THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION
VOLUME 71 No.2 MARCH 2014
Big win for mothers and midwives +
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CONTENTS
lamp THE
CONTACTS NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association For all membership enquiries and assistance, including Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office.
VOLUME 71 No.2 MARCH 2014
Sydney Office 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au W www.nswnma.asn.au Hunter Office 8-14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2300 NSWNMA Communications Manager Janaki Chellam-Rajendra T 8595 1258
COVER STORY
12 | Birthrate Plus delivers for mothers and midwives Westmead Hospital’s midwifery service is reaping the rewards of a union-negotiated staffing tool. Acting Midwifery Unit Manager Candace Everard PHOTOGRAPH: SHARON HICKEY
REGULARS
5 6 8 37 39 43 44 47 49 50
Editorial Your letters News in brief Ask Judith Social Media Crossword Nursing research online Books Movie of the month Diary dates
PRIVATISATION
22 | Nurses challenge Hunter privatisations
8 | Win a pair of Ascent shoes
Produced by Hester Communications T 9568 3148 Press Releases Send your press releases to: F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au
PHS 2014
18 | Get ready to vote: Public Health System claim 2014 Our 2014 pay and conditions claim for the Public Health System continues to seek to improve and extend the ratios won in our 2010 campaign.
PRIVATISATION
28 | Speaking up for the silent If she could speak, Monica Reinhard would ask the NSW Disability Services Minister John Ajaka why he plans to close her home of 42 years.
YOU COULD WIN!
FOR ALL EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES, LETTERS AND DIARY DATES: T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnma.asn.au M 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017
PEOPLE
32 | Life lessons delivered in flame
December-January is fire season in the Blue Mountains. But fire doesn’t follow a calendar.
Editorial Committee • Brett Holmes, NSWNMA General Secretary • Judith Kiejda, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary • Coral Levett, NSWNMA President • Elsie May Henson, Barraba Multi Purpose Service • Peg Hibbert, Hornsby & Ku-Ring-Gai Hospital • Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care • Richard Noort, Justice Health Advertising Patricia Purcell T 8595 2139 or 0416 259 845 or F 9662 1414 E ppurcell@nswnma.asn.au Information and Records Management Centre To find old articles from The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNMA nursing and health collection, contact: Jeannette Bromfield, Coordinator T 8595 2175 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au
The Lamp ISSN: 0047-3936 General disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSWNMA. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSWNMA. Statements of fact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibility is accepted for them. All material appearing in The Lamp is covered by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission. The NSWNMA takes no responsibility for the advertising appearing herein and it does not necessarily endorse any products advertised. Privacy Privacy statement: The NSWNMA collects personal information from members in order to perform our role of representing their industrial and professional interests. We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information. Personal information is protected under law and can only be released to someone else where the law requires or where you give permission. If you have concerns about your personal information please contact the NSWNMA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained you can contact the Privacy Commission. Subscriptions for 2014 Free to all Association members. Professional members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $55. Individuals $80, Institutions $135, Overseas $145. THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 3
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Are Are your workmates or friends members of the NSWNMA? Why Why not ask them. And, if not, invite them to sign up. up. Like Like you, they need the security of belonging to a strong and dynamic dynamic union. Not only will you be building your union by by signing up new members, you and a friend could win this Singapore. e. The more more members fabulous holiday to Singapor up,, the mor moree cchances you sign up hances you have have to win! airfares twoo The prize includes rreturn eturn airfar es for tw from Sydney with Scoot Airlines; 5-nights Shangri-La accommodation at the Shang ri-La Hotel, Singapore; Attractions Singapor e; Attr actions Pass for 2; and taxi transfers tr ansfers from airport rreturn. eturn. Remember ffor or every every new member you recruit/ha recruit/have ve recruited from 1 Jul Julyy 2013 to 30 June 2014 means you will ha have ve your name submitted to the dra draw. w.
RECRUITERS NO NOTE: TE: Nurses and midwives can now join online aatt www.nswnma.asn.au! www .nswnma.asn.au! .nswnma.asn.au If you refer a new member to join online, make sure you ask them to put your name and workplace on the online aapplication pplication form. form. You You will then be entitled to your vouchers and dra draw/s w/s in the NSWNMA Recruitment Incentive Scheme.
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EDITORIAL BY BRETT HOLMES GENERAL SECRETARY
Profiting from people’s ill health Every month seems to bring a new announcement by the state government of another public health service to be privatised. Now the federal government is extending the threat to Medicare.
Medicare is not a privilege, it is an absolute right.
A delegation of nurses from the Northern Beaches recently visited their local MP, Bronwyn Bishop, a senior and influential federal Liberal Party politician, to voice their concerns about the privatisation of the new Northern Beaches Hospital. Her replies to their concerns were very instructive. The nurses put it to her that the new hospital would have a profit rather than a patient focus. There is nothing wrong with making a profit, she told them. When they reminded her of the dismal failure of the Port Macquarie Base Hospital privatisation she told them – that was many years ago, I don’t want it brought up, it is ancient. All their concerns about service cuts, the impact on staff and the costs to patients she dismissed as “speculation”. These replies are to be respected for their honesty but they do confirm what the NSWNMA has been saying for some time – that the federal and state Liberal governments have an ideological tendency that favours privatisation of public health services and that is increasingly reflected in government policy. The reticence to look at past experiences confirms the ideological nature of this policy direction.
USER PAY AGENDA EXTENDED TO MEDICARE Bronwyn Bishop isn’t the only one in the Liberal Party who sees no problem with private enterprise making a dollar out of people’s ill health. When he was Shadow Minister for Health, Peter Dutton indicated a Coalition federal government “would work with state governments to deliver services through private entities”. Now he is the Minister for Health he has indicated he is ready to implement that strategy. Last month on the ABC’s 7.30 Report he asserted that Australia’s current spending on healthcare was unsustainable. When pressed he said Australians who could afford it should pay more for healthcare. He confirmed he was looking at introducing a Medicare co-payment. In a speech the same day Minister Dutton flagged
a greater role for the private sector and private insurers in primary care as the government wanted to “grow the opportunity for those Australians who can afford to do so to contribute to their own healthcare costs”. Ironically, in the lead up to the February 8 bi-election in Griffith, Queensland, Tony Abbott dismissed such ideas as a “Labor scare campaign”. Ironically the federal government led by Mr Abbott and ably assisted by the Treasurer and Health Minister, are developing the narrative that public spending is unsustainable and therefore services should be cut or privatised under a user pays mechanism, or direct handover to the private sector. If this isn’t a scare campaign aimed at softening up the public for attacks on the likes of Medicare I don’t know what is. Make no mistake, co-payments or any other initiative, in the guise of helping to fund Medicare by undermining the fundamental principal of universal access, will mark its death knell. This trend will see our health system move into an even more precarious state similar to the United States health system. Medicare is under serious attack. It follows that if you can’t afford good healthcare or private health insurance then you can’t have it unless charity steps in.
WE MUST DEFEND MEDICARE Medicare is not a privilege, it is an absolute right. Medicare is not free but funded by a 1.5% levy on income tax and general taxation. Australians are entitled to universal health care because they have paid for that right. For the past 30 years Medicare, our universal health insurance system, has made our country a fairer, safer and better society to live in. No sensible political party would put that in jeopardy.Yet we have a federal government that won’t rule out such an attack as part of the Commission of Audit budget savings. It’s up to all of us to make clear to this federal government that Medicare is here to stay. Woe betide any politician or government that tries to take it away from us. THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 5
YOUR LETTERS
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Others to blame for workers comp The sad story of Pat Towells, and her unfair dismissal from her job at BUPA Armidale, should strike fear into the heart of every nurse and midwife in New South Wales. While it is correct to lay the blame fairly at the feet of Premier O’Farrell and his obdurate band of economic harpies, there are other parties who have escaped accountability for their actions in passing this legislation. I am referring to Fred Nile, the “Christian” Democrat Upper House member whose Nile Amendment to the legislation retrospectively abolished all claims for lump sum impairment payments that are below 11% of whole-person impairment, and provided that injured workers cannot recover the legal costs they incur to run a workers compensation claim, even if they are successful in the NSW Workers Compensation Commission. What sort of accidental injury could result in less than 11% impairment? Loss of whole or part of both ears, 10%. Loss of 50% or less of nose, 10%. Scars or skin-grafts occupying 2140% of body surface area, 10%. Loss of both senses of taste and smell, 10%. To top it off, if you sue your employer you are liable for their costs, even if you win. Even if the employer hires a lawyer who charges $1000 per hour. Even if the legal fees add up to a sum greater than any subsequent payout. Need I say more? Nile reportedly addressed the House in support of his amendments for a sum total of two minutes. That hardly qualifies as debate, does it? The Shooters and Fishers Party were also complicit in this despicable law being passed and I think it is pertinent to ask exactly what they and Nile received as trade-offs for their fawning servility to the Premier in this matter? When the next NSW state election comes around, think hard about who you vote for in the Upper House. Remember this betrayal by Fred Nile (and, by extension, the CDP) and the Shooters and Fishers Party. They sold the workers of NSW down the river for the sake of a few political trinkets and their mercenary behaviour should not go unpunished at the ballot box when election time rolls around again. Peter Hauser, Redfern
letter of the
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6 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
Hot, ill-fitting uniforms Just wondering how everyone is finding the new uniforms? Personally I find them very hot and illfitting. I work in rural New South Wales and the temperatures out here have been in the mid to high 40s for the past few weeks. Even in the airconditioned hospital environment they are hot – God help those in Community Health out in the heat. The fabric doesn’t breathe. Perhaps if they had cotton in the fabric it would have been better. A little consideration to those of us working outside and in the rural regions would have been nice. Lesley Brown-Kerr,Warialda NSWNMA RESPONDS One of the most common complaints we get from members about the new uniforms is that they are too hot, especially for those working in hot climates or in facilities where the air conditioning is not reliable. NSWNMA advocated strongly and repeatedly for a cotton blend fabric to be the standard issue, but unfortunately the Ministry did not listen. 100% cotton is available in a limited range of styles and is generally only for those who have allergies. We get lots of other comments about the uniforms and all complaints are passed on to Health Share (without naming individual members). Some nurses and midwives love them, while others have not had any luck finding a good fit, even after returning garments more than once! Health Share tells us that sometimes it is a matter of working out which styles fit your figure the best. But this is difficult when you don’t have a chance to try garments before ordering. NSWNMA will continue lobbying Health Share to make improvements to fabrics and designs.
Royal commission a disgrace The Abbott Government announcement of a Royal Commission into the ACTU is a disgrace. $100 million of taxpayers’ money and they could not find $25 million to support our manufacturers in Victoria such as SPC. Attacking unions or working families is not the way to go to improve efficiency or to build a better Australia. It should be condemned. If they want a Royal Commission, spend one on our complicity in crimes against humanity in East Timor and West Papua – shameful. Anthony Craig, Lithgow
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YOUR LETTERS
Abusing free health I write in response to Amanda’s letter from February’s Lamp about a proposed introduction of a $6 co-payment to GP/ED services. While I agree pensioners and the disadvantaged should avoid this fee, I feel many people from the community utilise emergency services for nonemergency situations. In the hospital where I work, on a daily basis I see people sitting in the ED waiting room (young people) with complaints such as sore throats and the common cold. More than 20% of all our presentations are listed as Triage Category 5s (that’s >6000 presentations/year, nearly 20 people per day). Many of these patients should be seeing GPs rather than clogging up the emergency system. I acknowledge that getting into a GP in some areas is very difficult and that is why GP AHRS has been developed to help deal with this situation (and should be rolled out to most hospitals). Therefore, in part, more GP spots need to be created and rearranged away from metropolitan areas. Within this though, people who are too lazy or disorganised to get a GP appointment often abuse free health services. A call to Health Direct can often avoid an ED visit in the first place in simple cases. A $6 cost for people (in EDs) is little in respect to the cost to the health care system and taxpayer. An admission for intoxication as an example is $1600$2400. In many cases this is from young people who have been out looking for a good time. The taxpayer helps these people out when I believe they should pay the whole bill themselves (I didn’t make them go out and drink)! Start making people responsible for their own actions. In saying that I do realise there are disadvantaged people who have mental health issues or the inability to make correct decisions around their health. As for a free health system, I don’t know who has free access to health care, other than pensioners, the disabled and unemployed. The rest of us have to pay a 1.5% Medicare surcharge levy above $24,000/year earned. That’s $90/year for a $30,000 wage, $315 for $45,000 and $540 for a wage of $60,000. Jason Robards, Newcastle NSWNMA RESPONDS While we agree that price signals work in some circumstances, e.g. the price on carbon, we do not support a co-payment for GPs/EDs for a number of reasons.We do not believe that discouraging access to primary care is an efficient, rational or equitable means of containing health expenditure.The general practice setting is the cheapest setting for prevention, early intervention and management of chronic diseases. It is also the setting where we have the opportunity to avoid the need for more expensive hospitalisations and specialist care. We already have the evidence to show that people in poorer areas, where GPs are scarce, delay medical consultations because of costs. Global evidence also confirms that co-payments lead to less access for the poor and in one Canadian study there was evidence that co-payments actually increased access by the wealthy, thereby exacerbating existing health inequalities. The proposal for a co-payment was accompanied by the suggestion that private health insurance should be able to provide gap insurance to cover it.This completely negates the purpose of a price signal for those who take out this insurance and would lead to a situation where only the uninsured/poor would be discouraged from accessing primary care. We believe that all our interests are served by looking for ways we can improve the efficiency of our health system but we don’t support this proposal for the reasons above.There are lots of potential savings in the system, but in terms of primary care, in our view the focus should be on continuing to expand the role of nurses and midwives in the primary care setting and to eliminate fee-for-service arrangements in favour of blended-payment systems that create incentives for cost-effective care. More generally, greater efficiency could also be achieved if the existing massive government subsidies to the private health insurance industry were scrapped and those billions re-directed into the public system.
