The Lamp June 2009 by NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association

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volume 66 no.5 June 2009

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ABOUT THE LAMP

C O N T E N T S

Contacts NSW NURSES’ ASSOCIATION For all membership enquiries and assistance, including Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office. SYDNEY OFFICE 43 Australia Street Camperdown NSW 2050 PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9550 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 66 no.5 June 2009

NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival 12 RIES THEIR STO NURSES TELESLSHORT FILM FESTIVAL NSWNA NURS

Cover

Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

Winner Frances Usherwood, RN, Sydney Children’s Hospital Photography by Fiora Sacco

NSWNA COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Noel Hester T 8595 2153 NSWNA COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT Russell Burns T 8595 1219 For all Lamp editorial enquiries, letters and diary dates: Editorial Enquiries T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnurses.asn.au M PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450

News in brief

Community action

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26 Wallsend fights for nursing home 29 Backdown on jail privatisation

PRESS RELEASES Send your press releases to: T 9550 3667 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au

Agenda

Regular columns

THE LAMP EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Brett Holmes, NSWNA General Secretary Judith Kiejda, NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Coral Levett, NSWNA President John Lyons, Baradine MPS Mark Kearin, Blacktown/ Mt Druitt Hospital Roz Norman, Tamworth Base Hospital Stephen Metcalfe, Lismore Base Hospital Peg Hibbert, Hornsby & Ku-Ring-Gai Hospital Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care ADVERTISING Patricia Purcell T 8595 2139 or 0416 259 845 F 9550 3667 E ppurcell@nswnurses.asn.au RECORDS AND INFORMATION CENTRE – LIBRARY To find old articles in The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNA library’s nursing and health collection, contact: Jeannette Bromfield, RIC Coordinator T 8595 2175 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au

THE LAMP ISSN: 0047-3936

8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 11 11 11

Indigenous nurses on the rise Nurses more likely diagnosed with asthma Asbestos compensation case recognises the modern family Unionised health workers paid 30% more OHS pocket guide for external locations First Chair of Cancer Nursing announced More funding for aged care, says Senate Aged Care Report Survey results from NSW Practice Nurses Chair of Intellectual Disability Mental Health announced 100 Fijian nurses forced to retire Australian nurse deported from Dubai 350 reasons to stop global warming Companion Card launched in NSW Study illustrates importance of legislated paid parental leave

NSWNA education program 11 What’s on

International nurses’ day 16 International Nurses’ Day 2009

Industrial issues 20 21 23 25 25

Goodooga Health Service saved 12.5% pay rise at DADHC Strong case for night penalties Ramsay members vote YES! More private employers agree to bargain

30 Budget breakthrough for nurses

NSWNA matters 34 NSWNA Branch News

Lifestyle 36 Movie reviews

Notice 39 Warning! 30 workplaces without local branch representation

6 33 40 43 45 46

Editorial by Brett Holmes Your letters to The Lamp Ask Judith Books Nursing online Our nursing crossword Diary dates

Competition 19 Win a winter getaway to the Hunter Valley

Special offers 40 Win 15 double passes to see Disgrace and 25 double passes to Sunshine Cleaning

General disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSWNA. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSWNA. Statements of fact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibility is accepted for them. All material appearing in The Lamp is covered by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission. The NSWNA takes no responsibility for the advertising appearing herein and it does not necessarily endorse any products advertised. Privacy Privacy statement: The NSWNA collects personal information from members in order to perform our role of representing their industrial and professional interests. We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information. Personal information is protected under law and can only be released to someone else where the law requires or where you give permission. If you have concerns about your personal information please contact the NSWNA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained you can contact the Privacy Commission. Subscriptions Free to all Association members. Professional members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $50. Individuals $70, Institutions $106, Overseas $116.

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

Nurses hit the big screen g The NSWNA celebrated International Nurses’ Day this year by making sure nurses’ stories were seen and heard by a wider audience.

he NSWNA celebrated International Nurses’ Day in blockbuster style this year with the inaugural NSWNA Nurses Short Film festival and our latest television advertising campaign. Nurses have thousands of important stories to tell. This year the Association entered into the worlds of film and television to make sure some of those stories were seen and heard by a wider audience. Unions have a long history of involvement in the arts. During the 1950s and 1960s some even had their own film units as well as their magazines or papers. This involvement has faded over time as circumstances and various pressures have refocussed union priorities elsewhere. But there is a strong case for a union re-engagement with the arts and a creative use of modern communications. We will not further the professional, industrial and political interests of nurses by being invisible to the wider community. I am confident our authentic stories will resonate with the public and engender their support for our issues.

Different genres, different themes, one profession The Nurses Short Film Festival was run to tap into nurses’ unique view of society and have it expressed through the medium of film. In January this year the NSWNA invited nurses across New South Wales to write and produce a short film, of up to five minutes in length, telling a nursing story. The film could be in any style including documentary, comedy, drama, animation, horror or musical. The NSWNA commissioned three film and advertising industry specialists to do the judging.

community nursing, rural nursing, the personal needs and stresses of nurses themselves and helping people cope with catastrophic disease and injury – these big issues were all covered creatively, sensitively and, at times, humorously. In taking up the challenge nurses participating in the festival made a valuable contribution to the cultural life of NSW. The film portfolio produced will also provide an excellent historical record of New South Wales nursing in 2009.

Taking it to the regions

This inaugural Festival produced a range of quality amateur films, which touched on some of life’s biggest questions and intimate moments. The first year’s films presented a number of evocative and provocative themes to the wider community.

We will not further the professional, industrial and political interests of nurses by being invisible. I am confident our authentic stories will resonate with the public and engender their support for our issues. Nursing the dying, mental health crises such as suicide, alcohol abuse and drug psychosis, what the future nurse might look like, violence, family support,

The films will now ‘hit the road’ and be shown at venues across the State, as part of the NSWNA’s Regional Roadshow visits. I encourage you to come along and enjoy the experience of watching these great films on the big screen. I expect this innovative amateur film festival will become an annual event on the NSW arts calendar and we have committed to running the festival again next year. I would like to thank the National Institute for Dramatic Art (NIDA), which provided the Nurses’ Association with considerable support and expert advice. First State Super, as many times before, were enthusiastic principal sponsors. Shannon’s Way, Union Shopper, Lindt’s chocolate and the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun Herald newspapers provided minor sponsorship. I thank them all for their support. Our television ads will continue to play throughout the year and promote to the public the highly-skilled and professional nature of nursing. We have started by showing in a mini documentary form the life of a general ward nurse. Keep your eyes peeled for the sequels, which will feature a midwife, mental health and aged care nurses.n THE LAMP JUNE 2009 5

L E T T E R S

LETTER of the month Michael Grant

‘Pat on the back’ for Stockton Centre nurses Nurses employed at the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) Stockton Centre work within an accommodation service providing support to people with intellectual disabilities. A large proportion of clients have complex manual handling/ mobility needs as a result of physical factors such as severe contractures, spasticity, scoliosis, unusual body shapes, unpredictable movements, intellectual and cognitive factors, and challenging or resistive behaviours. While lifting equipment and classroom training has been provided, nurses often found it difficult to implement the promoted safe practices with clients in the workplace given their complex needs. Nurses sometimes continued to use more traditional approaches to mobilise clients despite the risks involved. A large number of nurses, over time, injure themselves conducting unsafe manual handling activities, often with significant personal and, occasionally, careerending consequences. In April 2008 a Manual Handling Support Team (MHST) pilot initiative was commenced at the Stockton Centre. The MHST initially consisted of Registered Nurses, Enrolled Nurses and Assistants in Nursing who responded to an Expression of Interest. The team

LETTER of the month The letter judged the best each month will be awarded a $50 DJ’s voucher, courtesy Medicraft Hill-Rom, for details on the range of hospital beds, trolleys, mattress & care solutions please call (02) 9569 0255 or visit www. medicrafthill-rom.com

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received intensive training in safe manual handling techniques and was led by an Occupational Therapist. The expectation of the team is to provide physical support and education to the nurses working with clients to assist in implementing safe manual handling practices. In addition, the MHST supports staff to correctly interpret and implement individual client Manual Handling Plans. A MHST member teams up with an accommodation nurse for the manual handling task. Thus, at the same time as providing help with clients with some of the most complex manual handling needs, the MHST member shows the nurse the correct way to safely complete the task and apply the principles learnt in the classroom. This has been a resounding success! In the six months from the commencement of the pilot, lost time injuries from manual handling reduced from 15 per 6 months (2004-2007), to only two in 2008. The clients also benefited through a prompt response by occupational therapists and improved comfort and dignity during manual handling tasks. So everyone benefited! More nurses remained at work injury free, client supports improved significantly, and DADHC also reduced their insurance liability. And, on top of all that, the staff morale improved as a result of the ‘on the job peer support’. Classroom education sessions alone outline general principles, rather than practice at the work-face with equipment and the client. The MHST offers practical, on-the-job support. There are many at Stockton who believe that all involved, including the occupational therapist and nurses who have worked in the Manual Handling Support Team deserve a pat on the back for a job well done. Michael Grant, RN Stockton Hospital Branch President Michael Grant won the prize for this month’s letter of the month, a $50 David Jones voucher.

Carlie Whyte

Thanks NSWNA for saving Coonamble Nurse Manager The nurses, hospital staff and community of Coonamble and surrounding districts, in rural NSW, would like to give a huge thank you to the NSW Nurses’ Association for the incredible support and behind-thescenes work displayed to keep the position of the Health Service Nurse Manager. The town of Coonamble closed its main street for a one hour stop work meeting on March 26, as nurses, hospital staff and concerned community members gathered, forming a 500 strong crowd to display their opposition to the Greater Western Area Health Service decision to amalgamate three health services under one manager based at Gilgandra, approximately an hour away. With the support of the NSWNA, this amazing community spirit caught the attention of the media and resulted in a decision to restore the position of the health service manager in Coonamble. With the recent news of the beginning of construction of a new Multi Purpose Service in Coonamble in April 2009, the fight and win to keep our Health Service Nurse Manager was seen as an important one for all nurses, hospital staff and the local community combined. We now look forward to a brand new health facility with our own Health Service Nurse Manager to lead the way. Carlie Whyte, RN, Coonamble Branch Secretary

Every letter published receives a 10-week 7-day trial subscription to the Herald! Subscribe to the Herald today to save 37% off the newsstand price and enjoy the convenience of the paper delivered to your home each morning. Visit www.subscribe. smh.com.au/lamp for more details.

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

Russell Mills

Lamp article on EN training confusing I wonder how many other members felt the article in the March Lamp about the new way of training ENs was just a bunch of gobbledy-gook? The article implies that ‘considerable confusion’ and ‘sensational media reporting’ is largely due to a ‘lack of understanding around the complexity of funding arrangements’. Is it any wonder this is the case, when faced with explanation couched in bureaucratic terms such as ‘pre-service education’ and a pervasive feel the whole arrangement is just policy still being developed on the run. The article is short on specifics and full of uncertainties. The bottom line seems to be that the very last vestige of employment-based training for nursing staff is about to disappear. What a great pity for our profession. Nursing has always provided an opportunity for many people to obtain their first skilled employment or to retrain, at any stage of their life, with the support of salaried employment. With university-based RN education, the EN program became the only employment-based route of entry available to nursing, and it has proven to be enormously popular for obvious reasons. For many, including myself, it has been the pathway to becoming an RN. It is amazing the State Transit Authority continues to offer full-time salaried Cert III training for bus drivers, yet apparently NSW Health cannot see the need to retain a similar commitment for enrolled nurses. Why is it that this change has to occur simply to keep NSW in line with other States? Maybe they are the ones who have it wrong! With difficult economic times and rising unemployment, I feel we should fight to have a clear, unshakeable commitment from the NSW Government to a full-time salaried EN training program. Russell Mills, RN, St Vincent’s Private Hospital Editor’s Response: The NSW Government announced public funding for enrolled nurse education via the Department

of Education in April. Initially, this will provide funds to 200 students wishing to work in the public health sector and study enrolled nursing at TAFE. The NSWNA expects more funding to follow. The training model you refer to in your letter of the Certificate III for bus drivers, which is an apprenticeship/traineeship pathway, continues to exist for nursing. Traineeships, where students are employed, are available for both Certificate III Assistants in Nursing and Certificate IV Enrolled Nursing students. The NSWNA recognises there are currently many significant issues occurring for enrolled nursing. Therefore, we will be holding a series of focus groups for ENs to discuss their professional issues. Details will follow in The Lamp.

STOP PRESS NSWNA NEEDS NURSES

FOR NEW BLOG To enhance the way we communicate with each other and with the rest of the wider community, we are setting up an interactive website that will provide a platform for you to share your experiences and talk to other members in your own time, wherever you may be. We are looking for web-savvy members to form part of a ’beta’ group to help us write content for a blog and start conversations going in our new online forum. Please email rburns@nswnurses.asn.au by 12 June to express your interest. The successful volunteers will be provided with training and support.

