The Lamp December 2005 - January 2006 by NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association

lamp the

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

volume 62 no.11 December 2005

Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

YOUR RIGHTS

AT WORK WORTH FIGHTING FOR

NSWNA announces it’s

NEW DIRECT DEBIT CAMPAIGN PRIZE drawn 30 December 2005

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REMEMBER – PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR ASSOCIATION – WE NEED TO BE STRONG IN ORDER TO RESIST 2 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 THE PREDICTED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ATTACKS ON YOUR RIGHTS AS A WORKER IN AUSTRALIA.

ABOUT THE LAMP

C O N T E N T S

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

Cover story

lamp the

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

volume 62 no.11 December 2005

Your rights at work Worth fighting for 12 Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

YOUR RIGHTS

AT WORK WORTH FIGHTING FOR

Cover NSWNA and nurses rally on National Day of Action, 15 November.

News in brief 8

Public hospital rates for Haymarket nurses 8 Nursing home backs down on shift changes 9 British nurses to get more prescribing powers 9 Health workforce under the microscope ... ‘Sectional interests’ block reform 11 8% pay rise at Mayne Diagnostic Imaging ... But Medical Centre nurses lag behind

Occupational health and safety 30 $150,000 fine follows lethal assault 33 Health service fined after nurse bashed

Nurses in action 36 Caring for Sydney’s homeless

Tips from members 40 A calmer life, a better world view

Lifestyle

22 2005: A great year for NSW nurses

43 Joyeux Noël: Slow learners about the futility of war 45 Book me

Industrial issues

Regular columns

24 Rights at work at the heart of private hospital nurses’ claim

The year in review

Workloads 26 Progress on reasonable workloads tools slow but steady 27 Committee wins 10 nurses for Tamwoth

Editorial by Brett Holmes 6 Your letters to The Lamp 35 Ask Judith 47 Our nursing crossword 49 Diary dates

Xmas giveaway

Agenda 28 Mental health system’s cracks and failures

38 A stocking full of giveaways for NSWNA members

Special offer 35 100 double passes to see Mrs Henderson Presents and 50 to Joyeux Noël

The Lamp COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Noel Hester T 8595 2153 EDITORIAL For all editorial enquiries, letters and diary dates: Salim Barber T 8595 1219 E sbarber@nswnurses.asn.au M PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 PRODUCED BY Lodestar Communications T 9698 4511 PRESS RELEASES Send your press releases to: T 9550 3667 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au THE LAMP EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Brett Holmes, NSWNA General Secretary Judith Kiejda, NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Coral Levett, NSWNA President John Lyons, Coonabarabran District Hospital Jonathan Farry, RPA Hospital Mark Kearin, Wyong Hospital Roz Norman, Tamworth Base Hospital Stephen Metcalfe, Lismore Base Hospital Therese Riley, St George Hospital ADVERTISING Patricia Purcell T 8595 2139 or 0416 259 845 F 9550 3667 E ppurcell@nswnurses.asn.au RECORDS AND INFORMATION CENTRE - LIBRARY To find old articles in The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNA library’s nursing and health collection, contact: Jeannette Bromfield, RIC Coordinator T 8595 2175 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au General disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSW Nurses’ Association. Statements of fact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibility is accepted for them. All material appearing in The Lamp is covered by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission. The NSW Nurses’ Association takes no responsibility for the advertising appearing herein and it does not necessarily endorse any products advertised. Privacy Privacy statement: The NSWNA collects personal information from members in order to perform our role of representing their industrial and professional interests. We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information. Personal information is protected under law and can only be released to someone else where the law requires or where you give permission. If you have concerns about your personal information please contact the NSWNA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained you can contact the Privacy Commission. Subscriptions Free to all Association members. Ex-members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $44. Individuals $60, Institutions $90, Overseas $100. THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 3

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

Together, we fight to protect our rights g For NSW nurses, 2005 has been a year of great wins and enormous challenges.

cross a wide spectrum of nursing – public and private hospitals, disabilities and aged care – our members have campaigned strongly this year and have been rewarded with decent and deserved pay rises and improved workplace conditions. At the heart of these successes has been our tradition of sticking together and bargaining collectively. It is this credo of sticking together that the federal government is out to obliterate with its obnoxious new IR laws. John Howard is hell-bent on replacing a system that has served this country well – employers and employees alike – for over 100 years. It has given working people a share of the benefits of economic prosperity when times are good and ensured that there are decent protections for people when times get tough. If Howard has his way, collective bargaining will be replaced by a system of individual contracts that allow employers to unilaterally dictate pay and conditions to their employees. Just because the government has put in place all the legal tools enabling employers to opt out of collective agreements with their employees doesn’t necessarily mean they will be used. It is still possible, and vital, that nurses convince their employers that it is in their interests – as much as those of nurses – to collectively bargain. Without improved wages and conditions there will be no solution to the nurse shortage.

The WorkChoices legislation is written on the false premise that workers don’t want and have never wanted awards. This stands in stark contrast to 60 years of NSWNA conferences where nurses have consistently taken pride in their awards and called upon their representatives to improve them. They are a legacy created by generations of nurses that John Howard and his business friends wish to destroy.

unions and deny us a leadership role in the workplace or the wider community, and to give free rein to business to control the national political agenda. As a nurses’ union we’ve always taken a leadership role – not only in the workplace but also on the broader issues of public health and social equity. And all unions working together can claim credit for Medicare, industry superannuation, accessible education for our young and liveable pensions for our elderly – just a few of our achievements to improve society. These things have never been given to us. They have been won by generations of ordinary Australians fighting for these rights through the labour movement. What John Howard is attempting to do with these new laws is very, very serious. He has been captured by a corporate class that has no problems awarding itself hefty pay increases, regardless of managerial or corporate performance, yet hypocritically pontificates over the level of minimum wages. If you closed your eyes and listened it would be difficult to distinguish between the government’s disgracefully dishonest WorkChoices ads and those of the Business Council of Australia parroting the government’s line. Certainly John Howard’s pre-election promise that he would govern for all Australians is looking hollow and deceitful. The results nurses have achieved in the workplace this year are evidence of our effectiveness as a campaigning and organising union. We are capable and committed to defending the interests of nurses against any attacks. We are in this for the long haul. n

What John Howard is attempting to do with these new laws is very, very serious. Our right to a decent society is at stake It is more than just the transformation of the workplace that is at stake here, it is about the very nature of our society. An important aim of the government’s strategy is to limit the role of

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 5

L E T T E R S

LETTER of the month Magdolna Oros

Geoff Annals

‘WorkChoices makes me feel unappreciated, disrespected and undermined’

Message of Solidarity from NZ Nurses’ Organisation

I am writing to you regarding WorkChoices Legislation. I am an Assistant in Nursing, working in a nursing home. My hourly rate is $15.44 if I work 38 hours a week, Monday to Friday. I get $586.00 before tax, $472.00 after tax. Not all that much more than somebody on unemployment benefits. Besides dedication and compassion for the elderly residents, the only motivation in this industry is the overtime, shift and weekend penalties. May I add, there is plenty of overtime, due to a shortage of AINs. You may not be aware of the conditions that we work under; hence I would like to bring it to your attention. We get verbally and physically abused by the residents – kicked, punched, spat at, scratched, exposed to various infections and diseases. You must admit that these conditions are not motivation for people to join the industry. The statistics will show you that the nurses are becoming an aged population themselves. I ask myself, and you, who will look after nurses, when the time comes? We are not looked after now, have no

On Behalf of the NZNO president, Board of Directors and our 40,000 members, I wish to send a strong message of solidarity to ANF members across Australia and to wish you all the best for the National Day of Community Action on 15 November. We are aware that ANF members and members in yours state and territory branches are fighting this terrible piece of legislation, which is an unprecedented attack on the working rights of Australians. We have seen in your publications, and heard at the Sydney Organising Conference, how ANF members are making a strong and articulate stand. We support you in this struggle tomorrow and in the ongoing battle against this unfair attack on your members’ rights. In 1991 the Employment Act became law in New Zealand. The impact on our members’ pay and conditions was huge and preceded an exodus from nursing as pay and conditions spiralled down in real terms. Our members know what this sort of legislation does to nursing and are behind you in your fight. Tomorrow representatives of NZNO will join the NZCTU delegation sharing the Sky hook-up here in New Zealand and later in the day we will participate in rallies at the Australian High Commissions in Wellington and Auckland.

respect from the government for the job we do. How can we expect respect from the residents and the community? By the introduction of the abovementioned legislation, nurses feel that our contribution to society is unappreciated, disrespected and undermined. The legislation is supposed to encourage people to try new ventures. By the look of it, not many people want to venture into this employment! Therefore, the aged care industry is stuck with middle-aged nurses, who have been doing this job for the past 15, 20, 25 years, and when they get exhausted, their numbers will gradually decrease, forming an even greater shortage. By reducing workers’ income, they lose their dignity. When there is not enough money to put food on the table, or pay the bills, one feels useless, demoralised. On a politician’s salary, it is easy to bring in such a law because it does not affect them. It affects the ‘small people’ who have difficulties surviving under the current conditions. Magdolna Oros, Scalabrini Village

Dedication of aged care nurses inspiring I am a 33-year-old female RN, I have been caring for the young and elderly since I was 15 years old. I completed my Bachelor of Nursing in 1995, and have seen many nurses leave the profession. I understand that shift work and a certain amount of life changes occur. However, it sometimes saddens me that colleagues leave and change careers. Over the past ten years I have worked in many fields and there’s no better feeling than watching and helping a sick individual being discharged from hospital and being grateful to nurses for what we have done to help their recovery. 6 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

I have now transferred to an aged care facility and the dedication I have seen from RNs is fabulous. I hope to spread the word that aged care RNs and AINs do a tremendous job and should be paid the equivalent of all nurses. I’m not a person who sees the negative and one day I believe that nursing homes will certainly get what they deserve, which is equality. I am so proud to be a nurse and love what it brings to patients and their families, because one day we may all be faced with a similar situation. Sandra

Geoff Annals, CEO, New Zealand Nurses Organisation

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

Got something to say?

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

Carolyn Anne Self

61 and still working as passionate AIN I am an AIN working in aged care. I began my career when I was 24 years old, stopped for many years, till my return after having and rearing my family. I am a grandmother now, have been married twice and have three children, but aged care has always survived in my heart. I cared for my grandmother, my father and mother and I’m still at it 5 am at almost 61 years old. Some facilities will not employ older nurses. I have found it is not the old experienced nurse who have workplace injuries but the younger, less experienced people who don’t know how to look after themselves. I plan to go on as long as I can. I work 76 hours per fortnight, this is all my employer will allow any nurse to work, unless in an emergency. I was asked to work with nurses who were old enough to be my children, now they are old enough to be my grandchildren. I was born on 07/02/1945. I would love to know of any others of this age. Carolyn Anne Self, Edgewood Park Nursing Centre

Tod Adams

Short and sweet Why is it, that a nurse is required to give eight weeks’ notice of intention to take long service leave and the NSW Premier can give a week’s notice? Does that imply that it is easier to find a replacement premier than a nurse? We are an endangered species. Tod Adams, CNC Chronic and Complex Care (COPD) and Shoalhaven Acute Geriatrics (Acting)

Laura Grossi

Howard has betrayed me I came to Australia with my family to this beautiful land back in 1987. In 1996, I became an Australian citizen and since then I started to vote. To be honest, I never understood much about politics. But my vote has always been Liberal, believing that it was a good thing. But now I realise that I have made a great mistake. Mr Howard now is trying to destroy everything. I am talking about industrial relations. I came from a beautiful country, Italy. Unfortunately there, poor people who work for big companies are doing all right but the others who are working for very small companies, are starving because the employer pays you as he thinks you are worth and what he feels like. This is what Mr Howard wants to achieve. I am an Assistant Nurse working at nursing home called Scalabrini Village in Australia. I have to get up from bed at 5.30 am to go to work for only $450 per week. We all believed in Mr Howard, we all voted for him. Now that he has great power, he is grabbing the knife by the handle, he is stressing all those people who believed in him. I think Australia is creating the same problem that I left behind in Italy in 1987 where the rich are becoming richer and the poor, poorer. I feel like packing everything up and returning to my country. I only hope that you can do something about this and just try to make him understand so he can give more respect for those people who work hard everyday. I would like Mr Howard to visit our nursing home one day so he can see what kind of hard work we have to do every day for a wage of only $15 per hour. And what does he want to do? He wants to cut this down even further. Laura Grossi, Scalabrini Village

Every letter published receives a copy of the Australian Nurse Diary 2006. The diary includes weekly shift planners, reference materials and foreign language translations, and is available from hospital newsagents.