Private masquerading as public The Lamp does not usually publish letters from non-members but we felt it was in our members’ interests (especially those on the Northern Beaches) to read the following. This copy of an unpublished letter to the Manly Daily is being forwarded for your information. I am affronted that an aged ex-serviceman should have been treated with such discourtesy by his elected representatives on such an important issue. There has been a deafening silence from our three Peninsula MPs regarding the query I posted last week as to War Veterans’ treatment status at the planned Frenchs Forest Hospital. Two of the three are senior Ministers and surely would know exactly what ground rules the government has set to be complied with by the eventual private partner. But have any firm ground rules actually been set? Or is there something in them that will stay hidden until it is too late to undo (like Greiner with the Cross City Tunnel)? All we, the public, have been given is some spin from the Health Minister with a disturbing emphasis on the needs of private patients – very much a minority group. Putting that together with Mike Baird’s advocacy for selling off public assets, it looks as if the eventual deal will be an essentially private hospital masquerading as a public hospital, operating on land which the taxpayers own or have purchased for a public hospital and using infrastructure provided by the taxpayer. A somewhat smelly scenario. Norman Rich, Newport
SAY SOMETHING Send your letters to: Editorial Enquiries email lamp@nswnma.asn.au fax 9662 1414 mail 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017. Please include a high resolution photo along with your name, address, phone and membership number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.
Every letter published receives a $20 Coles Group & Myer gift card.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Australia
Race to bottom in aged care training A report by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has found that many aged care training programs are too short to enable students to become competent, and often fail to provide proper assessment and workplace experience. The national vocational training regulator says up to 70% of registered training organisations (RTOs) audited for their review failed to meet the recommended 1200 hours of training for Certificate III programs, and over one-third delivered the Certificate III in Aged Care in less than 15 weeks. ASQA chief commissioner, Chris Robinson, told Australian Ageing Agenda that RTOs trying to provide high quality programs faced unfair competition from RTOs offering “cheap” and “unrealistically short” courses. “This creates an environment in the competitive training market where there is a ‘race to the bottom’ in terms of continually reducing course fees to attract students, reducing course times to attract students and reducing training and delivery effort to cut costs,” he said. The review of aged care training by ASQA was a key recommendation of the 2011 Productivity Commission inquiry into aged care. The review made 10 recommendations including the development of minimum benchmarks for the amount of learning required, national workshops to improve RTO compliance and an overhaul of the training of assessors and trainers. Europe
Health inequality threatens economic recovery A European Union report has warned, “ignoring the social, economic and health costs of health inequalities will risk (European) economic recovery”. A study has revealed that losses in labour productivity have cost the continent €141 billion ($A216 billion), and premature deaths another €1.3 trillion ($A2 trillion) – greater than the economies of 24 EU nations.
“THE ECONOMIC CRISIS HAS TAKEN A HEAVY TOLL ON THE HEALTH OF WELLBEING OF CITIZENS ACROSS THE EUROPEAN UNION.” Professor Sir Michael Marmot, of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, who led the research group, said: “We know health inequalities are killing on a grand scale. While the impact of the economic recession is likely to have increased these risks, the start of the recovery is an opportunity to begin to reduce them.” The report calls for EU funds to support action to reduce health inequalities, including programmes that promote early development, quality education and training, and fair and safe employment. Greek health minister Adonis Georgiadis, responding to the report, said: “The economic crisis has taken a heavy toll on the health of wellbeing of citizens across the European Union, particularly in Greece.This is reflected in rising unemployment, the growth of poverty and the reduction of public services threatening poorer health outcomes and widening health inequalities.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
Australia
Mental health spending up, suicides still high A Productivity Commission report has found that government spending on mental health has increased, but rates of mental illness and suicide remain dramatically higher for Indigenous communities, for men and in rural areas. Average government spending on mental health has increased from $242 to $309 per person in the past seven years. The report also revealed data on suicides in Australia: • Between 2007 and 2011, 11,600 deaths by suicide were recorded. • The suicide rate was much higher for males, equivalent to 16.5 per 100,000 males, compared with 4.9 for females. • For those aged over 75 to 84, and 85 years or over, the male suicide rate was about five or six times the female rate. • The Northern Territory had a dramatically higher suicide rate than other states and territories, with more than 20 suicides per 100,000 people. Rates in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria were all under 10 per 100,000. • The suicide rate between 2007-2011 was higher in rural areas, with 13.1 suicides per 100,000 people, compared to 9.6 in capital cities. • The national rate of suicide among Indigenous Australians was 22.3 per 100,000, compared to 10.3 among non-Indigenous Australians. • The state with the largest gap was Western Australia, which had 35.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 Indigenous Australians, compared to 12.2 non-Indigenous.
Australia
Discriminatory disabled voting laws Human rights lawyers are urging the federal government to change the law so that people with a disability are not excluded from voting. The law says that people who are unable to understand the nature and consequences of voting, by reason of unsound mind, are unable to be on the electoral roll. However the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) argues that disability should not be a reason for removing people from the electoral roll. In a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission, the HRLC said the existing electoral laws were discriminatory and breached Australia’s international obligations. Emily Howie from the HRLC told ABC News: “We think the law is archaic and derogatory, and it uses stigmatising language that doesn’t reflect the true capacity of people with disabilities to vote. “There are plenty of people with disability who are able to cast their vote, or who may, with support, be able to cast their vote. The problem is that the law only imposes this test of capacity on people of so-called unsound mind.” Last year the United Nations committee of experts on disability discrimination called on Australia to remove the “unsound mind” exclusion from the law.
THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 9
NEWS IN BRIEF
World
85 richest control same wealth as half the world
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A report by Oxfam, Working for the Few, has found that the richest 85 people on the globe control as much wealth as the poorest half of the global population put together. The combined wealth of the 85 – $1.87 trillion – is as much as that shared by the poorest 3.5 billion of the world’s population, according to Oxfam. Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam’s executive director told the Guardian: “It is staggering that in the 21st century, half of the world’s population – that’s three and a half billion people – own no more than a tiny elite whose numbers could all fit comfortably on a double-decker bus. “Widening inequality is creating a vicious circle where wealth and power are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, leaving the rest of us to fight over crumbs from the top table.� Oxfam argues that growing inequality has been driven by a “power grab� by wealthy elites who have co-opted the political process to rig the rules of the economic system in their favour. The Oxfam report found that in the past few decades the rich have successfully wielded political influence to skew policies in their favour on issues ranging from financial deregulation, tax havens, anti-competitive business practices to lower tax rates on high incomes, and cuts in public services for the majority. Since the late 1970s tax rates for the richest have fallen in 29 out of 30 countries for which data was available, said the report. Rupert Murdoch and Gina Rinehart were two of the billionaires listed among the world’s 85 richest individuals. NOTICE
CRITERIA FOR SPONSORING NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS
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NSWNMA members involved in not-for-profit organisations, such as sporting clubs and youth and cultural organisations, are eligible to apply for sponsorship and support from the Association. Such funds shall be allocated according to strict guidelines established by the Association’s Council: • Applications must be in writing from a not-for-proďŹ t, community-based organisation focused on youth, sporting or cultural development, health promotion or any other worthy social objective deemed appropriate, from time to time, by the NSWNMA Council. • Applications must have the written support of a NSWNMA member who is prepared to attest to the organisation’s good standing and its positive attitude towards the principles of trade unions. • The applicant must agree to the messaging required by the NSWNMA on sponsored items for at least the period of the sponsorship. • The application must demonstrate relevance to current or future members of the NSWNMA, by providing such things as membership or participant numbers and ages and the expected public exposure opportunities, including estimated numbers, arising from the sponsorship. • The application must demonstrate a commitment to the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing. • The application must provide value for sponsorship dollar in comparison to traditional advertising opportunities.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Australia
Australia
Take your chances with the market
$20,000 for immunisation ideas
If there is another global financial crisis (GFC) don’t hold your breath waiting for Tony Abbott to save jobs with a stimulus package. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, annual shindig of the world’s rich and powerful, in Davos, Switzerland, the Prime Minister said: “In the decade prior to the crisis, consistent surpluses and a preference for business helped my country, Australia, to become one of the world’s best performing countries. “Then a subsequent government decided that the crisis had changed the rules and that we should spend our way to prosperity.” Abbott’s analysis of the Labor government’s response to the GFC is in stark contrast to what the Sydney Morning Herald described as the “near unanimous advice of economists and Treasury”. “The Australian government received widespread praise and recognition from around the world for its aggressive response to the global challenge, with swift policies credited with avoiding the recession from which virtually all comparable countries are yet to recover,” said the SMH. The Abbott Government’s hands-off approach to the economy has already seen thousands of jobs go at Holden and has drawn the ire of the ACTU. “We’ve got a Prime Minister who was only too happy to don a hard hat and high-vis vest and promise the world to workers, prior to the election, but since then he has blamed workers for his own inability to protect local jobs and support the local manufacturing industry,” ACTU secretary Dave Oliver said. Britain
Patient data for sale Drug and insurance companies will be able to buy National Health Service patient information – including mental health conditions and diseases as well as smoking and drinking habits – once a single English database of medical data has been created, according to the Guardian newspaper. Medical data obtained from GPs and hospital records, covering the entire English population, will be uploaded to a new National Health Service information centre, starting in March 2014. It will be the first time the entire medical history of England will have been digitised and stored in one place. Organisations such as university research departments, insurers and drug companies will be able to apply to access to the database. Mark Davies, the centre’s public assurance director, told the Guardian it was necessary to open up medical data to commercial companies especially as private firms take over NHS services. “We have private hospitals and companies like Virgin who are purchasing NHS patient care now. This is a trend that will continue,” he said. Patient advocacy groups have raised concerns about access to health information for commercial gain. Phil Booth, coordinator at patient pressure group medConfidential, said: “One of people’s commonest concerns about their medical records is that they’ll be used for commercial purposes, or mean they are discriminated against by insurers or in the workplace.” Patients were given until March to opt out of the database by contacting their GP and asking them not to release their records.
Five, $20,000 unrestricted educational grants will be awarded to Australian immunisation providers with an original and sustainable immunisation idea. Sanofi Pasteur will announce the winners of its five Vaxigrant Awards in June, at the Public Health Association Australia 14th National Immunisation Conference. The grants will be provided to five immunisation professionals or organisations with a bright idea in the following categories: • Applying innovation in areas of low immunisation. • Improving collaboration within a Medicare Local to promote the NIP across multiple immunisation providers and the wider community. • Increasing vaccination coverage for Indigenous Australians. • Utilising technology to increase immunisation awareness, coverage and adverse events surveillance. • Increasing disease prevention for Australians traveling overseas. Ideas can be submitted via www.vaxigrants.com.au until 11 April 2014.
AGED CARE NURSING SCHOLARSHIPS Open 11 March March 2014 – Close 28 April 2014 DEVEL DEVELOP OP AND SHAPE Y YOUR OUR AGED CARE CAREER
freecall 1800 116 696
(charges may apply)
| scholarships@acn.edu.au | www.acn.edu.au www.acn.edu.au
Aged Care Nursing Scholarships (ACNS) are funded by the Australian Government. ACN, Australia’s professional organisation for all nurses, is proud to work with the Department of Social Services as the fund administrator for this program.
THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 11
COVER STORY
Birthrate Plus delivers for mothers and midwives Westmead Hospital’s midwifery service is reaping the rewards of a union-negotiated staffing tool.