Linda Hardman

Get involved in aged care campaign First, I would like to say what a great joy it was to be at the COD meeting on 17 March. I was inspired by the wonderful support from all nursing sectors for aged care. The ‘because we care’ campaign was on its way. We do care. I would ask all staff working in aged care to become involved in this campaign. One of the resources that is very useful is the internet. Facebook is a very useful resource for getting information out and keeping in touch. We as a workforce need to keep ourselves up-to-date with information and attend workshops that the NSWNA puts on etc. I know we are all busy but this is really a time where we need to make a commitment to our future. Remember you are all doing a fabulous job. Aged care is a very demanding job physically, emotionally and mentally. There are many rewards and lots of lessons learned along the way. This campaign is not just about nurses, it is also about nurses wanting a fair go for the residents we care for. After all, it is also part of our job to be an advocate. Linda Hardman, AiN Wollongong Nursing Home Branch Secretary

Kempsey Hospital staff heroes during flood The Macleay Valley has been affected by flood twice in the past several weeks. While Kempsey District Hospital is above the flood waters and wasn’t directly affected, it did affect staffing at the Hospital. The first flood was the most devastating property-wise, with damages in the millions of dollars. The homes of Hospital staff are scattered all over the valley – from Bellbrook in the west to South West Rocks in the north east. All up-river bridges were under water while roads connecting South West Rocks, Stuarts Point, Hat Head and Crescent Head were all cut. For a two-day period, this meant the Hospital was short of staff, as many of those rostered on were unable to get to work. Staff not afflicted had to work overtime and double shifts to cover the holes in the roster. This is what you would expect from the Kempsey District Hospital staff – they are a dedicated and caring bunch who do a great job. Jennifer Clarke, RN Kempsey Hospital Branch President

CLARIFICATION

Jan Riley, May letters, wishes to clarify that though she has the MNurs(NP) qualification, she works in a private Dermatology Clinic and is an advanced Practice Nurse, not a Nurse Practitioner. THE LAMP JUNE 2009 7

N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF

INDIGENOUS

Nurses more likely diagnosed with asthma

ON THE RISE

Researchers in the USA have found that nurses who use cleaning products and disinfectants are much more likely to develop asthma than occupations without such chemical exposures. The findings come from a study conducted by a cross-panel of academics from the US and Spain of 3650 healthcare workers, including 941 nurses, which revealed that cleaning instruments leads to a 67% increased chance of being diagnosed with asthma. Use of general cleaning products results in a 72% increased likelihood. The study noted that phasing out latex gloves has contributed significantly to reducing asthma and allergic reactions in nurses, and suggested that further reductions could be made by substituting cleaning agents with safer alternatives.

NURSES he Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released a report suggesting the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Registered Nurses has increased by more than 70% between 1996 and 2006 – jumping from 665 to 1135, with about 50% of indigenous nurses in hospitals, 10% in nursing homes and 2% in general practice. The report’s authors attributed some of the increase to enrolled nurses upgrading their qualifications.

‘We have no problem recruiting people but they don’t stay. Racism and discrimination are alive and well in the tertiary [education] and health-care systems.’ However, the Chief Executive of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses, Sally Goold, has disputed the figures, saying there has been a marginal increase but nowhere near 70%. ‘We have no problem recruiting people but they don’t stay. Racism and discrimination are alive and well in the tertiary [education] and health-care systems,’ Sally Goold told the Sydney Morning Herald. ‘It’s a shame; indigenous patients are so happy when they see an indigenous nurse,’ she said. Registered Nurse and Masters in Nursing student Sean Taylor also disagrees with the report’s findings. He was one of only two Torres Strait Islanders to complete his nursing degree when James Cook University first offered the degree on Thursday Island. Four years later, there are still only 13 indigenous people in the course. 8 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

Asbestos compensation case recognises the modern family A decision in the NSW Court of Appeals has recognised that parent-child and spouse relationships are not the only dependent relationships in a family. In 2001, Margaret Dawson moved in with her daughter to help raise her two grandchildren. Margaret stayed at home to do domestic duties and care for her grandchildren while her daughter worked. However, in May 2007 Margaret was diagnosed with mesothelioma, which she developed after 20 years of washing her father and husband’s asbestos-covered work clothes. In 2007, Margaret began legal action against her husband and father’s employer, James Hardie. Sadly, she died eight months later before the court case had reached an outcome. In an unprecedented decision, the NSW Court of Appeals recognised the role that Margaret had played as carer for her two grandchildren, and awarded the grandchildren substantial damages for the loss of their carer.

This means that people who rely on care from others at home, whether the carer is a parent, grandparent, sibling, child, other relative, or simply a friend, may now claim compensation if their carer is injured, if before the accident their carer would have been capable of continuing to provide care for at least six hours per week for the next six months.

Unionised health workers paid 30% more Latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that the average weekly earnings of female workers in health care and social assistance who are union members is $902, compared to $695 per week for the same category of female worker who is not a member of a trade union. This represents close to a 30% earnings premium for union members. The non-gendered ratio for all workers in the same categories is $965 (union members) and $845 (non union members), which shows that men are still earning more on average than their female colleagues.

OHS pocket guide for external locations WorkCover NSW has published a pocket guide of occupational health and safety (OHS) issues that affect people working at external locations. The NSWNA believes the guide will be a valuable and timely recognition of the specific OHS risks that many nurses, especially community nurses, face when working outside of major institutions. OHS topics covered in the pocket guide include a checklist for home visits, transport safety, home safety assessment, client assessment, client transportation, and advice on afterhours visits and excursions. The guide also provides a list of further resources and important contact phone numbers, and can be found and printed from the publications section of the Workcover webpage: www.workcover.nsw.gov.au

FIRST CHAIR OF

CANCER NURSING

ANNOUNCED rofessor Kate White, Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at Sydney University, has been appointed Professor of Cancer Nursing. The Chair was established by the Cancer Institute NSW in recognition of the state’s growing number of cancer cases and the vital role of nursing in meeting the oncological health needs of the population. ‘This new position recognises the central role of specialist cancer nurses in the delivery of quality cancer services in this State,’ said Acting Chief Cancer Officer Professor Rob Sanson-Fisher. Professor White will provide leadership in areas of cancer nursing research, education and models of service provision, and have state-wide influence on how to optimise cancer nursing services. NSW has approximately 2000 cancer and palliative care nurses. ‘This is an exciting opportunity to expand the contribution of cancer nurses to quality cancer services in this State, including the extended role of nurses in both clinical and community sectors,’ said Professor White. ‘The cancer nursing workforce must be appropriately supported and educated to have the skills and confidence to support their patients and be involved in decision making about future trends in treatment, patient care and disease prevention. There are terrific opportunities to improve outcomes for patients and to support all nurses in expanding their knowledge of cancer care. Further, we have a great opportunity to foster cancer nursing as a career of choice for new nursing graduates,’ said Professor White.

More funding for aged care, says Senate Aged Care Report The Senate Standing Committee report into residential and community aged care has been delivered, with a mixed report card from the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF). The ANF applauded the focus on funding and the financial viability of the sector but warns that without full and transparent accountability of the use of taxpayers’ funds in the sector any reforms will fail. ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney said that while the ANF is happy with the recommendation to establish a properly costed benchmark of care cost, it will mean nothing if we do not insist on proper acquittal of care funding. The recommended review of audited financial reports from nursing homes must take priority, she said. ‘What we desperately need is more nursing staff and the right mix of worker skills across the aged care sector. Residents in nursing homes require complex nursing care for high levels of health needs. Having the right mix of registered and enrolled nurses and carers is essential to ensure that all needs are met. To do that the sector must be able to pay competitive wages and ensure the resources are there to give the best care,’ said Ged. The ANF called on the Australian Government to develop a benchmark staffing guide to establish minimum staffing and skill levels. ‘This could easily be developed based on resident care needs using data already collected by the ACFI (Aged Care Funding Instrument),’ she said.

Survey results from NSW Practice Nurses A survey was sent to NSW practice nurse members, following the NSW Branch of the Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) agreement to discuss the wages and conditions of practice nurses in general and specialist settings. The NSWNA survey was designed to determine the characteristics of the workforce, and help inform further negotiations between the AMA (NSW) and the NSWNA. Initial results show that 87% of

respondents are Registered Nurses and 13% Endorsed and Enrolled Nurses; 27% have a post registration qualification; 57% are employed part-time, 19% full-time, and 24% are casual; 32% are engaged in other nursing employment; 43% have been employed in their practice for more than five years; 8% work split or broken shifts; 39% have access to professional development leave; and 82% say ‘pay’ is their main priority for agreements reached with the AMA, followed by ‘workloads’ (7%). Because the majority of medical practices employ one or two nurses, the most practical agreement is likely to be in the form of a standard NSWNA/AMA common law contract. However, the new legislation bargaining stream may present some opportunities. Both the National Standards and the new Nursing Award 2010 will apply as the minimum for practice nurses, and both AMA and NSWNA members will be encouraged to adopt any ‘model’ agreement reached. The survey revealed a high level of job satisfaction among practice nurses from the range and variety of duties in the role, the working relationships, the flexibility in hours and the valued contribution to health care in their communities.

Chair of Intellectual Disability Mental Health announced A leading Researcher, Dr Julian Troller, has been appointed Chair of Intellectual Disability Mental Health at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), in a State Government initiative to improve support for people with an intellectual disability and mental health issues. The NSW Government provided $2.1 million over five years to create the position, which will work closely with the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) and NSW Health. People with an intellectual disability are at a higher risk of also having a psychiatric disorder and often find it harder to access mental health services compared to the wider community. It is hoped the creation of the Chair at UNSW will provide opportunities for specific teaching, research and clinical services to improve this situation. Dr Troller is currently a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Psychiatry at UNSW and has clinical expertise in intellectual disability and mental health. THE LAMP JUNE 2009 9

N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF

100 Fijian nurses forced to retire Almost 100 members of the Fiji Nurses Association (FNA) will have to retire following a State Services Decree stating that the mandatory retirement age for all civil servants is 55.

The FNA is concerned about how the loss of senior nurses will adversely affect health care in Fiji. Forty nurses have already resigned since January this year and have migrated to work in hospitals in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Dubai, New Zealand and Australia, where no mandatory retirement age exists. Most of those affected by the Decree hold senior nursing positions, and many rely on their income to support their families. ‘Our worry is that most of these nurses are heads of households, many are widows or single parents, and some have

sick husbands to look after,’ said FNA General Secretary Kuini Lutua. The FNA is also concerned about how the loss of senior nurses will adversely affect health care in Fiji, especially in relation to the training of younger staff. The Fijian government says the retirements will have no affect on health care: ‘Most of the nurses who will be leaving are not the front line nurses but are of senior and supervisory positions, so services will not be affected at all,’ said Ministry of Health permanent secretary Doctor Salanieta Saketa.

Exhausted after a 13-hour shift in the intensive care unit at Dubai’s American Hospital, Darren was driving home when he found himself stuck behind the driver who was acting like a ‘clown swerving all over the road and talking on his mobile phone’.

Australian nurse deported from Dubai

‘Out of frustration I flipped him the bird. I know it was wrong but it was completely impulsive. I was just like, “You idiot”,’ Darren told the Adelaide Advertiser. Darren and his wife had to leave their jobs, home, car and other belongings in Dubai and said his experience was a warning to other Australians working or travelling in countries with strict laws. ‘People are being imprisoned for crazy things like kissing in public. The punishment doesn’t fit the crime,’ he said.

An Australian nurse was jailed and deported from Dubai after being convicted of making a rude gesture to another motorist. Darren O’Mullane received 24 days in jail and a life ban from the United Arab Emirates for making an offensive gesture to a driver who turned out to be a United Arab Emirates (UAE) official.

An Australian nurse was jailed and deported from Dubai after being convicted of making a rude gesture to another motorist.

The Edith Cavell Trust

Scholarships for the academic year 2010 Applications for the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarships are now being accepted for 2010. Members or Associate Members of the NSW Nurses’ Association or the Australian Nursing Federation (NSW Branch) are invited to apply. Applicants should meet one of the following criteria: 1. Student nurses undertaking full-time courses leading to initial registration as a nurse. 2. Registered or enrolled nurses who 10 THE LAMP JUNE 2009 wish to attend:

an accredited clinical nursing education course of six months or less, either full-time or part-time; an accredited nursing conference or seminar relevant to applicant’s clinical practice. 3. Properly constituted nursing organisations, faculties or schools of nursing or registered or enrolled nurses wishing to: attend full-time, relevant postbasic studies at an approved institution for a period or periods of more than six months;

undertake an academically approved research program in the theory and practice of nursing work; conduct or fund a relevant professional or clinical nursing educational program. Applicants must be currently registered or enrolled with the NSW

Nurses’ Registration Board (or the Registration Board of the state where practising). Applicants must use the official Edith Cavell Trust application form. Details of the Edith Cavell Trust Rules are available on request and will also be supplied with the application form.

For further information or forms, contact: The Secretary – The Edith Cavell Trust PO Box 40, Camperdown NSW 1450  Mrs Glen Ginty on 1300 367 962  gginty@nswnurses.asn.au  www.nswnurses.asn.au – click on ‘Education’

Applications close 5pm on 31 July 2009

350 reasons to stop global warming

Companion Card launched in NSW

At this year’s Sydney Ideas Festival, held at Sydney University, US environmentalist and author Bill McKibben explained why 350 is the most important number Bill McKibben in the world, and encouraged Australians to join a rapidly growing movement to stop global warming. Bill explained that for the past 10,000 years the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere remained fairly constant, at 275 parts per million. This stable concentration allowed civilisations to thrive due to a predictable climate and relatively constant agricultural conditions. However, when Arctic sea ice began to melt at an alarming speed in the northern summer of 2007, scientists began to suspect that a critical threshold had been passed. An investigation led by NASA scientist James Hansen has concluded that the red line for a healthy planet is 350 parts of carbon dioxide per million. Anything higher, Hansen and his colleagues wrote in a peer-reviewed paper, was ‘not compatible with the planet on which civilisation developed and to which life on earth is adapted’. Bill said that’s bad news, since we’re already past it; the current atmospheric concentration is 387 parts per million and steadily rising. ‘The world climate conference in Copenhagen in December goes from being an important conclave to being the last plausible chance to get it right before it’s too late. It’s no exaggeration to say that humans have never sat down for a more important meeting,’ Bill wrote on ABC Online. That’s why he has created ‘350.org’, a massive global movement to pressure governments to make the simple changes that are needed to mitigate and eventually reverse human-caused global warming. 24 October has been named as the day for global action. ‘On October 24 there will be actions around the world. Climbers high in the Himalayas, banners on Easter Island, churches ringing their bells 350 times, people riding bikes 350 miles, people linking arms for 350 miles along beaches – you name it,’ wrote Bill. For more information, see www.350.org.

