.vision6.com.au/ ch/11035/2wwb1r9/2042597/6ddb9j9tz. html No More Harm National Conference 26-27 June 2017 Brisbane http://nomoreharm.com.au/ 4th National Eating Disorders and Obesity Conference 7-8 August 2017 Gold Coast http://eatingdisordersaustralia.org.au/ 18th International Mental Health Conference 21-23 August 2017 Gold Coast http://anzmh.asn.au/conference/ 20th ACM National Conference 2017 30 October – 2 November Adelaide http://www.acm2017.org/conference2017/

46 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017

EVENTS: INTERNATIONAL Patient Safety Congress 4-5 July 2017 Manchester, UK https://www.patientsafetycongress.co.uk 6th World Congress of Clinical Safety 6-8 September 2017 Rome, Italy www.iarmm.org/6WCCS 10th European Congress on Violence in Clinical Psychiatry 26-28 October 2017 Crown Plaza, Dublin, Ireland http://www.oudconsultancy.nl/dublin_10_ ECVCP/index.html REUNIONS Tamworth Base Hospital February 1976 intake 40-Year Reunion Sandra Cox: sandra.cox@hnehealth.nsw Sean O’Connor: 0408 349 126 Gerard Jeffery: 0417 664 993 St Vincent’s Darlinghurst PTS Class March 1977 40-Year Reunion 25 March 2017 Frances O’Connor (nee Pugh): 0415764131 or fgoconnor@optusnet.com.au Royal Prince Alfred Hospital PTS March 1976 7 June 2017 Trish Walcott: 0402 159 352 Reunion.rpa@gmail.com 25-Year Reunion: 1992 UWS Nepean Graduating Class July 2017 Sydney, NSW Bede McKinnon: bede01@bigpond.com

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COVER STORY

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firststatesuper.com.au | 1300 650 873 Consider our product disclosure statement before making a decision about First State Super. Call us or visit our website for a copy.

FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 11 118 202 672 ASFL 293340 is the trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme ABN 53 226 460 365.

48 | THE LAMP MARCH 2017