Clinical midwife educator Lyly Bouhadir, Acting Midwifery Unit Manager Candace Everard and trainee Natalie Wearne 12 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
“WITH THE EXTRA STAFF WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE ONE-ON-ONE CARE.” — DONNA GARLAND, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR FOR WOMEN’S AND NEWBORN HEALTH
Left: Donna Garland
BIRTHRATE PLUS, THE STAFFING TOOL FOR maternity services, has helped Westmead Hospital midwives achieve a 29% staff increase. The state’s second biggest maternity hospital, Westmead received approval for 40 new FTE (full time equivalent) positions to bring its midwifery workforce to 174 FTE. Staff numbers have increased in the birthing unit, maternity ward, antenatal clinic and home visits service. With almost all new positions filled, the increase has resulted in dramatic improvements, says Joanne Robertson, delegate for the Westmead Hospital branch of the NSWNMA. “We have more time to give women the help and education they need,” Joanne, a midwife in the maternity ward, said. “And midwives are not as stressed and tired as they were before we got the extra staff. “We don’t have to do as much overtime and there is less sick leave. It was a long battle to get Birthrate Plus into the award and implemented but it has turned out to be a great tool and we are starting to reap the rewards.” In the past five years Westmead’s birth rate jumped 27%, meaning more than 1000 additional deliveries per year. In 2011, with staff struggling to cope with the additional workload, the NSWNMA branch voted to only accept new bookings from women living within the hospital’s designated catchment area. Actions such as these, plus clear evidence of understaffing provided through the use of Birthrate Plus, led to the approval to employ more midwives in 2012 and 2013. Joanne says getting Birthrate Plus was a big breakthrough for midwives because it gave them the means to exercise greater control over workloads and maintain safety standards for patients and staff. Westmead’s operations director for women’s and newborn health, Donna Garland, said almost all additional positions were now filled. “With the extra staff we have been able to provide more one-on-one care and also expand models of care such as outreach and caseload,” she said. With caseload care a midwife undertakes all care for a woman including antenatal visits, being on call for any questions, caring for her in labour, and home visits after birth. “Our midwives were taking on 40 cases a year. Birthrate Plus takes into consideration the acuity as well as the volume of work and the calculations allowed us to reduce the load to 35,” Donna said. The midwifery service also received additional funding from the Chief Nurse for an after-hours educator. Birthrate Plus is based on the successful British model of the same name. THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 13
COVER STORY
Hazards of understaffing Westmead’s understaffed maternity ward struggled to provide safe care. Now patient complaints are down and staff satisfaction is up. Carolyn Tranter
“THE MIDWIVES SAY THEY NOW HAVE TIME TO TALK TO THE WOMEN INSTEAD OF JUST RUNNING AROUND PUTTING OUT FIRES.” — CAROLYN TRANTER, MIDWIFERY UNIT MANAGER WESTMEAD HOSPITAL
14 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
BY 2011, WESTMEAD HOSPITAL’S 41-BED maternity ward was seriously understaffed. Birthrate Plus calculations showed that morning shift needed 11 midwives but usually had only eight. Night shift needed nine midwives but mostly had to make do with four or five. “It was risky especially at night,” said NSWNMA delegate Joanne Robertson. “You only needed one baby to deteriorate or a lady to bleed and it became quite hazardous. “Many of our women need a lot of attention because they have issues like high blood pressure, or are new mothers, or are from non-English speaking backgrounds – or a combination of all these factors. “Being understaffed in these circumstances was very stressful, which led to more sick leave, which meant more overtime to make up.
BIRTHRATE PLUS HOW DOES IT WORK? Birthrate Plus is designed to capture the acuity of patients and the tasks performed in caring for them – not just raw numbers. There are two separate forms – one for labour and another for assessments. The form for labour records the date and time in and out of the birthing unit. SECTION A looks at gestation and what happened during labour. The midwife records the gestation of the pregnancy, duration of labour, what interventions were used, the number of babies, and whether the mother had comorbidity such as diabetes, mental health problems or drug and alcohol problems. SECTION B examines delivery. The midwife notes whether it was a normal birth, an instrumental birth, an elective caesarean or an emergency caesarean.
“IT WAS A LONG BATTLE TO GET BIRTHRATE PLUS INTO THE AWARD BUT IT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT TOOL.” — JOANNE ROBERTSON, WESTMEAD HOSPITAL NSWNMA BRANCH DELEGATE
IN SECTION C the midwife records information about the perineum – the degree of perineal trauma that was sustained intrapartum. SECTION D relates to the baby – the Apgar score, weight, whether the baby needed resuscitating, admission to NICU or special care nursery, the presence of congenital abnormality or stillbirth.
Joanne Robertson
“We often had to work short because they couldn’t find a replacement or they could only send us non-midwifery staff. “We just didn’t have the staff to properly educate the women and help them with things like breastfeeding.” Joanne says the hospital’s NSWNMA branch used Birthrate Plus calculations to prove to management that the maternity ward needed more staff in order to raise safety standards and meet service goals. The ward’s acting Midwifery Unit Manager, Carolyn Tranter, says the recent staff increase has brought the unit close to its Birthrate Plus requirements. “We are busy training a very enthusiastic bunch of new graduates,” she said. “Previously we didn’t have the time to give enough attention to students doing their graduate diploma of midwifery or bachelor of midwifery.”
A recent staff survey showed a high level of satisfaction on the maternity ward. “You would have got a different response a couple of years ago,” Carolyn said. She said the staff increase had also sharply reduced the number of patient complaints about problems such as unanswered bells or lack of assistance with breastfeeding. “We are able to spend much more time with the women which is so important for a high risk referral hospital with acuity in the maternity ward. “The midwives say they now have time to talk to the women instead of just running around putting out fires as they used to. “They are much less stressed and enjoy their jobs more.”
SECTION E records other intensive care such as blood transfusion, emergency anesthetic, or IV infusion. The midwife calculates a score for each section and then a total. These are categorised from one to five with five being the worst. Westmead Hospital’s most recent use of Birthrate Plus in the birth unit took three months to complete. Acting Midwifery Unit Manager Candace Everard says Westmead has a high number of category 4 and 5 cases. “Birthrate Plus demonstrated an increase in acuity over the previous survey which strengthened our case for additional staff,” she said. “It’s a really good tool and with a bit of education it doesn’t take long for a midwife to fill out the form.” THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 15
COVER STORY
Safety in numbers One-on-one care for mothers is possible at Westmead’s birth unit thanks to Birthrate Plus. MIDWIVES AT WESTMEAD HOSPITAL’S BIRTH UNIT ARE working towards giving mothers one-on-one care during labour and birth, after successfully using Birthrate Plus to show the urgent need for a big staff increase. The birth unit is getting more midwives on all shifts – up from eight to 11 on mornings and afternoons and from six or seven to 10 on nights. “We have finally achieved the numbers Birthrate Plus showed we needed,” said the unit’s acting Midwifery Unit Manager Candace Everard. The birth unit delivered 5375 babies last year, second only to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The Westmead birth unit also triages pregnant women on the phone: last year it took 10,379 calls. It does foetal monitoring of women attending the emergency department with non-pregnancy related issues. The unit’s midwives also carried out 6037 assessments of women who came to hospital with concerns and questions about their pregnancy. Previous understaffing often led to antenatal and postnatal bed block. “We just didn’t have the numbers to cope. On some days we only had four or five of our 13 birthing rooms to look after women. The other rooms were full of ante and post natal women,” Candace said. “Birthrate Plus is linked to the Ministry of Health policy Towards Normal Birth which asks us to provide one-on-one care for certain categories of women. They include women with first labours, with breeches, with twins, or who have had a previous section. “Previously we did not have enough midwives to do that.We usually found ourselves looking after two patients at a time – if not more. “It is not safe for one midwife to have to care for two or more women. A high-risk unit like ours includes women who have had postpartum haemorrhage or women who are hypertensive and require specialist management with magnesium sulphate. Not to mention women who are in premature labour or women who previously had a stillbirth, both of which would require one-to-one care. “Now we are finally able to recruit to Birthrate Plus numbers. It’s a great improvement.”
Clinical midwife educator Lyly Bouhadir with trainee Kirraley Bryant
Natalie Wearne, Candace Everard and Lyly Bouhadir
Clinical midwife educator Lyly Bouhadir with trainee Natalie Wearne 16 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
“BIRTHRATE PLUS DEMONSTRATED AN INCREASE IN ACUITY … WHICH STRENGTHENED OUR CASE FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF.” — CANDACE EVERARD, ACTING MIDWIFERY UNIT MANAGER WESTMEAD HOSPITAL
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PHS 2014
Get ready to vote: Public Health System claim 2014 Our 2014 pay and conditions claim for the Public Health System continues to seek to improve and extend the ratios won in our 2010 campaign, and to achieve a pay increase of 2.5% per year. THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM log of claims committee has finalised a recommended claim that will be put to the vote at NSWNMA branches during late March and early April. NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes says the focus of the 2014 claim is to improve and extend the mandated nursing hours/ratios system, and achieve a pay rise that meets inflation forecasts without “trade offs”. “Despite the history of intransigence from this state government we will continue to fight to improve and extend ratios,” he said. “To its credit, on coming to office, the O’Farrell Government upheld the Award that contained a new, legally enforceable ratios system, won after a long and determined battle by New South Wales nurses and midwives. “Now it is time for the government to improve nurse ratios that are fair for all hospitals and to extend the current system to more nursing specialties. “International nursing research continues to be published that shows increasing nursing numbers and RN skill mix delivers better patient outcomes and avoids adverse events. “The government can afford to do this and it’s a priority for our society, for the health system and for our profession.”
18 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
Key features of our 2014 claim EXTENDING AND IMPROVING RATIOS The 2014 claim includes exactly the same ratios claim that we began campaigning for in 2013.This includes new claims made in 2013 to introduce ratios for paediatrics, Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Emergency Medical Units and Medical Assessment Units. It also includes an updated claim for Critical Care Units. In specialties where our claims were not fully achieved in the 2010 campaign, these were updated where needed in 2013, and are included again in the current claim.This applies to parts of inpatient mental health, community, emergency departments and aged care beds in Multi Purpose Services. The ratios claim includes lifting the staffing levels in non-tertiary hospitals to the same levels as tertiary referral city hospitals, so patients get the same level of care regardless of where they are treated. Currently medical and surgical wards in Peer Group A hospitals are staffing at six nursing hours for each “patient day”.This can be described as an equivalent ratio of 1:4 morning, 1:4 afternoon and 1:7 on night shifts, with some shifts including an “in charge” without a patient allocation. Our claim is for this same level of nursing care to be provided to patients in Peer Group B, C and D hospitals. MORE EDUCATORS NEEDED As the new graduates recruited in 2012 and 2013 consolidate their practice, we are seeing an improvement in the overall RN skill mix. But 275 more Clinical Nurse Educators and Clinical Midwifery Educators – working across seven days and all shifts – need to be employed to thoroughly and safely assist these new practitioners. More CNE/CMEs will also take some pressure off our most experienced RN/RMs.
PROTECTING SKILL MIX The skill mix of the nursing workforce must be protected. Shortsighted attempts to cut budgets by employing lesser skilled staff members, mean higher rates of hospital-acquired infections, adverse events and failure to rescue, according to numerous evidence-based academic studies. NSWNMA members consistently raise concerns about the inadequate support provided for beginning practitioners and the risks to patients caused when RN absences are not replaced “like for like”. NSWNMA is focusing on the claim to increase CNEs and CMEs. In the medium term this will assist retention of experienced nurses and midwives in the public system. AiNs shall be introduced only in accordance with the 2010 Health Service Implementation Package for AiNs in Acute Care. If this plan is followed correctly, appropriate engagement of AiNs will occur. PATIENT “SPECIALS” Specialling within rostered nursing hours takes time away from other patients. Patient safety must not be compromised by squeezing the budget to provide “specials”. Our claim seeks that patients clinically assessed as requiring “specialling” shall have that speciallised care provided, without depleting the nursing hours for the ward/unit that are required by other patients. A FAIR PAY RISE The NSWNMA will seek a 2.5% pay increase exclusive of superannuation increases to be paid in July 2014.This will be in line with inflation forecasts by the Reserve Bank. Members continue to tell the Association that a 2.5% pay increase without any trade offs would be acceptable to them if accompanied by a legally enforceable Award, containing the necessary extensions and improvements in ratios.
Our claim at a glance To deliver safer patient care the government must improve and extend legally enforceable, mandated minimum nursing hours per patient day, that can be expressed as a ratio. To build on our Award achievements our claim aims to: • Improve ratios in all NSW hospitals to the same level as Group A city hospitals.
• • •
Introduce ratios in paediatric and NICUs.
•
Introduce a ratios-equivalent system in community and community mental health.