People with a significant, permanent disability are now eligible for a Companion Card in NSW. The card addresses discriminatory ticketing practices whereby a person with a disability has to pay twice as much as the broader population if they want to attend an event or a venue, because they must buy a ticket for themselves and for their carer. To be eligible for the card, the applicant must be a NSW resident with a significant and permanent disability and be unable to participate in most community activities without assistance from a carer. A recent survey found that Companion Card holders in Victoria made more than twice as many outings each year, increasing from 16 outings without a Companion Card to 37. More information on the NSW program is available at: www.nds. org.au/nsw/companioncard.htm; or at Free Call 1800 893 044.

Study illustrates importance of legislated paid parental leave A study at the University of Sydney has found that fewer than a quarter of enterprise agreements include arrangements for paid maternity leave, and fewer again for paid paternity leave. The study surveyed 1865 registered agreements and found that two of the industries with the highest number of female employees – hospitality and retail – had the smallest number of agreements with parental leave provisions. ‘We cannot rely on enterprise bargaining to deliver maternity leave benefits to most women. What this underlines is the need for a universal system so that new parents are not forced into an early return to work and can properly take the time to be with their newborn child,’ said one of the authors of the study, Associate Professor Marian Baird. The report’s findings illustrate the importance of the Rudd Government’s announcement of 18 weeks paid parental leave, which is to begin in 2011. The Government’s parental leave scheme is in line with recommendations made by the Productivity Commission last year. The full University of Sydney study is to be published in the Australian Bulletin of Labor.

s Legal and Professional Issues for Nurses 19 June, Newcastle, ½ day 2 July, Tamworth, ½ day 17 August, Camperdown, ½ day 2 October, Dubbo, ½ day 30 October, Batemans Bay, ½ day 6 November, Westmead, ½ day Topics covered include the Nurses and Midwives Act 1991, potential liability, documentation, role of disciplinary tribunals including the NMB, writing statements. Members $39 • Non-members $85 s Basic Foot Care for RNs & ENs 25 & 26 June, Dubbo, 2 days 17 & 18 August, Coraki, 2 days 15 & 16 October, Camperdown, 2 days A VETAB accredited course that aims to provide nurses with the competence to provide basic foot care. Members $203 • Non-members $350 s Computer Essentials for Nurses 4 August, Concord, 1 day 27 October, Concord, 1 day Seminar is suitable for all nurses. Members $85 • Non-members $170 s Policy & Guideline Writing 11 September, Camperdown, 1 day Seminar is suitable for all nurses. Members $85 • Non-members $170

TO REGISTER or for more information go to www.nswnurses.asn.au or ring Carolyn Kulling on 1300 367 962

THE TROUBLE WITH TUESDAYS You may be finding it hard to talk to our information officers on Tuesdays. This is because Tuesday is the one day of the week when all our staff are in the office for staff and team meetings. These meetings are essential for information distribution and planning activities. If at all possible, please don’t ring on this day as there can be considerable delays. But if you need urgent assistance, you will get it. Our information department receives approximately 900 calls per week, and the phones are ringing hot from 8am to 5.30pm. We are working hard to meet your needs and thank you for your patience. Call 8595 1234 (metro) or 1300 367 962 (non-metro). THE LAMP JUNE 2009 11

C O V E R S T O R Y

NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival

Nurses tell their stories g The NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival brought nurses to the big screen as never seen before – in the ultimate celebration of the wonderful job of nurses for International Nurses’ Day 2009.

apturous applause was the resounding reaction to the opening night of the NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival. The inaugural film festival, held at NIDA’s (National Institute of Dramatic Art) Parade Theatre in Sydney, featured 17 short-listed films made by NSWNA members – all with a nursing theme and starring nurses. Film critic Paul Byrnes, who presented awards for the winning films, observed the historically negative portrayals of nurses in film. The most unforgettable being Nurse Ratched, a sadistic tyrant in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, who exemplifies the stereotype of the nurse as battle axe. There’s also hot ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan from the M*A*S*H television series, showing a sexy nurse stereotype; and Nurse Betty, a 12 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

nurse who is sweet but deluded, vacuous, and compliant. The NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival shattered the mould of negative nurse stereotypes. The festival reflected the diversity of nurses and showcased courageous, honest, and poignant portrayals of nurses and nursing – as never before seen on the big screen. Opening the festival, NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said, ‘The NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival has been an exciting opportunity for members to portray nurses in a realistic, positive light. The festival has enabled nurses to tell their own stories. They have taken control of how nurses and nursing are portrayed. ‘The films show different aspects of nursing. There are passionate, creative, sensitive, evocative and provocative takes on nursing. We have films about dying, mental health and the future of nursing,’ said Brett. The film makers – all NSWNA members – were asked to write, direct and produce films up to five minutes long in any style. The range of entries included comedies, documentaries, dramas, even a musical. Entries came from members across

the State, and among the film-maker finalists were rural and regional members from Murrumburrah-Harden District Hospital, Coffs Harbour Health Campus, Lismore Hospital, Taree Community Health, Clarence Valley Mental Health Service, Royal Newcastle Centre and Lithgow Community Health. Proudly sponsored by First State Super, the NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival was judged by RPA producer Patrick McInerney, Managing Director of Shannon’s Way Michael Daddo, and independent film producer Pearl Tan. The night kicked off with our filmmaker stars and guests sashaying down the red carpet to a glamorous cocktail party. There was even a special appearance by ubiquitous film critics David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz. The first NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival was deemed enormous fun and a huge success by all the film makers, guests, critics, and media in attendance. NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes promised that the nurses’ film festival would become a regular on the arts calendar. ‘Welcome to the new kid on the Australian arts scene. The appeal of the NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival goes beyond just nurses. It covers issues relevant to the general community. ‘Budding film makers, start thinking about your entry for next year,’ he said.n

Film Festival winner Frances Usherwood with film critic Paul Byrnes and NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes.

Robo-Nurse takes the gong g Congratulations Frances Usherwood for top film Robo-Nurse

rances Usherwood, RN from Sydney Children’s Hospital, won the NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival first prize of $5000 for her futuristic film Robo-Nurse, which poses a scary solution to critical nurse shortages. Set in 2020, the Fascist ‘benevolent neo conservative party’ has created a prototype for a robot nurse. When nurses question whether jobs will be lost, the party bans unions and workers’ rights. Frances told The Lamp she was ‘over the moon’ about winning first prize.

‘I’m so excited. It’s great recognition of all the hard effort everyone put into this. ‘It was such an exciting project. I saw it as an opportunity to send out a strong message to people who wouldn’t otherwise hear or think about nursing or union issues. Robo-Nurse is for nurses and a wider audience. ‘My idea comes from the belief that nurses need to say in control of patient care. We can’t have bureaucrats making decisions about patient care. ‘I also wanted to send a strong message about the importance of unions.

Over the past few years our ability to belong to professional organisations like the NSWNA were under threat. That’s scary. ‘Keeping in mind we don’t know what future holds, we need to have that protection behind us,’ said Frances. In February, Frances attended a filmmaking workshop run by NIDA designed to help prepare NSWNA film makers for the festival. Frances has already started preparing for next year’s NSWNA Short Film Festival, but she’s not giving The Lamp any scoops at this stage.n

The second prize of $2000 went to Susan Taggart from Concord Hospital, for her film Simply the Best – a documentary that follows a burns patient through his journey in a burns unit. The film shows how patients are given access to care, information and education with respect for their values, preferences and expressed needs.

Joint third prize winners of $1000 each were Azita Damandan (left) from the Royal Newcastle Centre for Lullabye, and Gillian Hughes, St George Private Hospital, for Cath Lab Safari.

To view the Nurses Film Festival films, go to the NSWNA website www.nswnurses.asn.au

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 13

C O V E R S T O R Y

Members from Taree Community Health starred in Finding Florence by Elizabeth Shaw, a quirky comedy about the travails of community nursing.

Members from Lithgow Community Health came to celebrate the screening of The Future, the Past, the Present by Leah Beddie.

NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes with Michael Dwyer (left) and Karen Volpato from Festival Sponsor First State Super. St George Hospital members starred in Near Miss by Kate Derrick.

14 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

NSWNA ad celebrates real-life nurses ‘They look after us ... let’s look after them’

NSWNA President Coral Levett arrived in Bollywood style.

Top: Maria Hanraham (left) produced With Dignity to promote choice for patients suffering terminal illness. Below (from left): Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, NSW Health, Deborah Thoms; NSW President Coral Levett; Manager Susan Pearce; General Secretary Brett Holmes; and former General Secretary Patricia Staunton.

ith a new memorable and moving television ad now screening, the NSWNA has also brought a positive portrayal of nurses to lounge rooms across NSW. The latest NSWNA ad kicked off on the eve of International Nurses’ Day and is the first in a series of four ads that will screen regularly throughout the year. With the slogan ‘they look after us; let’s look after them’, the ad aims to promote the professional role of nurses

and raise awareness of the professionalism of today’s nurses. Featuring NSWNA member Kim Rodgers from Campbelltown Hospital, the ad shows nurses managing high levels of responsibilities in their jobs. It also shows that nurses are normal people with normal lives outside their nursing job. NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said, ‘By building empathy towards nurses as real-life people and an understanding of their professional role, we are asking the public to treat nurses with respect, and acknowledge their capabilities and the care they deliver.’n

FILM FESTIVAL TAKES TO THE ROAD After its spectacular premier, the NSWNA Nurses Short Film Festival will hit the road as part of the annual NSWNA Roadshow. During the Roadshow, NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes and Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda, with NSWNA officials, will visit members across the State at

their workplaces. There will be also screenings of the Festival’s 17 short-listed films so regional members and local communities from across NSW can share in this wonderful celebration of nursing. Keep an eye on the NSWNA website for regional screening dates.

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 15

INTERNATIONAL NURSES’ DAY

International Nu

urses across the sta te fired up the barb ies and broke out the tea pots to celebrate International Nurse s’ Day on 12 May – the anniversary of Flo rence Nightingale’ s birth. This year’s theme, Nurses shape the pictur of health, brought he e alth workers, management and members of the co mmunity together honour the contrib to ution of nurses to the health system. All sorts of nurses from all sorts of wo at breakfasts, morni rkplaces gathered ng teas and BBQs all over NSW, takin a moment out of th g eir important dutie s to engage in raffl fun and general fri es, volity.n

es District Hospital NSWNA members and staff from Forb International rate celeb to out time took Maternity Unit tea. ing Midwives’ Day on 5 May with morn

Photo courtesy of the Forbes Advocate.

Photo courtesy of Tweed Daily News.

rse Therese Riley, Nu Branch President ial ec sp e uc sa ue St George NSWNA eq served up a barb t), gh Q. (ri er BB y ag Da an M l Nurses’ ital’s Internationa at St George Hosp

Boorowa Nurses gathered for a photo after celebrating International Nurses’ Day at a lunch with all on-duty staff.

NSWNA mem ber, Jenny Rankin RN, was delighted to take out the International Nurses’ Day raffle at M anly District Hosp ital.

NSWNA Tweed Hospital Branch members: (from left) Robyn Fox RN, Margaret Balli RN, Leone Hartley CNS, Brian Everson RN and Denise Harris Nurse Manager broke out the pastries for their International Nurses’ Day morning tea.

16 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

rses’ Day 2009 Nurses from John Hunter Hospital’s Gen and Colorect eral Surgical al Ward got into the Night ingale spirit.

The staff at Chatswood Community Nursing Home celebrated a truly International Nurses’ Day with staff representing well over a dozen countries including China. Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, Fiji, Philippines, Nepal, India, Ethiopia, Thailand, Guatemala, Peru, Columbia and Australia.

Coledale Rehabilitation Hospital thanked its ers nurses with free pizza and cake while Memb ed Equity Bank and Credit Union Australia raffl off an iPod and an MP3 player.

tea rated with morning Calvary Mater celeb ’s tle ers as mb wc Me Ne s. m trie fro Nurses mpetition en ir NSWNA poster co yer. and a display of the a portable DVD pla ing fl raf by ng rni mo the ed ort pp su Equity

The Governor-General of Aus tralia, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, acknowledged the inspiring wor k of nurses and midwives acro ss Australia during a morning tea held at Admiralty House to cele brate International Nurses’ Day. Pict ured with Her Excellency are Jo Perks (left), Women’s Health Nurse Prac titioner from Leichhardt Wom en’s Health Centre; and Linda Oliver, Women’s Health Nurse Consulta nt and president of The Australian Wom en’s Health Nurse Association Inc.

NSWNA members from the Central Coas t Community Nursing Service took time out from their celeb ratory sausage sizzle to show how they felt about International Nurses’ Day.

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 17

INTERNATIONAL NURSES’ DAY

ator Karen (left), Nurse Educ Sharon Speakman er on thie titi Ca ac N Pr Do ty rse Nu ith, Depu Manager Denise Sm iforms un on ati du Freeman, Quality gra ir ki Hanson wore the uldn’t Haynes and RN Vic Cathie said she co onal Nurses’ Day. ati ern Int now! ts en rm ga to work for g tin tric y’s work in the res imagine doing a da

NSWNA members from Northern Sydney Home Nursing Service, rallied behind the NSWNA’s International Nurses’ Day poster competition.

rning shift staff t night duty and mo Orange nurses go breakfast. l bacon and egg rol together for their

Goulburn Community Health Nurses marked International Nurses’ Day with afternoon tea.

NSWNA members Che risse Morgan AiN (left) and Leah Biag AiN broke out the cake at For est View Nursing Home in Chatswood.

Wollongong Hospital Branch Secretary Nevia Kusa EN (left) claims some sort of a record by welcoming night duty and day shift nurses into the same social time zone! Members probably broke other records by sizzling sausages from 5.30am till 6.30pm!