Samantha Hoogenboom

Excitement dulled when maternity leave denied I was recently astonished to find out that the Nurses Other Than in Hospitals Award does not provide one single day of paid Maternity Leave. The excitement of expecting our first child was somewhat flattened when I approached my employer about maternity leave. The past few years as a Registered Nurse working in general practice has seen many changes and advancements in our role. The introduction of Practice Nurse Medicare Item numbers, education scholarships for Practice Nurses and funded nursing positions in remote and rural areas has significantly recognised the value of nurses working in general practice. The autonomy of the Practice Nurse role has expanded considerably as we are encouraged to become accredited nurse immunisers, Pap Smear providers, experts in wound management, with a broader knowledge of chronic disease management. It seems unbelievable that our Award has not managed to keep up in recognising the value of nurses working in general practice – not only through maternity leave but also our poor rate of pay. I read in the latest Lamp about nurses working in public hospitals not being able to cope financially and having to return to work much sooner had it not been for the 14 weeks paid maternity leave. I thought to myself I would be grateful for just four weeks let alone 14! Samantha Hoogenboom, Registered Nurse – General Practice Nurse, Eden NSW

l Correction Last issue of The Lamp we published a letter by Jeffery Wade Shelley. It stated that Jeffery worked at Shoalhaven Hospital. In fact he works at the Shoalhaven Nursing Home. THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 7

N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF

PUBLIC HOSPITAL

Nursing home RATES FOR backs down on HAYMARKET NURSES shift changes urses at the Haymarket Foundation clinic will get a 14% wage increase to match public hospital nurses under a three-year deal negotiated by the union. The agreement also provides a day off in lieu if a public holiday falls on a day on which a full-time nurse, or a five-day-a-week part-time nurse does not work. The East Sydney clinic for homeless people employs two nurses full-time and one part-time. The agreement guarantees the nurses will not be required to sign any other agreement – a clause designed to protect them against federal government-backed individual contracts known as AWAs. Nurse Michele McCarthy said she and fellow nurses Jill Leys and Pamela Fulton were ‘very supportive and very appreciate of the Nurses’ Association, and always have been. ‘It’s great to have somebody on your side’. ‘The Haymarket Foundation is a charity and money is always tight,’ Michele explained. ‘The board is very fair and always try to do the right thing by us, but even so I don’t think we’d ever get a pay rise without the union helping us. We could never ask for an increase ourselves, you need somebody to argue your case for you.’

See page 36 for a profile of the Haymarket Foundation nurses. Clinical nurse consultant Jill Leys. 8 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

g Union gets result for ENs

oyalty between worker and boss is often a one-way street, as three Mudgee nurses can testify. The three ENs worked set shifts at Mudgee Nursing Home for 18, 20 and 21 years respectively. Two worked afternoon shifts and the third worked weekends. Their days were fixed by contract.

‘The company failed to take nurses’ personal and family situations into consideration when deciding on the new roster.’ The owner, Moran Health Care, recently ordered the ENs be taken off all penalty shifts and put on day shifts Monday to Friday. The penalty shifts were to be taken over by AINs as a cost-cutting measure. The issue did not only impact on the ENs. AINs with family commitments were

unhappy about being put on afternoon shift, said NSWNA Assistant General Secretary, Judith Kiejda. ‘The company failed to take nurses’ personal and family situations into consideration when deciding on the new roster,’ Judith said. ‘If the company had taken a more consultative approach they might have been able to achieve something. As it was, they just got people’s backs up.’ Management issued a new roster but it could not go into effect because the Nurses’ Association had already notified a dispute to the Industrial Commission. The ENs no longer had copies of their contracts stipulating days to be worked, but the union managed to track down a former DON who signed the contracts on behalf of the home. She had moved away from Mudgee but gave the union a statutory declaration confirming the contracted shifts. When the union produced the former DON’s statement in the Industrial Relations Commission, Moran agreed to abandon the roster changes. Nurses at Mudgee Nursing Home have now formed a branch of the NSWNA. n

Nurses most trustworthy

ustralians continue to regard nursing as the most ethical and honest profession. Nurses came top of the 2005 annual Roy Morgan survey of professional ethics and honesty, as they have every year since being included on the survey in 1994. In the survey of 640 people Australia-wide, 89% scored nurses as the most ethical and honest occupational group, followed by pharmacists (84%), doctors (79%) and teachers (74%).

Only 15% of Australians, down 8% in a year, viewed business executives as having high or very high standards of ethics and honesty. In addition there was a significant fall in the image of directors of public companies, down 5% to 18%. State Members of Parliament (down 6% to 13%) and Federal Members of Parliament (down 5% to 15%) also fell considerably from 2004. Car Salesmen (down 1% to 3%) were once again the lowest ranked profession for honesty and ethics, as they have been since the survey began in 1976.n

BRITISH NURSES

TO GET MORE PRESCRIBING

POWERS xperienced nurses in Britain are set to gain the right to prescribe almost every medicine for every type of medical condition. The British government is drawing up legislation to allow nurses to treat every aspect of a patient’s illness, including diagnosis, prescription and monitoring, without supervision by a doctor.

Similar prescribing rights will also be extended to pharmacists, giving patients the opportunity to get medicines on prescription without visiting a GP. The Guardian newspaper called it ‘an historic move that smashes the demarcation barrier between doctors and nurses.’ The government’s decision has outraged the British Medical Association, which has fought hard against the proposal. The plan would give nurses and pharmacists who go through an additional training course the right to prescribe almost any licensed medicine for any medical condition, with the exception of a few controlled drugs such as diamorphine. Nurses would become eligible to go on the course three years after qualifying, but will require a recommendation from their employer. The extra training will last at least 38 days, a Department of Health spokeswoman said. British nurses were given the right to prescribe a few drugs in 2002 to help them deal with minor injuries, health promotion and palliative care. This was extended to about 240 medicines in May, but remained only a small fraction of the formulary.

Health workforce under the microscope…

‘Sectional interests’ block reform

owerful sectional interests have blocked changes to Australia’s health workforce for too long, the NSWNA stressed in a submission to the federal government’s Productivity Commission. The Association made the submission in reply to the Commission’s ‘position paper’ on Australia’s health workforce. The Commission was asked by federal and state governments to report on issues impacting on the supply of, and demand for, health workforce professionals – and to propose solutions to ensure the delivery of quality health care over the next 10 years.

the delivery of aged care and disability services, particularly in relation to medication administration. ‘While there may be some very legitimate role substitution occurring in these areas in relation to some tasks, the NSWNA does not accept, for example, that untrained, unskilled and unregulated workers have a role in the administration of poisons. ‘As with many health care activities and procedures, the administration of poisons to individuals is a risky activity which can prove costly when incorrectly managed. It requires considerable

‘Many groups within the medical profession have shamelessly undermined the evolution of the nurse practitioner.’ The NSWNA submission supported some of the position paper’s recommendations and opposed others. The union agreed that significant reform and innovation is needed. ‘For too long in this country health workforce innovation has been stymied by powerful sectional interests,’ the submission stated. ‘The nursing profession has been brave enough to embrace reforms to the boundaries between registered and enrolled nurses. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of many groups within the medical profession who have shamelessly undermined the evolution of the nurse practitioner at the expense of many disadvantaged rural and remote communities.’ The submission added that the NSWNA remains concerned about the substitution of unskilled workers for qualified professionals in some areas. ‘The most obvious example is the increasing use of unskilled workers in

professional skill and knowledge and should only be undertaken by licensed health professionals. ‘The community has a right to expect that the health workers performing such activities are appropriately educated and prepared and that mechanisms which ensure their accountability exist.’ The NSWNA submission pointed out that the Commission’s position paper largely neglected the issue of retention of the nursing workforce. ‘We frequently receive reports from our members regarding the intense frustrations they currently experience in their working environments which effectively paralyse the efforts they make in delivering quality care,’ the submission said. ‘In NSW there are several thousand qualified nurses who are not working in nursing and who are unlikely to return to nursing until they can be assured of safe, reasonable and satisfying nursing environments.’ n THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 9

Have you been doing a lot of

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

What is salary sacriﬁce?

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

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

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

How can you make salary sacrifice contributions? Speak to your employer or payroll office about whether you can make regular salary sacrifice contributions to your super with your overtime payments. If your overtime is irregular, you will need to check whether you can stop and start making salary sacrifice contributions when you receive overtime payments.

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

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

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

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

Notes: * Taxable income between $63,000–$95,000 is taxed at $14,760 plus 42c for each $1 over $63,000. This does not include the Medicare levy. (Source: Australian Taxation Ofﬁce).

Disclaimer: This communication is prepared by FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 53 226 460 365 (FTC). It may contain general advice and is not a substitute for professional financial or other advice on your specific objectives, financial situation or needs. FTC recommends that you consider the appropriateness of information contained in this communication to your own situation and consult a licensed financial or other appropriately qualified adviser before acting. FTC also recommends that you obtain a Your Member Guide regarding First State Super (FSS) and consider the Guide before making any decision in relation to FSS.

www.ﬁrststatesuper.com.au

10 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

OVERT1 10/05

For example, if you are earning more than $63,000 in a year, you are paying around 42% tax on your earnings*.

N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF

8% pay rise at Mayne Diagnostic Imaging But Medical Centre nurses lag behind

he NSWNA has secured an 8% pay increase for nurses employed by Mayne Diagnostic Imaging. The increase will be paid in two instalments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from 1 December 2005 and 1 December 2006. Diagnostic Imaging nurses are employed under an enterprise agreement negotiated by the union. The agreement is based on, but superior to, the Nurses Other Than In Hospitals Award which applies to nurses at Mayne medical centres. NSWNA Assistant General Secretary, Judith Kiejda, said Mayne Diagnostic Imaging nurses were now on a significantly higher rate of pay than Mayne medical centre nurses, despite both groups having the same employer. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is because diagnostic imaging nurses have a much higher rate of union membership and decided to organise themselves to get an enterprise agreement negotiated by the union,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Judith said. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If the majority of Mayne medical centre nurses were in the union, Mayne

would have to listen to our argument for a decent pay increase for them too.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Many nurses at Mayne medical centres are unhappy with their rates of pay, one Mayne nurse who did not wish to be named, told The Lamp.

rising EBITA (a measurement of profit) and operating margins.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mayne Pathology, which includes the Medical Centres business, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;produced an excellent result in 2005â&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Revenue was up 8% to $569 million with EBITA increasing

Imaging nurses were now on a significantly higher rate of pay than Mayne medical centre nurses â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We have to get organised to help the union to help us,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; she said. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It is not easy for us to get together because we work in individual centres that are independently run, but we have to make the effort.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Judith Kiejda pointed out that Mayne could afford to pay substantially more to nurses at its 12 medical centres in NSW. The Mayne Group as a whole achieved revenue growth of 9.4% to almost $4 billion last financial year. According to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual report, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the impressive earnings growth was driven by our Pathology and Medical Centres businessesâ&#x20AC;ŚMedical Centres reported its third consecutive year of

20% to $82 million. The Association urges Mayne to consider the living standards of nurses in their medical centres and asks for them to commence negotiations. n

NSWNA Assistant General Secretary, Judith Kiejda

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THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 11

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

Howard tries to wipe out collective bargaining g We underestimated Howard’s extremism. Under WorkChoices, a collective agreement can be wiped out on an employer’s whim.

SWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes says, at its heart, WorkChoices is an overt attack on collective bargaining. ‘It will be very difficult for employees to achieve a collective agreement unless an employer voluntarily chooses to cooperate,’ he said. Far from ‘protecting by law’ the right to a collective agreement, WorkChoices provides three simple means for an employer to get out of one: c individual contracts (AWAs) could be offered at any time during the life of a collective agreement. Unions could spend months negotiating a new and lawfully made collective agreement, only for the employer to offer AWAs the very next day – and if an AWA is accepted, the collective agreement no longer applies. c once past its nominal expiry date, an employer can terminate an agreement on 90 days’ notice, become award-free or agreement-free, and pay only five minimum standards. c the employer could restructure the business, transmit it to a new entity and, in the process, get rid of the employees and the agreement and take on new and cheaper staff.