•
Extend ratios to more mental health units and improve ratios in specialised mental health hospitals.
•
Employ an additional 275 Clinical Nurse/Midwifery Educators.
•
Employ Assistants in Nursing only where clinically appropriate.
•
Replace the “midnight census” for nursing hour calculations with a system that accurately reflects patient numbers.
•
Provide patient “specialling” in addition to mandated nursing hours/ratios.
•
Achieve a 2.5% pay increase for nurses and midwives in July 2014.
•
Reduce to a maximum of 6 (not 7) the number of consecutive shifts that a nurse can be rostered to work, except on request. (Additional claim recommended for 2014).
Introduce ratios in EDs, EMUs and MAUs. Introduce ratios in intensive and critical care units.
A new claim: reducing consecutive shifts Your elected Log of Claims Committee has recommended one new claim – first proposed at last year’s annual conference – to deal with the risk, to patients and nurses, of error and injury arising from fatigue in the workplace. This year we’ll be calling on the government to agree to reduce the number of consecutive shifts that a nurse or midwife can be required to work, from the current seven, to six. Your Award currently says: “An employee shall not work more than seven (7) consecutive shifts unless the employee so requests and local nursing management agrees but in no case should an employee be permitted to work more than ten (10) consecutive shifts.” The draft claim includes a new addition to the Hours of Work clause to reduce the number of consecutive shifts that nurses can work to six, but no more than 10. The Award currently provides for the working of seven consecutive shifts with the same cap. This is a no cost claim that reflects common rostering practices and a widely held belief that six is enough, but more can be worked by agreement.
Have your say Voting on the proposed 2014 PHS claim will take place between Wednesday 19 March and Wednesday 9 April. All public health system facilities (not including affiliated health organisations) should hold a meeting to discuss the proposed claim using information provided in a kit sent to NSWNMA branch officials. These branch meetings will be an opportunity to discuss the draft claims before voting. Branches must vote to approve or reject the proposed claim in its entirety — they cannot vote to amend it. While only the votes of NSWNMA branches will determine whether the draft claim is endorsed, workplaces without an NSWNMA branch are nonetheless encouraged to send in their feedback. For more information phone 02 8595 1234 to speak to your organiser.
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PHS 2014
Recommended Draft Ratios / The table shows the minimum nursing hours assigned to different ward types and the equivalent ratios. Only nurses providing direct clinical care are included in the ratios/nursing hours. This does not include positions such as NUMs, NMs, CNEs, CNCs, dedicated administrative support staff and wardspersons. speciality / ward type am
equivalent ratios pm
nursing hours night
Peer Group B (Major Metropolitan and Major Non-Metropolitan Hospitals)1
1:4
1:4
1:7
Peer Group C (District Group Hospitals)1
1:4
1:4
1:7
Peer Group D (Community Acute and Community non-acute Hospitals)1
1:4
1:4
1:7
Peer Group F3 (Multi-Purpose Services – Acute Beds)1
1:4
1:4
1:7
Peer Group F3 (Multi-Purpose Services – Aged Care Beds (DoHA funded)2
1:6
1:6
1:7
Adult – in specialised Mental Health Facilities4
1:4
1:4
1:7
Acute Mental Health Rehabilitation4
1:4
1:4
1:7
Child and Adolescent5
1:2 + in charge
1:2 + in charge
1:4
10.5 + additional hours
Long Term Mental Health Rehabilitation5
1:6 + in charge
1:6 + in charge
1:10
3.67 + additional hours
Older Mental Health5
1:3 + in charge
1:3 + in charge
1:5
7.33 + additional hours
1:1
1:1
1:1
26
1:3 + in charge + triage
1:3 + in charge + 2 triage
1:3 + in charge + triage
Level 3 Emergency Departments
1:3 + in charge + triage
1:3 + in charge + triage
1:3 + in charge
8.67 + additional hours for in charge and triage
Level 2 Emergency Departments
1:3
1:3
1:3
8.67
EMUs
1:3 + in charge
1:3 + in charge
1:4 + in charge
7.83 + additional hours for in charge
MAUs
1:4 + in charge
1:4 + in charge
1:4 + in charge
6.5 + additional hours for in charge
general adult inpatient wards
6 (includes some shifts staffed with an in-charge)
4.1
inpatient mental health3 6 (includes some shifts staffed with an in-charge)
for in charge
for in charge for in charge
emergency department (adult and paediatric)6 Resuscitation Beds Level 4-6 Emergency Departments
20 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
/ Nursing Hours Claim speciality / ward type am
equivalent ratios pm
nursing hours night
1:3 + in charge
1:3 + in charge
1:3 + in charge
8.67 + additional hours for in charge
ICU
1:1 + in charge
1:1 + in charge
1:1 + in charge
26 + additional hours for in charge
HDU
1:2 + in charge
1:2 + in charge
1:2 + in charge
13 + additional hours for in charge
Special Care Nurseries9
1:3 + in charge
1:3 + in charge
1:3 + in charge
8.67 + additional hours for in charge
ICU
1:1 + in charge
1:1 + in charge
1:1 + in charge
26 + additional hours for in charge
HDU
1:2 + in charge
1:2 + in charge
1:2 + in charge
CCU
1:3 + in charge
1:3 + in charge
1:3 + in charge
13 + additional hours for in charge 8.67 + additional hours for in charge
paediatrics7 General Inpatient Wards neonatal intensive care units8
critical care, including adult & paediatrics10
community health and community mental health services, except for acute assessment teams
Limit of 4 hours of face to face client contact per 8 hour shift, averaged over a week.11
community mental health services (acute assessment teams)
Limit of 3.5 hours of face to face client contact per 8 hour shift, averaged over a week.11
1 General Adult Inpatient Wards: This minimum staffing claim applies to all Medical, Surgical and combined Medical/Surgical wards in Peer Group B (Major Metropolitan and Major Non – Metropolitan Hospitals), Peer Group C (District Group Hospitals), Peer Group D (Community Acute and Community Non – Acute) and Peer Group F3 (Multi Purpose Service – acute beds). The staffing ratio expressed as nursing hours provides the option of rostering some shifts with a nurse in charge who does not also have an allocated patient workload. This claim is the same as currently legally mandated for Peer Group A city hospitals. 2 General Adult Inpatient Wards: This minimum staffing ratio expressed as nursing hours will apply to Peer Group F3 Multi Purpose Service – DoHA funded beds. 3 Inpatient Mental Health: This claim does not apply to adult acute mental health wards in general hospitals that are not ‘specialised’ mental health facilities, because these wards have legally mandated nursing hours/ratios under the 2011 Award. This claim does not apply to forensic or PECC units. 4 Acute Adult Mental Health – Specialised Facilities and Acute Mental Health Rehabilitation: This staffing ratio expressed as nursing hours provides the option of rostering some shifts with a nurse in charge who does not also have an allocated patient workload.
5 Child and Adolescent, Long Term Mental Health Rehabilitation and Older Mental Health: In addition to the ratios expressed as nursing hours, additional hours must be provided for in charge of shift across two shifts. 6 Emergency Department: This minimum staffing claim applies to adult and paediatric Emergency Departments according to their NSW Health designated level. Each staffing ratio expressed as nursing hours applies to beds, treatment spaces, rooms and any chairs where these spaces are regularly used to deliver care. The claim includes Emergency Departments, Emergency Medical Units, and Medical Assessment Units and other such services however named. In addition to the ratios expressed as nursing hours, additional hours must be provided for in charge of shift and triage nurses across all shifts where specified in the table above. 7 Paediatrics: This minimum staffing claim applies to all paediatric general inpatient wards including medical, surgical and combined medical surgical wards and units across all Peer Groups. In addition to the ratios expressed as nursing hours, additional hours must be provided for in charge of shift across all shifts. Further additional hours must be provided for nurse escorts and work that in general adult hospitals would be described as ‘ambulatory care’.
8 NICU: This minimum staffing claim applies across all Peer Groups. In addition to the ratios expressed as nursing hours, additional hours must be provided for in charge of shift across all shifts. Further additional hours must be provided for work that may be described as discharge nurse, neonatal family support and transport nurse (including retrieval). 9 Special Care Nurseries: This ratios/nursing hours claim does not apply to the following named special care nurseries that perform CPAP, where the HDU claim will apply instead: Blacktown, Campbelltown, Gosford, Lismore, St. George, Tweed Heads, Wollongong, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga. Additional staffing hours specified in note 8 above also apply. 10 Critical Care, including Adult and Paediatrics: This minimum staffing claim applies to Critical Care units, including Intensive Care Units, High Dependency Units and Coronary Care Units across all Peer Groups. In addition to the ratios expressed as nursing hours, additional hours must be provided for in charge of shift across all shifts. Further additional staffing may be clinically required and if so, should be provided. 11 Community Health and Community Mental Health: Work that is not included in ‘face to face hours’ includes travel, meal breaks and administration (eg. phone calls, paperwork), otherwise known as ‘indirect care’. Face to face hours may also be known as ‘direct care’.
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PRIVATISATION
Nurses challenge Hunter privatisations Nurses from Maitland Hospital and the Stockton disability centre fronted the state government’s regional cabinet meeting in Maitland to voice their concerns about privatisation of local public health and disability services. NSWNMA MAITLAND BRANCH PRESIDENT Chris Hele says nurses in the Hunter region want the government to “come clean” about their plans for privatisation. “We’re here at Maitland Town Hall to represent Maitland Hospital and to support our fellow nurses from Stockton Centre,” 22 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
she said. “The government is looking to close down the Stockton facility and make it into a non-government operation. “Maitland hospital nurses are opposed to this kind of change. We want a public health system. We need a public health system that gives quality to all and provides
appropriate services that the community needs.” Chris says the government is not being transparent about its plans. “They are not being honest about what is happening. They have not shared with the community their plans and haven’t
Privatisation deeply unpopular
given the community the opportunity to have input, which is what today is all about – turning up at the forum and asking the right questions.” Chris says nurses and midwives are also concerned about the lack of transparency over the planned new Maitland hospital at Metford. “We’ve also turned up today to ask the Minister about the new hospital at Metford.We’ve previously sent a letter and we’ve had no communication back. Is the hospital at Metford going to be a public or a privately run and owned operation? If it becomes a privately run operation we have concerns about services being reduced, access to the broader community not being appropriate, and having equal
access for every patient n the community with appropriate quality healthcare.” At the forum NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner parroted the “neither confirm nor deny” response of her health department. “No decision has been made regarding procurement and all procurement models will be considered during further phases of planning,” she said. “The next phase of planning for the new Maitland Hospital is underway and this will determine the clinical services required to support this community well into the future.”
According to an opinion poll by Essential Research, privatisation is seen as a bad idea by 59% of the Australian electorate. Even among Liberal voters privatisation gets a cold shower – only 31% of Liberal voters polled thought it was a good idea. According to the poll, sale of Australia Post is opposed by 69% of voters and sale of the ABC and SBS by 64%. Sale of Snowy Hydro (jointly owned by the federal, New South Wales and Victorian governments) is opposed by 53%. The sale of Medibank Private, which the government committed to before the election, is supported by 29% and opposed by 54%. THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 23
PRIVATISATION
1000 turn out to defend Medicare
Despite an unseasonably wet day, a crowd of more than 1000 people turned up to show their support for Australia’s iconic public health system, and to tell Tony Abbott that Medicare is not for sale. THE SAVE MEDICARE RALLY ON FEBRUARY 15 was called in reaction to the Abbott Government floating the idea of a $6 charge for all GP visits and possibly even for emergency department visits. A cross section of union and political leaders addressed the rally outside Sydney’s Town Hall, including NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes, Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon, opposition deputy leader Tanya Plibersek, and from the HSU, the Greens and the Doctors Reform Society. Brett Holmes says nurses and midwives believe Medicare is sacred and elected governments have a responsibility to look after the health of all citizens. “Privatising public health and moving towards an expensive and inefficient USstyle managed care system is clearly on this government’s agenda,” Brett told the rally. “That is a system where insurance companies decide what care is provided based on level of insurance cover, and where most acute care is delivered by profitmaking corporations. “Obviously, Medicare, is also not off limits in this government’s race into the arms of corporate health care, and the idea that ‘if you can’t afford it you can’t have it’ 24 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
unless charity steps in. “We blew the whistle on this move down the path of an Americanised health system prior to the last Federal election, via a TV ad. Of course, the conservative media attacked us. But every new health announcement by conservative governments, state or federal, confirms our prediction. “Believe me when I say that I wish with all my heart we had been proved wrong.” BANKRUPTED BY MEDICAL BILLS Federal deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek told the Save Medicare rally that the 30th anniversary of Medicare – in February – was a cause for celebration. “Before Medicare, millions of Australians used to be bankrupted,” she said. “Medical bills were the highest cause of bankruptcy in Australia, as they still are today in the US.” She challenged Tony Abbott’s claim that it was a scare campaign, to say the government was planning to introduce a GP co-payment. “The very same night on the 7.30 Report, Joe Hockey said ‘nothing is off the table’,” she said.