Tresillian nurse designed NSWNA poster

nn Fenton, RN at Tresillian’s Canterbury Family Care Centre, won $1000 first prize in the NSWNA Poster Competition for the design of the 2009 International Nurses' Day poster. Ann's winning jigsaw design, with the slogan 'Nurses shape the picture of health', was used as the basis for this year's International Nurses' Day

18 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

poster and was displayed in public health facilities, private hospitals, aged care facilities, TAFEs and universities across NSW. Ann, who staffs the help-line at Tresillian’s Canterbury Family Care Centre, leapt at the chance to combine her two passions, nursing and art. ‘I’ve been an amateur artist since I first started finger-painting as a child

C O M P E T I T I O N

honoured spital celebrations Kempsey District Ho s represent rse of age. These nu nurses over 60 years t hospital. as Co rth No the rvice to over 200 years of se

WIN! A WINTER GETAWAY

TO THE HUNTER VALLEY This month NSWNA members have the chance to win a wonderful winter getaway to the romantic Hunter Valley. Whether you’re visiting the Hunter Valley to taste wine, sample fine regional produce or to enjoy a peaceful, romantic escape, the Hunter Valley is the ideal winter destination. Renowned for its misty dawns, open fires and toasty red wines, the Hunter Valley has a quintessentially Australian beauty.

Nurses at Parkes District Hospital certainly know how to bring-a-plate! Forty staff members turned up to devour these goodies and celebrate International Nurses’ Day.

Most valley visitors visit the area for the cellar door experience, and to taste a range of fine wines with distinct Hunter Valley characteristics. This month The Lamp is offering members the chance to win a winter getaway to the Hunter Valley. The prize includes: c Two nights’ accommodation in a one-bedroom apartment with full hot breakfast for two at Leisure Inn Pokolbin Hill*. c A place in the Olive & the Grape Cooking School including a goodies bag. c Four dozen bottles of wine from some of the Hunter’s favourite wineries (from Draytons Wines, Glandore Wines, Moorebank Vineyard and McGuigan Cellars).

Suzanna Santiagoo RN, and Kay Page EN, showed off Trundle MPS’ display of old nursi ng equipment, commemorating times gone by.

To enter, simply write your name, address and membership number on the back of an envelope and send it to Hunter Valley Winter Getaway Competition PO Box 40, Camperdown, NSW 1450 Competition closes 30 June 2009. For more information about the delights of the Hunter Valley, contact the Hunter Valley Wine Country Tourism on 02 49 900 900 or visit www.winecountry.com.au * Subject to availability and valid until 30 November 2009

and It helps to keep me sane throughout the ups and downs of nursing,’ she said. ‘I wanted to make something that highlighted the valuable contribution nurses make to the health of society – not just in health care, but also our general holistic health – you know, how nurses care not just for the body, but also the mind and spirit of people in our community. ‘I’m so excited about the win.' Ann picked up a handy $1000 prize for her efforts and intends to give some to charity and put the rest towards a new pair of glasses so she can keep painting.n Ann Fenton

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 19

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

Goodooga Health Service saved

g A determined campaign by the local community in small-town Goodooga has forced a backdown by GWAHS over plans to pan the local health service.

he small town of Goodooga in the state’s remote north-west has shown that community action and organisation can achieve positive results for remote area healthcare. The community of 400 was outraged in July last year when the Greater West Area Health Service (GWAHS) announced its plans to close the town’s primary health care service, leaving it without a registered nurse, ambulance or emergency services, and replacing them with only a phone link to health care in Lightning Ridge, 75km away. Goodooga’s population is predominantly indigenous, and the announcement was ‘a kick in the guts’ for Aboriginal people living in remote communities, said NSW Aboriginal Land Council representative Steve Gordon, especially when the Federal Government is channelling funds towards closing the 17-year gap in life expectancy in indigenous communities. ‘It flies in the face of repeated statements by the State and Federal Governments that they were going to do more, not less, to improve Aboriginal health standards and life expectancy,’ said 20 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

Steve, after the plan to close the health centre was announced. The community’s indignation – which manifested itself in protests from all parts of the community, both

Holmes said the recommendations were a great win for Goodooga, and for all remote communities. ‘All Australians deserve access to quality healthcare, irrespective of the size of the town or where they live. The case also shows that when a community unites and gets behind an issue it can achieve real results. ‘The NSWNA will keep up pressure on

‘All Australians deserve access to quality healthcare, irrespective of the size of the town or where they live.The NSWNA will keep up pressure on the GWAHS to ensure it fully implements the report’s recommendations.’ NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes.

indigenous and non-indigenous, and was supported by the NSWNA – caused the GWAHS to agree to an independent review of the town’s health care needs and facilities. This review, initiated by The Aboriginal Lands Council and conducted by The Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation at the University of New South Wales, recommended that the emergency service and registered nurse be retained in the Goodooga health centre, and the currently vacant position of nurse practitioner be filled. NSWNA General Secretary Brett

the GWAHS to ensure it fully implements the report’s recommendations,’ said Brett. The recommendation to fill the position of rural nurse practitioner in Goodooga is of particular significance for the community. Olwyn Johnston, who in 2001 became the first recognised nurse practitioner in NSW, previously held the position at Goodooga until she became ill in 2006. The position has not been filled since. ‘A nurse practitioner will provide a very high level of broad expertise to address the small community’s health needs,’ said Brett.n

12.5% pay rise at DADHC g New award delivers near-parity with public health system

urses at the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) will get wage increases totalling 12.5% between now and July next year, bringing them closer to parity with public hospital rates. NSWNA members overwhelmingly endorsed a new DADHC award negotiated by the union, with nine of 10 branches voting in favour. The increases cover a three-year period from 1 July last year to 30 June 2011. Nurses will be paid three 4% instalments compounding to a total of 12.5%, with the first increase backdated to 1 July last year, when the previous award expired.

‘Keeping DADHC rates close to public system rates is absolutely essential.’ NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes

Allowances will be adjusted in line with increases to pay rates. NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said union members at DADHC had made it clear their highest priority in award negotiations was achieving parity with public hospital rates. ‘This award achieves pay parity with public health system colleagues – but with some delay,’ Brett said. He said the Department initially

offered a 12% increase in return for nurses agreeing to trial the use of endorsed enrolled nurses in charge of a unit when a RN was unavailable. ‘Most members saw this not as an occasional solution to temporary staff shortages but as an attempt to cut costs, and strongly rejected it,’ Brett said. ‘The Department made a revised offer with the same increases but with the enrolled nurse pilot project removed. ‘Keeping DADHC rates close to public system rates is absolutely essential so that DADHC can continue to attract nurses in competition with public and private hospitals, and there can be no argument for trying to introduce nonnursing classifications into the large residential centres.’ For Maurice Browne RN, President of the NSWNA Branch at the Kanangra Centre at Morisset, the new award is ‘a pretty good win’. ‘The Department tried to break the nexus between our rates and public hospitals and we’ve never been happy about that. So to have this agreement where we eventually do catch up with Health is a good outcome,’ he said. Maurice, a delegate to the NSWNA DADHC log of claims committee, said the award negotiations were conducted in a difficult environment, with State Government policy requiring all public sector workers to accept offsets for any pay increase above 2.5% per year. ‘I thought in this climate we did pretty well to get three lots of 4% with minimal trade offs,’ he said. ‘Staff at Kanangra were very sceptical

MORE RNUMs UPGRADED Three more Residential Nurse Unit Managers at DADHC have been upgraded after appeals by the union. This follows the re-grading of more than half the department’s residential RNUMs, on the basis of the number of residents in care and the extent of their needs (see The Lamp April 2009 page 22).

The re-grading agreement negotiated by the NSWNA included an appeal process where a manager believed a unit was inappropriately graded. The final state-wide tally stands at seven RNUMs Level 3, 26 RNUMs Level 2 and 25 RNUMs Level 1. The upgraded RNUMs receive back pay to July 2004.

‘In the current industrial climate it was a pretty good outcome.’ Maurice Browne RN, President of the NSWNA Branch at the Kanangra Centre

about the reasoning behind the Department’s earlier proposal to trial EENs in charge of shifts. The department claimed it would only apply if they couldn’t find replacement RNs at short notice. ‘But most nurses here feared it would allow management to engineer rosters so that they were able to have an EEN in charge in preference to a RN. ‘Our branch therefore overwhelmingly rejected the first-round offer. The enrolled nurse clause was make or break for us, as it was for a lot of centres. ‘As it turned out, we lost nothing by rejecting that clause and the branch voted unanimously in favour of the department’s second offer. ‘The offsets we eventually accepted, such as restrictions on unsupported sick leave, were pretty minor, I think, although some people wouldn’t agree with me. ‘No one ever likes to lose conditions but in the current industrial climate it was a pretty good outcome given the rules set by the Government.’n THE LAMP JUNE 2009 21

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NSWNA members have access to a bank of their own. It’s called Members Equity Bank. To find out more call 1300 309 374 or visit www.membersequitybank.com.au Applications subject to credit approval. Fees & charges apply. Terms & conditions available on request. This is general information only and you should consider if these products are appropriate for you. Members Equity Bank Pty Ltd ABN 56 070 887 679 AFS Licence: 229500. 117804 SVS03/0209

22 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

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

Strong case for night penalties g The NSW Nurses’ Association wrapped up its case for higher night duty penalty rates before a four-member Full Bench of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission in Sydney last month.

he Commission may take some months to decide whether nurses will get more money for working at night. During eight days of evidence and argument, union advocates and witnesses laid out a strong case for an increase. The current night penalty rate of 15% has not risen for 34 years and a lot more evidence now exists on the impact of night work.

congratulate these witnesses who, by agreeing to provide valuable testimony, helped us present the strongest possible case that all nurses deserve greater compensation for the proven disadvantages of night shift work,’ said General Secretary Brett Holmes. Two university academics provided expert testimony on the confirmed ill effects of night work. Professor Ron Grunstein of Sydney’s Woolcock Institute of Medical Research,

‘Night duty is by far the hardest shift to adjust to physically. I know extremely few nurses who prefer permanent night shift to permanent day shift.’ Deborah Ponig, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Bowral Hospital, replying to evidence from a NSW Health witness who claimed many nurses preferred to work nights.

The NSWNA argued that 15% is not fair compensation for the social, domestic and health disadvantages suffered by nurses working mandatory night shifts. The rate is way behind that paid in other states, where rates range from 19.5% (Queensland) to 35% (Western Australia). Six experienced nurses representing a range of nursing fields at both city and country hospitals took to the stand for the union: Karen Featon, RN of Campbelltown Hospital’s emergency department; Donna Garland, Maternity Unit Manager at Bankstown Hospital’s birthing unit; Gail Hanger, Nursing Unit Manager at Bowral Hospital’s high dependency unit; Grant Isedale, NM at Campbelltown’s ED; Diane McCarthy, NUM of the aged care rehabilitation unit at Prince of Wales Hospital and Deborah Ponig, RN of Bowral’s paediatric unit. ‘The NSWNA wishes to thank and

a leading sleep research organisation, said night work increased the risk of developing breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, gastro-intestinal disorders and reproductive health problems.

Associate Professor Shantha Rajaratnam of the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine at Melbourne’s Monash University presented evidence that non-standard work hours are associated with: c Negative psychological symptoms, including some related to negative cardiovascular and endocrine outcomes and higher frequency of medically certified sickness absences from work; c Increased disruption to marital relationships and increased probability of separation or divorce c Conflict between work and nonwork life with reduced time available for social and leisure activities with family and friends, including reduced contact time with children; c Negative impact on children, with reports of higher probability of emotional or behavioural difficulties, poor outcomes for cognitive development, and elevated body mass index. NSW Health and Treasury totally opposed the union’s case and cried poor. A Treasury witness, Mr Peter Horn, senior director in the fiscal strategy branch said: ‘The position of my organisation, Treasury, is that there is no funding available.’n

PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR NURSES’ PAY CLAIM A witty and supportive NSW citizen, Richard Goodwin, made a sensible suggestion in a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, following the start of the NSWNA’s hearing for increased night penalty rates before the Industrial Relations Committee. Richard said the NSWNA should ask for the hearing to take place between ‘10pm and 7am, over a period of at least a week, with all

commission staff to continue their normal responsibilities during the non-sitting period’. Richard suggested that getting increased penalty rates would then be a foregone conclusion, and he’s probably right. But the NSWNA is happy arguing its case according to industrial fairness and the best possible scientific evidence. Thanks anyway, Richard!

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 23

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nnn%fiXe^\%ejn%^fm%Xl fi nnn%fiXe^\Ylj`e\jj%Zfd%Xl G% ') -*0* /),' 24 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

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

Ramsay members vote YES!

SWNA members at Ramsay Health Care have voted overwhelmingly in favour of their new Collective Agreement. Following six frustrating months of protracted negotiations with Ramsay, members will now receive wage rises amounting to 4.28% per year over the 34 months of the agreement.

The agreement will protect the wages and conditions of Ramsay nurses until July 2011. Included in the agreement is a skills allowance based on the Continuing Education Allowance from April 2009 and an improved clause on nurses’ workloads. The new agreement will also halve the time lag in pay parity with nurses in the public health sector from 12 to six months.

Members ran a well-organised campaign using telephone conferencing to keep members connected and informed across all Ramsay facilities throughout the negotiations. ‘This is a very good agreement that was hard fought and hard won.’ Ninety-two percent of nurses approved the agreement, which will see a 3% increase in wages and allowances from January 2009; a further 1% from April 2009, another 3.9% from January 2010; and a final 3.75% from January 2011.

NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda praised NSWNA members at Ramsay who ran a well-organised campaign using telephone conferencing to keep members connected and informed across all Ramsay facilities throughout the negotiations.

NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda

‘This is a very good agreement that was hard fought and hard won. The compound effect of solid pay rises coupled with closing the gap in pay parity will protect nursing staff and help Ramsay attract and retain more nurses.’n

More private employers agree to bargain

he NSWNA continues to make progress in enterprise bargaining on behalf of private sector nurses. The union is negotiating collective agreements with two more aged care groups – the Montefiore Home and Whiddon Group – while the Independent Private Hospitals Group has finally agreed to negotiate. The NSWNA has started talks with Whiddon Group management and is conducting a round of visits to members to get their views about the content of an agreement. The Whiddon Group, formerly Frank Whiddon Masonic Homes, operates 24 residential care and independent living facilities across NSW. The agreement with Montefiore Homes will cover all staff at facilities in

Sydney’s eastern suburbs at Randwick, Hunters Hill and Maroubra. NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said Independent Private Hospitals had finally accepted that the NSWNA has a role to play in negotiating an agreement at Sydney Private Hospital.

the union a new draft which we will discuss with our members,’ Brett said. ‘We will survey our members employed by Independent Private Hospitals to make sure that we address their priorities in negotiations.’ Major negotiations for a new

Independent Private Hospitals had finally accepted that the NSWNA has a role to play in negotiating an agreement. This follows concerns raised by individual nurses about a draft ‘agreement’ proposed by management without any union involvement. ‘Management say they will address the nurses’ concerns and send

template agreement for the charitable aged care sector are close to completion. When completed, members will be in a position to request their employer offer the agreement to staff for vote.n THE LAMP JUNE 2009 25

C O M M U N I T Y A C T I O N

The Wallsend Community Against Privatisation protested against Government plans to close the Wallsend Aged Care Facility.

Wallsend fights for nursing home g Opposition builds against State Government privatisation plan.

he last time a State Government picked a fight with the people of Wallsend over cuts to health services, thousands of residents rallied in protest and the locals maintained an 18-month picket line outside the district hospital. The fierce resistance took the then Greiner Liberal government by surprise.

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26 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

While it eventually succeeded in closing the hospital, it had to keep a range of specialist services on site including the 103-bed Wallsend Aged Care Facility (WACF). Almost 18 years later, the Rees Labor government has announced it will privatise WACF – one of 11 State-owned nursing homes being offered to nongovernment operators (see box). The proposal again has the Wallsend community on Newcastle’s western outskirts up in arms. Families and supporters of WACF residents have signed more than 800 letters to local Labor MP Sonia Hornery,

whom nurses say is ‘very supportive’ of their stand against privatisation. Nurses have held community meetings and collected around 4000 signatures on a petition against privatisation at information stalls at shopping centres. The campaign includes a website: www.save-wacf.com Louise Howell RN, the NSWNA delegate at WACF, said nurses raised the issue with the Minister for Health, John Della Bosca, at a Newcastle community forum in March. ‘The minister listened to what we had to say and accepted our invitation to visit the facility. We hope to hear more from

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HISTORY OF BATTLING FOR SERVICES he former coal mining community of Wallsend is so protective of their health service partly because they contributed heavily to its upkeep for 100 years. Mineworkers raised money to build Wallsend Hospital in 1892 on land donated by the Newcastle-Wallsend Mining Co. Before then, the miners lived constantly with the danger of death and injury but lacked close and reliable health services. Until the mid-1960s, it was a

community hospital supported by mineworkers’ levies, local donations and funds from the State Government, and run by a community board. Even after the State took control the hospital maintained strong links with the mining community. In 1990 alone, the miners’ union donated $130,000 to the hospital. The Greiner Government announced the hospital would close by August 1991, but staff kept it open to the end of September by refusing to

discharge patients to other hospitals. Nurses were reportedly threatened with deregistration after they met with local doctors to persuade them to keep admitting patients. After the closure, hospital staff and supporters maintained a 24-hour picket line for 18 months, determined to have the hospital reopened and to prevent equipment being taken away. The picket succeeded in retaining the hospital buildings and property in the Hunter public health system.

him at the Newcastle community forum feedback meeting on 28 May,’ Louise said. ‘There is strong community support to keep the facility in government hands and it’s gathering momentum all the time.’ NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes, who spoke with many of the 90 WACF nurses at a protest BBQ as part of their campaign, described privatisation as ‘just a way for the State Government to transfer costs to the Federal Government. Despite the way it is being dressed up, this has little to do with resident care outcomes.’ WACF nurses are convinced their residents – many with complex and challenging needs – get a higher standard of care than they could under private control of the facility. ‘The non-government sector generally delivers a good standard of care

given their limited resources, but they don’t have the staffing ratios we have,’ said Louise Howell. ‘We have a NUM and a RN on every floor, every day, to look after residents with highly complex needs, which many private facilities don’t want to be responsible for. ‘About one third of our residents have disabilities, one third have dementia with challenging behaviour including psychiatric disorders, and the others are palliative residents with high care needs. ‘There are about 25 young people with multi-faceted disabilities and especially brain injuries, often on peg feeds or “trachies”. ‘We are 100% concessional, which means none of our residents need to pay accommodation bonds. Many are socially disadvantaged, don’t own a home and couldn’t afford to pay for care.’n

11 FACILITIES MARKED FOR SALE The NSW Government has called for expressions of interest for nongovernment organisations to operate 11 NSW government-owned nursing homes. They are: c Corowa District Nursing Home c Garrawarra Centre, Waterfall c Governor Phillip Nursing Home, Penrith c Hillcrest Nursing Home, Gloucester c Kimbarra Lodge Hostel, Gloucester c Holbrook Hospital Nursing Home c Leeton Hospital Aged Care Unit c Murrumburrah-Harden District Nursing Home c Muswellbrook Aged Care Facility c Queen Victoria Memorial Home, Picton c Wallsend Aged Care Facility.

Academic Chair in Cancer Nursing

The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Sydney congratulates Professor Kate White on her appointment as Professor of Cancer Nursing, NSW’s ﬁrst Academic Chair in Cancer Nursing established by the Cancer Institute NSW. This new position recognises the central role of specialist cancer nurses in the delivery of quality cancer services in NSW. Part funded by the Cancer Institute NSW, the new Cancer Nursing Academic Unit is a consortium of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, the University of Sydney and the Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. In 2010 the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery will offer exciting new postgraduate courses* in a number of areas, including cancer and haematology nursing, clinical trials research and a masters program to prepare nurse practitioners. These courses will enable nurses to develop advanced knowledge and skills for specialist clinical practice and research in cancer and haematology nursing.

Contact us for more information: Moira Stephens, Coordinator - Cancer Nursing: m.stephens@usyd.edu.au General Enquiries: +61 2 9351 0693 Fax: +61 2 9351 0508 Email: info@nursing.usyd.edu.au Web: www.nursing.usyd.edu.au *Subject to relevant Academic Board and Nursing and Midwifery Board NSW approvals. CRICOS provider No. 00026A. H22324

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 27

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C O M M U N I T Y A C T I O N

The NSWNA supported a protest against the privatisation of prisons outside Parliament House.

Backdown on jail privatisation g Win for Cessnock nurses but campaign continues

urses have welcomed a State Government backdown on privatisation of Cessnock jail, while vowing to continue the campaign to keep other services including Parklea jail in public hands. ‘We are very happy and relieved,’ said John Kemp RN, NSWNA Branch Secretary at Cessnock jail, which employs about 20 nurses. ‘Quite a few people in town have come up to me and said it’s really good we are keeping the prison public and keeping local people employed.’ Two Cessnock jail nurses, Janese Bushell and Gillian Miller, travelled to Sydney to attend a union-organised protest outside Labor Party headquarters. Apparently recognising the extent of public opposition, the State Government decided to abandon the sale of Cessnock. However, the Minister for Corrective

Services John Robertson said privatisation of Parklea jail would go ahead. Mr Robertson said the Government had spared Cessnock jail from privatisation because the town was hit hard by the closure of the Bonds clothing factory and the effects of the global economic crisis.

‘We’re not going to fold just because we’ve won one battle.’ NSWNA General Secretary, Brett Holmes, said this sounded like an excuse for backing down in the face of increasingly widespread opposition. ‘It goes to show that standing up for your rights and taking the fight to the Government can really pay off,’ Brett said. ‘The Minister’s suggestion that the impact of privatisation would be too great on the local community following the closure

of Bonds runs contrary to the Government’s previous assurances that privatisation would not lead to a loss of jobs and would in fact be of benefit to the community. ‘Our next step is to continue the campaign to ensure Parklea is not privatised.’ Gillian Miller said Cessnock’s local organisation Community Against Privatisations (CAPs) would continue, despite the saving of Cessnock jail. ‘We’re not going to fold just because we’ve won one battle,’ she said. ‘I took a petition around the jail this morning to save Wallsend nursing home (see story opposite). ‘Louise Howell, who is nursing at Wallsend Aged Care Facility, helped us do our submission to the parliamentary inquiry into prison privatisation and spoke to the inquiry as a member of CAPS. ‘So now Cessnock is getting behind the nurses at Wallsend. We’ve done it for our jobs (at Cessnock jail) and now we are going to try to help other people as well.’n THE LAMP JUNE 2009 29

A G E N D A

Budget breakthrough g Nurse practitioners and midwives recognised in program to boost public health.

ederal Labor’s 2009-2010 Budget announced last month provides a record $64 billion in health and hospital funding. It sets out to limit Government subsidies for private health insurance paid to higher-income earners. And in a significant breakthrough for the nursing profession, it gives nurse practitioners and midwives access to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule for the first time. General Secretary of the NSW Nurses’ Association, Brett Holmes, said the union particularly welcomed the decision to allow rebates for prescriptions, referrals and diagnostic tests ordered by nurse practitioners and midwives. From November 2010, medicines prescribed by nurse practitioners and eligible midwives will come under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule. Diagnostics tests and referrals ordered by nurse practitioners and eligible midwives will attract rebates under the Medical Benefits Scheme. And there will be a Government-supported professional indemnity insurance scheme for eligible midwives. Brett said the Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon, had recognised the need for highly-qualified nurses and midwives to play a greater role in health care. ‘People will now be able to receive care from nurse practitioners

and midwives without facing additional expenses not imposed on doctors’ patients.’ The Budget includes $1.5 billion to upgrade 17 hospitals around Australia, including $96 million to redevelop Nepean Hospital in western Sydney. Cancer treatment gets a $1.3 billion boost, including $560 million to build a network of up to 10 regional cancer facilities.

‘People will now be able to receive care from nurse practitioners and midwives without facing additional expenses.’ General Secretary of the NSW Nurses’ Association, Brett Holmes

To help pay for these measures, the Budget places a tiered means test on the 30% private health insurance rebate, in order to save $1.9 billion over the next four years. From July 1 next year, the 30% rebate will be reduced for singles earning more than $75,000 a year, and families with an income greater than $150,000. The rebate will be wiped out altogether for singles earning more than $120,000 and families earning more than $240,000. ‘The NSWNA has long argued that spending on the private health insurance rebate has been growing unsustainably,’ Brett said.

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4–7 November 2009 Abstract Deadline 4 July 2009

www.continence.org.au 30 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

‘It has drained resources away from the public health system and unduly benefited people on high incomes. ‘Under the means test, the great bulk of the population will continue to receive 30% off the cost of premiums.’ The Liberal/National Coalition has vowed to vote against the means test in the Senate. The Opposition challenged

the Government to replace the means test with a 12.5% increase in tobacco excise, which, it claimed, would deliver an identical saving of $1.9 billion.n The Australian Nursing Federation is conducting an online survey to examine whether members and the Australian community support the Australian Government’s decision to stop using taxpayers’ money to subsidise private health insurance for couples earning over $240,000 per annum. Go to www. anf.org.au to access the survey.

for nurses PARENTAL LEAVE WIN

FOR WORKING WOMEN n an historic breakthrough for working women, the Federal Budget gives Australia its first national taxpayer-funded scheme for paid parental leave. From January 2011, eligible parents will receive taxable payments at the rate of the Federal minimum wage, now $544 a week, for up to 18 weeks after the birth of a child. The payment will go to families whose primary carer, usually the mother, earned less than $150,000 in the previous year. The other parent’s income will not be taken into account. The payment can be transferred to the father if he is the primary care giver. The vast number of women should be able to get the payment, including those who have worked only one day a week over a 10-month period 13 months before the birth of a child. This will include many women in casual and part-time jobs, who have largely been excluded from employerfunded schemes. NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda said this significant social reform was made possible by the union movement’s hard lobbying work ‘Among OECD countries, only Australia and the United States still bear the stigma of having no guaranteed paid parental leave. This Budget brings us into line with the rest of the industrialised world,’ she said. Judith said government paid parental leave (PPL) would be available to nurses on top of any existing employer-provided leave. ‘Employers who provide parental leave through an award or enterprise agreement cannot legally withdraw that entitlement during the life of that award or agreement,’ she said. ‘The union will strongly resist any employer attempt to remove or reduce employer-paid leave during bargaining for a new award or agreement.’ The Federal Department of Families explains that Government PPL can be taken ‘in conjunction with, or in addition to’ employer-provided paid leave such as recreation leave and maternity leave. The Department says Government PPL must be taken after the birth or adoption of a child and be completed within 12 months of the birth or adoption. It will not be paid for any period after a parent returns to work. However, a parent who returns to work may be able to transfer any remaining PPL entitlement to another eligible primary carer (usually the father).

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P R O M O T I N G B L A D D E R B O W E L H E A LT H

A N D

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 31

32 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

Q & A

ASK

JUDITH

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

Full-time or part-time rate for maternity leave? I am an RN working a full-time, rotating roster in a public hospital and went off on maternity leave two months ago. My partner and I have decided to have our children as close together as possible. If I return to work on reduced hours after 12 months of maternity leave, and go off on maternity leave again within the first 12 months of returning on reduced hours, will I be paid the 14 weeks of paid maternity leave at my substantive full-time rate or the reduced rate at which I returned.

If you return to work on reduced hours following a period of maternity leave, and go off on maternity leave again within 12 months of returning, you will be paid up to 14 weeks maternity leave at your substantive full-time rate. Clause 34A(XV) of the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (state) Award 2008 states in part: An employee who commences a subsequent period of maternity leave during the first 12 months of a return to duty for less than full-time hours as provided under subclause (i)(c) of Part D of this clause is entitled to be paid at their substantive full-time rate for the subsequent period of maternity leave. Please also be aware that if you return to work on reduced hours for longer than 12 months after a period of maternity leave and then go off on a subsequent

period of maternity leave you will be paid the 14 weeks of paid maternity leave at the reduced part-time rate. Clause 34A(XV) of the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (state) Award 2008 goes on to say: An employee who commences a subsequent period of maternity leave more than 12 months after returning to duty for less than full-time hours under subclause (i)(c) of Part D of this clause, will be entitled to paid maternity leave for the subsequent period of maternity leave at their part-time rate.