The ultimate flexibility for employers As predicted, the new laws abolish all unfair dismissal protection for 3.7 million workers employed in businesses with 100 or less staff. The government has also created an open-ended opportunity for employers to get rid of staff for ‘operational reasons’, even in companies with more than 100 staff. The Industrial Relations Commission will be reduced to a shell. The 12 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

government proposes to take away almost all of the Commission’s powers including the power to arbitrate disputes. It will be left as little more than a voluntary mediation service.

No longer will there be an annual national wage case to improve minimum wages, and unions will have no involvement in the Fair Pay Commission that sets them instead of the current process. Minimum wages will be set by economists appointed by the Howard government. NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes says many of the changes will be a slow burn that will take some time to impact on many workers but nurses should be in no doubt of what the new laws mean. ‘John Howard has taken an axe to an industrial relations system that has given workers a say and some fairness in their workplace for over 100 years. He never explained to Australians before the last election that he had this intention. He has failed to make any economic case for these radical changes,’ he said. n

SEEK AND YOU SHALL BE

FINED $33,000 F

ar from ‘protecting them by law’, WorkChoices will make many legitimate union activities illegal. Union officials, delegates and employees will be fined up to $33,000 simply for asking an employer to include in an enterprise agreement a provision to: c remedy an unfair dismissal c have mandatory union involvement in resolving a dispute c allow employees to attend trade union training c commit the employer to future collective bargaining.

‘John Howard has taken an axe to an industrial relations system that has given workers a say and some fairness in their workplace for over 100 years. He never explained this to Australians before the last election. He has failed to make any economic case for these radical changes.’

$55 million and counting WorkChoices , , fairer A simplern natio al ions at pl Work ace Relst ralia u rA fo m te Sys LPED &

PU INTED REPR OST OF AT A C

0 0 0 , 2 5 1 $

Brett Holmes, NSWNA General Secretary

PLENTY OF NASTIES

FOR NURSES IN WORKCHOICES There are aspects of John Howard’s new laws that will impact directly on nurses: c nurses will no longer be able to pursue work value cases. These cases have been the source of significant pay rises for nurses in recent years. c the Reasonable Workloads Clause would go from the Public Hospitals’ award, robbing us of the right to pursue safe and fair workplaces. c private hospital nurses and others will no longer be able to seek parity with public hospital nurses due to the outlawing of pattern bargaining. c any industrial action by nurses can be declared illegal by the Minister of Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, under special ‘essential services’ powers.

art one of the federal government’s IR advertising blitz is over, taxpayers are at least $55 million lighter in the pocket – and the exact figure is still somewhere out there, say advertising experts. The government’s blunt barrage is being parroted on our TV screens in an equally unsubtle campaign by the Business Council of Australia, which has forked out $6 million advocating for more power for employers.

One advertising expert, John Sintras, head of the Media Federation of Australia, told The Australian that the government’s level of spending on its WorkChoices ads was unprecedented. ‘I’m stuffed if I can think of someone who has launched at that kind of weight; $7 million is what most people spend in a year. Not even Telstra or Coles spend at that rate,’ he said. Some elements of the government’s media campaign border on farce: c Nearly half a million glossy brochures promoting WorkChoices were pulped so the word ‘fairer’ could be put on the cover at a cost to taxpayers of $152,000. c 5.8 million revised pamphlets are sitting in a storeroom getting mouldy because no one wants to read them. c some people were reportedly paid fees totalling $6000 just to turn up for filming, while three workers at an engineering firm in Melbourne were used in an ad without their consent after being told it was part of an OHS video. A view – widely expressed by the union movement and the Labor Party that the ads are about peddling Liberal Party propaganda – is also finding resonance in the advertising industry. ‘They haven’t been nervous about trying to spend their way out of trouble when they think they are behind the eight ball,’ a media buyer told The Daily Telegraph. n

WHAT $55 MILLION BUYS

IF SPENT RESPONSIBLY c The annual wage of nearly 2200 Australians on the Minimum Wage c The annual wage of nearly 1016 Registered Nurses c More than 35,000 average monthly mortgage payments and c More than 1.8 million bulk-billed GP consultations.

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 13

s C O V E R S T O R Y

NURSES ACTIVE

g Since the mean facts of Howardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IR plans were laid bare with the release of the joined workers across Australia in sending Howard a strong message of protest

Elizabeth Hukins, RN at POW Hospital, explained the impact of the IR changes on nurses at the Sydney rally.

Nurses rally in protest National Day of Action

14 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

n 15 November, NSW nurses stopped work and joined workers across Australia in a National Day of Community Protest to protect the rights of employees. Hundreds joined the 35,000 workers who watched a national satellite broadcast and rallied in the Sydney CBD, others were part of rallies in regional areas across NSW and many watched the broadcast and were part of community activities at their workplaces.

IN PROTEST

WorkChoices legislation in November, nurses have against his plans to undermine workers’ rights.

b Kelly Hodge, RN, Prince Of Wales Hospital You do nursing because you love it and not just for the money but there does come a point where you’ve got to live. When your pay and conditions are threatened it doesn’t seem worth it.

c Tracy Burnett, RN, Camden Hospital I think it is scary. The things we have worked for are all up in the air. I’m worried about penalty rates and overtime. I wouldn’t want to work nightshifts and not get paid for it. I voted for Howard but I wouldn’t tomorrow. He had this on his agenda but he didn’t tell us about it.

b Rachel Bright, RN, Prince of Wales Hospital As shift workers, our life is difficult and we should be paid for it. My partner is a teacher and I don’t see him for a couple of nights per week because I’m at work.

Nurses rally in Wollongong

c Sharon Pippen, RN, Macarthur Private I’m here to tell John Howard that we have rights and we don’t want to go backwards. If they get away with this what else will they take away?

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 15

s C O V E R S T O R Y

NURSES ACTIVE

g While some of us couldn’t attend the major rallies, plenty of nurses still took with stop-work meetings and BBQs to help support our rights at work.

RPAH Over 100 nurses attended a stop-work meeting at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital to watch a Sky Channel broadcast of the nationwide rallies. Cheers of support rang out as the camera panned over the massive crowds that turned out in Melbourne and Sydney.

c Jan Dilworth, RPAH I’d like to encourage all nurses to support this fight with the unions. Go forth and fight for what is fair for us, for the future, and for our children.

b Jenny Haines, RPAH John Howard’s industrial relations changes will take away the fundamental rights of workers to a fair go in the workplace, and the fundamental rights of unions to represent workers. People need to resist these changes in whatever way they can, right up to the next election and beyond. 16 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

Members at Prince of Wales Hospital with Judith Kiejda (front row, third from left)

IN PROTEST

part in the National Day of Protest

RNSH (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT) ‘Keep the Spirit Alive - Join a Union‘ was the cry taken by the people of Campbelltown at the Fisher’s Ghost Festival on 13 November; Zoe-Anne Guinea, RN at Tweed Hospital, rallied with her mother, daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law on 15 November; nurses at Casino Hospital and Bethal nursing home stopped work and joined the action.

Nurses at RNSH hospital helped turn up the heat on the Howard Government with a BBQ and sausage sizzle over lunch. Nurses came and went as their breaks allowed, stopping for a sausage and to pick up information on the proposed IR changes.

b Kathy Hart, RN, RNSH I think there hasn’t been enough debate about these changes, and people don’t really understand what’s going on because it’s being pushed to quickly through parliament. As a result, the impression I get is that something underhanded is happening.

c Rosalie Joan Portus, Quality and Risk Management Consultant, RNSH I’m concerned about nurses’ rights and what they’ve worked hard for over the years – especially sick leave, ADOs, and shift penalties. I think it’s just atrocious.

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 17

wear their ‘Your Rights at Work’ armbands as a mark protest against the IR changes

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

Howard outlaws industrial g Howard’s IR plan lays out a minefield of booby traps and obstacles that makes industrial action almost impossible.

he Howard government’s IR changes are designed to cut out workers’ legal right to strike but give employers an almost unlimited freedom to lock out their employees, say legal experts. Industrial action – to be legal – will require a convoluted, secret ballot of either union members run by the Australian Electoral Commission. Unions will have to pay 20% of the cost of the ballot. Dr Chris Briggs, Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Economics and Business from the University of Sydney, says the new laws put massive obstacles in the way of workers who choose to take industrial action. ‘Unions will have to get “permission” from the IR Commission even to hold a membership ballot. If they get past the objections of legal counsel acting for employers, they must then apply to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) for a ballot. The AEC draws up a roll of eligible voters, collates names, posts ballot papers, waits for them to be returned and collates the results. Over 40% of eligible voters must vote and 50% of them must vote yes. Legal 18 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

counsel for employers can challenge the result on the grounds of “irregularities”. ‘Workers can then finally take industrial action after giving a further three days’ notice. But if their action doesn’t conform to the precise wording of the ballot the lawyers can move in again.’ Briggs says that even after a group of workers finally navigates its way through this legal quagmire, the legalities are still not over. ‘Any significantly affected “third party” – any student, commuter, customer, patient, business – will be able to have a strike suspended.

‘The law is so open-ended that it’s difficult to think of a strike that would be unambiguously legal,’ he said.

Extra shackles for nurses Essential services workers – including nurses – have additional shackles applied. The Minister for Workplace Relations Kevin Andrews will be handed an ‘essential services’ power, enabling him to declare strikes illegal if considered a threat to public welfare or to the economy. NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes says strike action is only ever considered by the Association as a last option when employers refuse to listen to reason. ‘Strikes have played an important and legitimate role in winning the pay and conditions nurses now enjoy. It is a right we have exercised responsibly and which the government now denies us,’ he said.

LOCKOUTS ARE THE PROBLEM c only 2-3% of workers are involved in a strike annually, compared to a third of workers in the early 1970s c there are already significant limitations on strikes, eg they are no longer permitted when an agreement is in force c multi-employer or sympathy strikes are illegal (a breach of international conventions, according to the ILO) c lockouts – the employer version of a strike – now account for over a half of the long disputes in the workplace.

Industrial action was the last resort and it worked, SAYS KAREN UM Karen Fernance says the threat of industrial action over the lack of support services was the turning point which finally moved management at her hospital. ‘They weren’t listening. For five years, through the winter period, we had the same issue. They never dealt with it. We used all avenues to solve the issue like the reasonable workloads committee, management forums and nursing services meetings. We passed branch resolutions. But they put it in the too hard basket – they listened but no one acted. ‘We threatened stop work meetings out of sheer frustration. It was an on-the-floor issue in all the clinical departments.’

action

‘Although it was resolved in the commission the threat of industrial action was paramount to resolving the issue. It was the last resort to solve a long-standing problem. No one took it lightly. ‘I would feel powerless if that right was taken away. The clock would be turned back to the dark ages. ‘I voted for John Howard but I feel scared that the government is bringing down these sort of laws. They will encourage people like me to opt out of nursing.’

Government hands militant employers ‘a baseball bat’ In contrast, the new laws are very generous to employers who may lock out their employees in order to pressure them to sign individual contracts.

‘Strikes have played an important and legitimate role in winning the pay and conditions nurses now enjoy. It is a right we have exercised responsibly and which the government now denies us.’ Notorious abuses of employer power – such as the lockout at the O’Connor abattoir in 2001 when 300 workers were locked out by the employer for eight months until they signed AWAs that cut their pay by 25-30% – will be more prevalent under the new laws. A Federal Court judge described the O’Connor dispute as a ‘baseball bat lockout’. n

STRIKE KEY TO ‘WHAT’S A NURSE WORTH?’ WIN onths of rolling industrial action, culminating in a statewide strike, was the key to winning many of the decent conditions for NSW nurses in the What’s a nurse worth? campaign of 2002, says NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda. The threat and vote for strike action in May 2005 was what brought the state government to the table to agree to accept the NSW IR Commission‘s pay decision. ‘The 2002 strike was overwhelmingly supported by

nurses. Sydney Town Hall was packed and overflowing. Nurses filled up the gallery. There were nurses with babies in the anteroom. Then on the march to Parliament there were wall-to-wall nurses. ‘It had widespread community support and it brought the government to its senses. It led to substantial pay increases which put nursing back on the map as a career. It brought to the community’s attention what our issues were. ‘Under the federal government’s new laws this wouldn’t be possible.’ THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 19

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

IR plans mean

Poverty in retirement g Howard’s IR plans will erode the minimum wage and retiree incomes.

orkers aren’t the only ones in line to be hammered by the Howard government’s changes to industrial relations. A consequence of a lower minimum wage is that Australia’s 3.5 million pensioners will also face cuts to their benefits. At present, age and veterans’ pensions are indexed at 25% of male average weekly earnings. Until now, this system has delivered pensioners real increases above inflation. However, lower minimum wages will lead to lower average wages and lower pensions. In New Zealand, similar IR reforms led to a drop in real wage growth from 5% to 2.8%. Morrie Mifsud of the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association says removing the power of the AIRC to set the minimum wage will be detrimental to pensioners as well as lowpaid workers.