“BEFORE MEDICARE, MILLIONS OF AUSTRALIANS USED TO BE BANKRUPTED.” — TANYA PLIBERSEK
Paid to run a hospital with no patients
ANOTHER COMMUNITY RALLY AGAINST PRIVATISATION OF HEALTH. Nurses and midwives and community supporters rally outside Manly Hospital to protest against the privatisation of the new Northern Beaches hospital to be located at French’s Forest.
The British company Serco will be very happy with the $4.3 billion, 20-year contract it has won from the West Australian government, to provide services at the new Fiona Stanley Hospital. They will be doing cartwheels knowing that for the first year of the contract they will be paid $118 million to maintain the hospital before it has a single patient. $53 million of the $118 million being a compensation payment the WA Liberal government must pay, because of a delay in the planned opening of the hospital. The government will pay Serco for 200 staff to clean, conduct safety checks and maintain the gardens as part of an “operational project team” while the hospital remains a patient-free zone. The hospital was originally scheduled to open in April 2014, but will only become fully operational in April 2015. Serco is a massive British company that has been a major beneficiary of the conservative government privatisation agenda in Britain. Margaret Hodge, an MP who chairs the powerful public accounts committee of the British parliament has said: “Serco has proved it is good at bidding but not at delivery.” She told The Independent: “Serco has been desperate to build a presence in the healthcare market by undercutting [bids on] contracts at a cost to the taxpayer and a loss of service. “It’s pointless being good at getting contracts and then hopeless at delivering the services,” she said. The company attracted much criticism in Britain when it walked away from its contract at the Braintree Community Hospital in Essex, because it wasn’t making enough money. THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 25
PRIVATISATION
Daryl’s precarious life If the O’Farrell Government took just a fraction of the responsibility that the families of disabled people must take, it may reconsider handing over disability support services to non-government organisations.
IMAGINE TAKING A 63-KILOGRAM, 68-YEARold child through a supermarket. He won’t take no for an answer, reacting angrily and physically at the very word. He doesn’t walk on his own, instead hanging all his weight off you as you walk.You must be watchful that he doesn’t rush up to other shoppers’ children and try to kiss them. This is what a shopping expedition is like for the family of Daryl Batcheldor.They do it, and much more, so he can live the best possible life in a settled, understanding and loving environment. For the past 44 years Daryl has lived at Kanangra residential centre at Morisset. He’s a prankster – he’s flooded bathrooms countless times – and as a joke he’ll drop other residents’ clothes in the bath water. He can be physically rough, as can many of his fellow residents, and he doesn’t sleep through the night. He sees a psychiatrist twice a week to monitor how effectively his prescribed drugs are performing, as his moods change constantly. He has a long police rap sheet recording pushing, scratching and biting incidents in Kanangra that, by law, must be reported. Daryl was born with cerebral palsy and brain damage that affected him physically and mentally. “You could tell from the start there was something wrong with him,” his sister Lynne Warner said. He was a behavioural and management nightmare, requiring care from grandparents as well as his parents. He refused to eat food 26 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
“MY FAMILY WILL FIGHT TO KEEP HIM WHERE HE IS SAFE AND WELL CARED FOR.” — LYNNE WARNER
offered him, preferring to eat raw meat with the dog and veggies while perched on a coal heap outside; that’s where he was comfortable. Daryl’s father died when he was seven, having begged his wife to promise the impossible, not to put his son into an institution. “When he was eight my family had to make a heart wrenching decision to place him in full time care,� Lynne said. “We have always visited him regularly and attended social events with him and we still take him on outings and send him on holidays. “We used to take him home and we had my grandmother, my mother’s sister, my husband and my aunt’s husband, all with different jobs. It broke our hearts when we couldn’t manage him to do this with us anymore.� Daryl has no control over his emotions and the family knows to never say the word “no� to him. “One day my grandmother offered him a drink and it wasn’t the one he usually had so she said ‘no take this one.’ Before the words were out of her mouth he got the can and rammed it into her arm. If we want to say ‘no’ we say ‘yes, shortly’,‘next time’ or ‘in a moment’.� Daryl’s future is uncertain following a state government decision to end all its disability support services by 2018, handing them to non-government organisations (NGOs). It plans to close and redevelop Kanangra and other centres next year, promising “they will be replaced with contemporary accommodation in the community which will be designed to provide a home-like environment, with more privacy, flexibility in daily living and opportunities for increased participation in the local community�. “Politicians have no idea what they’re dealing with,� Lynne said. “Daryl has a family and community right now at Kanangra with people who understand his needs, his personality and his social and medical issues.� Because of financial constraints and lack of experience in the disabilities field, the NGO sector may be unable to take on all the services currently delivered by government. Lynne has asked Disability Services Minister John Ajaka to spend a day at Kanangra to gain an understanding of the high needs of residents. He hasn’t responded. Only 20% of Kanangra residents have families to represent them. “Eighty per cent will not have a voice over their future needs,� Lynne said.“These are Daryl’s friends and a concern to our family as they will probably be placed apart under the latest government schemes, and the nursing staff that have a pivotal role in their care will be dispersed. “Last week I went to the funeral directors to organise a funeral for Daryl,� Lynne said. “It’s hard enough to do that for someone who’s dead, to do it for someone alive is awful. But I have to get organised so there’s less for my children to do if something goes wrong. My greatest fear is that something will happen to me before he goes.� While her own children love Daryl and care about what happens to him she does not want them to take responsibility for him. “I made a decision the buck stops with me. We’ve had three generations of women taking responsibility – my grandmother, my mother, my mother’s sister and me. I’m determined this will not go on to my children. Enough is enough. “He is my only brother, he is my only sibling, I just love him and my family will fight to keep him where he is safe and well cared for, a situation all vulnerable and profoundly disabled people justly deserve.�
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The Lamp is produced 11 times a year and mailed to over 58,946 members. 97.7% are sent to residential addresses. It is uploaded to the NSWNMA website and gets 4,000 hits per month.
Contact Patricia Purcell on 02 8595 2139 or 0416 259 845 or email ppurcell@nswnurses.asn.au for more information.
Enrolled Nurse State Conference 2014 The Enrolled Nurse Professional Association NSW are pleased to invite you to the 21st Enrolled Nurse state conference being held in Tweed Heads at the Tweed Ultima Conference Centre. The conference is organized by ENPA enabling delegates to discuss and disseminate information to other nurses, forge friendships and networking with colleagues.
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ENQUIRIES & REGISTRATION Registration form is available from www.enpansw.org.au or contact the Enrolled Nurse Professional Association PO Box 775, Kingswood NSW 2747, Tel: 1300 554 249 Email: Rebecca – rjroseby@gmail.com Employers requiring an invoice please email rjroseby@gmail.com THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 27
PRIVATISATION
Speaking up for the silent If she could speak, Monica Reinhard would ask the NSW Disability Services Minister John Ajaka why he plans to close her home of 42 years. MONICA REINHARD WAS A SWEET AND happy child; though she could never speak she could make a few distinctive sounds. She communicated through facial expressions and using her hands. She also had a great affinity for animals. “As a child, Monica could walk up to the most vicious dog and put her arms around it,” her brother, and legal guardian, Barry Reinhard told The Lamp. “She loved to help around the house with small chores. She never had behavioral problems and my parents were able to send her to a special school to give her as normal a life as possible. But as she grew older her needs became greater and by the time she was 12, mum and dad couldn’t cope. Fortytwo years ago she went to Stockton, where guarantees were given to my parents that the state would look after Monica for the rest of her life.” Citing the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the O’Farrell Government plans to close all of the state’s residential care facilities and hand over all disability services to private agencies by 2018. This is despite Productivity Commission concerns that under the NDIS private agencies may be unable to provide the level of service required for people like Monica, who have highly complex needs. Apart from her inability to speak Monica has been unable to walk for 10 years, following degeneration of muscles and hip joints as well as escalation of a mild staph infection. In these cases, the Productivity Commission said, government agencies might be the only tenable service providers. 28 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
A young Monica Reinhard
Monica cannot speak but her brother Barry can and on behalf of her, and the many Stockton residents who have no living relatives to act as guardians, he will speak to as many politicians as possible to ask them not to close Stockton. “It is morally wrong for any government to walk away from the care of the disabled like this. For them to say that people like my sister will be fine with the NDIS is just crap,” Barry said. “They have no idea what they’re dealing with. “The NDIS will be great for assisting many disabled people to live in the community. Politicians like to use these people as exhibitions on the TV news to show how great the NDIS will be. But,
compared with Monica and others like her, these are normal people with all their faculties or maybe they have a disability like Downs syndrome. “They are not at all like the people who need residential care in homes like Stockton, where there is a community of 600 plus staff who understand the individual needs of 350 patients because they deal with them day in and day out. “Private agencies are going to look for cheap labour and put people on shifts in group homes, and likely move them from place to place so they’ll be unable to develop any understanding of clients’ behaviors and needs. “This has been tried before when people were moved from institutions to group homes and the reality was a lot either ended up back in institutions, or dead on the side of a road.” Barry Reinhard is not alone in fearing the results of this latest round of “deinsititutionalisation” without recognition of the complex needs that cannot be filled by private agencies. In voicing his concerns, the chief executive of the Mental Health Council of Australia, Frank Quinlan, said closing institutions in the seventies had “literally put people on the streets” because nothing had been put in their place. He warned that if important services were reduced to fund the NDIS then people might end up losing one set of services but not being eligible for the new set. “The NDIS ought not be an oasis in a desert – great if you make it there, but devastating if you don’t.” People with disabilities deserve better.
AGED CARE
New members win pay rise Pay increases are flowing to nurses at Queanbeyan Residential Care Facility after nurses set up a union branch and proved they had majority support to negotiate a better deal.
Queanbeyan Residential Care Facility
A DRIVE TO RECRUIT MORE MEMBERS TO the NSWNMA led to the owners of the Queanbeyan Residental Care Facility agreeing to negotiate the facility’s first enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA). Hourly pay rates have gone up by $6 for a registered nurse, $4.26 for an enrolled nurse and endorsed enrolled nurse and $1.04 for an assistant in nursing certificate 3 since the EBA came into effect. Other benefits of the EBA include a higher casual loading, more public holidays, increased allowances and an improved classification structure. Wages and allowances will go up by another 3% in November. The EBA replaced the nurses’ award, which sets minimum wage rates, allowances and conditions generally below industry standards. NSWNMA branch secretary and delegate Doreen Shah says the EBA, which came into effect in February, is a big improvement on the award. “The nurses are very happy with the EBA – they voted 83 to two in favour,” Doreen said.
A small group of nurses set up a union branch in 2012 but could not immediately muster enough support to push for an enterprise agreement. “I got a lot of negativity when I started – people were really afraid of joining the union and taking action,” Doreen said. “They didn’t know what an EBA was and were worried about being seen to belong to union. “We needed more information so we could educate nurses about the advantages of union membership and an enterprise agreement. “The union officials were very helpful – they were always ready to come in and talk to nurses who had questions. “They showed us how our pay rates and conditions compared with other homes, explained how the bargaining process works and asked us what we would like to include in the EBA,” she said.“Then they drew up a draft agreement for us to discuss and approve.” A sister site, owned by the same company in Sutherland, Sydney, had
already moved off the award onto a superior EBA. “By 2013 nurses were more willing to listen and I started recruiting people to join the union,” Doreen said. She said some nurses decided to join the NSWNMA because the Association provides accident insurance for nurses travelling to and from work. In 2012 the O’Farrell Government slashed workers compensation rights, leaving nurses and midwives vulnerable if they injured themselves while going to or from work. The Association stepped in and now provides all financial members of the Association with accident journey insurance as part of their membership. “That made a lot of difference – it was the reason some people joined the union,” Doreen said. After NSWNMA membership went up fourfold the nurses held a branch meeting and asked the owner to negotiate improved wages and conditions.The owner asked the branch to provide a “Majority Support Petition” to show that most staff members wanted NSWNMA to bargain on their behalf. Within a week the branch had collected signatures from about 90% of employees and negotiations got underway in July 2013. Doreen said nurses who were not union members were invited to come along to branch meetings, with some joining the union as a result. She said many nurses attended branch meetings after coming off night duty or before starting work. Nurses voted in favour of the agreement in November last year, and it was approved by Fair Work Australia in January this year. If you want to start an NSWNMA branch contact the Association on 02 8595 1234. THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 29
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HONOURS
Honoured for their dedication to nursing Left: Coral Levett and Brett Holmes congratulate Lucille McKenna on her Order of Australia Medal. Below: Bob Weaver.