Long Service Leave for casuals I have been working as a casual employee with the same employer for over 10 years. Should I be entitled to Long Service Leave (LSL)?

LSL is covered by two instruments: your Award or agreement and the Long Service Leave Act 1955. LSL entitlements arising from awards or agreements tend to apply to permanent employees only and tend to be greater than what is provided for in the Act. The Act, however, covers ALL employees, including long-term casuals. It allows for two months LSL after 10 years, and one month for each five years thereafter. To qualify for LSL under the Act you need to have had regular continuous employment with the same employer. You need to be mindful of any break in service you may have had, such as holidays of over four weeks in any one year or maternity

leave. If you believe that you meet these criteria, you need to write to Human Resources requesting that they calculate your LSL under the Act.

Annual close-down by employer I work in a private medical centre fulltime, Monday to Friday. How much annual leave am I entitled to? How should I be paid for close-downs?

As set out in the Nurses’ Other Than in Hospitals, &c., (State) Award, you are entitled to four weeks’ paid annual leave plus additional payment on a sliding scale according to the number of Sundays and public holidays worked during the qualifying period for annual leave. So, for example, if you worked 32 Sundays and public holidays in a 12-month qualifying period, you would be entitled to one week’s additional payment. Under the Annual Holidays Act 1944, an employer may temporarily close their business as part of a single specified period of ‘annual close-down’. That is, the closedown notice ‘shall not be given by an employer more than once in any calendar year’. [AHA:4A (3) (b)] The employer must give one month’s prior notice of the annual close-down. Annual leave applies during the close-down period. If no annual leave is due, leave without pay applies. Different rules may apply if your employer is a trading corporation.n

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 33

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

NSWNA Branch News

NSWNA members joined the audience at the taping of a new video called ‘The Law for Nurses’ at the Powerhouse Museum in April, starring former NSWNA General Secretary Patricia Staunton. The video will be launched at the NSWNA Annual Conference.

en across NSW have be g NSWNA members ing their union and ild bu th on m is th e activ rses’ rights. working to protect nu

Photo courtesy of Orlando Chiodo – Illawarra Mercury

Bulli Hospital supporters led a candlelit vigil outside the hospital to protest the decision by South East Area Health Services to transfer the majority of surgery performed at Bulli to Shellharbour Hospital. New NSWNA members signed the Unions NSW petition for better OHS standards at a recruitment BBQ at St Vincent’s Hospital Darlinghurst for public and private hospital nurses.

34 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

Bernard Ayrton RN (left), secretary of Wallsend Aged Care Facility, spoke with Sonia Hornery (middle), state MP for Hornsby, about the Because We Care campaign.

Last month, these 25 aged care workers from across the New England area commenced the first program in the Certificate for Nursing (Enrolled Division Two) course at Gunnedah campus. TAFE NSW said the pioneering course funded by the Department for Health and Ageing aimed to produce top-quality nursing staff for the residential aged care sector in rural areas. Three TENs, Lauren Schofield, Kevin Picones and Luke Heard, joined up during a NSWNA orientation at Westmead Hospital.

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NSWNA’s new Sutherland Hospital Mental Health Branch held their inaugural meeting last month. The branch was formed so specific mental health issues can be addressed.

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Members from Greater Western Area Health Service attended the NSWNA’s Branch Officials Activists Training course, Fairness at Work, with Linda Griffiths (front row, left). The course is designed to provide activists with resources and information to resolve workplace issues.

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Sunshine Cleaning g Black comedy, murder, suspense, drama and heartbreak thrive in the midst of a fledgling family cleaning business.

unshine Cleaning is the new film from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine (no connection in story). It is written by Megan Holley, a first-time screenwriter who won a competition with this script to launch her career, and directed by New Zealander Christine Jeffs (directed Sylvia starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig). The central characters are the Lorkowski sisters: Rose played by Amy Adams (Doubt,), and Norah, played by Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada). Their Dad, Joe, (Alan Arkin) is a get-rich-quick schemer and dreamer, bouncing from one failure to another. In high school, Rose was the pretty cheerleader dating the quarterback, but her life has not turned out as expected. A single mum, she needs to improve her earnings to pay for the education for her slightly eccentric young son, Oscar, who doesn’t fit in at the local school. Rose leaves her job as a maid, cleaning gorgeous houses for wealthy women, to start a business in lucrative crimescene clean-ups, enlisting her

reluctant, employment-challenged, younger sister Norah as a partner. Nurses should be fine, but this movie might not suit the squeamish as the sisters clean up after murders, suicides and belatedly-discovered deaths. They mature through facing not only the gruesome evidence but also the bereaved, unexpectedly bonding through their common experience of tragedy. While dealing with other people’s disasters, they gradually tackle the mess they have created in their own lives. The story thickens with sub-plots of the unspoken family mystery, Joe’s entrepreneurial exploits, the married lover, borderline stalking and romantic possibilities with the helpful one-armed chemical salesman. It is also the story of

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young Oscar, his security and stability always just around the corner, waiting for the adults in his life to get their act together. This is a touching story of a family of basically decent people who don’t quite follow the straight and narrow. Set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this is a movie without much colour, the dreary backgrounds reflecting their lives existing on minimal incomes, on the wrong side of the tracks, but it also means there is little to distract you from the characters‚ strength and spirit as they strive for success and self-respect. A very real bittersweet story of human failings, struggles against the odds, the satisfaction of small triumphs, and a resilient family who are mostly there for each other through thick and thin. Make sure to take some tissues!n Sunshine Cleaning opens on 11 June.

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36 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

Review by Wayne Lynch, CNC, Kirketon Road Centre and Concord Repatriation General Hospital

Disgrace g Not Hollywood, not for the faint-hearted – but Wayne Lynch says Disgrace is a great film about a professor forced to confront the slippery morality of his past.

ooking for a classic Hollywood narrative? You won’t find it here. But from the eerie opening Soprano’s lilt to the single iris sliced by the Venetian blinds (unmistakeably, John Malkovich’s) I found a feeling of familiarity, yet an uneasy disparity, in a film that’s deeply moving, and, for me, totally engaging. The film, set in post-Apartheid South Africa, is a ‘marriage’ between Australia and South Africa. Malkovich, of course American, is such an intelligent actor I forgot he was acting. I had to remind myself to focus and critique the action rather than sink back and merely observe the story unfold. I’m no linguist, but I think he loses his Afrikaans accent half way through – though no detraction from his performance. His body decaying (like many 55-year-old men) but face and eyes so seductive, you easily believe women 30y years his junior are, temporarily, bewitched by his spell.

Malkovich plays a Cape Town English professor; he’s arrogant and narcissistic with a belief that he is above commonly applied ethics and morals. He is emotionally immature, unable to differentiate love and lust. Like a suitor, he supplies the sex-worker, on his regular visit, with a gift-wrapped present. She clearly divines his dysfunction, and sensing danger, excuses herself from seeing him again. Later, he displays no compunction in abusing his power, when raping one of his students. Both relationships, he views, as intimate and equal. For the latter, he is dismissed from his position. This he regards as an appropriate response, but displays no regret for his actions. Only later, staying on his daughter’s Eastern Cape farm, with exposure to her friends, work and travails, after experiencing a violent

GIVEAWAYS FOR NSWNA MEMBERS The Lamp has 15 double passes to see Disgrace and 25 double passes to Sunshine Cleaning. To enter, email lamp@nswnurses.asn.au with your name, membership number, address and contact number. First entries win!

assault, he starts to confront, and come to terms with, his past behaviour. There are a few brutal moments, where you might want to put your head under your wing, but they are short and not gratuitous. I thought everyone involved in making the film deserving of praise, but especially Steve Arnold, the cinematographer, whose framing is superb. The camera leisurely panning across the sheet music, past the pencil and the metal sharpener, was like a painting. I think it’s a great film, I gave it four stars. What about you, Margaret?n Disgraced opens on 18 June.

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N O T I C E

BRANCHES NO LONGER EXISTING

WARNING!

c c c c

30 workplaces without local branch representation

he 30 NSWNA workplace branches listed here no longer operate because they did not hold or complete their 2009 elections. Under the Rules of the Association, members of these former branches may apply to the Council of the Association to belong to another branch. However, not having a branch at your workplace limits your local representation and power. A branch gives you a voice at work. It gives you authority to meet, discuss and negotiate with your management under the umbrella of, and with the full backing of, the NSW Nurses’ Association. A branch is the source of collective power for large issues such as inadequate staffing, hospital closures, occupational health and safety issues. Branches also take up local individual issues for members and are a source of advice and support close at hand. Most importantly, branches give every individual member a chance to influence state action at the bi-monthly Committee of Delegates, and set the policy of the Association at the Association’s annual conference. Don’t go without – you may not have a problem today but there’s always

c c c c c c c c c c c

tomorrow and you need to be organised. Management is well organised with human resources departments, employer associations, and in the public sector, NSW Health, ready to step in. Not to mention the bevy of solicitors they can drum up at a moment’s notice.

The bottom line You have three choices: 1. Talk to nurses at the workplace and get support for the branch to be reformed. Then contact the NSWNA for help with the process; or 2. Write to the Council of the Association and request a transfer to another branch. This is possible under the rules but obviously does not give you as much influence if other workplaces are involved; or 3. Do nothing and hope you never need the support of your colleagues in taking a united stand. Remember, it’s always easier to pick off individuals than deal with a determined group of nurses and midwives! The choice is yours but think carefully, is there really a choice? Contact your NSWNA organiser to reform your branch – 8595 1234 (metro) and 1300 367 962 (non metro).n

c c c c c c c c c c c c NAME ADDRESS

PHONE (H)

(W)

(MOB)

Large Wrist Watch $40 Fob Watch (Silver) $40 Joey Nurses Pouch Pink $30 Navy $25 Nurses are the Heart of Health Mug $6 NSWNA Zingers $5 TOTAL COST OF ORDER

$25 Nurses Joey Pink $30 Nurses Joey Navy

PLEASE INCLUDE POSTAGE AND HANDLING OF

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CHEQUE

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$40 EXPIRY DATE

Heart Mug

NSWNA Zingers

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Large Wrist Watch

$40

SIGNATURE

To order, fax the order form to Glen Ginty (02) 9550 3667 or post to: NSWNA, PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 Merchandise order forms available on our website www.nswnurses.asn.au

MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM

Look no further than the NSWNA for some great and novel ideas for gifts for your nursing colleagues

c c c

Amity at Queens Park Baradine Multi Purpose Service Bourke Street Health Service Calvary Retirement Community, Cessnock Canley Vale Nursing Home Cobar District Hospital Ferndale Gardens Aged Care Forster/Tuncurry Nursing Home Gladesville/Macquarie Hospital Hoxton Park Community Nurses Hunter Valley Private Hospital Kyogle Memorial Hospital Lake Macquarie Private Hospital Linburn Nursing Home Nexus Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit Nimbin Hospital Norah Head Nursing Home Northern Beaches Mental Health Nurses Port Macquarie Private Hospital Rosemore Nursing Home Ryde Hospital and Community Health Service Sacred Heart & St Vincent’s Community Health (SVCH) Scalabrini Village, Bexley Shellharbour Private Hospital Shoalhaven Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Nurses South Western Sydney Community Nurses South Zone Sydney West Nurse Managers Tamworth Mental Health Nurses War Memorial Hospital Wontama Nursing Home.

THE25/5/09 LAMP JUNE 2009 39 11:08:29 AM

B O O K S

SPECIAL INTEREST TITLE

Always Liza to Me: A Memoir for My Silent Sister

Book me Perioperative Nursing: an Introductory Text By Lois Hamlin [ed. in chief], [edited by] Marilyn Richardson-Tench and Menna Davies, Mosby Elsevier, RRP $59.95 : ISBN 9780729538879 Perioperative Nursing: an Introductory Text is designed to appeal to a broad-based market including trainee enrolled nurses, undergraduate nursing students doing perioperative clinical placement, and postgraduate students of perioperative nursing. It is also designed to be of use to registered nurses already working in or preparing to work in this area, as well as other operating room staff such as anesthetic technicians. It is a impartial text that discusses the roles and responsibilities involved in perioperative nursing, some technical aspects such as wound care, the changing face of perioperative nursing with a greater emphasis on day surgery, anesthesia, medico-legal aspects and professional development.

Mental Health Nursing: An Evidence-Based Approach nd

(2 edition) By Rob Newell and Kevin Gournay, Churchill Livingstone (available through Elsevier Australia), RRP $84.70 : ISBN 9780443074516 The role of nursing within mental health care has changed and increased tremendously in recent

years. The practice of evidence-based care is at least as much about avoiding harm through inaction or inappropriate action as it is about appropriate interventions. By enabling us to question practice, evidence can be used to empower patients by insisting on care that is based on evidence rather than simply custom and practice. Throughout the book, the expert contributors have sought to base their chapters on evidence.

The Foundations of Emergency Care Edited by Cliff Evans and Emma Tippins, McGrawHill/Open University Press, RRP $57 : ISBN 9780335221240 The intention of The Foundations of Emergency Care is to assist frontline practitioners and students aiming to specialise within emergency care to gain the essential assessment skills necessary for acute care environments, and to forge a solid foundation of theoretical knowledge and understanding upon which to base their clinical practice.