‘This will mean pensioners will have even more difficulty paying skyrocketing bills for essentials such as food, housing, transport and health services. How are people going to save up enough superannuation (on lower wages) to afford a decent retirement? ‘The proposed industrial relations changes are unjust, regressive and will guarantee greater inequality and poverty for years to come.’

Other welfare stings in the IR laws The virtual abolition of unfair dismissal laws, combined with the federal government’s ‘welfare to work’ changes, make a mockery of John Howard’s claim that workers have the upper hand in the labour market and can easily move between jobs, say welfare sector representatives. ‘If a person leaves their job because the demands of the employer are unreasonable, and they go to Centrelink, an eightweek non-payment period will apply,’ said Michael Raper, President of the National Welfare Rights Network (NWRN).

Similar penalties will apply to unemployed jobseekers if they refuse a job. An unemployed person must accept any job under the IR reforms, no matter how unfair the terms and conditions. Under the new government laws, if a person refuses to accept a job on the grounds that they disagree with the contents of an AWA, they will also face an eight-week suspension of their Centrelink payment. John Howard’s recent advice to unemployed people and workers dissatisfied with their employment conditions has been branded as ‘misleading and dangerous’ by the National Welfare Rights Network. The Prime Minister said that a person who was unhappy with their employment conditions should quit and get another job. Michael Raper said: ‘This could be very dangerous advice for many Australians, because if they follow it, they could end up being penalised by Centrelink and lose payment for eight weeks.’ n

b ‘I’m working beyond retirement now – five years over. I haven’t saved enough super to pay the mortgage and to live. I don’t feel confident about living on the pension now. You’d scrape by but you couldn’t live well and I’d like to be able to help my grandkids. If the pension is lower it will be even harder. It isn’t fair that you’re penalised for being a working person.‘ Janet Seeley – CNS, Campbelltown Hospital c ‘I feel annoyed that this government is so prejudiced against women. For 15 years I worked part-time and looked after children. It was a lost opportunity to build my super. The pension will be very important to me. I won’t have much to live on. I’ll have to lower my standards of living. I’ll have to work longer – I’m not happy about that as I’ve got a couple of work-related injuries.‘ Christine Williams – RN, Camden Hospital

20 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

Workplace changes a health disaster g Howard’s IR changes will lead to poorer health for the lower paid. and Training, predicts rising illness and falling levels of mental and physical health caused by workplace change. The study by Dr Chris Briggs analysed comparative studies of workplace changes introduced in Britain, New Zealand, Victoria and Western Australia over the past decade. He also looked at studies conducted by the Australian-born, British-based academic Sir Michael Marmot, who has linked health to inequality, the quality of work, community and family life.

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C3431

wo new studies show that the radical workplace changes proposed by the Howard government will lead to poorer health for the lower paid. The life expectancy gap between lowand middle-income earners and high-wage earners will expand significantly under the federal government’s new workplace laws, says a Sydney University report. The report, prepared by the Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research

‘It is reasonable to infer the proposed industrial relations reforms are likely to worsen overall population health, especially for those on the lower side of the labour market and social gradient,’ he said. These concerns are given credence by another report prepared by New Zealand’s health ministry, which examined the period in which radical workplace changes – very similar to those proposed by the Howard government – were introduced in that country. It found widening inequality had contributed to rising mortality rates and had created gaps in life expectancy between low and highincome groups. Cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, other cancers and suicides also rose among lower-income earners. n

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 21

T H E

Y E A R I N

R E V I E W

g It’s been a strong year for nurses with some great wins in the face of enormous challenges. The year started with some vigorous and successful pay campaigns and finished with a stern message to John Howard that our rights at work are off limits …

More pay and better conditions for nurses

This year nurses consistently got out the message that fair pay rises were a crucial step to solving the nursing shortage. If we want to retain nurses and recruit new nurses we need a nursing profession that is properly valued.

DADHC:

PUBLIC HOSPITALS:

AGED CARE:

PRIVATE HOSPITALS:

In May the Public Health: there’s no fix without nurses campaign culminated in a 14.7% pay rise over 3½ years for public hospital nurses. Other top conditions won include groundbreaking paid maternity leave, higher pay for medicationendorsed ENs, and improved union delegate rights at work.

Late March saw 25,000 aged care nurses in NSW celebrate a 25% pay rise over three years. Later in the year aged care nurses received a new Continuing Education Allowance of up to$30 a week for additional qualifications.

In January nurses employed by Healthscope received a 3.5% increase to bring them into line with those from Ramsay and Affinity hospitals who picked up increases to achieve parity with public hospitals at the end of 2004. Smaller operators soon fell into line and paid up the 3.5%.

22 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

The year kicked off with backdated pay increases of between 3.5% and 17.2% for DADHC nurses, bringing them in to line with public hospital nurses. DADHC nurses also won a reasonable workloads award clause and pilot rostering of 12-hour shifts.

u n r s W e S s N r o f r a e y t A grea

Fair and safe workloads are still a burning issue Crippling workloads remain the bane of a NSW nurse’s life but NSWNA members have become increasingly familiar with the application of the reasonable workloads clause. Nurses in public hospitals are using the reasonable workloads committees to ease the burden and they haven’t been shy to close beds if they have concerns about patient safety. Two hospitals, Maitland and Coffs Harbour Base Hospital, showed the way with two different paths to achieve a result.

Securing our future The federal government’s attack on workers’ rights highlights the need for a strong plan to defend nurses’ industrial and professional rights. The NSWNA’s 60th Annual Conference resolved, in a rare unanimous vote, to create a Nurse Power Fund that will resource strong, ongoing campaigns to win public support for nurses and our issues. The Association has also been vigorous in converting as many members over to direct debit from payroll deductions in order to protect the union from any attack by cutting off our revenue. NSWNA also relentlessly applied pressure, and will continue to do so, on the Area Health Services to maintain nurses’ influence in management positions.

Our contribution as Nurses spread good global citizens a strong message of protest When coastal communities across South-East Asia were decimated with hundreds of thousands killed and millions of lives devastated, NSW nurses moved quickly to provide aid and assistance on the ground. The NSWNA fronted up with $25,000 to the Union Aid Abroad relief campaign, nurses around the state fundraised and dug deep into their pockets and some even made their way to the disaster areas to help. The havoc and misery inflicted on New Orleans by hurricane Katrina brought out a similar response after a call for help from our colleagues in the Louisiana Nurses Union. The generosity towards less fortunate has continued with a $16,000 donation from the NSWNA to aid earthquake victims in Pakistan.

$55 million worth of slippery and dishonest advertising has done nothing to stem the anger among nurses towards the federal government’s vicious antiworker IR laws. There were plenty of nurses among the 100,000 in NSW who rallied against the government’s draconian laws on 1 July when Howard took control of the senate. The momentum continued at the Last Weekend picnic on 7 August and nurses made their own statement against Howard’s plan to kill off the state IR systems with a spirited vigil outside the NSW IRC in the heart of the Sydney CBD in November. THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 23

INDUSTRIAL ISSUES

Rights at work at the heart of

rivate hospital nurses are seeking the same rates of pay, and the same on-call and in-charge allowances as public hospital nurses in talks just begun with employers covering almost 100 private hospitals throughout NSW. Private hospital nurses are seeking a 14.7% pay rise over two years and eight months to bring them in line with public hospital rates. They are also seeking paid maternity leave, fair and safe workloads and a continuing education allowance and study leave – conditions that now exist in the public sector award. The claim has been put to employers after widespread consultation with private hospital members. The claim is shown in the box below.

Howard provides the fog The uncertain climate created by the federal government’s new laws have clouded

the negotiations. Neither the commencement date nor the details of all the proposed legislation have been made public. The legal enforceability of workplace conditions is vital in these talks with employers, says NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes. He says many of the conditions that private nurses have already won or now seek are not protected by law under the federal government’s new WorkChoices legislation. ‘In fact they will be prohibited by law from being included in an award or enterprise agreement. The Association, after receiving legal advice, will seek to have these conditions protected in a legally enforceable document called a “deed”,’ he said. Brett Holmes says the private hospital employers’ response will be a test of their sincerity towards their employees in the new environment created by the federal government. ‘This is not a greedy claim. Private hospital nurses are not asking for any

PRIVATE HOSPITAL NURSES DEMAND

EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK Overwhelmingly, private hospital nurses have said they want to be granted the same pay rates and conditions for doing the same work as their public hospital nursing colleagues. Private hospital nurses are currently paid significantly less than public hospital nurses. Private hospital nurses want a 14.7% increase over the two years eight months of the award period. The following table shows the current difference between private and public hospital nurses’ award rates of pay:

NURSE CLASSIFICATION

PUBLIC HOSPITAL PRIVATE HOSPITAL LOSS TO PRIVATE HOSPITAL NURSE RATE PER ANNUM RATE PER ANNUM DURING 2005

more than what other employers have agreed to. The employer of 39,000 public hospital nurses agreed to this amount of pay and these conditions. Now nurses in private hospitals want the same.’ As The Lamp went to press, an initial meeting has been held where NSWNA officers outlined members’ claims to employer representatives. n

9 CLAIMS IN THE PRIVATE HOSPITAL NURSES’ RIGHTS CAMPAIGN 1. No AWAs 2. Pay parity with public hospital nurses including for ENs with medication endorsment

NUM Full time (Level 1)

$73,252

$69,158

$4,094

3. Protection of existing conditions in legallyenforceable documents

RN full time (Year 8)

$58,396

$55,132

$3,264

4. Rights for NSWNA delegates

RN part time – 24 hour per week (Year 8)

$36,882

$34,820

$2,062

5. Legally enforceable right to a reasonable workload

EN Full time (Thereafter)

$39,913

$37,682

$2,231

6. 10-hour breaks between shifts

AiN Full time (Thereafter)

$32,796

$30,964

$1,832

7. Paid parental leave

Notes: Calculated from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2005, assuming no additional increase in the Private Hospital Award rate this year. Rates do not include any penalty rates. This calculation does not include above-award payments. These rates are based on the award rates for morning shift and the loss for a private hospital nurse increases substantially if they have worked shiftwork. 24 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

8. Continuing education allowance and study leave 9. Increased in-charge and on-call allowance rates.

private hospital nurses’ claim NEWCASTLE PRIVATE NURSES STAND FIRM

‘Parity and protection of existing rights.’

‘W

e work just as hard as our colleagues across the carpark at John Hunter Hospital. We have the same training, do the same work and we want the same pay,’ said president of the NSWNA Newcastle Private Hospital branch, Lynette Huckstadt. ‘If management won’t agree to our claim then nurses here are going to walk to the public sector because they can’t afford to work without fair pay and conditions.’ The NSWNA Newcastle Private Hospital branch is one of almost 100 private hospital branches across NSW currently engaged in negotiations

with their employers to achieve a new agreement on wages and conditions. Parity of pay and conditions with public hospital nurses is a burning issue for nurses at Newcastle Private Hospital. ‘The doctors, even the patients, are shocked when they hear we are paid less than our colleagues across the carpark,’ said Lynette. ‘We want to see our existing rights protected in the new claim. It would be the last straw to go backwards, to lose what we’ve fought so hard for. ‘We work hard and we are asking our employer NIB to agree to our claim before the end of the year so that it can be endorsed before Howard’s IR legislation

A Newcastle Private Hospital branch meeting

kicks in. Once that happens, we’ll be stripped bare if we’re not covered by the award,’ she said. n

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W O R K L O A D S

Progress on reasonable workloads tools slow but steady g Delays are being experienced with the implementation of the workloads tools, but members are reminded of their legal right to a reasonable workload under the Public Hospital Nurses’ (State) Award.

he General Workload Calculation Tool is now rolled out in most of the hospitals identified in the first phase of the tool’s implementation. Implementation of the tool at the remaining hospitals in the first phase is expected to be completed by December 2005. The second phase of the roll-out is now well underway. The tool will be implemented at the hospitals in phase two during early 2006. The General Workload Calculation Tool has been developed to measure nurse workloads in surgical and medical wards in public hospitals. It was developed after the introduction of the Reasonable Workloads Clause in the Public Hospital Nurses’ (State) Award, which enforces nurses’ legal right to a reasonable workload. NSWNA Officers visited public hospitals in the first phase of the roll out to provide education on the application of the Reasonable Workloads Clause, demonstrate how the tool operates and examine case studies where the award provision and tool have been successfully used to address workload issues. According to Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda, there are now several cases where the Reasonable Workloads Committee has used the results of the tool to address nurse workload issues. ‘Nurses working in surgical and medical wards at a number of hospitals have used the general workloads calculation tool to prove there are 26 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

inadequate levels of nursing staff for the patient load. Once presented with the evidence, management in each case has had an award obligation to consider the recommendation of the committee and has provided a reasonable workload.’ Extensive work has been also done tailoring the Birthrate Plus workload calculation tool from a UK setting to NSW midwifery settings.

‘As the process of developing the workloads tool progresses, members should remember they have a legally enforceable right to reasonable workload under the Public Hospital Nurses’ (State) Award. ‘The Reasonable Workloads Clause in the Award enables public hospital nurses to establish a Reasonable Workloads Committee at their workplace, comprising representatives from

‘There have been some delays in the implementation of the Birthrate Plus tool but there’s no point putting in place a tool that is incorrect.’ According to Judith Kiejda, the NSWNA strongly objected to a number of proposals by NSW Health that could have had an adverse affect on midwives. Trials were conducted at a number of hospitals of varying size to gather data for the adaptation of the UK model and the results presented to the NSW Reasonable Workloads Committee. Judith explained that some inconsistencies were identified with the data. ‘Further meetings have been organised to resolve these problems and identify the most appropriate way to adapt the UK model. ‘This has meant there have been some delays in the implementation of the Birthrate Plus tool but there’s no point putting in place a tool that is incorrect.’ said Judith.

management and the NSWNA. The committee makes recommendations to management about measures to address the workload issues,’ said Judith. There has also been some progress in development of Community Health, Mental Health and Emergency Department workloads tools. The Mental Health working group is in the process of trialling methods for data collection to test the proposed methodology. The Emergency Department working group is continuing to explore different methodologies for data collection. The Community Health working group has completed initial validation studies and has commenced a more extensive validation process by using the proposed methodology. n

Committee wins 10 nurses for Tamworth g When the reasonable workloads committee identified a shortage of nurses at Tamworth Base Hospital, management immediately committed to addressing nurse shortages.

anagement at Tamworth Base Hospital have responded to nurses’ reports that they were suffering ongoing heavy workloads – after consultation with the Reasonable Workloads Committee. Management agreed to immediately recruit 10 full-time nursing positions and other measures to address nursing shortages. Nurses at the hospital have been struggling with heavy workloads for some months, according to Vice President of the Tamworth Base Hospital branch, CNS Christine Hughes. ‘The morale of nurses is around their knees. People were very frustrated and stressed because of the relentless workload pressure.’ President of the Tamworth Base Hospital branch, CNS Gerard Jeffery, said the tool clearly identified the extent of

the workloads problem at the hospital. ‘It provided evidence that staffing was seriously inadequate for the acuity levels at the hospital. ‘Management promptly commenced negotiations with the branch and the Reasonable Workloads Committee and agreed to the immediate recruitment of 10 full-time nursing positions,’ said Gerard, who is also a member of Reasonable Workloads Committee. ‘The positions will be most likely filled by ENs due to the shortage of RNs in the Tamworth area but management has committed looking at recruitment strategies to recruit a further nine full-time RNs in early 2006. ‘We are just relieved to have

agreed on a resolution with management,’ he said. ‘I think it’s important to remember that even without the tool we would have been able to address the workloads problem by asserting our right to a reasonable workload under the Reasonable Workload Clause in the Award. We would achieve this by working through our Reasonable Workloads Committee,’ said Gerard. ‘Heavy workloads are the biggest issue for nurses. The Reasonable Workloads Clause is the most important feature of the Public Hospital Nurses’ Award.’ n

Secretary of the Tamworth Base Hospital branch Christine Hughes and President Gerard Jeffery

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THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 27

A G E N D A

Mental health system’s cracks and failures g An inadequate mental health system has failed the mentally ill, says a major mental health report.

ental health nurses have been long voicing concerns about the inadequacies of the mental health system but a damning report has sparked media and public outrage over a system that has seriously failed the mentally ill. The Not for Service report paints a shocking picture of neglect, preventable deaths, the inappropriate incarceration of people with a mental illness, the grief and despair of the families left to cope when services are unavailable or fall short. The Not for Service Report – appropriately subtitled ‘Experiences of injustice and despair in mental health care in Australia’ – was compiled by the

Mental Health Council of Australia and the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Research Institute, in association with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission The hefty tome describes thousands of cases of service delivery failures, accounts of lives devastated by institutional neglect, suicides and the grief of families left behind – and calls for an overhaul of the mental health system for the 20% of Australians who will suffer mental illness at some time in their lives. There’s the case of a young man who had been admitted to hospital hallucinating and in a psychotic state, but the doctor discharged him, diagnosing ‘homesickness’ despite his mother’s desperate pleas that her son was very

‘This is an important report that documents issues with the mental health system that nurses have consistently raised over a number of years.’ sick. After being discharged, he killed his friend. He was placed in Long Bay gaol. No psychiatric assessment was conducted nor any mental health care delivered, even though he appeared to be in a psychotic state. He hung himself in his cell. ‘I would like to know why he was

DAMNING REPORT NO SURPRISE TO MENTAL HEALTH NURSES uzi Neufeld, CNS at Camperdown Community Health Centre, said the report is no surprise to nurses working in the mental health sector. ‘We’re working in ridiculously understaffed circumstances. ‘Actually, it’s a relief that the situation has been made public. Nurses working in mental heath sector are always under pressure, working above and beyond the roles they are employed to do. ‘They are up against angry relatives who want more done for their sick relatives. ‘We are the meat in the sandwich between patients and their families and services with no funds. ‘It’s difficult and frustrating work. More funding is needed at the acute and community care ends,’ she said.

28 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

Suzi explained that the waiting lists for case managers at her service are getting longer. ‘The service is unable to fill vacancies for case managers so existing staff suffer heavy workloads and are under constant pressure. The crisis team is taking on the role of case managers because of the nurse shortages. ‘In the meantime, while people are waiting for services or receiving inadequate care, they are getting sicker. Suzi said the nurses at the Camperdown Community Health Centre are fantastic at managing pressure, juggling workloads, and doing overtime ‘because there’s no one else to do the job’. ‘We do it for the patients. Just because we do it, doesn’t mean we should be working like this, nor is it right.’

failed by three government departments. How did this happen?’ askes his mother. NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda said, ‘This is an important report that documents issues with the mental health system that nurses have consistently raised over a number of years. ‘Governments have applied a cut-price approach to mental health care and this report describes the impact of this.’ The Not for Service report identifies a lack of respect for people with mental illness, poor resources and inadequate facilities – underpinned by numerous reports of reduced safety within mental health care services – as the core failings of mental health system. It calls for urgent action by all governments to work together and commit to a process of genuine and adequately resourced reform, with recognition that mental health reform is a national priority Real and sustained increases in overall funding for mental health services are needed over the next five years so that expenditure on mental health will be equivalent to 12% of total health care funding. It recommends that funding to NGO service providers should be significantly increased from a national average of 6% to around 15% of mental health funding. It argues NGOs are the most effective at delivering many crucial mental health services. It also called for governments to recognise the need for urgent action to address the declining morale and chronic skills shortages in the mental health workforce. ‘The greatest nursing shortage is in the area of mental health,’ said Judith. ‘It is a demoralising, stressful and distressing situation to be working with patients who are suffering and receiving inadequate or inappropriate care due to inadequate funding.’ Co-author of the report, Ian Hickie, Professor of Psychiatry and Executive Director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, said:

‘What we do not need is continued blaming of those who use the services, those professionals who provide the services of those independent bodies who report on them. ‘A continuation of this culture of blame will only worsen the workforce crisis in public sector mental health services,’ he said. n

ABBOTT ‘WELCOME TO MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM’ he Not for Service report and the systemic failures it describes received widespread media coverage at the time of the launch in October – especially the threat of a federal takeover of the mental health sector touted by federal Minister for Health Tony Abbott. You’re welcome to it, said NSW Health Minister John Hatzistergos.

‘If Mr Abbott is serious about this proposal he should put his money where his month is. If he can guarantee that the federal government will provide more resources and better services, then NSW will not stand in his way. Premier Morris Iemma backed the NSW Health Minister and called for a national summit on mental health.

‘If Mr Abbott is serious about this proposal he should put his money where his mouth is.’ NSW Health Minister John Hatzistergos

Federal Minister for Health, Tony Abbott. THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 29

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

$150,000 fine follows lethal assault g Health Service ‘exposed patients and staff to risk of injury’.

psychiatric patient’s latenight rampage at Kempsey District Hospital in 2001 cost the life of fellow patient Eunice Benedek, 72. Repercussions from that night of violence continued last month when a judge fined the North Coast Area Health Service $150,000. Justice CG Staff of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission imposed the fines for six offences under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Inadequate security measures and inappropriate duress alarm systems had

posed a risk of injury to both patients and staff at the hospital, Justice Staff said. Justice Staff was told that a patient, ‘T’, inflicted fatal head injuries on Mrs Benedek. He escaped from the hospital by breaking through an external door. Police charged ‘T’ with murder but he was found not guilty because of his psychiatric state. Before assaulting Mrs Benedek, ‘T’ twice punched a nurse to the ground and kicked her, fracturing her cheekbone. He punched another nurse in the face. ‘T’ was admitted to 149 Unit, a non-secure psychiatric inpatient ward, after allegedly threatening his wife with a machete and claiming to be God. Justice Staff said ‘T’s’ personal belongings were not searched when he was admitted to hospital, contrary to the Health Service admissions policy.

The Health Service argued that the case was about medical and nursing staff failing to recognise the nature and extent of the man’s psychotic condition.

‘The lack of knowledge (about policy) plainly put the employees at risk.’ – Justice Staff

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KEMPSEY STILL TAKING RISKS Justice Staff rejected this, pointing out that the Health Service had failed to provide regular training to ensure that an accurate assessment and correct diagnosis was made upon admission. Had the doctor and nurse been trained in the categorising of patients in accordance with the admissions policy, employees would not have been exposed to the risk of a psychotic patient being admitted, he said. The Health Service admitted that there was no adequate policy, procedure or training at the hospital to ensure a timely and appropriate response to duress alarms. A lone nurse who responded to the alarm was also assaulted on arriving at the scene, yet policy required the night supervisor to respond with one other person. ‘The lack of knowledge (about policy) plainly put the employees at risk,’ Justice Staff found. There was no regular review of duress alarm systems, nor did the Health Service conduct any proper duress response training. Five months before the incident the Health Service hired a security company to review security at the hospital, though its report apparently was not provided until just after the incident. The report identified security failings including: c Absence of clearly documented security policies and procedures. c Staff regularly worked alone in isolated parts of the building. c Training in duress response was provided to some but not all staff. Justice Staff said: ‘The existence of a system on paper alone is clearly not sufficient to comply with the obligations imposed under the OH&S Act. The employer is required to ensure that its “paper systems” are implemented and maintained in its daily operations.’ He said that following the incident the Health Service moved quickly to rectify its breaches. The 149 Unit was closed immediately and never reopened. A new mental health facility at Kempsey Hospital was opened in March 2003, and ‘significant and fundamental systematic changes’ were made to mental health services in the Area. n

NSWNA branch secretary at Kempsey Hospital, Peter Peisley

t seems the North Coast Area Health Service still has lessons to learn despite being prosecuted over the 2001 incident that led to the closure of 149 Unit (see main story). More than two years after it opened, Kempsey Hospital’s new mental health unit which replaced the condemned 149 Unit has been operating in breach of the law and safe working procedures. Three scheduled patients were admitted to the voluntary 10-bed unit over the past few months, contrary to the Mental Health Act. And the unit still does not have an admissions procedure to assess patient risk levels. When the NSWNA raised the issue with Area management, it launched an immediate investigation to determine where the system had broken down. Area management assured the union that no more gazetted patients would be admitted to the voluntary unit at Kempsey, and there were no plans to gazette any beds in the current ward or hospital. These assurances were repeated at a site inspection by NSWNA officers last month. NSWNA’s branch secretary at Kempsey Hospital, mental health

nurse Peter Peisley, said the Area had developed admission protocols for gazetted units but there were none for Kempsey’s low acuity voluntary unit.

‘How can we really refuse a scheduled patient if we have no protocols?’ He said several scheduled patients – some with a history of violence – had been admitted to the Kempsey unit over the past few months. ‘This is contrary to the Act and also to a set of safe work practices developed with input from the union following the 2001 incident,’ said Peter, a former 149 Unit nurse. ‘We need admission protocols so we can properly assess patient risk and transfer high-risk patients to a gazetted unit that can provide them with appropriate treatment in a safe environment. ‘How can we really refuse a scheduled patient if we have no protocols?’ Peter said Area management had promised to present a draft admission procedure ‘within two to three weeks’. It is to be developed in consultation with the union branch and other relevant staff. THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 31

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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Health service fined after nurse bashed g Victim was alone with dangerous patient.

n assault on a mental health nurse at Morisset Hospital has cost the Hunter and New England Area Health Service a $105,000 fine. Justice WR Haylen of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission imposed the fine for breaches of occupational health and safety law. He said the area health service had pleaded guilty to ‘a quite comprehensive failure’ of safety systems.

When BF started walking in the nurse’s direction, the surveillance officer watching via closed circuit TV, issued an alert on the PA system, calling for staff to help the nurse. The nurse activated his duress alarm but BF punched and kicked him. Observing the assault on CCTV, the surveillance officer issued a second alert over the PA. Several nurses arrived to help about 60 seconds after the assault began.

Justice Haylen rejected the area health service’s argument ‘that in some way the requirements of these patients are such that staff must accept that they will be subjected to aggressive, assaultive behaviour with attendant injury’. The male nurse was working alone in the courtyard of Morisset’s Kestrel Unit when assaulted by a patient on 1 January 2001. Hunter and New England Area Health admitted it did not maintain a system designed to ensure that the status of all patients in the Kestrel Unit was discussed at shift handovers. Before starting his shift the nurse asked the surveillance officer about a new patient, referred to as ‘BF’, and was told there was no problem with him. Yet according to his medical records BF had stabbed a staff member at Mandala Clinic in 1996. Before that he had been charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. He reported ‘hearing voices’ a few days before the assault on the nurse. The courtyards at Morisset were where most aggressive incidents occurred, yet there was no formal policy or procedure requiring staff members not to enter courtyards on their own. While preparing to serve afternoon tea to patients, the nurse noticed ‘BF’ banging on the nurses’ station door, yelling and swearing.

The nurse was admitted to hospital briefly, had a total of 17 days off work, and appeared to have made a complete recovery, Justice Haylen said. The hospital later adopted a policy of staff not entering the courtyard alone. Justice Haylen said there was no effective system to monitor the operation of the duress alarm together with the public address and surveillance system. There were undetected black spots in

the operation of the system and staff were inadequately informed about potential danger from certain patients. The area health service was aware of these deficiencies six months before the assault but did not rectify them in time. Duress alarms were checked for defects once a week but there was no method of identifying low batteries in the interim, the system registered false alarms, and when defects were detected in the personal alarms they were sent for repair without replacements being made available. Alarms and the security system were not regularly audited, in breach of the departmental manual. Justice Haylen rejected the area health service’s argument ‘that in some way the requirements of these patients are such that staff must accept that they will be subjected to aggressive, assaultive behaviour with attendant injury’. ‘It is one thing to know of the existence of such behaviour and the likelihood it will occur from time to time but it is another matter to simply acquiesce in its occurrence,’ he said. ‘A civilised and humane society is obligated to strive to ensure that these two, often competing, objectives are secured.’ n

The full text of Justice Haylen’s decision can be viewed at: http://caselaw.lawlink.nsw. gov.au/isysquery/irlbfe1/1/doc

IF IN DOUBT – DON’T WORK ALONE The NSW Nurses Association is concerned about an increasing number of assaults on members, including by nursing home patients with dementia. Common factors in these assaults are: c The victim was working alone c There was no accessible duress alarm, or it was inadequate or faulty. c Staff numbers and/or skill mix were inadequate. We draw members’ attention to NSW Health guidelines, which recommend that nurses work in pairs or with a security officer when dealing with potentially dangerous patients.

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 33

2006 NSW NURSES’ ASSOCIATION

ELECTION OF BRANCH DELEGATES AND ALTERNATE DELEGATES Pursuant to the Industrial Relations Act, 1996, Robert Leslie Whyburn will be the Returning Officer for the election of branch delegates and alternate delegates to the Annual Conference and the Committee of Delegates of the NSW Nurses’ Association.

NOMINATIONS Nominations in writing are requested on and from 1 January 2006 for the following positions: Branch delegates and alternate delegates to the Annual Conference and the Committee of Delegates. Each branch shall be entitled to elect such delegates according to the number of financial members in that branch as at 31 December 2005, as follows: (information as to the number of financial members in each branch is available from each branch secretary, or the NSW Nurses’ Association, (phone 8595 1234 or 1300 367 962) 50 financial members or less

1 delegate

51-130 (inclusive) financial members

2 delegates

131-300 (inclusive) financial members

3 delegates

301-500 (inclusive) financial members

4 delegates

501-750 (inclusive) financial members

5 delegates

751-1000 (inclusive) financial members 6 delegates 1001-1250 (inclusive) financial members 7 delegates 1251-1500 (inclusive) financial members 8 delegates 1501 financial members or more

9 delegates

Each branch shall be entitled to elect alternate delegates equal to the delegate entitlement of that branch, provided that a branch shall be entitled to elect at least two alternate delegates. Note: A person may nominate for one position only.

dismissed from any office or position in accordance with rule 14 of the Association’s Rules. Pro forma nomination forms may be obtained from Robert Leslie Whyburn, 43 Australia Street, Camperdown (phone 8267 0926), the NSW Nurses’ Association (phone 8595 1234 or 1300 367 962) or from the Association’s members only website www.nswnurses.asn.au.

CLOSE OF NOMINATIONS Nominations must be received by the returning officer, Robert Leslie Whyburn, not later than noon on Wednesday, 22 February 2006. They may be hand-delivered to R L Whyburn, 43 Australia Street, Camperdown; posted to PO Box 239, Camperdown 1450 or faxed to 9565 2747. Nominations received after the time and date specified will not be accepted. Nominations cannot be lodged with the NSW Nurses’ Association. Any defect in a nomination must be rectified by the candidate prior to the close of nominations. A candidate may only withdraw his/her nomination in writing so as to be received by the returning officer prior to the close of nominations. Should more than the required number of nominations be received a draw will be conducted to determine the order of candidates’ names on the ballot paper by R. L. Whyburn, 43 Australia Street, Camperdown at 2.00pm, Monday, 27 February 2006. Candidates or their representatives are invited to witness the draw.

VOTING If the election is contested, a postal ballot will be conducted to close at 10.00am, Thursday, 23 March 2006. All members of the relevant branch of the New South Wales Nurses’ Association financial as at noon, Wednesday 22 February 2006 and entitled to vote will be sent a ballot paper on Monday, 6 March 2006.

Candidates for election to the position of branch delegate or alternate delegate are required to be financial members of the Association at the date of opening of nominations, ie 1 January 2006.

The method of voting to be observed for this election will be first past the post. Any candidate in a contested election may nominate another person to act as their scrutineer at the counting of the ballot. Candidates should ring the Association to ascertain the date and time of counting.

A person is not eligible to nominate for, be elected to, or hold any office in the Association, Committee of Delegates or branch thereof if:

Members should ensure that the Association is aware of their current residential address as voting material will be posted to each member’s residential address.

(i) such person holds any office in any other registered trade union of a like or kindred nature or having objects similar to the objects of the NSW Nurses’ Association other than the Australian Nursing Federation, or

Any enquiries concerning this election should be directed to R L Whyburn, telephone 8267 0926.

(ii) such person has been, within the period of two years immediately preceding the date of nomination or election, 34 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

ROBERT LESLIE WHYBURN RETURNING OFFICER FOR THE 2006 NSW NURSES’ ASSOCIATION ELECTION.

Q & A

WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR RIGHTS AND ENTITLEMENTS AT WORK,

ASK

NSWNA ASSISTANT GENERAL SECRETARY JUDITH KIEJDA HAS THE ANSWERS. THIS MONTH JUDITH CLEARS THE FOG THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN CREATING IN ITS WORKCHOICES ADS, WITH THE CLAIM THAT WORKPLACE

JUDITH

CONDITIONS WILL BE PROTECTED BY LAW.

John Howard says under his new laws you will always have a choice between an AWA and an award. Yet, the government’s new laws permit employers to offer AWAs as a condition of employment. Imposing an AWA in this way is not seen as being coercive under the new law. It is not a genuine choice between an AWA and an award. The real choice is between accepting the AWA and not having a job.

work a 76-hour week for 26 consecutive weeks, not receive a cent of overtime and then be rostered off for the rest of the year. That would be legal. That is, the employer would be protected by law. Workers in seasonal industries will be vulnerable to this sort of abuse. A more likely scenario for nurses will be if a hospital shuts down surgery for five weeks over Christmas. You would still have to work these 190 hours (5 times 38) at normal time over the rest of the year before you were entitled to overtime. This part of the legislation could also impact on RDOs. The employer can, theoretically, configure your hours so that you work every day, yet not accrue enough hours to earn an RDO.

38-hour week is moveable

Penalty rates can be slashed

The 38-hour week is a very important achievement that was hard-fought for by the union movement. It is another thing John Howard says is protected by law. It is safe isn’t it?

John Howard says there is a list of conditions that are protected by law. Will things such as shift penalty rates and overtime be protected?

AWAs condition of employment The federal government’s WorkChoices ads say that an employee’s right to stay in an award is protected by law. Is this true?

In the small print of the new laws, the 38hour week is averaged out over the whole year. In an extreme case, a worker could

S P E C I A L

The reality is, if you are in the new system, on any day of the week an employer can impose an AWA on you and reduce or take away your penalty rates or over-

O F F E R

F O R

time. Worse, they are not obliged to give you extra pay or anything else in return.

OUT: Reasonable Workloads Clause Are award conditions like the public hospitals’ reasonable workloads clause?

When state nursing awards are moved into the federal system, many hard-won conditions will be removed. On the information currently available, the reasonable workloads clause will be out. The August bank holiday is also in doubt.

Parental leave up for grabs I was rapt when we won the 14weeks paid parental leave in the public hospitals MOU this year. You have to admit that is an important gain they are protecting in law?

I wish you were right. It is only 12 months UNPAID parental leave that is protected. All PAID parental leave is up for grabs: maternity leave, paternity leave and adoption leave. n

N S W N A

Mrs Henderson Presents 100 double passes to be won! From Oscar-nominated director Stephen Frears, Mrs Henderson Presents stars Dame Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins and Christopher Guest. Set in preWorld War II-London, Mrs Henderson Presents tells the remarkable true-life story of one of England’s most prominent and eccentric society figures, Laura Henderson, who founded the historic Windmill Theatre. Driven by the desire to win back dwindling music hall audiences, this charming lady took advantage of a legal loophole that permitted the theatre to show entirely nude girls on stage – provided they didn’t move.

M E M B E R S

Joyeux Noël 50 double passes to be won! On Christmas Eve 1914, officers and soldiers from Britain, France and Germany, who had been fighting each other from trenches, put down their weapons to share wine and food, exchange photographs and memories and play a game of soccer. It was an extraordinary act of human generosity and humility, and Joyeux Noël is full of great bravery, simple decency and humour. Poster.indd 1

To win a double pass to either of these films, email SBarber@nswnurses.asn.au with your name, THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 35 NSWNA membership number, address, phone number and the film you’d like to see. First entries win!

24/10/05 5:44:14 PM

NU E RWS ES S II N ABCRT I O EN F

Caring for Sydney’s homeless g Working with Sydney’s homeless and disaffected, nurses from the Haymarket Foundation provide an essential service to some of the city’s poorest people.

36 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

roups of weathered looking men are gathered outside the Haymarket Foundation, sitting quietly on plastic chairs and in the gutter, or talking among themselves. ‘We’re not here to “save” them,’ says clinical nurse consultant Jill Leys. ‘We’re trying to improve the health situations they come across here and now.’ The men here are some of Sydney’s most marginal inhabitants: the homeless, alcoholics, drug users and mentally ill people. The Haymarket Foundation, wedged between Surry Hills and the Cross, is a free healthcare clinic for anyone who walks off the street and needs care. The people who attend the clinic usually have more than one diagnosis, says Jill. ‘These are people that have been through a lot. They might have had years of addiction and mental illness or other things. There is a lot of violence in their lives, and very little family contact,’ she says. Here they can see a nurse or a doctor, pick up their medication (but not methadone) or have a wound dressed.

Having a place to go – any place – is an important psychological foundation for people. ‘One of the most important things for homeless people is the aspect of safety and a home base,’ says Jill. ‘People tend to do a lot better when they’ve got their own place, they feel safer.’ For many homeless people their own space could be a bed in a hostel like Matthew Talbot, but for others it’s simply

The people who attend the clinic have been through a lot. They might have had years of addiction and mental illness or other things. There is a lot of violence in their lives, and very little family contact. Here they can see a nurse or a doctor, pick up their medication or have a wound dressed. But perhaps more importantly, the clinic is an outpost where people can have a shower, get vitamins, call Centrelink or send and receive mail – somewhere to feel centred and respected. Like many services for the homeless, the Haymarket Foundation has a kind of gravity for its clients – with nowhere else to go, they tend to use the clinic as a kind of anchoring point. Sometimes women come and sleep on the veranda in the morning. ‘Most girls are working girls, and are usually heroin addicts,’ says Jill. ‘Often they stay up all night working, and they might come and sleep on the veranda here after 7am because they know it’s safe.’

a regular spot in a doorway. ‘There are also groups that sleep out,’ says Jill. ‘There’s a big group that sleeps out near the library, up in Macquarie Street, but they’re going to have to leave because they’re putting in some trendy café there,’ she says. ‘There are a few guys who live on the trains – they do the Lithgow to Newcastle run. They catch the all-night train and sleep on the train. From what I can judge, the train guard knows a lot of them, and if they behave themselves and they don’t act up or they’re not bizarre in any way or don’t smell too much, then they’re OK. Others live in caves along the Hawkesbury. They catch the train up

there, usually they’re alcoholics. There used to be a group that slept on Brighton Beach but I’m not sure they’re still there.’ It’s essential that the three nurses at the clinic are able to build trust with their clients, especially those with mental illness. ‘There are the chronic psychiatric patients who fall through all the cracks: they have no one to look after them, they won’t attend the mental health crisis team, so they’re never case-managed. They’re sort of lost souls apparently. We manage them the best we can from down here,’ says Jill. ‘If they know you’re truthful and that you’re interested, if you do what you say will do and tell them the options, then after you’ve done that a few times, they realise we’re trying to help them.’ Jill has qualifications in women’s health and a degree in counselling from UNE, and is hoping to complete her Masters. The nurses at the clinic have to be all-rounders who can deal with anything that comes through the door, and be able to manage a wide and unpredictable range of patients. ‘You have to have extremely good boundaries,’ says Jill. ‘None of us is frightened to say no. You have to know where your space begins and ends. The clients know that they can’t get benzos or Panadeine Forte here. But they can have antibiotics or anti-psychotics if that’s their medication.’ It can be demanding work but Jill loves her job and is a passionate advocate for her patients. ‘It’s tough out there. There are a lot of heavies around,’ she says. ‘But they’re a really worthwhile group of people. They’ve seen a lot of life.’ n THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 37

NM X E W A S GI INV EBW RA I EYF

Merry Christmas! Christmas WIN TICKETS TO THE SYDNEY FESTIVAL The NSWNA has a double pass to give away to each of the following Sydney Festival events. To win, include the name of the event on your entry.

Mariza With her striking looks, and a voice to rival Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, Mariza has been claimed as the new ‘fadista’. These concerts give Australian audiences their first taste of this European sensation. Fado is arguably the oldest urban folk music in the world, the emotional cousin of

the blues, tango and flamenco. It is a style of music that harnesses the Portuguese soul. Mariza combines the style’s classical traditions with a charismatic modern freshness, to bring fado to a whole new generation of music lovers.

Robert Lepage’s The Andersen Project Robert Lepage has been described as the alchemist of the modern stage. His last visit to the Sydney Festival with the Far Side of the Moon in 2001 was greeted with standing ovations and sold-

out performances. In his latest work, inspired by the life and work of Hans Christian Andersen, Lepage once again takes on the roles of writer, director and performer, drawing on his customary visual flair with a sophisticated use of video projection, sound engineering and scenic machinery.

Piazzolla for Four Hands Pablo Ziegler and Christopher O’Riley join forces in an evening celebrating the ‘new tango’ music of Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla. Showcasing their extraordinary talents in a dynamic and dazzling romp across the keyboards, Ziegler and O’Riley take Piazzolla’s classic tango to new levels of sophistication and refinement. To book, call Ticketek on 9266 4890 or online from www.sydneyfestival.org.au

WIN TICKETS TO

AN INSPECTOR CALLS Stephen Daldry’s production of J.B.Priestley’s An Inspector Calls has won more awards than any other play in history and is one of the most outstanding theatrical events of the Sydney Festival and comes direct from London’s West End. The NSWNA has 2 tickets to the Opening Night of An Inspector Calls and an invite to the exclusive Opening Night Party on the 6 January to give away.

Special offer for NSWNA members – save $30/ticket Nurses can save $30 per ticket to any Tuesday evening performance of An Inspector Calls in January 2006, paying only $49.90 each. Book through Ticketek on 8512 9933 and quote the Nurses Offer. The Perfect Christmas Present at a great price.

38 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

HOW TO ENTER For your chance to win any of these prizes, write your name, address and membership number – along with the prize you would like to win – on the back of an envelope and send it to:

g The NSWNA is bursting to share some Christmas cheer with our members. We have a stocking full of giveaways worth more than $1,800!

NSWNA Christmas Giveaway, PO Box 40, Camperdown 1450 You need to send a separate envelope for each prize you want to win

SEE THE WORLD’S BEST TENNIS –

LIVE IN SYDNEY! It’s your chance to see the world’s best tennis players live in Sydney! See Hewitt, Nadal and other Top 20 players in both men’s and women’s tennis at the 2006 Medibank International, from 8-14 January, at the Sydney International Tennis Centre, Sydney Olympic Park.

HAPPY HOLIDAY READING

Book now to get the best seats! Book @ Ticketek.com.au or phone 132 849. Tickets start at $20. We have five double passes to give away to the Monday, 9 January, night session.

We have four copies of each of the following books to give away:

Create a Sunsmart Waterwise Garden by Linda Ross A beautifully illustrated book to inspire readers into taking the ‘sunsmart, waterwise challenge.’

In Her Shoes

by Jennifer Weiner

Two sisters – one a gorgeous wannabe actress, the other a dowdy attorney who relies more on brains than beauty – have nothing in common but a childhood tragedy, shared DNA, and the same sized feet but they are about to learn they are more alike than they could have imagined.

Silk Ribbon Embroidery Bible by Joan Gordon This beautifully illustrated book is the essential reference for anyone working with ribbon embellishments.

Unfeeling

by Ian Holding

Unfeeling spins a harrowing and angry story that explores the nature of brutality in a country whose first language is violence. After Davey’s parents are murdered by the militia and their farm ‘reclaimed’, he embarks on a terrifying journey across Africa looking for redemption.

Dark Harbour

by David Hosp

David Hosp’s breathtaking debut novel immerses us in the seedy underworld – and the scandal, political intrigue and corruption – of a big city reeling in the wake of a vicious and calculating serial killer.

What Remains

by Carole Radziwill

What Remains is a vivid and haunting memoir about a girl from a workingclass town who becomes an awardwinning television producer and marries a prince.

COMPETITION CLOSES 19 DECEMBER 2005. AVAILABLE TO NSWNA MEMBERS ONLY. WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BYLAMP MAIL. THE DECEMBER 2005 39

N IEPW T S SF RI N O MB RMI E F M B E R S

A calmer life, a better world view

g Yoga has changed the way I look at the world – it has shown me a calmer view, says a fitter, more flexible and energetic Martyn Wilson, Senior Nurse Manager at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Mental Health.

even years ago, Martyn Wilson noticed he was seizing up. ‘I was stiff and tense: I couldn’t touch my toes or sit on the floor; my back and shoulders were aching with tension; my head was full of chatter, I was very unfit. I decided I had do something and gave yoga a go.’ The verdict? This nurse manager has no doubt about the health benefits of yoga. Yoga has transformed the unsporty Martyn into a fitter, more flexible and energetic person. ‘I’ve never been sporty but now I am much more aware of my body and I am definitely fitter and much more flexible. Last year I saw a physiotherapist for knee pain and he commented on how flexible I was. It’s a huge change and I feel great.’ Along with the physical benefits, Martyn says he feels more emotionally

40 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

balanced and copes better with the stresses and challenges thrown up by his nurse management role. ‘I am much calmer. Yoga has changed the way I look at the world – it has shown me a better way of looking at the world. ‘In yoga you put yourself in difficult, stressful poses but you strive to maintain calmness and detachment. It provides practice in remaining calm while being in stressful situations. ‘When I’m faced with stress and the problems that come up at work everyday, I respond to them much more calmly. I find that when I am in conflict situations at work I am able to step back and address them much more effectively,’ said Martyn. ‘Part of the philosophy of yoga is accepting your own limitations and enjoying your own practice, even though

there may be people around you in a class who are much more advanced. You have to step back from an inner sense of competitiveness and accept you are doing best and this is what you are able to achieve on that day. ‘I attend two classes a week and I am improving – I’ve come a long way from where I was.’ Martyn recommends yoga for most nurses, no matter their age and fitness. ‘A good yoga teacher will help you adapt the practice to your body, injuries and fitness. You don’t have to turn yourself inside out to get the benefits and you don’t have to be slim, fit and youthful. It’s not about size or shape, it’s about you.’n Martyn attends yoga classes at Yoga Synergy (yogasynergy.com.au), which offers classes for beginners – carefully tailored for students of varying fitness and age – through to classes for advanced practitioners.

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STAR REVIEWERS & TIPSTERS FOR OUR REVIEW PAGES

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We're seeking members with a non-nursing skill or talent they'd like to share with other nurses. You could be a wiz in the kitchen. Or have some DIY plumbing and home-handy tips. Or a wild and wonderful interest or skill. Be it strange, extraordinary or useful, we'd love you to come on board as a NSWNA tipster. We are also seeking closet film buffs to share with other nurses their views on the movies they love and hate. It’s a chance to see previews of next month’s new releases Please contact us with expressions of interest to be part of our tipster and movie review team. All published tipsters and reviewers will receive a NSWNA watch. Be part of the action by calling Salim Barber now on 02 8595 1219 or email sbarber@nswnurses.asn.au

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L I F E S T Y L E

Joyeux Noël Slow learners about the futility of war g Joyeux Noël underplays important messages about the futility of war – but commemorates the ‘brotherhood of men’ as soldiers on the Western Front cast aside guns and hatred on Christmas Day to share song, drink and good cheer with the enemy, says Simon Richards, RN at Royal North Shore Hospital.

his is a beautiful film about the insanity of war. Christian Carion (Director) weaves the individual stories of the men at the front during World War I around the true story of an incident where all sides met in no-man’s land on Christmas day and sang, drank, applauded each other and even played soccer! Carion uses the universal themes of familial love and ‘wine, women and song’ to bring the men together! Being a mere male, I must admit to thinking initially that this was going to be another ‘women’s film’ with no action. However, the Western Front did have its moments. There is humour in the cat that visits both sides and, thus, has both a French and German nickname. Cats are oblivious to war as long as they get fed! A love affair between a German tenor, Nikolaus Sprink (Benno Furmann), and his Danish soprano wife, Anna Sorensen (Diane Kruger), is a pivotal theme. In her desperation to see her conscripted husband, she engineers a scheme to give a recital to the Crown Prince and ‘German Brass’ near the front,

so she might at least spend one passionate night with her husband. This brings me to my major criticism of the film, which is its lack of passion and realism. Anna and Nikolaus meet like nervous strangers on their first date, rather than devoted and separated lovers. Similarly, the brutality of war is glossed over, the men’s bodies in no-man’s land are intact and ‘beautiful’ in their deathly repose, not blown apart by shrapnel, headless or

Simon Richards, RN at Royal North Shore Hospital, is this month’s star reviewer.

disfigured. There are no harsh battlefield realities like in Saving Private Ryan to contrast the arias of Anna and Nikolaus. If Carion’s purpose is to question the insane futility and waste of war, he fails here. However, there is warmth and humanity in seeing the brotherhood of men overcoming the propaganda of hatred. This, it seems, is Carion’s real message: we are ultimately the same; we have wives, lovers, brothers, sisters, children, a mother and a father; we like music and wine, sport and card games; we appreciate humour; we have cats; and many of us believe in a Christian God! One cannot help but ponder what relevance this film has to our present circumstances, the war in Iraq, the war against terrorists, the laws against Muslims. Why can’t we all join with each as we do once a year at Christmas, selflessly and generously giving and helping? – ‘One family’.n

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 43

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-OSBY S $ICTIONARY OF -EDICINE .URSING AND (EALTH 0ROFESSIONS !USTRALIAN .EW :EALAND %DITION Editors in Chief: Peter Harris, Sue Nagy and Nicholas Vardaxis After years of development, we are delighted to publish the first comprehensive, full colour health sciences dictionary for Australia and New Zealand- Mosbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions. The editors in chief have lead a team of 61 specialist consultants who have examined and assessed every entry to produce a dictionary which is certain to become the definitive reference for all Australian and New Zealand health science students, clinicians and professionals. Including new and updated information on Infectious Diseases, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Psychosocial /Mental Health, Medications, Healthcare Delivery; ANZ appendices and a free CDRom containing printable versions of the anatomy atlas images; an imagebank of illustrations and approx 400 medical terminology questions. November 2005 â&#x20AC;˘ 0729537544 â&#x20AC;˘ HB â&#x20AC;˘ 2200pp â&#x20AC;˘ Mosby â&#x20AC;˘ $82.50

44 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005

(AVARD S .URSING 'UIDE TO $RUGS TH EDITION Adriana Tiziani RN, BSc (Mon), DipEd (Melb), MedSt (Mon). MRCNA

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The troubled state of Aboriginal health in Australia is a seemingly perennial problem, despite ongoing research, policies and interventions. Binang Goonj: Bridging Cultures in Aboriginal Health 2e examines the processes and practices which has created this situation and provides practical strategies to assist in addressing this complex subject. Extensively adopted as a teaching text across Australia, Binang Goonj provides coverage of essential Aboriginal health topics in an accessible manner. Thoroughly updated and revised the long-awaited new edition will provide current up-to-date literature addressing the complexity and multidisciplinary topics of Indigenous Health.

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L I F E S T Y L E

Book me Labour of Love: Tales from the World of Midwives By Amanda Tattam & Cate Kennedy, Pan Macmillan Australia, RRP $25.00 In Labour of Love, midwives and maternal and child health nurses tell their own stories and provide a glimpse into a world of old and new knowledge. From busy urban hospitals to isolated villages in war zones, this collection describes profoundly emotional moments, the pain of adoption, complex clinical situations, life-or-death decisions and the way maternity care has changed over the decades.

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Achieving Optimal Memory By Dr Aaron P. Nelson & Susan Gilbert, McGraw Hill, RRP $29.95 Preventing memory loss, whether due to aging or illness is possible. In the book, Achieving Optimal Memory, Dr Nelson describes simple strategies to achieve optimal functioning and reveals new findings about the brain. He discusses new treatments

for memory disorders and covers how much lifestyle factors such as sleep, nutrition and exercise, affect memory, how to tell if you need to see a doctor, and which proven methods help to build your memory power.

Midwifery and Public Health: Future Directions and New Opportunities Edited by Padraig O’ Luanaigh & Cindy Carlson, Elsevier Australia, RRP $43.95 This book is essential reading for midwifery students, practitioners and those interested in maternity services and health policy. Midwifery and Public Health is the first book to explore public health from the perspective of the midwife and examines the midwife’s role in maintaining and improving health from a more global and population-based focus.

Succeeding As Nurse: The Experts Share Their Secrets Forward by Beverly Malone, Healthpress, RRP $24.95 The first chapters of this book outline the ‘skills’ required to handle difficult situations: how to make an effective presen-

tation; and how to work well in a team. Other chapters focus on ‘career destinations’ from the perspective of nurses in a wide cross-section of roles. More importantly, contributors to the book pass on their own tips and advice so the reader can benefit from their individual experiences.

Power at Work: Rebuilding the Australian Union Movement By Michael Crosby, The Federation Press, RRP $39.95 Power at Work is an account of the strategic imperatives confronting Australian unions in the 21st century, documents the crisis facing the union movement and focuses on the central role of organising workplaces and industries in an evidence-based plan for renewal. The author uses examples, analysis and interviews to map out a path for action which will restore a fairer balance of power in Australian workplaces, and argues that unions can no longer rely on institutional support from governments, industrial tribunals, awards or ‘passive’ employers. n

Reviews by NSWNA librarian, Jeannette Bromfield

WHERE TO GET

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

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 45

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Test your knowledge with The Lamp’s nursing crossword. 1

9 10

12 13

18 19

22 24

30 31

32 33

s ACROSS

s DOWN

8. Type of skin cancer (8) 9. The voice box (6) 10. Lower digit (3) 11. People who look after others (6) 12. Developing baby (6) 13. Ear nose and throat, abbrev (1.1.1) 14. Disc-shaped structure in the blood involved in clotting (8) 16. I and II are ….. of diabetes (5) 18. Alleviate (4) 19. Repetitive strain injury, abbrev (1.1.1) 21. Abbreviation for patient controlled pain relief (1.1.1) 22. Little (4) 24. The larger bones of your forearms (5) 27. The shoulder blades (8) 31. Colostomies (6) 32. and 34. Rh+ or Rh33. Intensive care unit, abbrev (1.1.1) 34. See 32 Across 35. This covers of certain nerve fibres (6)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 15. 16. 17. 20. 23. 25. 26. 28. 29. 30.

Remember (6) Mother or father (6) A tonsillectomy removes these (7) Insertion of a tube into a body cavity (15) Congenital defect in the roof of the mouth, ….. palate (5) Blood vessel that distributes blood from the heart (6) Oxytocin is a chemical sometimes used to …… labour (6) Type of influenza that currently has health authorities worried (6) An enrolled nurse in training, abbrev (1.1.1) Part of the eye that allows light in (5) Premenstrual syndrome, abbrev (1.1.1) Triangle bone in the lumbar vertebrae (6) Deadly (6) Allows into hospital (6) A tube running out of the kidney to the bladder (6) Stop secreting urine (6) Consumers (4)

Solution page 49 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 47

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Diary Dates

DIARY DATES

Royal North Shore Hospital 3rd Annual Neuroscience Symposium

Conferences, seminars, meetings

Date: Friday 24 March 2006 Venue: North Sydney Harbourview Hotel Contact: Anne MacLeod 9926 8074 amacleod@nsccahs.health.nsw.gov.au

SYDNEY, HUNTER & ILLAWARRA NSW Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative – BFHI Rural Workshops Dates: November & December 2005 Venues: Tamworth, Yass & Dubbo Contact: Gwen Moody 9845 4694 Gwen_Moody@wsahs.nsw.gov.au

South West Infection Control Assoc. – Workshop & meeting

AONA Inc. Australian Orthopaedic Nurses’ Association Annual Conference & AGM Date: 7 April 2006 Venue: Crown Plaza Parramatta Contact: Sally Goodchild, sallygoodchild@uniquejourneys.com.au

Aged & Community Services Australia 1st National Community Care Conference

Date: 7 December Venue: Albury Base Hospital Contact: Cheryl Fox – Cheryl.Fox@swsahs.nsw.gov.au

SWSAHS Cardiac Health An holistic approach Date: 14-17 February 2006 Venue: Thomas & Rachel Moore Education Centre, Liverpool Hospital Contact: Julie Lagudi (02) 9616 8153

Heartbeat 2006 Cardiovascular Conference Date: 3-4 March 2006 Australian Technology Park, Sydney Contact: Caroline Jones 8850 6796, caroline@corpconf.com.au th

8 National Breast Care Nurses Conf. – “DAWNING OF A NEW ERA” In breast cancer nursing Venue: Star City Sydney Date: 9 – 11 March 2006 Website: www.bcnc2006.com Contact: info@bcnc2006.com

Dates: 3 – 5 May 2006, time: TBA Sydney Convention & Exhibiton Ctr Contact the Conference Organising Team on 9799 0900 for more information

INTERSTATE

‘An Australian Icon’ First Announcement Conference Dates: 11-12 March 2006 Contact: 4985 5390 or email nerida.walker@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au www.royalnewcastle2006.org.au

Royal North Shore Hospital PTS January 1976 – 30 year reunion Venue: TBA, January 2006 Contact: Jane Fost 4946 6176, jfoster@hunterlink.net.au

Marrickville Hosp. Breakfast Sunday morning, 6 February & 30 July ‘06 Venue: 8.30am Mercure Airport Hotel Contact: Lynne Greenwood 9518 0780, auntylynne@bigpond.com.au

Mona Vale Hosp. – Feb 1983 group Venue: Sydney TBA, 18 February 2006 Contact: Annabelle Brkic (McColl) 6553 1006

Prince of Wales, Prince Henry, Eastern Suburbs Hospitals (NEC) PTS 1973-1976 30 Year Reunion Date: February 2006, venue: TBA Contact: Judy Hewitt (née Anning) 0416 032 596, judyh66@hotmail.com

Concord Hosp. Nurse Educators

Australian Nurses Cardiovascular For educators working in the school of & Hypertension Association nursing between 1980 and 1990 (ANCHA)10th National Conference Date: February 2006, venue: TBA Date: 9 December Venue: Rydges North Melbourne, cnr Harker Street & Flemington Road Contact: Helen Tully, (03) 9926 6009, www.ancha.org.au

Australasia Urological Nurses Society & Urological Society of Australasia Conference Date: 26 – 30 March 2006 Venue: Brisbane Convention Centre Contact: www.auns.org or www.usm2006.com.au

Royal Newcastle Hospital

Reunions

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

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

From page 47 Crossword solution

Details: Gek 0405 103 829, Robyn 0414 763 782

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Reunion – PTS March 1986 Date: 4 March 2006, venue: TBA Contact: Sue Thompson/Leigh Thompson, suethomps1@ozemail.com, allant@ihug.com.au

Prince of Wales/Prince Henry Hospitals – April ‘83 Intake

Date: 1 April 2006, venue: TBA (Sydney) Details: Angela (Carroll) 6687 8444 26th Annual Scientific Meeting of Melissa (Jones) 6687 0537 april83reunion@hotmail.com Australian Pain Society ‘Pain Across The Life Span’ Orange Base Hospital Date: 9 – 12 April 2006 PTS Feb and March 1981 Venue: Grand Hyatt Hotel – Melbourne Date and venue: TBA Contact: 02 9954 4400, Details: Joyce Kennedy (Biggs), 6361 apsoc@dcconferences.com.au/aps2006 0408, jkenne14@postoffice.csu.edu.au

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Diary Dates is a free service for members. Please send information at least two months before the event, in the same format used here – event, date, venue, contact details. Send information to: Ms Glen Ginty Email: gginty@nswnurses.asn.au Fax: 9550 3667, mail: PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 Please double-check all information sent is correct. The Lamp cannot guarantee that the issue will always be mailed in time for the listed event. Due to high demands on the page, some dates too close to publication or too far in the future may be cut.

St George Hospital Graduate Nurses’ Association – 2006 will mark 60th Annual General Meeting & we are seeking all graduates who are no longer, or never were, members. Contact: BM Carruthers, 4/1 Carlton Parade, Carlton NSW 2218

Sutherland Hospital 30 Year Reunion – PTS August 1972 Date and venue: TBA Contact details: Lois Berry (née Cassidy) 4441 6884. Particularly seeking contact with Gwenda Burchil (née Hudson), Debbie Baker and Penny Lewis.

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EgdjY id WZ i]Z aVlnZgh [dg i]Z CZl Hdji] LVaZh CjghZh¼ 6hhdX^Vi^dc# THE LAMP DECEMBER 2005 49

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