LUCILLE MCKENNA It has been a big year for NSWNMA councillor Lucille McKenna. After becoming Ashfield’s first female mayor and celebrating 50 years as an RN, Lucille was honoured with an Order of Australia for services to nursing in New South Wales and to local government. Forty-five of Lucille’s 50 years as an RN have been spent working in the aged care sector. She was DoN at the Palm Grove Nursing Home from 1997 to 2007 and has been DoN at St Mary’s Villa Nursing Home since 2007. She has been a staunch supporter and tireless worker for the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association for 30 years, holding a variety of roles including branch secretary and executive council member. She has been on the NSWNMA Council since 2003. She was also the President of the Quality Aged Care Action Group between 2007-11. Lucille has been a councillor on the Ashfield Municipal Council since 2004. She has been the Chairperson its women’s committee and of the Seniors Action Group. Her contribution to local government has been prodigious. She has been a member of the council committee for planning and environment and for works and services. She has been on the Pratten Park Advisory Committee and the Civic Centre Redevelopment Steering Committee.
BOB WEAVER Bob Weaver was awarded an Order of Australia in the Australia Day honours list, for his outstanding service to the community, especially in mental health and disability. Bob, a nurse from Blackheath in the Blue Mountains,told the Blue Mountains Gazette that his own personal experiences helped forge his commitment to those with a disability. “I think I stayed in it because I got my own discrimination about being a gay man. I got that people with a disability and their families were also discriminated against. “It gave me an understanding about the road they had walked and the times they had lived through.” Bob’s contribution to nursing has been varied and significant. He helped set up a research fund at the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.
He worked on a curriculum to educate nurses about working with people with disabilities, which led to the birth of the Professional Association for Nurses in Developmental Disability Australia. Bob has served as that Association’s president, vice president, executive member and conference convener for 24 years. He was one of the founding members of the Guardianship Tribunal, which determines who is best placed to look after the interests of those with an intellectual disability. Bob is also prominent in his local community. He was a founding member of the Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre, and has been chairman of the Food and Wine Fair Committee, treasurer of the Rhododendron Festival Committee and president of the Chamber of Commerce. THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 31
COVER STORY PEOPLE
“i have also accepted that nobody can prepare for everything that might happen in life…” — Helen Hedges
32 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
Life lessons delivered in flame December-January is fire season in the Blue Mountains. But fire doesn’t follow a calendar and when it arrived on a spring day last year, its very untimeliness delivered some lessons on life that Helen Hedges says she might not have otherwise learned. TWO MONTHS AGO, WITH THE MEMORIES FRESH, I posted a blog on Nurse Uncut about my experiences last October 17. I wrote that my morning began with a walk with a friend on Linksview Road, Springwood. The wind was gusting as it usually does in spring. But for brief moments this pattern was broken by stronger wind surges that pooled dry leaves around us. The insect noises seemed louder. A few hours later the bush I had walked through delivered a catastrophe that changed my attitude to how I live my life, as it no doubt did for many others. The strong wind that had sent leaves swirling around us had damaged power lines and helped spark a conflagration that ultimately destroyed 193 houses. Back home, after my walk that day, the house was noisier than usual. Pine tree branches were slamming into the roof and windows and there was a howling noise from the garage that sounded like an angry monster. My dog refused to go outside even for a drink of water. Still, I settled myself for a nap before work that night with my mobile phone next to the bed as an alarm clock. At 14.01 a text message woke me: “NSWRFS EMERGENCY BUSH FIRE WARNINGLinksview Rd. Springwood-Seek shelter as the fire arrives.” My husband and I had a plan for emergencies. I would take care of the children and the dog and he would take care of the house. In retrospect it wasn’t much of a plan. By 14.15 news reports had students being evacuated from a nearby high school. The fire had burned through 2000 hectares of bush in two hours and 250 fire fighters were battling the blaze in the Winmalee/Springwood area. As I drove to collect my daughter from school traffic was moving normally, but at the school I could sense composed panic in the administration office. Now helicopters were roaring above us delivering warning messages. I decided I needed to get home to pick up my dog. I also knew that my husband, who has a medical condition that restricts his movement, would have to be physically removed from our burning house to keep him alive. He can be stubborn sometimes. As we got close to our gate, the right side of the
photo: thanks to gary hayes ©
bush was flame-red, angry and hot, pushed by strong winds. I simply did not expect such a dramatic sight. This was October, fires happened in December and January, if at all, in our section of the mountains. I was unable to go back to our street as fire fighters had prevented traffic in that direction. I feared for my husband and my dog. I settled in a safe area and a couple of hours later, after numerous attempts to reach home by phone, my husband responded to tell me that he was safe. Our dog was also safe, curled up under the bed. We lost 14 pine trees and the side shrubs and part of the back fence was burnt. Luckily, my house remained intact. That day’s experience made me much more reflective about what is important in life. In October I had no time to pack anything, we got caught out because there was no indication beforehand of what to expect. I don’t think even the Rural Fire Service was prepared because it happened too quickly. They couldn’t have done more than they did. Since then I have become more aware of many things. I certainly didn’t rush into the Boxing Day sales this year to buy stuff I don’t need. There are more important things, like spending time with my husband. I’ve de-cluttered my house; I’ve had my dog’s long hair shaved for safety. We have put a fire extinguisher in the front of the house, cut down a few trees and generally been more aware of safety. We are re-connecting with neighbours, where before relationships were strained. Now what is important, like our family photos and the older kids’ degrees, is wrapped and kept in a suitcase ready to go if it happens again. For a couple of days after October 17 we were worrying that we didn’t know what would happen next.Then I realised that we never really know what will happen next. Just as I have become much more reflective and appreciative of what I have, I have also accepted that nobody can prepare for everything that might happen in life, whether they live near the sea in places like Thailand where you have tsunamis, or in the mountains of Australia where you have fire. Helen Hedges is an RN and Credentialed Mental Health Nurse at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead
THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 33
TE ATATI R
Sh P
All those working in the professions of nursing and midwifery have unique stories to tell.
M W ES Y & N DA
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ASK JUDITH Wanting extra shifts I am a PPT (permanent part-time) RN working in a public hospital. I would like to be rostered for extra shifts but my employer is engaging casual RNs instead. Can my employer do this? Yes they can. Management has to balance the needs of permanently appointed staff and the need to keep an active and available casual pool. It is suggested that you inform your NUM in writing of your desire to work additional shifts. If possible, put requests for extra shifts on the roster, lessening the vacant shifts that have to be filled. You may also want to draw your NUMs attention to clause 53(iii) of the Award, which provides as follows: (b) Workload assessment will take into account measured demand by way of clinical assessment, including acuity, skill mix, specialisation where relevant, and geographical and other local requirements/resources. (d) The work will be consistent with the duties within the employee’s classification description and at a professional standard so that the care provided or about to be provided to a patient or client shall be adequate, appropriate and not adversely affect the rights, health or safety of the patient, client or nurse.
Not getting my hours I am an RN working in a private hospital in the recovery suite and am contracted as PPT for 48 hours per fortnight. My manager has cancelled my normal rostered shifts as theatre lists have been cut. I have been directed not to come to work and have not been paid for these shifts, which has had an adverse financial effect on my family. What are my entitlements? As a contracted PPT employee you are entitled to be rostered and paid for your contracted hours. It is your employer’s obligation to roster you to your contracted hours, and if there is not sufficient work in
your section, your employer has the option to deploy you to another ward. In the event that this is not possible, you must be paid for your contracted hours.
Is in-lieu okay? I am a community nurse in the public sector and have been advised by the NUM that overtime is not to be paid for nurses working in a community setting. Management have advised nurses that if they are having workload issues, overtime will not be paid and nurses must complete time-in-lieu forms. Is this an acceptable workplace practice? Yes, this is acceptable. Nurses in the public sector can be directed to accrue time in lieu of overtime, however, they cannot be compelled to take the time in lieu. If the time in lieu is not taken within three months it is paid out at overtime rates. The Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2011 states: Clause 25 Overtime ‌(iv) In lieu of the conditions specified in subclauses (ii) and (iii) of this clause, a nurse who works overtime may be compensated by way of time off in lieu of overtime, subject to the following requirements: Time off in lieu must be taken within three months of it being accrued at ordinary rates. Where it is not possible for a nurse to take the time off in lieu within the three month period, it is to be paid out at the appropriate overtime rate based on the rates of pay applying at the time payment is made. Nurses cannot be compelled to take time off in lieu of overtime. Time off in lieu of overtime should only be considered as an option in those circumstances where the employer is able to provide adequate replacement staff to ensure that the level of quality of service that would
Rafflee 2014
When it comes to your rights and entitlements at work, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary JUDITH KIEJDA has the answers.
otherwise have been provided had overtime been worked, is in fact provided. Records of all time off in lieu owing to nurses and taken by nurses must be maintained. If there are ongoing workloads issues these should be raised with your workloads committee.
Chasing the roster I am an EN employed in the public sector and am constantly having to chase my roster to see when my next shift is. Does the Award provide guidelines around rostering? Yes, rosters should be displayed at least a fortnight before the start date of the roster. The Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award 2011 dictates the rostering procedure that must be followed. Clause 8 provides as follows: The ordinary hours of work for each employee, other than the Director of Nursing, shall be displayed on a roster in a place conveniently accessible to employees. The roster shall be displayed at least two weeks prior to the commencing date of the first working period in the roster.
Gazetted holidays I am currently employed by NSW Health as an EEN. Would you advise the gazetted public holidays for the remainder of 2014? As per NSW Health Information Bulletin IB2013_002 the following days are to be observed as public holidays: Good Friday, Friday 18 April Easter Saturday, Saturday 19 April Easter Sunday, Sunday 20 April Easter Monday, Monday 21 April ANZAC Day, Friday 25 April Queen’s Birthday, Monday 9 June Labour Day, Monday 6 October Christmas Day, Thursday 25 December Boxing Day, Friday 26 December
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NURSE UNCUT A BLOG FOR AUSTRALIAN NURSES AND MIDWIVES www.nurseuncut.com.au
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Many happy returns! www.nurseuncut.com.au/medicare-happy-birthday-and-many-happy-returns
Some beautiful babies celebrate Medicare’s 30th birthday – but will it be here for them throughout their lives?
Marie: a mesothelioma nurse-leader www.nurseuncut.com.au/marie-a-mesothelioma-nurse-leader
Marie Jennings knew little about asbestos-related disease, but ended up graduating as a mesothelioma nurse-leader.
Confession of an imperfect nurse www.nurseuncut.com.au/confession-of-an-imperfect-nurse
After making a drug error, an RN wonders if aspiring to be perfect is dangerous.
A small thing for Mary www.nurseuncut.com.au/a-small-thing-for-mary
A thoughtful gesture from a nurse brings happiness to an elderly dying patient.
Sister Bessie Pocock www.nurseuncut.com.au/sister-bessie-pocock
Lynne Saville tells the story of Bessie Pocock, a fellow graduate of Sydney Hospital who nursed in the Boer and Great Wars.
HIV info for aged care nurses www.nurseuncut.com.au/hiv-information-for-aged-care-facilities
The numbers of people with HIV living in aged care is increasing. Denise Cummins helped develop an educational resource for aged care nurses.
New on SupportNursesYouTubechannel You want it! Student nurses have fun with associate membership of the NSWNMA. >youtu.be/KYJFkQByznU Medicare turns 30 This baby hopes for many happy returns. > youtu.be/IRcf6nn-XUw
Follow us on Twitter NSWNurses & Midwives @nswnma Watch us on YouTube SupportNurses Connect with us on Facebook
New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association >> www.facebook.com/nswnma Ratios put patient safety first >> www.facebook.com/safepatientcare Aged Care Nurses >> www.facebook.com/agedcarenurses THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 39
NSWNMA merchandise is not only stylish and comfortable, it is afffor f dable and sold at cost to members.
Summer essentials
To order, fax the order form to Glen Ginty, (02) 9662 1414 email gensec@nswnma.asn.au or post to: NSWNMA, 50 O’Dea ea Avvenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 Merchandise order forms also available on www www.nswnma.asn.au w.nswnma.asn.au .
ORDER FORM
NSWNMA Navy Polo Shirt with embroidered logo
NSWNMA Navy Polo Shirt with embroidered logo $20. Quantity: Size: Ladies Size 14 (to fit sizes 8-10) Ladies Size 16 (to fit sizes 12-14) Unisex S Unisex M UUnisex L Unisex XL Unisex XXL
$20
Available in Ladies size 14 (to fit sizes 8-10) and 16 (to fit sizes 12-14); and Unisex sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL
NSWNMA Navy Canvas Duffle Bag $25. Quantity: Only $3 postage & handling.
NSWNMA KeepCup $12. Quantity:
TOTAL COSTT OF ORDER $ Please include postage & handling of $5 per order for the polo shirts and duffle bags. Name
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NURSES & MIDWIVES
SAID & LIKED on facebook www.facebook.com/nswnma Where’s the jobs?
And permanent staff can’t get their holidays, because they can’t be replaced! Boo!
32,000 fulltime jobs were lost in Australia in December – we asked if the federal government has a jobs plan.
Really Barry? The courts have spoken. Do the right thing.
Do the right thing Barry
Tighten your seatbelts NSWNMA because all governments are gunning for unions and they are going to keep steamrolling until they get what they want – less power to workers and more power to employers.
The O’Farrell Government seems determined to overturn an Industrial Relations Commission ruling that they shouldn’t take superannuation out of your 2013 pay rise.
I am so ready to leave nursing because of these politicians. 30 years, is that an antique? Maybe we should have it heritage listed!
Logan’s Run for Medicare? Medicare turns 30 but is under threat.
They did this during the Howard era. It didn’t work. People worked in maintenance etc. They showed nil passion. Even maintenance, gardeners, cleaners and cook staff are, to a certain extent, involved with patient care. This goes to show how little our government knows about aged care. We must stress that aged care is not easy! And shouldn’t be used as a political pawn.
Work for dole in aged care It looks like those who will be soon forced to work for the dole could be asked to do so in aged care facilities.
And even if the Newstart people are only doing maintenance, gardening etc. they still must abide by the Aged Care Act. And, maintenance, gardeners, chefs, cleaners in aged care also deserve better pay and conditions. So we are going to have more people looking after our precious elderly people who don’t really care? I’m so sick of our government assuming aged care is easy. Q1. Who will pay for the police checks? Q2. Who will train them? Q3. Who will be responsible for supervising them? Aged Care requires skills and knowledge – it’s not a profession just anyone can do. Tony Abbott cuts training in facilities like TAFE, increases prices, then expects people to work for free. Why don’t they put them to work in childcare centres? That would cause an uproar! Why is there so little respect for our senior citizens from this government!
Loving nursing A member who trained at Sydney Hospital wrote about Bessie Pocock, also a Sydney Hospital graduate who nursed in two wars.
Wonderful piece on Bessie Pocock ... thrilled to have also trained at Sydney Hospital, completing my general training in 1976. Still nursing, still loving my work! Thank you Lynne and hello Cottee-Smith, cheers all other Grads!
PHOTO GALLERY
These people are all nurses! Taking part in a NIDA filmmaking workshop before our 2015 Film Festival.
Members from Cabrini nursing home enjoy their branch general meeting in a local café.
Kenna nurses meet to talk about their pay campaign.
NSWNMA Council congratulates Lucille McKenna on her Order of Australia Medal.
THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 41
Do You Know an Enrolled Nurse Who Excells?
The Enrolled Nurse Professional Association
Call for Nominations for ENPA are offering full conference attendance (travel, accommodation and conference fees) and 12 months membership to ENPA in remembrance of Ron and his dedication and passion to Enrolled Nursing. This award is for an Enrolled Nurse currently employed in NSW who has demonstrated their commitment to nursing by: U Excelling within their scope of practise. U Pursuing professional, career and edu cational interests for all Enrolled Nurses. for nursing. U Showing a passion and U Acting as an advocate for, and support ing, Enrolled Nurses in NSW Health.
Typed applications (min 250 words) addressing any of the above criteria and outlining the qualifications and employment history of the nominated Enrolled Nurse. The application should be signed by the applicant (either an RN or EN) and another (either RN or EN) who supports the application, and forwarded to: The Secretary ENPA PO Box 775, Kingswood NSW 2747
Before 30 June 2014. **Please ensure that full contact details are included.
NURSING & MIDWIFERY SCHOLARSHIPS
An Australian Government initiative supporting nurses and midwives. ACN, Australia’s professional organisation for all nurses is proud to work with the Department of Health and Ageing as the fund administrator of this program.
Open 3 Mar March rch c 2014 – Close 18 April 2014 S Scholarships cholarships for for all all n nurses urses & midwives midwives a are re a available vailable ffor: or : > Continuing Professional Development > Nurse re-entry > Midwifery Prescribing.
42 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
Additional scholarships for: for: Additional scholarships >T Tasmania a asmania > Emergency Departments > Aboriginal Medical Services > Non clinical staff in an emergency department.
Apply online www.acn.edu.au www .acn.edu.au freecall 1800 117 262 (charges may apply)
An Australian Government initiative supporting nurses and midwives. Australian College of Nursing, Australia’s professional organisation for all nurses is proud to work with the Department of Health as the fund administrator of this program.
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35 36 Across 1. An autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness (10.6) 9. Not (3) 10. Pain-killing substances produced in the human body and released by stress (10) 11. Abnormally increased melanin in the skin (11) 12. A severe and contagious viral infection of the lungs (1.1.1.1) 13. Traumatic brain injury (1.1.1) 14. An instrument for measuring temperature (11) 15. Relating to the mouth (4) 16. The frequencies with which an event or circumstance occurs per unit of time (5)
19. A hallucinogenic drug manufactured from lysergic acid (1.1.1) 21. Having pointed or rounded projection, such as on the crown of a tooth (6) 25. The seventh letter of the Greek alphabet (3) 29. In the natural or usual place (2.6) 30. Full of life and energy (9) 31. An examination or study of a person (8) 33. A dermatopathy due to cold, damp climates (9) 35. The cellular membrane lining the central canal of the spinal cord and the brain ventricles (8) 36. To produce offspring (9)
Down 1. A device for measuring the pressure of a fluid (9) 2. An official or legal cancellation (9) 3. A biologist who specialises in the classification of organisms (11) 4. Relating to cellular membrane lining the central canal of spinal cord and brain ventricles (9) 5. Hardened (9) 6. Relating to old age (9) 7. Fibrous bands of scar tissue between internal organs and tissues, joining them abnormally (9) 8. To supply an organ or a body part with nerves (9) 17. Antibody (1.1) 18. One of a nurse classification (1.1.1)
20. Calvaria (8) 22. Having but one lobe (8) 23. Superior vena cava (8) 24. The amount of space between two points (8) 26. The “tubes� (like trachea) through which air passes to and from alveoli (7) 27. The virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (1.1.1) 28. Decay (6) 29. Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (1.1.1) 32. Group of atoms that acquires an electrical charge by the gain or loss of electrons (4) 34. Abbreviation for inosine (3)
THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 43
NURSING RESEARCH ONLINE
Each month the NSWNMA tracks down a selection of online articles from around the globe that are of interest and pertinence to nursing and midwifery professionals – helping you stay informed about current research and health reporting. Access to medicines and pharmacy services in rural and remote Australia National Rural Health Alliance, January 2014 People in Australia’s rural and remote areas have reduced access to medicines, prescribed and nonprescribed, less advice about their use, and poorer access to professional pharmacy services, compared with those who live in the major cities. As with so many other issues in the rural and remote health sector, there is a gradient of deficit as one moves from major cities through regional areas to remote and very remote places. This Discussion Paper provides a preliminary exploration of these issues and begins scoping for a project that could advise Australian governments on the best ways to modify some of these deficits. Through amendments to programs and legislation it would be possible to move to a situation in which the supply of medicines, and the professional services necessary for their safe and effective use, would be equivalent in rural and remote areas to those in major cities. http://ruralhealth.org.au/sites/default/files/docum ents/nrha-policy-document/policydevelopment/nrha-medicines-discussion-paper-jan uary-2014.pdf
Being inclusive of diversity Jane Cioffi, UWS, 20:4, pg 249-254, Dec 2013 The Australian health care system is responsible for delivering health services to an increasingly diverse health population. Nurses are in a position to positively influence health-related outcomes by actively addressing the differences individuals bring to their health care experiences. By focusing diversity on health inequities, nurses can play an important role in identifying those at risk of poorer health. This paper discusses diversity in the health population through health inequities and proposes directions for nursing practice. These suggestions include application of a definition of diversity that include health determinants; targeting specific groups with program and services designed to reduce health inequalities; engaging in political action to promote effective policy development; preparing nurses at an undergraduate and graduate level to build capacity
44 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
for addressing diversity and health inequities; and identifying effective interventions through research studies that address inequities in the health population www.collegianjournal.com/article/S13227696(12)00115-1/fulltext
How a 40-year-old proposal became a movement for change Mike Steketee, Inside Story, 22 October 2013 Julia Gillard rarely let her emotions show, although she probably had more reasons than most during the fraught years of minority government. One such time was in May this year, when she introduced legislation to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme. In parliament, she talked of meeting 12-year-old Sophie Deane, who has Down syndrome and, in her parents’ words, “reads and writes, mucks around on the monkey bars, can be well behaved and badly behaved, runs like a billy goat and is a budding photographer.” Like all good photographers, Sophie had first put her subject at ease, slipping her hand into the prime minister’s and then climbing into her lap. Then, at a later function, she snapped a beaming Gillard. The following week, in Brisbane, the PM met 17year-old Sandy Porter, who has cerebral palsy. He presented Gillard with a card with signatures he had collected. It was headed “Thanks Prime Minister Gillard!” and underneath was Sophie’s photograph. Gillard’s voice started breaking as she added that the new scheme would give Sophie, Sandy and others with disability the security and dignity every Australian deserved. Her speech and her reaction that day were the culmination of what Jenny Macklin, Labor’s then family and community services minister, told me
was “one of the best grassroots campaigns I have seen.” It also marked a remarkable political achievement: the introduction of a major social reform, on a par with Medicare, that had barely had been on the political radar six years earlier. http://inside.org.au/national-disability-insurancescheme/
Call the Midwife: playing catch up with Australia’s maternity care Sally Tracy, USyd; Hannah Dahlen, UWS In the much-loved British TV drama Call the Midwife, women are offered care from dedicated midwives through pregnancy, labour and birth. Though set in 1950s London, the show could reflect the future for mainstream maternity care in Australia. In a recent study, my colleagues and I at the University of Sydney found that pregnant women who see the same midwife throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period, are much less likely to experience interventions during birth and cost the public hospital system less. The study, published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, examined the outcomes of a group of first-time mothers who were at low risk of complications during their pregnancies. Over one financial year (2009-2010), there was an average saving of more than A$1000 per woman who chose continuity of midwifery care, compared to routine public hospital care – where the woman is cared for by the midwife on duty – or private obstetric care in the public hospital system. http://theconversation.com/call-the-midwifeplaying-catch-up-with-australias-maternity-care22544
EDUCATION@NSWNMA
WHAT’S ON MARCH 2013 ——— • ———
Policy and Guideline Writing 6 March Parramatta Suitable for all nurses and midwives.
Members $85 Non-members $170 ——— • ———
Aged Care Seminar Series – 1 day 12 March Tweed Heads Suitable for all RNs, ENs and AiNs.
Members $75 Non-members $170 ——— • ———
Practical Strategies to Manage Stress and Prevent Burnout – 1 day 19 March Parramatta
Members $85 Non-members $170 ——— • ———
Computer Essentials for Nurses and Midwives – 1 day 2 April Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick
Members $85 Non-members $170 ——— • ———
Tools in Managing Conflict and Disagreement – 1 day 3 April, NSWNMA Waterloo
Members $85 Non-members $170 ——— • ———
Are you meeting your CPD requirements – ½ day 9 April Parramatta Suitable for all nurses and midwives to learn about CPD requirements.
CPD online saves you time
Members $40 Non-members $85 ——— • ———
Practical, Positive Leadership – 3 days 16 April, 12 May, 9 June NSWNMA Waterloo Three-day workshop designed to meet the leadership needs of nurses and midwives.
Members $250 Non-members $400
160+ topics
Live Chat
Real time support
24/7 Access
Mobile Compatible
——— • ———
Legal and Professional Issues for Nurses and Midwives – ½ day 1 May Ballina Topics covered include Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, potential liability, importance of documentation, role of disciplinary tribunals and writing statements. Members $40 Non-members $85 ——— • ——— To register or for more information go to www.nswnma.asn.au/education or phone Matt West on 1300 367 962
Exclusive Offer: 10% off a12 Months’ unlimited subscription to HEALnet, visit HEALnet.edu.au/thelamp or call 1300 8233 669 & quote Lamp0314 Offer ends 31st May 2014
HEALnet HEALnet.edu.au .edu.au is a pr product oduct of North North Coast Coast TAFE TA AFE
Being a member of the NSWNMA suddenly got easier! Introducing the do-it-yourself membership online portal Now you can change your personal details, pay your fees and even join online using membership online.
It’s easy. Simply register with your membership number, name and email address and create your own password. From then on, use your member number and password to log in directly to the Members login area on the website.
You can now change your details at any time – address, workplace, credit card number, mobile number, etc. You can pay fees online, print a tax statement or request a reprint of your membership card – it’s simple. There are dedicated areas for branch officials.
Membership online via www.nswnma.asn.au
BOOKS
BOOK ME The Effective Nursing Assistant
Mentoring and Supervision in Healthcare (2nd ed.)
Ruth Ann Stratton and Roanne Mancari
Neil Gopee
McGraw-Hill Glencoe www.mcgraw-hill.com.au RRP $76.95 ISBN 9780078744778 This book explores the role of a “licensed” assistant in nursing in the American health system, a role that far exceeds the role of Assistant in Nursing (AiN) in Australia. As such much of this material surpasses the current scope of practice in Australia. Despite not being directly relevant to students in Australia, the text is still informative. It includes a section on home health care for students who want to become home health aides, and a section on general patient care for those who choose to work in acute or general care settings.
SAGE Publications www.sagepub.com RRP $45 ISBN 9780857024183 This is a core text for mentor preparation courses in nursing, midwifery and across the healthcare sector. The textbook focuses on the content of the eight domain areas identified by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008a) and the outcomes for mentors. It supports learning and ongoing professional development for all healthcare professionals. Fully revised to include more student-friendly features and evidence-based examples, and completely updated to take into account recent changes to mentoring and supervision standards, this book maps directly onto mentor preparation courses.
Family Experiences of Bipolar Disorder: the ups, the downs and the bits in between Cara Aiken, foreword by Professor Anne Farmer Jessica Kingsley Publishers (through Footprint Books) www.footprint.com.au RRP $28.95 ISBN 9781843109358 Cara Aiken writes about her own illness and uses personal experiences as well as those of other sufferers to discuss all aspects of living with bipolar disorder. All phases of bipolar disorder are covered, from its onset through to its management in old age. The contentious issues of childhood onset bipolar are addressed, as are the complications of bipolar disorder occurring in the immediate aftermath of childbirth.
Palliative Care, Ageing and Spirituality: A Guide for Older People Carers and Families Elizabeth MacKinlay Jessica Kingsley Publishers (through Footprint Books) www.footprint.com.au RRP $25.95 ISBN 9781849052900 This book seeks to uncover the process of death as a part of life, through which there is hope and a time in which loved ones can grow, strengthened by the hard times that they face together. The focus of this book is on the often unspoken things; the emotional and spiritual aspect of dying and death and acknowledging that death does lie ahead (as it does for each of us). While some might find this book confronting, it has been written with sensitivity and compassion, offering practical suggestions in dealing with pain, suffering, prayer and fear of dying.
SPECIAL INTEREST Nursing in the Storm: Voices from Hurricane Katrina Denise Danna and Sandra E. Cordray
Patient & Person: Interpersonal skills in nursing (5th ed.) Jane Stein-Parbury Churchill Livingstone (through Elsevier Australia) www.elsevierhealth.com.au RRP $89.96 ISBN 9780729581585 This latest edition remains a reliable guide to the practice and theory of developing interpersonal skills in nursing. The title of the text reflects its key point – that patients should be treated as people, a concept central to the provision of quality nursing care. Patient and Person, 5th edition systematically addresses the theoretical, practical and personal dimensions of relating to patients, and provides guidelines for determining when and how to act.
Springer Publishing Company (through Woodslane Pty Ltd) www.woodslanehealth.com.au RRP $69.99 ISBN 9780826118370 This groundbreaking work serves as a testament to the professionalism, perseverance, and unwavering dedication of nurses. Nurses who worked through Hurricane Katrina share what they did, how they coped, what they lost, and what they are doing now in a city and health care infrastructure that is still rebuilding. In their own words the nurses tell what happened in each hospital just before, during, and after the storm. The authors provide an intimate portrait of the experience of Katrina, which they and their colleagues endured. The book also discusses how to plan and prepare for future disasters, with a closing chapter documenting the “lessons learned” from Katrina, including day-to-day health care delivery in a city of crisis.
All books can be ordered through the publisher or your local bookshop. NSWNMA members can borrow the books featured here, and many more, from our Information and Records Management Centre (IRMC). Contact Jeannette Bromfield gensec@nswnma.asn.au or Cathy Matias 8595 2121 cmatias@nswnma.asn.au. All reviews by NSWNMA IRMC Coordinator/Librarian Jeannette Bromfield. Some books are reviewed using information supplied and have not been independently reviewed. THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 47
NURSES AND MIDWIVES: IT’S IMPORT MPORT TA ANT TO NOTE
You Y o ou mus mustt be a
FINANCIAL MEMBER
of the NS NSW W Nurses and Midwives’ Midwives’ Association Association o: tto o ensur ensure e your your entitlement tto: » All Association Association servic services es ccident Journe y Insur ance »A Accident Journey Insurance Professional Indemnity » Professional Insur ance. Insurance. All these services are only available to members who are financial members. Make sure your membership remains financial by switching from payroll deductions to Direct Debit.
IT’S EASY! Ring and check today on 8595 1234 (metro) or 1300 367 962 (rural). Download, complete and return your Direct Debit form to the Association.
MOVIES
movies of the month
DVD SPECIAL OFFER
HALF OF A YELLOW SUN Based on a complex and demanding novel of the same name, this film struggles to tell the story with the same integrity and soul as its source material, writes Sue Miles. In his directorial debut, talented novelist, playwright and screenwriter Biyi Bandele attempts a visual representation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s heart wrenching epic novel about Nigeria’s Biafran War The novel comprises a series of stories following the personal tales of interlinked characters caught within this brutal civil war. In the film Bandele chooses to focuses on the relationship between twin sisters Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose), rather than attempt to follow the stories of the many rich characters that texture Adichie’s novel. Film adaptation of an epic novel is a difficult art and Bandele struggles, even with a talented cast, to tell this story. Beginning in 1960 with Nigeria’s independence from Britain, we follow Olanna as she marries Odenigbo and leaves her wealthy, well-bred existence in Lagos for Nsukka, and then to Biafra, all to the dismay of her ruling-class family. The class tension between the sisters serves as a metaphor for the tensions rising between the Igbo and Hausa peoples, at the same time as Olanna tries to reconcile her own upbringing with the revolutionary modes of her charismatic but complicated husband. Bandele manages at times to inject humour into
METRO MEMBER GIVEAWAY Email The Lamp by the 10th of the month to be in the draw to win a double pass to Half of a Yellow Sun thanks to Leap Frog Films. email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!
this overwhelming story and in this regard Nigerian performer Onyeka Onwenu, as Odenigbo’s mother steals the show. Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) shines as the passionate and charismatic Odenigbo. On the other hand, the tragic continuance of the war, at times is almost overlooked, while hairstyles are restyled and matched to the latest fashions. The story told is one worth watching but the film lacked balance and also the enthralling elements said to be present in the novel. I went with a friend and, despite the freezing cinema, we reflected over a mojito and agreed it was a film worth seeing. Sue Miles is a Mental Health Nurse at the RPA IN CINEMAS MARCH 27
The late Jeremy Brett, considered the definitive Sherlock Holmes of his era, stars in these beautiful adaptations taken from the classic ITV1 series. The creation of novelist and doctor, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is one of the world’s greatest and most popular fictional detectives, as famous for his deerstalker and pipe as his legendary powers of observation and deduction. An aloof and private man, Holmes is driven by a fierce intellect that gives him astounding brilliance and unfathomable eccentricity in equal measure. With his loyal and indispensible assistant Dr Watson (played by Edward Hardwicke and David Burke in this collection) Holmes solves his way through 39 hours of mystery and intrigue in this 16 disc collection. The character of Sherlock Holmes first appeared in publication in 1887 and was featured in four novels and 56 short stories. Dr Watson was the narrator of all but four of these.
RURAL MEMBER GIVEAWAY Email The Lamp by the 15th of this month to be in the draw to win the dvd boxed set Sherlock Holmes the Complete Collection! email your name, membership number, address and telephone number to lamp@nswnma.asn.au for a chance to win!
THE LAMP MARCH 2014 | 49
DIARY DATES
conferences, seminars, meetings Cr osswor d solution NSW The Deteriorating Patient – Clinical Decision Making For Rns, Ens Australian College of Nursing 4-5 March Coffs Harbour www.acn.edu.au Immunisation update for RNs Australian College of Nursing 6 March, Burwood www.acn.edu.au Nursing People with Chronic Diseases 55+ 6-7 March Surry Hills www.ausmed.com.au/course/ Hands-on Tracheostomy workshop 12 March, 16 July, 12 November Nepean Hospital www.icetnepean.org/tracheostomyworkshop.html NSWNMA Environmental Health Seminar 14 March NSWNMA Waterloo Expert speakers Barbara Sattler from USA and Fiona Armstrong Contact Janet jroden@nswnma.asn.au or 8595 1234 Inflammatory Arthritis Clinical Update Day 15 March Royal North Shore Hospital www.arthritisnsw.org.au 02 9857 3300 or jly@arthritisnsw.org.au Sydney Alliance Public Assembly 26 March Sydney Town Hall 6.30-8.30pm Rita Martin rmartin@nswnma.asn.au www.sydneyalliance.org.au
INTERSTATE 18th National Otorhinolaryngology Nurses’ Conference 29 March-1 April Brisbane www.ohnng.com.au/national_conference.html No 2 Bullying 2014 Conference 7-8 April Noosa www.no2bullying.org.au
Personalised Pain Management – Quest for the Holy Grail Australian Pain Society’s 34th Annual Scientific Meeting 13-16 April Hobart www.dcconferences.com.au/aps2014/ National Eating Disorders and Obesity Conference 26-27 May Gold Coast eatingdisordersaustralia.org.au Cultural Diversity in Ageing 2014 Conference: Shaping Inclusive Services 12-13 June Melbourne www.culturaldiversity.com.au/conference-2014 (03) 8823 7979 Nursing Informatics Australia 2014 Conference 11 August Melbourne www.hisa.org.au/page/hic2014nia 15th International Mental Health Conference 25- 26 August Surfers Paradise www.anzmh.asn.au/conference conference@anzmh.asn.au ACMHN 40th International Mental Health Nursing Conference 7-9 October Melbourne events@acmhn.org (02) 6285 1078 www.acmhn2014.com
OVERSEAS Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry Meeting 2014 21-24 May Germany www.epa2014ulm.eu 7th World Congress for Psychotherapy 25-29 August South Africa wcp2014.com secretariat@wcp2014.com 3rd World Congress of Clinical Safety 10-12 September Spain www.iarmm.org/3WCCS/
M A N O M E T E R
Y A N O N U E L M H E N A T B C I A P R E V I E P E S
H E P E N O D Y O M A L A I T R I E W A O A N D Y M S S
N I N N D U E R A E T E S D K U L I L C H A P R
Nurses Christian Fellowship International PACEA Conference Compassion: The Cornerstone of care 10-14 October Nadi, Fiji pacea-region@gmail.com 4th International Conference on Violence in the Health Sector 22-24 October USA www.oudconsultancy.nl/MiamiSite2014/index. html International Conference on Infectious and Tropical Diseases 16 -18 January, 2015 Cambodia ictid.webs.com/
Quality legal advice for NSWNMA members c c c c c c c c c
Compensation and negligence claims Employment and Industrial Law Workplace Health and Safety Anti-Discrimination Criminal Law Free standard Wills for members Probate / Estates Public Notary Discounted rates for members including First Free Consultations for members on all matters. Offices in Sydney and Newcastle with visiting offices in regional areas (by appointment).
Call the NSWNMA on 1300 367 962 and find out how you can access this great service. 50 | THE LAMP MARCH 2014
S T A X O A N O R M I E S E T N S
A G E O R I M A T E R I C H I V E
R A D P H E S B I O N U S N I L I O I L B L A N O C R E
V I N I N E A R V R A T P E R A E S C A I V A T
S S S L D I S T A N C E
REUNIONS Tamworth Base Hospital Nurses 40-year reunion July 74-77 group 8-9 June Tamworth Bronwyn Johnson (nee Ashworth) (02) 9315 7545 / 0431 446 114 johnsonsbronte@gmail.com NEC Prince Henry/POW Hospitals Oct 197275 Group 25-26 October 2014 Margret Brignall (née Samuel) 0418 646 959 Sonia Keeling (née Graf) 0407 221 407 Marcia Jarvis (née Fitch) 0438 415 647 Dianne Walkden (née Edwards) 0400 621 470 Gill Gillon (née Horton) 0401 048 205
Calling all
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