A to Z Drug Facts

(8th edition) By David S. Tatro [PharmD], Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, RRP £29.95 : ISBN 9781574392777 The Wolters Kluwer Health drug information product, A to Z Drug Facts, has been the pharmacists’ source for drug information for more

WHERE TO GET THIS MONTH’S NEW RELEASES These books are all available on order through the publisher or your local bookshop. Members of the NSWNA can borrow any of these books and more from our Records and Information Centre. For borrowing information, contact Jeannette Bromfield, 8595 2175, jbromfield@nswnurses.asn.au or Cathy Matias, 8595 2121, cmatias@ nswnurses.asn.au Reviews by NSWNA librarian, Jeannette Bromfield. 40 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

PUBLISHER’S WEBSITES c McGraw-Hill Education: www.mcgraw-hill.com.au c Allen and Unwin: www.allenandunwin.com c Churchill Livingstone: www.elsevierhealth.com/index.jsp c Elsevier Australia: www.elsevier.com.au c Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins: www.lww.com

By Cecilia Rice, Allen and Unwin, RRP $32.99 : ISBN 9781741751673 (pbk.) Always Liza to Me is the story of the Rice family, and of Liza, their severely mentallyretarded eldest daughter. It’s a story about what it was like growing up in a large, rowdy household forever in the thrall of this unknowable, unreachable child. When she was small Cecilia, one of Liza’s sisters, always believed she would not survive to adulthood, that she would never be her ‘problem’. But she did survive. With warmth, wisdom and humor, Cecilia reveals how her family came to think of ‘the Liza problem’ as theirs and how, through the passing of time and a mysterious process of acceptance and forgiveness, their fears and resentment turned into fierce loyalty and abiding love. Provided by publisher. than 50 years. This compact, portable, alphabetically-organised drug reference provides quick access to current, reliable information on more than 4,500 commonly prescribed medications. Each drug monograph is divided into pharmacological and patient care considerations, and includes action, indications, contraindications, route/dosage, interactions, lab test interferences, adverse reactions, precautions/warnings, administration/ storage, assessment/interventions, and patient/family education.

Clinical Cases in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health By Caroline De Costa and Paul Howat, McGraw Hill Education, RRP $48 : ISBN 9780074716403 Clinical Cases in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health consists of real and common case scenarios covering the broad spectrum of obstetrics, gynaecology and women’s health. Each case is followed through its various stages and offers a number of logical and practical ways of investigating and managing the presenting condition. In addition, the case studies are supplemented with guidelines/clinical tips, chapter objectives, lists of key points, tables, test results and references.n

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 41

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How does it work? It’s not some sort of tax loophole, it’s a special set of rules for a special industry. To take advantage of the savings, you need to have a salary sacrifice agreement with your employer. Then, once you’ve applied for your Meal Entertainment Card, your employer deposits the amount you’ve agreed on into your account. After that, you will receive a specific Visa card that you can start using to pay for meal entertainment expenses. As with any Visa card, you receive a monthly statement so you can keep tabs on your spending. The other advantage is that you don’t have to hang onto receipts and paperwork and apply for reimbursements. It’s a simpler system. Like any Visa card, it can be used anywhere in the world to pay for everyday expenses, wherever Visa is accepted. If you’re hungry for more information, just visit our website at: www.employeebenefitscard.com.au Current at June 2009

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The latest nursing research and scholarship he Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing continues to provide a valuable forum for original research and scholarship. The latest edition of AJAN is available at www.ajan.com.au. Highlights include:

Comorbid illness affects health-related quality of life after coronary artery bypass graft surgery Geraldine Lee, MPhil, DipEd, BSc, RGN The purpose of this study was primarily to examine patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and secondarily to examine the effect of comorbid illness on Geraldine Lee HRQoL five years after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABGS). The study concludes that the presence of comorbid illness impacts significantly on physical HRQoL five years after CABGS but no such effect is noted in mental wellbeing. From a nursing perspective, the importance of comorbid illness should be taken into account when planning physical activities after CABGS, when educating patients about the benefits of CABGS and when setting realistic expectations after surgery. c www.ajan.com.au/Vol26/26-3_

Lee.pdf

Exploration of interaction and shared care arrangements of generalist community nurses and external nursing teams in a rural health setting Gay Woodhouse, RN, CM, GradCert Community Nursing, GradCert Advanced Rural Nursing, Master of Clinical Nursing The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the understanding of nurses within a shared care model and the degree of interaction evident in their practice in the shared-care Gay Woodhouse nursing environment in a rural care setting. Sharing of care between

different nursing teams can allow for the improved use of minimal resources available in rural communities. The objectives of the research were firstly, to identify the interactions of nursing teams in a shared care model and secondly, to determine how shared care is evident in their practice. The final objective was to draw attention to the importance of shared care models in rural health settings and to develop recommendations to support shared care models. Results suggest that confusion around roles, skills, communication, care planning and coordination of care within a shared care model are creating barriers to effective sharing of care. Co-location of services should enhance sharing of care. These results should facilitate the development of care approaches that maximise health outcomes.

is predicted to be unsustainable. Officials argue government has a stringent responsibility to ration current and future resources in the health and social care sector, cautioning that if this is not done, the nation’s public services will ultimately collapse under the strain of the ever-increasing demands placed on these services. This characterisation of population ageing and its consequences to the nation’s social wellbeing may, however, be false and misleading and needs to be questioned. The nursing profession has a fundamental role to play in ensuring responsible debate about population ageing and contributing to public policy agenda. c www.ajan.com.au/Vol26/26-3_

Johnstone.pdf

Implementing clinical guidelines for acute stroke management: do nurses have a lead role?

c www.ajan.com.au/Vol26/

26-3_Woodhouse.pdf Kelvin Hill

Population ageing and the politics of demographic alarmism: implications for the nursing profession Megan-Jane Johnstone, PhD, BA, RN, FRCNA; Olga Kanitsaki, AM, PhD, MEdStud, BAppSc (AdvNsg), RN, FRCN This article provides a brief examination of the prejudices and politics Megan-Jane framing current public Johnstone debate on population ageing in Australia and the possible implications of this for the allocation of required health and social sector resources. The role and responsibility of nurses and professional nursing organisations to engage in and influence public policy debate concerning the health and social care of older people is highlighted. The cost of meeting the future health and social care needs of older Australians

Sandy Middleton

Elizabeth O’Brien

Kelvin Hill, Sandy Middleton, Elizabeth O’Brien and Erin Lalor Health professionals should be aware of, and implement, best practice clinical guidelines for stroke care. Using the latest National Stroke Foundation Clinical Guidelines for Acute Stroke Management, this study aimed to determine which member of the multidisciplinary team would most likely be responsible for taking the lead role for implementing each recommendation. Neuroscience nurses have a key role in the multidisciplinary stroke team.n c www.ajan.com.

au/Vol26/263_Middleton.pdf Erin Lalor THE LAMP JUNE 2009 43

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re you a Registered/Division 1 or Division 2 nurse, with a current practicing certificate, working in an aged care facility or in the community aged care sector? Do you need funding towards any of the following? •Tertiary studies •Short course/workshop •Conference attendance. You may be eligible for an Australian Government Scholarship.

the Fund Administrator on the freecall number 1800 116 696.

44 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

For further information please visit www.rcna.org.au or contact

CRoSSWoRD Test your knowledge in this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nursing crossword.

9 10

11 12

16 17

18 19 22

23 24

s 1. 7. 8. 9. 12. 14. 17. 18.

ACROSS Disease caused by the EpsteinBarr virus (9,5) Chest pain caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart (6) Infectious organism (8) Signs, indications (8) Placenta (10) Sharp, sudden (5) Pharyngeal tonsil (7) Vigour, might (8)

19. 22. 24. 25. 26. s 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Largest artery (5) Respiring (9) Hair of the forehead (7) Cortisone, prednisone (8) Wellbeing (6)

DOWN Disease of the optic nerve (8) Ends of the fingers and toes (5) Blood in urine (7) The desire to eat (8) Adipose (3)

6. 10. 11. 13. 15. 16. 19. 20. 21. 23.

Type of arthritis (10) Intensive care, abbrev (1.1.1.) Notice, poster (4) The old wireless (5) Clouding of the eye (8) Adolescent (8) How old someone is (3) Bone of the leg (5) Short, little (3) Frozen (4)

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DIARY DATES Conferences, seminars, meetings SYDNEY, HUNTER & ILLAWARRA Transplantation Seminar Day – RPA 10 June, 8.30am–3.30pm. Cost: $55 Contact: Fiona Burrell, 9515 7543, burrellf@email.cs.nsw.gov.au AusMed Conferences • ’Personality Disorders in the Workplace’, 12–13 June, 66 Goulburn St. Cost $495 • ‘Nurses: General Educ. Update’, 6–7 July, Quality Hotel Cambridge. Cost $438.90 • Nursing Management of People With Adult Diabetes, 30–31 July, Quality Hotel Cambridge. Cost $438.90 Info: (03) 9375 7311, www.ausmed.com.au ACAT Nurses Special Interest Group 16 June, 1–3pm, Conf. Rm 2A / 2B, Bankstown Hosp. Info: Wendy Oliver, 9722 7300, wendy.oliver@sswahs.nsw.gov.au NSW Society of Vascular Nurses Supper Session – ’The Cleveland Experience’. Speaker: Dr. Walid Mohabbat. 16 June, 6.30pm, Dalcross Hosp.Boardroom, Killara. Contact: Edel Murray, 8382 7452, emurray@stvincents.com.au

Neurosurgical Nursing Prof. Develop. Scholarship Committee Annual Conf. 2009 – The Future of Neurosurgery 26 June, Four Points by Sheraton, Darling Harbour. Contact: 9954 4400 or email nnpdsc@dcconferences.com.au Royal College of Nursing – Nursing and Health Expo 28 June, 10am-3pm, AJC Randwick Racecourse. Entry: Gold coin donation Contact: 1800 061 660, expo@rcna.org.au Mountains to the Sea Midwifery Conf. 3 July, Wollongong Hosp. (Auditorium 8th Fl) Contact: Kerry Duggan, 4222 5000 Sydney CAREX 2009 Aged Care Expo 15–16 July, Rosehill Racecourse. Contact: Wayne Woff, (03) 9571 5606 Web: www.totalagedservices.com.au Australasian Rehabilitation Nurses’ Assoc. NSA/ACT Chapter Annual Study Day ‘Diversity in Rehabilitation’ 24 July, 8am-4pm The Epping Club Free to members, $50 non-members Contact: Amanda Buzio 9808 9687 Australian Ctr for Grief & Bereavement International Educator Tour 09 Workshop 27–28 July, Sydney Vibe Hotel

Contact: (03) 9265 2100, info@grief.org.au, www.grief.org.au

18–19 June, Sofitel Melbourne Contact: (03) 9658 2399, www.cmsa.org.au

Australian College of Midwives NSW Branch Annual State Conf. 2009 ‘MIDWIFERY GOING FOR GOLD’ 7–8 Aug Novotel Sydney Olympic Park. Info: 9281 9522,www.nswmidwives.com.au

Drug & Alcohol Nurses of Australasia – 2009 Conference 24–26 June, Holiday Inn, Surfers Paradise Contact: (07) 3831 3788

The Cardiac Society of Australia & NZ (CSANZ) Inaugural Indigenous Cardiovascular Health Conference 16–17 Aug, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Ctr. Contact: www.csanz.edu.au

APSACC 2009: Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference ’Taking responsibility, fighting complacency’ 28–31 July, Brisbane Contact: (07) 3360 6060, info@apsacc. com.au, www.apsacc.com.au

Infection Control Conference NSW Inc. ‘Roller Coaster of Infection Control’ 3–4 Sept, Luna Park. Contact: Michelle Berarducci, 9745 9613, ica@nursing. edu.au, www.icansw.org.au

Australian Public Sector AntiCorruption Conference – ’Taking responsibility, fighting complacency” 28–31 July, Brisbane. Info: (07) 3360 6060, info@apsacc.com.au, www.apsacc.com.au

35th International Conf. of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses 29 Sept – 2 Oct, Sheraton on the Park Info: www.astmanagement.com/acmhn9

4th International Conf. on Community Health Nursing Research – ’Health in Transition: Researching for the Future’ 16–20 Aug, Adelaide, SA. Info: (08) 8354 2285, www.healthintransition2009.org.au

Vascular 09 ’Innovation in Intervention’ 1–4 Oct, Shangri-La Hotel. Abstracts closes 15 June. Info: www.vascular2009.com

INTERSTATE AND OVERSEAS The Case Management Society of Aust. 12th National Conf. & Exhibition

CATSIN – Council of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Nurses, 10th National Conference 10–12 Sept, Mercure Grosvenor Hotel, Adelaide. Contact: (03) 5886-0505

Agitated, Disruptive–Even Assaultive Patients? We can help! Are you concerned about the risk of violence in your hospital or care institution? Are you prepared? Since 1980, the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) has been teaching health care professionals proven methods for managing difficult or assaultive behaviour. To date, over 5.4 million individuals—including thousands of nurses and other health care professionals—have participated in the highly successful CPI Nonviolent Crisis InterventionSM training course. This course not only teaches staff how to respond effectively to the warning signs that someone is about to lose control, but also addresses how staff can deal with their own stress and anxiety when confronted with these difficult situations. For further details on the CPI Nonviolent Crisis InterventionSM training course, call us toll-free at 1800 55 3247, visit www.crisisprevention.com, or email us at info@crisisprevention.com.

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46 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

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Send information to: Editorial Enquiries Email: lamp@nswnurses.asn.au Fax: 9550 3667 Australian College of Midwives 16th Biennial Conference â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Women & Midwives â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Brilliant Blendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 22â&#x20AC;&#x201C;25 Sept, Adelaide Convention Ctr SA. Contact: www.acmi.org.au International Conf. on Cultural Connections for Quality Care at the End of Life 24â&#x20AC;&#x201C;28 September, Perth WA. Contact: www.pallcare.org.au 14th Australasian Nurse Educators Conference 2009 in New Zealand. 30 September â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 October, Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch, NZ Info: www.nursed.ac.nz

NSWNA events Upcoming NSWNA Committee of Delegates (CODs) Meetings 15 September, 17 November NSWNA 64th Annual Conference Conf: 29 & 30 July â&#x20AC;˘ Prof. Day: 31 July

Reunions Prince Henry & Prince of Wales â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 1976, 30 Year Reunion 7 June. Contact: Vicki Joyce (Schubert), 0409 148 688, fvschubert@people.net.au Blacktown Hospital PTS 1974â&#x20AC;&#x201C;78 Date & venue: TBA (June, Sydney) Contact: Heather Chislett (Niven), 0438 246 441/4921 4227, hcchislett@hotmail.com/ heather.chislett@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au

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

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re having a reunion, send us some photos and any information from the night, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll try to publish them.

furniss@email.cs.nsw.gov.au or glenda. hodgess@email.cs.nsw.gov.au

Contact: Carolynne Macdonald, 4228 8936, jeltzz@ozemail.com.au

Albury Base Hospital June 1979 Group â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 30 Year Reunion 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;21 June, Commercial Club, Albury Info: Judy Heather (Gabriel), 6025 1571

RPAH March â&#x20AC;&#x2122;73 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Seeking interest. Contact: Dianne â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;McKentishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Webb, 6926 1545, diannenathan@hotmail.com or on Facebook as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;RPAH March â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;73â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

RAHC PTS 1969 4 July, El Phoenician Restaurant, 6.30pm Contact: Robyn Hannan (Hadley), 0417 259 392, robyn@hantecsvs.com.au

Prince Henry & POW July â&#x20AC;&#x2122;79 PTC 30-Yr Date: TBA. Contact: Gill Longbottom, 0402 848 542/ Karen Mcguire(Gilliman), 0408 269 414/ Lynne Dive(Mccarthy), kl.dive@hotmail.com

RNSH General Nursing July â&#x20AC;&#x2122;79 4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 July. Looking for Sue McBurnie, Lyndall Jeffreys & Anna Friejs. Contact: Judy Watson (Charles), 0412 806 138, judycharleswatson reunion@live.com.au Austin Hospital PTS 157 (Heidelberg, Victoria) 40 Year Reunion Date: July/August, Victoria (TBA). Contact: Dianne Walker, 0412 341 152, 9466 7267, Dianne@thewalkers.com.au RPAH reunions July 1962â&#x20AC;&#x201C;66 group Seeking interest. Contact: Rosemary Cuneo, 9953 5257, rjohno@bigpond.net.au Bankstown Hosp. 1969 nurses reunion 40th Anniv. of 1969 class of general nurses. 5 Sept, Dynasty Restaurant, Canterbury Leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club, 7pm. Cost: Âą$70. Contact: Khing Sin McCotter, 0413 041 069, ksmccotter@optusnet.com.au

St Vincentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hosp. 40-Years Reunion PTS June 1969 Group. June, Sydney Contact: Carol Reidy (Taylor), 9489 3960, reidycarolyn@yahoo.com.au/ Chris Doig (Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell), 6920 7431, doigy@activ8.net

Mater Graduate Nursesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association Annual Reunion Mass & Lunch 18 Oct. Mass 11.45am at â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Our Lady Star of the Seaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Kirribilli. Lunch 1pm, Vibe Htl, Milsons Point. Cost: $50 pp (before 31 Aug)/ $55 pp (after). RSVP by 11 Sept. Contact: Jillian Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, 9900 7549, matergrads@matersydney.com.au

RPA Hospital 1979 June PCB 20 June. Contact: Debra Furniss, debra.

Wollongong Hosp. Grad. 40th Reunion 7 Nov. Venue: TBA. Seeking graduates

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Bankstown Hospital PTS April 1979 Seeking interest. Contact: Mary T. Ehlefeldt, mtehl@optusnet.com.au

NSWNA Branch OďŹ&#x192;cialsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Activistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Training Program

2009 Fairness at Work 2 day course for branch officials and activists c 10-11 June, NSWNA (Camperdown) c 10-11 June, Central Coast c 17-18 June, Ballina c 17-18 June, Tamworth c 17-18 June, NSWNA (Camperdown) c 24-25 June, Wagga Wagga

New Delegates Program

St Josephs Hosp. Auburn â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Feb â&#x20AC;&#x2122;77 PTS Seeking all nurses who commenced training February 1977. Contact: Cathy Kerr, rkerr@ambos.com.au

Half day, 1pm-4pm for new delegates c Tuesday 15 September Venue: NSWNA Camperdown.

Other notices

1 day, 9am-4pm for branch officials and activists c Wednesday 16 September c Wednesday 18 November Venue: NSWNA Camperdown

Treatment for Alcohol Use & Trauma Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Study If you have suffered serious trauma or distress, you can participate in this Sydney-based study. Sponsored by NSCCH, RPAH and the National Drug & alcohol Research Centre. Contact: Dr Claudia Sannibale, 0414 385 149, c.sannibale@unsw.edu.au Nurses Christian Fellowship â&#x20AC;˘ Prof. B/fast: 20 June, 9am, Coonanbarra CafĂŠ, Wahroonga. Info: Jane, 9449 4868 â&#x20AC;˘ Winter Dinner:18 July, 7pm, Rhodes Phoenix Restaurant, Rider Boulevarde Rhodes. Info: Jane 9449 4868 â&#x20AC;˘ Workshop â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Can I Forgive? Abuse in the Workplaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: 21 Aug, 7pm, 5 Byfield St, Macquarie Park. Info: Diana 9476 4440 â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Controversies in Public Health â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lecture Series 2009â&#x20AC;&#x2122; presented by The School of Public Health, Uni. of Sydney. â&#x20AC;˘ 1 July: Welcome back Nanny? Civil liberties versus the public good. â&#x20AC;˘ 5 August: The kindest cut of all: did we get it wrong on circumcision? â&#x20AC;˘ 9 Sept: Is the genetic revolution overhyped? â&#x20AC;˘12 Oct: Obesity: is the food industry more part of the problem than part of the solution? â&#x20AC;˘ 19 Nov: Whither primary health care in Australia? Venue: Eastern Avenue Complex, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, 5:30-6pm: refreshments, 6-7pm: lecture Cost: Free. Registration (essential) and information: www.health.usyd.edu.au

Negotiation & Advocacy Part 1

Negotiation & Advocacy Part 2 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The IRC, NMB and Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 1 day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9am-4pm Target group: those who have completed the Negotiation and Advocacy workshop in 2008 or Part 1 in 2008. c Wednesday 16 September, c Wednesday 18 November. Venue: NSWNA Camperdown Full details will be sent to branches via General Secretary Circulars. For more informatioan contact Vicki Anderson at the NSWNA. Metro (02) 8595 1234 â&#x20AC;˘ Rural 1300 367 962

Crossword solution

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 47

£500 relocation bonus to work in the UK Fantastic way to make European travel affordable Short and long term vacancies to suit your needs Variety of locations across the UK Hays Healthcare is offering a £500 relocation bonus* to Nurses working in the UK, we understand that relocating can be stressful and ﬁnancially difﬁcult so aim to help make your trip easier and give you more cash to spend on exploring Europe! We cover a range of nursing professions across the UK and offer help and guidance with your visa application, MNC registration and overseas nursing program as well as: • • • • • •

£500 relocation bonus* £150 referral bonus when you refer your friends* Competitive rates of pay Ongoing secured agency work 24 days paid holiday (pro-rata) Help setting up a UK bank account

Hays Healthcare offers a personalised service where your local Australian based consultant can guide you through the process step by step as well as having direct contact with the UK team and access to vacancies. To receive an information pack or have a face-to-face meeting please contact the consultant below. Please contact Caroline Morfoot-Pettit T 02 8226 9770 E caroline.morfoot-pettit@hays.com.au *Conditions apply

Specialist Recruitment hays.com.au 48 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

You don’t need to leave Australia for your next career move! Variety of locations across Australia Excellent salary packages Public and Private hospitals Hays Healthcare is a national specialist recruitment consultancy, offering permanent job opportunities across Australia for experienced nursing staff. As a preferred supplier to public and private hospitals, Hays Healthcare recruits Nurses and Midwives for some of the best employment opportunities in the country. Hays Healthcare is currently recruiting for public, private hospitals and remote and rural hospitals. We have some fantastic opportunities available now in the following specialties and major capital cities of Australia. These are permanent positions and sponsorship is available to eligible Nurses/Midwives. We will organise everything for you and ensure you achieve the best possible job and beneﬁts. • • • • • •

ITU (certiﬁcated) Midwives CCU Mental Health (In-patient) Theatre (Scrub & Circulate) Oncology

Please contact Helen Drummond T 02 8226 9695 E helen.drummon@hays.com.au

Specialist Recruitment hays.com.au THE LAMP JUNE 2009 49

OPEN NIGHT Drake Medox is recruiting right now! • Are you a Registered Nurse, Enrolled Nurse or Midwife? • Are you looking for ﬂexibility in your life? • Do you want to design your own roster? • Do you want to work when and where you want? At Drake Medox we offer a personalised service, work/life balance and unique rewards program. For every hour you work you receive a reward point. These can be redeemed for gift vouchers from Myer, David Jones, Dymocks and many more!

Great legal advice for Nurses Maurice Blackburn are proud to be the lawyers for the New South Wales Nurses’ Association.

Free legal advice#

Conditions apply

Call the Association information line on 1300 367 962 Maurice Blackburn has ofﬁces in:

Come into the city and meet the friendly consultants from the Sydney ofﬁce over a relaxing drink and nibbles.

WHERE: Level 11/ 60 Margaret Street, Sydney WHEN: Monday 6th July 17.30- 19.30 RSVP: Please call Vanessa on 9273 0539 to register by Monday 29th June.

Sydney T (02) 9261 1488

Newcastle T (02) 4953 9500

New ofﬁces in: Parramatta T (02) 9806 7222

Canberra T (02) 6214 3200

Visiting Ofﬁces Camperdown T (02) 9261 1488

Wollongong T (02) 9261 1488

Appointments for regional members can also be arranged.

www.mauriceblackburn.com.au

w w w. d r a k e m e d o x . c o m . a u

Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery

7/2,$ #,!33 2%054!4)/.

Attention Registered Nurses!

WRONG BED or WRONG WARD… i.e. INAPPROPRIATE for their conditions According to the special commission of inquiry into acute care services in NSW public hospitals, currently existing clinical barriers were demonstrated by mismatch between patient’s conditions and ward specialty (Garling, 2008). Poorer patient outcomes have been reported to relate to patients being admitted to “inappropriate” wards for their condition – subsequently labelled as “outlier patients”.

This study is being conducted to explore nurses’ experience of caring for “outlier patients” who have “ended up in the wrong bed”. If you are a registered nurse who has been working in a public hospital in NSW within the last two years, please contact Jasmine Cheung (PhD student) to share your experience of nursing “outlier patients”. PhD student: Jasmine Cheung T: 61 2 9351 0760 Email: jche9913@mail.usyd.edu.au Supervisors: Associate Professors M. Boughton & S. West 50 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

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$EPAR TMENT OF 2URAL (EALTH » Do you want to use the power of computers, the Internet and tele-health to deliver more effective, more efficient and more patient-oriented health care? If you are interested, then these courses may be for you: H5E Graduate Certificate in E-Health (Health Informatics) This is a part-time course comprising three compulsory units and one elective. All units are one semester in length. H6E Graduate Diploma of E-Health (Health Informatics) This part-time course builds on the certificate course, and consists of an additional two compulsory units and two extra electives. All units are one semester in length. Courses are external, self-paced learning packages using electronic and/or print-based materials. They can be completed with a minimum of disruption to home and work life as there is no compulsory residential component. This is a fee-paying course, but some Commonwealth Supported Places are available. Applications for 2009 are still open. For more information, contact: University of Tasmania Department of Rural Health Phone: (03) 6324 4000 E-mail: Sue.Whetton@utas.edu.au www.ruralhealth.utas.edu.au/ informatics/lamp0906.php

7000TL

Have you ever thought you are caring for patients in the:

DRAWN 30 JUNE 2009

m e w m e n b a p u n g i S the chance to win a beautiful Broeomre holiday for

With more members we have a louder voice and a stronger union. The more members at your workplace, the stronger your voice and bargaining position with your employer. With more members we will achieve better pay and conditions for you! Not only will you be making your union stronger by signing up a new member, you and a friend could be jetting off from Sydney to Cable Beach, Broome. That’s seven nights of tropical bliss – just for signing up a new member!

www.australiasnorthwest.com

The prize includes return flights from Sydney to Broome, seven nights in a two-bedroom apartment at Broome’s newest Resort, The Pearle of Cable Beach, a Gourmet Sunset Sail or Champagne Breakfast Sail for two from INTOMBI Broome’s Pearling Lugger Experience, car hire from Broome Broome Car Rentals plus a Willie Creek Pearl Farm Tour and a Pearl Luggers Tour.

HURRY! Call the Association now for a recruitment kit and recruitment incentive scheme details. Ph: 8595 1234 (metropolitan area) or 1300 367 962 (non metropolitan area) or go to www.nswnurses.asn.au

THE LAMP JUNE 2009 51

www.thepearle.com.au

Are retirement options

for your super confusing you?

Our members told us that they wanted some simple options for their retirement and tools to help them sort through the complexities. And we listened!

First State Super Retirement Product of the Year Value Choice 2008

First State Super now has 2 great retirement options:

First State Super’s Options 55-plus calculator

Retirement Income Stream

Transition to Retirement Income Stream

Designed for employees aged 55 to 75 years old and thinking of a transition to retirement income stream (TRIS). Looks at changes to take home pay and super balances when income from employment is combined with TRIS income, and how salary sacriﬁce contributions can decrease income tax.

retirement income payments

tax offsets (rebates)

the tax effectiveness of working and drawing on your super at the same time.

First State Super – making a difference!

Low fees | Simple | Open

More information Web: www.firststatesuper.com.au Phone: 1300 650 873 Email: enquiries@firststatesuper.com.au

* Age restriction and other conditions apply. Consider the First State Super Product Disclosure Statement having regard to your own situation before deciding whether to become a member or continue membership. A copy is available by calling us or visiting our website. The information contained in this document is current as at April 2009. Prepared by FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 11 118 202 672, AFSL 293340, the trustee of First State Superannuation Scheme ABN 53 226 460 365. 52 THE LAMP JUNE 2009

LISTEN 04/09

On our website you’ll ﬁnd 3 easy to use calculators to help you work out: