tqn Vol33 [4] Aug14

VOL. 33 | NO. 4 | AUGUST 2014

THE QUEENSLAND NURSE

D E C L A R AT I O N O F

Nursing and Midwifery and Union

Values

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The official journal of the Queensland Nurses’ Union 106 Victoria Street, West End Q 4101 (GPO Box 1289, Brisbane Q 4001) T 07 3840 1444 1800 177 273 (toll free) F 07 3844 9387 E qnu@qnu.org.au W www.qnu.org.au ISSN 0815-936X ABN No. 84 382 908 052 Editor Beth Mohle, Secretary, QNU Production QNU Communications team Published by the Queensland Nurses’ Union of Employees Printed by Fergies Print and Mail REGIONAL OFFICES Toowoomba 66 West St, Toowoomba Q 4350 (PO Box 3598, Village Fair, Toowoomba Q 4350) T 07 4659 7200 F 07 4639 5052 E qnutwmba@qnu.org.au

VOL. 33 | NO. 4 | AUGUST 2014

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Bundaberg 44 Maryborough St, Bundaberg Q 4670 (PO Box 2949, Bundaberg Q 4670) T 07 4199 6101 F 07 4151 6066 E qnubberg@qnu.org.au Rockhampton Suite 1, Trade Union Centre 110 Campbell Street, Rockhampton Q 4700 (PO Box 49, Rockhampton Q 4700) T 07 4922 5390 F 07 4922 3406 E qnurocky@qnu.org.au Townsville 1 Oxford Street, Hyde Park Q 4812 (PO Box 3389, Hermit Park Q 4812) T 07 4772 5411 F 07 4721 1820 E qnutsvle@qnu.org.au

FEATURE Declaration of Nursing and MIdwifery and Union Values

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Cairns Suite 2, 320 Sheridan St, North Cairns Q 4870 (PO Box 846N, North Cairns Q 4870) T 07 4031 4466 F 07 4051 6222 E qnucairns@qnu.org.au DISCLAIMER Statements expressed in articles in The Queensland Nurse are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the policy of the Queensland Nurses’ Union unless this is so stated. Copyright of articles remains with the contributor and may not be reproduced without permission.

Statements of facts are believed to be true but no responsibility for inaccuracy can be accepted. Other material may be reproduced only by written arrangement with the Union.

Although all accepted advertising material is expected to conform to the QNU’s ethical standards, such acceptance does not imply endorsement.

PRIVACY STATEMENT The QNU 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 your nearest QNU office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained you can contact the Privacy Commissioner whose 1800 number is in the phone book.

www.qnu.org.au

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Your union Editorial Your say Tea room Local news National news International news Campaign news

42 25 30 32

Feature

40

Health reform and governance

42

Profile

34

Continuing professional development

43

Social

44

Library

37 38 39

Midwifery

45

Calendar

Industrial

46

Your super

Health and safety

47

Advertising

Professional Nursing and midwifery research

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 1

YOUR UNION

The 33rd QNU Annual Conference SALLY-ANNE JONES, QNU PRESIDENT

The 33rd Annual Conference has just been held and this year’s theme was POWER.

YOUR COUNCIL

The range of speakers and debate ensured we generated power and left empowered.

Conference was three days full of learning about and strengthening our power: the power of one voice, the power of many, the power of research, the power of thought, the power of action, of personal power, industrial power and professional power.

Annual Conference is a fundamental part of the QNU’s democratic process.

Delegates vote as representatives for every other nurse and midwife in Queensland.

They are locally nominated and elected.

The power of each delegate’s vote shapes the actions, direction and focus of the QNU for the next 12 months and into the future.

Some of this work is slow, and takes time— years in fact. But we will not give up.

It is our responsibility as nurses and midwives to pursue the power of selfdetermination and accountability, to hold most high the power of critical thinking, to value our work and harness the power of the people we serve.

By growing our union power through our QNU structures, we can channel the tension in and amongst ourselves to cause the inevitable friction… friction causes heat and heat is a form of power!

Together we have power!

We saw in Helen McCue’s work in APHEDA how the power of a thought turned into a global phenomenon that has touched the lives of millions of people across the globe.

Jill Furillo from the New York State Nurses’ Association warned what

happens when we are silent on things that matter to us—public health care and basic human rights.

She demonstrated the success that nurses and midwives in a collective can have in reversing the power of the 1%, with a shared vision, a shared voice and shared values.

Across the globe, nurses and midwives are uniting through Global Nurses United to campaign on shared issues. Fourteen nations, many voices, one vision.

Susan Benedyka’s demonstration of community-based campaigning shared the success of harnessing this power. It is community-based power that builds on our own.

We cannot vacate the space of debate.

Part of our role as nurses and midwives is to stand up for what we believe, using all parts of our brains to influence where we can.

Even in those times when we are vilified in parliament as “union thugs” for defending public health care, pushing back against government out of control, we work in services with shrinking budgets and increasing productivity demands.

If you’re angry about what is happening, have hope that it can be better and take action to make it happen!

As well stated by ACTU Assistant Secretary Tim Lyons, when governments say unions have too much power they mean YOU have too much power!

It’s a great position to be in to kick off our next chapter.

WE CANNOT VACATE THE SPACE OF DEBATE. PART OF OUR ROLE AS NURSES AND MIDWIVES IS TO STAND UP FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE, USING ALL PARTS OF OUR BRAINS TO INFLUENCE WHERE WE CAN.

Sally-Anne

Secretary Beth Mohle ■ Assistant Secretary Des Elder ■ President Sally-Anne Jones ■ Vice President Stephen Bone Councillors Christine Cocks ■ Barbara Jean Cook ■ Karen Cooke ■ Dianne Corbett ■ Jean Crabb ■ Sandra Eales ■ Julie Gard Phillip Jackson ■ Damien Lawson ■ David Lewis ■ Lucynda Maskell ■ Simon Mitchell ■ Fiona C.A. Monk ■ Sue Pitman Dan Prentice ■ Karen Shepherd ■ Katy Taggart ■ Kym Volp ■ Deborah Watt ■ Di Webb ■ Charmaine Wicking

2 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

www.qnu.org.au

EDITORIAL

Front and centre – our values, our voice, our power BETH MOHLE, QNU SECRETARY

Our values—both nursing and midwifery, and union—guide all that we do.

Our values give us confidence to communicate assertively and clearly, especially to politicians and decision makers in health and aged care.

When we take a stand it is to uphold the deeply held values that drive us.

We know not everyone will agree with us and we accept this because we know respect, tolerance and the contest of ideas are central to a vibrant and cohesive society.

We have an obligation to actively contribute to public debate about the future of both our health and aged care system, and also our wider Australian society.

We cannot leave this for others to do. Our voices must be heard.

To do this, we must understand what is important to us and have the confidence and the evidence to advance our arguments.

As nurses, midwives, and union members we must know why we do what we do.

We must understand the various sources of power available to us.

We started our 2014 Annual Conference firmly focusing on our values and our power by launching our statement of nursing and midwifery and union values.

This statement is reproduced in this edition of tqn.

The focus on values and power energised conference delegates to return to their www.qnu.org.au

workplaces and continue our ongoing struggle—for our rights at work and in broader society, for our communities’ right to high quality health care for all based on need.

Our Townsville delegates hit the ground running on their return home by taking a lead role in the campaign in defence of penalty rates.

The “Save our Weekend” campaign was launched in Townville on 24 July, led by the ACTU and with North Queensland Cowboys and Queensland State of Origin player Brent Tate on hand in support.

The campaign was launched in response to a growing push by some employer groups to pressure the federal and state governments to cut our hard-won penalty rates.

We all know how important shift, weekend and public holiday penalty rates are to nurses and midwives.

For a shift-working nurse or midwife, penalty rates can make up 25-30% of their pay—compensation for having to work when most others are relaxing with family and friends.

Whether we are nurses and midwives, other health and essential services workers, or retail and hospitality workers, all of us are required to miss out on ‘normal’ life to provide a service.

The QNU is at the forefront of the campaign to defend penalty rates, and our activists and officials in Townsville have helped lead this important campaign from the very beginning.

They have gathered thousands of signatures from community members and colleagues, participated in community and workplace campaign activities, and lobbied local politicians and employers.

One-on-one conversations are crucial in explaining why this issue is important to nurses and midwives, and how penalty

WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO PUBLIC DEBATE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF BOTH OUR HEALTH AND AGED CARE SYSTEM, AND ALSO OUR WIDER AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY. rates are central to the ‘fair go’ and our Australian way of life.

The threat to penalty rates is merely part of a broader national and global effort from employers to maximise profits by driving down wages and conditions, and to gain more ‘employment flexibility’ by replacing permanent, secure work with casual, insecure work.

Make no mistake, this will also threaten the quality of care we can deliver to the people who need it.

To our Townsville activists and the QNU staff who are working so tirelessly during the ‘Save Our Weekend’ campaign: thank you.

You have demonstrated great leadership, commitment and tenacity by taking a stand on an issue that is crucial to nurses and midwives.

On this issue and others, Queensland nurses and midwives will continue to take a stand. We have the power, and we will be front and centre.

Beth

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 3

YOUR SAY

The following letter was a comment to QNU President Sally-Anne Jones on a Facebook post:

Don’t follow US in race to the bottom on health Dear Sally-Anne, As an American nurse, I’m rooting for you Ms Jones.

Don’t follow America as we race to the bottom when it comes to our insistence on failing miserably when it comes to all the leading health indicators that help establish which countries have the best health systems in the world.

You Aussies have one of the best healthcare systems in the world (thanks mostly to the nursing labor movement), and the US knows it—that’s why even the most radically pro-privatization Republicans always scream “socialism” in the same sentence as “Canada” but they NEVER bring Australia up.

Even our GOP knows they can’t get away with screaming ‘socialists!’ at Australia.

Although now that I think about it, that actually may be due less to their respect for, or understanding of, your health system or ability to even define the word “socialist” but rather, I think many of the Sarah Palin types in the GOP have probably gleaned most of their ‘vast’ knowledge about Australia in general from what they see on Shark Week.

And I know that as President of the QNU and VP of the ANMF, you won’t allow that low scorer on the empathy exam, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, to convince struggling middle class Australians to hold up Gina Rhinehart as a great example of how to produce high quality services at low cost.

Christina Stacy Beam Boston, Massachusetts

A bouquet for the QNU team I have just received a package of notes for the ‘Professional Advocacy’ training program.

Thank you very much for sending it and so promptly. When I do get to complete the course face-to-face, I’m sure I will get much greater value and appreciation by having had the chance to pre-read.

4 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

I just want to say how much I appreciate our Queensland Nurses Union.

Whenever I have called or e-mailed, I’ve received a prompt response and people have followed through on what they agree to do.

It may seem a small thing to respond to a member’s inquiry and follow up by providing an information package.

To me, receiving that package, so promptly, in the mail was like someone offering a cool drink of water as I’m staggering through a marathon.

Just knowing that QNU is fighting to uphold the rights of nurses is somehow a great comfort on days when I feel overwhelmed by the nameless, faceless bureaucracy that Queensland Health often feels like to me.

So, I am writing to say: Here’s a bouquet for all our QNU team (paid and voluntary). Take a bow. Thank you for soldiering on with a smile.

K. Taylor

Reflections on International Nurses Day I acknowledge the immense importance of nursing as a profession and as a philosophy. What I admire about nursing is its humane face.

Much emphasis is lately put on corporate and business aspects of nursing so it is crucial we do not forget its humane face: the humility, patience, tolerance, kindness.

In fact, nursing can be expressed mathematically: (intellectual ability + emotional intelligence) x (patience2 + tolerance) = nursing.

However, to avoid being airy-fairy I want to personalise this message for every one of you.

I want to thank all of our nursing colleagues for their massive efforts, for the patience and understanding, for your care. What you do is very much appreciated by the community and by those who need it the most.

I realise that what you do is not always acknowledged, recognised and rewarded.

But it is always appreciated!

And so, I encourage you to continue with your efforts even if they are not immediately seen. It takes a long time for a tree to grow from a tiny seed. Some

time it takes this long to reap the fruits of our labour.

You may not see the benefit of what you did today but your patient will. And this is the unselfish nature of nursing!

Keep up the good work.

Marek Klein (with permission) Executive Director, Community and Primary Health Care, Mount Isa

Little unity in health It appears that nurses are still doing all the ‘labouring’ work (physical and political) in our public health system.

I have not seen any activity from other professionals like radiologists, physios, lab technicians etc, or even admin workers to defend working conditions against the Newman government’s attack.

Doctors have done a little to protect THEIR situation.

The basic principle of an employment protection system is that there is strength in unity and there is little unity in the health industry.

Lilibeth Myles RN, Palm Island

HAVE YOUR SAY tqn welcomes letters for publication.

Letters should be no more than 200 words. Anonymous letters will not be published (we will consider withholding names, but do not accept unsigned letters).

Photos may be colour or black and white.

All material will go to the Editorial Committee.

Send all material in the first instance to: The Editor, The Queensland Nurse, GPO Box 1289, Brisbane 4001 or by email to dsmith@qnu.org.au or by sms to 0481 381 837 The views contained in the ‘Your Say’ page do not necessarily reflect the views of the QNU. For more information and guidance on writing and submitting a letter for inclusion in the ‘Your Say’ section refer to the QNU’s Letter to the Editor policy at www.qnu.org.au/letters-policy

Connect with us:

/qldnursesunion www.qnu.org.au

TEA ROOM

tea r

m

WITH DES ELDER, QNU ASSISTANT SECRETARY

We sometimes take it for granted that everyone knows their entitlements.

However, for new entrants to the nursing and midwifery workforce it is often difficult to understand the plethora of entitlements and payslips covering our profession.

In fact many nurses and midwives are uncertain about which allowances, loadings and penalties they are entitled to given the diversity of their work and working hours.

The following questions are frequently asked of our QNU Connect information service.

I am employed by Ramsay Health Care. Am I entitled to overtime if I don’t get to have a lunch break?

There are two enterprise agreements covering Ramsay Health Care. One is for Greenslopes Hospital and the other is for all other Ramsay hospitals in Queensland.

In both agreements the relevant clause is Clause 5.9 - Meal Breaks.

To receive a meal break you must be rostered to work at least 6 hours continuously.

If you work for at least 6 hours you are entitled to a meal break of no less than 30 minutes between the fourth and sixth hour from the commencement of duty.

The entitlement does not apply to RN Level 3 Nurse Unit Managers and Levels 4 and 5.

If you are unable to take a meal break you should receive overtime at double time for the rest of your shift or until you are able to take your break.

Importantly, you must let your supervisor or another appropriate management representative know of your inability to take your break within the period of 4 to 6 hours—there is no guarantee that www.qnu.org.au

overtime will be approved if you notify your supervisor after the sixth hour.

If you do notify before the 6 hour time limit, working through your meal break must be authorised by your supervisor.

If your supervisor directs you to take your meal break you should comply unless in your professional judgement doing so would place your patients at risk or cause your workload to become unmanageable within the allocated shift time.

If in discussions with your supervisor you remain of the view that taking a meal break is not possible, advise your supervisor of your concerns and press your request for overtime payments in accordance with Clause 5.9.

Outline the clinical/staffing/workload reasons why you believe it would be unsafe to take your break or that taking a meal break would create additional workload problems.

You should then document this to pay office as a claim for overtime.

Remember though, “an employee’s inability to take a meal break must be for reasons other than the employee’s own particular requirements”.

This means you should not deliberately avoid taking a meal break because of your personal priorities that may be inconsistent with a care plan or other legitimate requirements of your role.

One sign that your inability to take a meal break may be legitimate is if other members of the nursing team are also missing breaks and having similar problems.

Even if it’s only one member of your team experiencing workload issues, it affects the whole team and is therefore a shared problem which needs to be addressed.

The best way to address it is for all members of the team to repeatedly and persistently raise the matter with the supervisor.

If you have questions for our tea room column email qnu@qnu.org.au

ROVDPOOFDU QI 41::4321

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 5

NEWS

He’s done it again!

Newman government forced to pay costs after Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie withdraws anti-union laws.

After forcing taxpayers to cough up for his flawed sex offender laws, then again to defend a High Court challenge to his anti-bikie legislation, Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie has returned to voters with his tail between his legs for a third time after withdrawing his anti-union laws.

The controversial laws were designed to silence unions by requiring them to conduct a full ballot of members—an extremely time-consuming and expensive process—every time they wanted to spend more than $10,000 on a ‘political’ campaign.

Queensland unions—including the QNU—immediately launched a High Court challenge to the proposed laws, saying they were unconstitutional and limited political freedom.

The Newman government chose not to proceed after similar laws were struck down in a High Court challenge in December 2013.

In a hearing in June before the High Court, the state government agreed to pay unions’ legal costs.

This is a very large legal bill for a badlywritten, undemocratic law which should never have been drafted in the first place.

Charles Massy from Hall Payne Lawyers, which initiated the High Court challenge on behalf of the QNU and other unions, said the withdrawal was a complete capitulation by the Newman Government.

“The QNU argued that the government’s amendments were unconstitutional because they breached freedom of political communications,” he said.

“This is a significant victory for the QNU and Queensland unions”.

6 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

Stunning victory, good for democracy This is a stunning victory, not just for workers across Queensland but for democracy in Australia.

Mr Bleijie’s laws were a transparent attempt to prevent workers from participating in the political process, and to muzzle the unions who represent them.

Queensland unions have thwarted the Newman government’s attempt to silence them. Everyone will benefit from this victory.

It just goes to show the value of the Nurse Power Fund, which was designed to defend nurses and midwives against exactly this kind of attack.

Fourth strike coming up?

In early July, the Newman government suffered its fourth expensive defeat in the courts.

In September last year, inspectors attended the offices of the Electrical Trades Union seeking documents required according to the government’s amendments to the Industrial Relations Act 1999 (Qld).

The ETU asserted the inspectors themselves had not complied with the legislation.

Charges were brought against the ETU for failing to produce documents and for not publishing documents required by law.

On 8 July, the Industrial Magistrates Court acquitted the ETU on all charges, and ordered the government to pay the ETU’s costs.

The Court expressed surprise that a number of the charges were brought, and observed that it appeared the legislation was deficient.

The government has appealed the decision, but it looms as another catastrophic and costly defeat for Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie.

Bleijie feeling the heat Serious questions have now been raised about Mr Bleijie’s ability in the role of Attorney-General.

Top legal minds repeatedly warned Mr Bleijie that his sex offender laws, his anti-bikie laws, and his anti-union laws were unconstitutional.

Unfortunately Mr Bleijie’s refused to listen and tried to force his will.

He has now suffered two embarrassing defeats, with a third signature piece of legislation undergoing High Court challenge and facing strong electoral disapproval, and a fourth on appeal after being struck down.

At this rate, Mr Bleijie’s tenure in the role threatens to become little more than a litany of foolhardy misadventures followed by embarrassing and expensive backdowns.

Queenslanders deserve far better from their Attorney-General. www.qnu.org.au

NEWS

State budget delivers more bad news for Queenslanders Coming just weeks after the Abbott government’s unpopular federal budget, the Newman government’s state budget quietly locked in privatisation of Queensland’s public assets.

The state budget was produced in June with little fanfare—unsurprising given the mood of the electorate toward governments which cut services and sell assets.

Voters have shown time and again that they are deeply opposed to privatisation– yet privatisation remains an untouchable article of faith for the Newman government.

It seems no matter how strongly voters say they don’t want privatisation, the only message governments will listen to is the one they hear at the ballot box.

The budget was also delivered with little detail or clarity about specific areas, making it very difficult to assess the impact of funding decisions.

 SEQ Pensioner Water Subsidy Scheme, $120.  Reticulated Natural Gas Rebate Scheme, $68.  Translink Transport Concessions: currently 50% discount, change to 35%.

The outrage across the state was immediate. After two days of intense public criticism, talkback anger, and pensioners organising to march in protest through the streets of Brisbane, the Newman government backed down and agreed to abandon the cuts.

Child Protection  $406 million in new funding to implement the 122 recommendations from the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry.

Infrastructure  $49.1 million will be spent on early

The key measures of this year’s state budget included:

work on the Commonwealth Games Village.  $2.5 million per year for four years will fund the independent Gas Fields Commission.

Asset sales to proceed  The Newman government is proposing

Health  $224.5 million will go to the Lady

to sell CS Energy and Stanwell, as well as the SunWater industrial pipelines.  The government is also planning long term leases (99 years) for the Gladstone Port Corporation and the Townsville Port (including the Mt Isa freight rail line).  The government will also invite private sector investment in the electricity network.  None of the sales will proceed until after the 2015 state election, but the government will spend $5.2 million in public money on an advertising campaign in favour of privatisation.

Cilento Children’s Hospital and Centre for Children’s Health Research.  $369.8 million will go to the Sunshine Coast Public University Hospital.

Police  $109.4 million will be spent on additional police officers.

 $110 million will be spent on capital works, information technology and equipment.

Economic forecast for 2015 An increase in LNG production is expected to boost economic growth to 6% in 2015-16, before settling to 4% in 2016-17.

The unemployment rate continues its gradual increase. Currently around 6%, it is forecast to decline to 5.5% over the next two years—still well short of the Newman government’s promised 4% rate.

Voters fed up with not being heard The 2014-2015 state budget was a missed opportunity for the Newman government.

Despite strong signs voters are fed up with the government’s combative approach, this year’s budget only reinforced that Queenslanders’ voices are not being heard.

Justice  $31.1 million over four years will be used to establish 15 Safe Night Out precincts across Queensland.

Pensioner concessions The Newman government announced it would consider making 15% cuts to annual concessions. The concessions were of particular value to low-income earners like pensioners, and included:  Electricity Rebate Scheme, currently $321.  Pensioner Rate Subsidy Scheme, $200. www.qnu.org.au

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 7

NEWS

CODE BLACK at Cairns Hospital

Cairns Hospital declared a ‘code black’ in early July—an urgent warning that the hospital emergency department had reached its capacity to deal with incoming requests for assistance.

With nurses and midwives forced to work ongoing double-shifts in cramped and overcrowded conditions, the hospital had little choice but to acknowledge public health was being put at risk.

Cairns hospital 109 nurses and midwives short Cairns Hospital has suffered a shortfall of 109 FTE nurses and midwives thanks to mismanaged planning and recruitment.

Nurses and midwives employed at the hospital were forced to work without breaks, and reported feeling extreme levels of stress, anxiety, and fatigue.

The situation in Cairns has been made worse by the delay in opening the new $454.6 million D Block.

D Block was scheduled to open in May, but has been repeatedly delayed due to major electrical problems.

However, the fundamental reason for the ‘code black’ emergency is the state government’s slashing of nursing and midwifery positions, and failure to provide jobs for new graduates.

Cairns and Hinterland Chair fails to deny vacancy figures Bob Norman, Chair of Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, failed to deny the hospital was operating 109 nurses and midwives short, arguing instead that it had ‘a larger nursing workforce than it did a year ago’.

The QNU understands the graduate nurses and midwives at Cairns Hospital who previously were on 0.6 FTE, have 8 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

been offered full-time work in the wake of the ‘code black’ emergency.

More nurses and midwives is always a good thing, but these measures will not overcome the 109 missing nurses and midwives.

So much for Cairns in Good Shape The staffing emergency put the lie to Health Minister Lawrence Springborg’s Cairns in Good Shape statement in May that “the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital is among the best and most efficient in the state”.

Despite the hard work of health workers in the region, the true state of affairs is very different.

While Mr Springborg claims Cairns Hospital has a ‘zero waiting list’, the QNU is receiving complaints from local residents that they cannot get appointments to request surgery because there is a waiting list for the waiting list.

Until the games over adequate recruitment and waiting lists stop, the people of Cairns and Hinterland will pay the price of the government’s cuts to their public health service.

Newman government proposes to sell Rockhampton medical imaging The Newman government has earmarked Rockhampton’s Medical imaging services for sale.

At a meeting of Rockhampton Hospital staff in late July, management informed health workers it had released a public expression of interest for the provision of medical imaging services.

Amazingly, hospital management had not even developed a business case, or undertaken any planning or consultation around a how a privatised medical imaging service would be staffed or structured.

Local health workers—including nurses and midwives—joined concerned community members to hold a rally protesting against the proposed sale, and calling on Newman government Minister for Keppel, Bruce Young, to support his local community by demanding the decision be reversed.

Medical imaging is a vital and specialised service, and the health professionals working in this area are highly trained, very experienced and dedicated to delivering the best possible service for their patients.

The plan to outsource this essential service means jobs and more importantly patient care will be jeopardised.

The Rockhampton community deserves better.

To sign the online petition, visit http://chn.ge/1kUH6IF

FOR SALE www.qnu.org.au

NEWS

Remembering our war nurses in Bundaberg 2014 marks the centenary anniversary of Australian army nurses departing Queensland for World War I. The first contingent of nurses left Australian waters on the HMAT Omrah on 24 September 1914.

To mark the occasion in Bundaberg, a memorial wall with a commemorative plaque will be unveiled and dedicated on 24 September.

A member of the Australian Army Nursing Corps will unveil the plaque.

A memorial walk and commemorative gardens, which include two ‘walls of memories’ will also be unveiled and dedicated.

One of the walls will include an honour roll plaque, listing Australian nurses from the Bundaberg region who served during World War I. Nurses and midwives in Bundaberg are very welcome to attend this event, although notification to the Ex-Servicewomen’s Association is necessary for planning and catering, email bundy.eswa@gmail.com The service will begin at 9am on Wednesday 24 September in the War Nurses Memorial Park.

A shuttle bus service will operate from 8.15am near Dimmys on Quay Street to help relieve traffic congestion.

HMAT Omrah www.qnu.org.au

Source: Australian War Memorial

G20: In November this year Queensland will play host to the world’s leading politicians and economists for the G20 forum.

The “Group of Twenty” is a conference of governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies around the world.

Australia is a member of the G20, along with the US, UK, China, India, and the European Union.

The G20 summits are used to discuss broad-ranging economic goals such as international financial stability, sustained economic growth, and global energy and resource markets.

The G20 is also an opportunity for trade unions from around the world to have their say on global priorities and actions.

The L20, or “Labour Twenty”, unites unions from G20 countries and is convened by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Australia’s Sharan Burrow is the General Secretary of ITUC—you can read a profile of Sharan and her work on p42.

The L20 has consistently pressed for:  more investment to create quality jobs  scale up quality apprenticeships and skills

The world comes to Queensland

 formalisation of work through minimum wages, labour rights, and social protections  sustainable, green, and inclusive growth  fair income distribution  re-regulate the financial sector  follow-up on the implementation of G20 past and future commitments.

The L20 have already announced growth targets must plug the 62 million global ‘jobs gap’, and you can bet the L20 will continue to press for improved jobs and job secruity for the world’s working poor at the G20 in November.

Queen’s Birthday honours The month of June witnessed the annual bestowing of Queen’s Birthday honours, and once again several nurses were recognised.

Longstanding QNU member and Princess Alexandra Hospital nurse Jennifer Andrews was awarded a Public Service Medal for her outstanding public service to nursing in Queensland.

Australia’s Chief Nurse, Dr Rosemary Bryant, was recognised as an Officer of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to the profession of nursing through national and international leadership, and as a supporter of access and equity in health care.

Elizabeth Dabars, Secretary of the South Australian Branch of the Australian

Nursing and Midwifery Federation, was recognised as a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to medical administration, particularly to nursing and midwifery, and to community and mental health organisations.

Recognition of dedication and professionalism has not come easy to nurses and midwives—we have had to work and campaign for it every step of the way.

It is such a fantastic example to nurses and midwives everywhere when members of our profession receive the recognition they so thoroughly deserve.

Congratulations to Jennifer, Rosemary, and Elizabeth!

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 9

NEWS

QNU insists new grads must be given priority

The QNU has used an appearance in the 457 visa review panel to insist local graduates be given priority to nursing and midwifery jobs.

Appearing at the Brisbane hearing in May, QNU Secretary Beth Mohle said graduate and local nurses must be given priority in accessing employment through existing labour market testing restrictions.

“Overseas nurses and midwives play an important role in our health system,’’ Beth said.

“So do Australian nurses, our nursing graduates and our future graduates.

“We have a state government that has systematically cut more than 1300 nursing positions in the public sector and we want to ensure that local nurses have precedence when it comes to accessing jobs.

“We want to encourage local employment and build a health system that cultivates the education of Australians interested in tending to our sick and injured.

“We also recognise that many workers on 457 visas experience difficulties in their employment when they reach Australia. That is why we will be asking the panel to ensure international nurses

hired in Australia are made aware of their workplace rights.’’

Beth said the QNU would also seek “tied funding’’ to assist employers in hiring more new nursing graduates and further empirical research on the ethical recruitment of overseas trained nurses.

Support from new Queensland Senator Nursing and midwifery graduates were given a boost from an unexpected quarter when newly-elected Palmer United Party Senator Glenn Lazarus used his first question in parliament to query the Abbot government’s position on 457 visas.

Mr Lazarus asked Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Michaelia Cash: “Can the Senator explain why the federal government continues to support the importation of overseas nurses and midwives on 457 working visas while Queensland has the highest level of new graduate unemployment and underemployment in the nursing and midwifery sector?”

THREE CHEERS FOR OUR SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Congratulations to our 2014 QNU Scholarship and Book Bursary winners.

Each year the QNU awards thousands of dollars in scholarships and bursaries to deserving nurses and midwives across all sectors.

All QNU members are welcome to apply, including international students and nurses and midwives on working visas.

This year the $3000 AIN Scholarship was awarded to Merla Kyffin who will use her funds to attend the SRACA (Sterilising Research and Advisory Council of Australia) Queensland Annual Conference in Toowoomba in August and to purchase nursing books.

The EN scholarship of $1500 was awarded to Carolyn Farndon who is 10 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

undertaking a Bachelor of Midwifery studies.

Four members were awarded RN/ Midwife scholarships of $1125 each: Glynnis James who is undertaking a Graduate Diploma of Midwifery, Tracey Sekac who is studying a for her Masters of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner (Chronic Conditions), Christian Sarmiento who is studying for his Masters of Nursing – Advanced Practice Nursing, and Robyn Cameron who will use her scholarship to attend the Annual Australian College for Infection Prevention and Control Conference in Adelaide in November.

Student Book Bursary winners Toni Seckold, Amanda Tyndall, Erin

Farquharson, Shayne Pattie and AnnMarie Bullock each received $500 towards books for their Bachelor of Nursing studies, while Siu Kuen (Jessica) Pattie, Margaret Nagy and Jennifer Warren will use their $500 for books required for their Diploma of Nursing courses.

The $300 Bauer-Wiles Book bursary went to Hui (Grace) Xu. We also awarded five 2013 Annual Conference Scholarships giving five nurses/midwives the opportunity to attend the QNU’s annual conference.

The winners were Rikki Gee, Tahlia Johnston, Sally Jermyn, Lauren Picker and Paul Kaczykowski. www.qnu.org.au

NEWS

Tasmanian government reads from Newman government’s playbook

Buying a car under novated leases There has been a lot of chatter in the news lately about novated vehicle leases, much of it warning consumers to do their homework before signing on the dotted line.

What is a novated lease?

A novated lease is where your employer owns a car on your behalf and you lease it back through a third party administrator by making repayments and paying running costs out of your pre-tax salary.

You can do this with a new or a used car.

Most people choose to have leasing arrangements organised by a leasing agent.

The leasing agent may also be the third party administrator—but again, that is not essential.

The biggest benefit of a novated lease is that it can reduce your taxable income so you end up paying less income tax.

But there can also be pitfalls, particularly around running costs, resale, and the impact leasing may have on other tax benefits including Centrelink payments.

Know your rights and shop around Like any financial decision it is important you do your research and shop around before deciding on a novated lease.

The QNU does not provide financial advice to members, however we can offer some tips. We suggest you:  Obtain at least two or three quotes (one from a non-administrator agent) on all novated leases including the vehicle purchase cost, insurances, and ongoing costs. These are best from an appropriately licensed company.  Obtain a full explanation and understanding of all the fees, charges, insurance, and commissions included in the lease. www.qnu.org.au

 Keep in mind you have a choice and that leases do not have to be through only one provider.  Obtain independent financial advice about your lease.

Failing to take time to fully understand the implications of your lease—both on a fortnightly basis and over the life of the agreement—can be very costly.

In particular you could be paying for items in the lease that may be unnecessary or overpriced.

Beware bad financial advice When it comes to using agents or brokers to arrange or advise you on financial products—whether that be novated leases, mortgages or investments—it pays to be vigilant.

It is not uncommon for agents or advisors to receive kickbacks or commissions for directing you to particular financial products.

This may mean you are not necessarily getting the best deal for you and your financial circumstances, but rather the deal that offers the agent, bank or broker the best profit or bonus.

Just a few months ago the Commonwealth Bank came under fire for giving customers financial advice that in part involved kickbacks and rewards for high-pressure sales tactics.

Unfortunately the Abbott federal government recently announced it would not proceed with important reforms introduced by the previous government to make banks, financial advisors and agents more accountable.

These reforms were badly needed, and would have saved everyday Australian households thousands of dollars—proof again, if any more were needed, that the current government unfairly favours those who need help the least.

In a move all too familiar to Queenslanders under the Newman government, Tasmania’s state government will override awards and agreements to cut public sector wages while outlawing protest action.

The Hodgman Liberal government is describing the cut as a ‘pause’, but as prices of goods and services will continue to rise, this amounts to a wage cut in real terms.

In an effort to pre-emptively counteract public anger over the move, the Hodgman government has also introduced new laws to outlaw protest action.

The Tasmanian government alone has the power to decide when the “pause” will end, and has so far not specified any end date.

The Hodgman government has indicated the wage cut is to assist in saving jobs, however it has been unable to identify a single job which will be saved.

Tasmanian unions were not given any indication of the Hodgman government’s plans, and requests for information to better understand the government’s budget concerns have been refused.

Unions found out about the wage cut from leaks to the media.

The ANMF Tasmania has joined other public sector unions and the ACTU to condemn the move.

A “Bust the Budget” rally is scheduled for 28 August in Hobart, with further rallies in Devonport and Launceston.

Anti-protest legislation The rallies may prove testing grounds for the new anti-protest laws the Hodgman government has introduced into state parliament.

The laws have been condemned by civil liberty groups, lawyers, environment groups and unions, and include $10,000 on-the-spot fines and 3-month mandatory jail terms.

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 11

NEWS

AWARD MODERNISATION

QH’s left-hand not talking to its right-hand The QNU continues to pressure the Department of Health to ‘come clean’ and explain their position on Award Modernisation for nurses and midwives in Queensland Health.

Despite the Minister writing to every nurse and midwife employed by Queensland Health to convey his guarantee that ‘no nurse or midwife will be financially worse off as a result of award modernisation’, his department’s Senior Director for Award Modernisation has subsequently written to the QNU confirming the department’s intention to cease payment of the current pharmacy allowance and the X-ray and radium allowance.

This will apply to any nurse or midwife employed after 31 August 2014 (although it will not affect the Offender Health Nurses pharmacy allowance).

The QNU is extremely concerned with Queensland Health’s refusal to openly state their position on a range of key entitlements.

Departmental officers consistently hide behind excuses such as “we are

12 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

considering our position” or “we are awaiting whole-of-government advice”.

The QNU is continuing to meet with Queensland Health but these discussions have so far mainly addressed mechanicaltype clauses in the award.

Queensland Health appears to be struggling with its interpretation of the industrial relations changes associated with the restructure of Queensland Health into Hospital and Health Services and ‘prescribed’ and ‘non prescribed’ employer status.

It is now clear it will not be possible to finalise award modernisation for QH nurses and midwives within the government’s timeframe of 31 August 2014.

The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) is yet to release an Exposure Draft of the Nurses and Midwives Award, as it has to give priority to other awards that are impacting upon enterprise bargaining timeframes.

As EB8 does not expire until 31 March 2015, there is less pressure for our award to be finalised. Any new award will not apply until your new agreement is finalised.

While it is apparent the 31 August 2014 timeframe will not be achieved, neither the government nor the QIRC has advised of a revised timeframe.

The QNU is proceeding with this exercise on the basis that the Queensland Health Nurses and Midwives Award is a critically important industrial instrument and we will not be a party to any attempt to progress this award modernisation process with indecent haste just to meet an artificial deadline.

It is important for nurses and midwives that this exercise is done correctly.

There is also a public interest in not creating industrial upheaval among

32,000 Queensland Health nurses and midwives by ill-considered decisions being made in haste with respect to this award.

The QNU has made it clear to the Department of Health that we will not accept any reductions in the current award terms and conditions of employment.

We have a guarantee from the Minister that we expect his department to abide by.

The QNU will continue to keep members informed as the award modernisation process progresses.

Please go to the QNU website for further details.

Award modernisation – public sector The public sector award modernisation affects Queensland nurses and midwives working in the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services, Department of Education, Training and Employment and Queensland Police Service or Public Safety Business Agency.

The process to modernise the Queensland Public Service Award - State 2003 is nearing completion.

The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) recently heard outstanding objections to the proposed new Queensland Public Service Officers and Other Employees Award – State 2014. www.qnu.org.au

NEWS

The QNU raised objections to the proposed award, as did Together Qld and the Public Service Commission (PSC).

The QIRC handed down its decision on 25 July. Key outcomes include:

It important to remember the new award won’t take effect until a new enterprise agreement is negotiated for members in the public sector and the new agreement is introduced.

Allowances

Award modernisation – local government

The QIRC accepted the QNU argument that all allowances, including expense based allowances, should be automatically increased each year in conjunction with increases to the wage rate. Unlike the previous practice of expenses allowances only being increased by application, all expense allowances will now increase annually in the same way as they increase under the federal nurses award.

Facilitative award provisions The QIRC accepted the Together Qld argument (supported by the QNU) that the facilitative award provisions contained in the current award should be retained. Together argued facilitative award provisions set down the process for when award provisions are varied by agreement between the employer and the majority of a group of employees.

The current provision with minor amendment will now remain.

Individual grievance procedure The QIRC accepted the arguments by the QNU and Together Qld to include an individual grievance procedure in conjunction with a dispute resolution procedure.

Union delegates Together Qld were unsuccessful in arguing provisions that enshrined the rights of union workplace delegates (as distinct from union officials) should be recognised, and that meeting with members in the workplace did not offend the Act. The QIRC determined none of the current award provisions regarding the role of union delegates were allowed under the Act. The draft modern award is now being finalised and will be considered in its entirety before the end of August. www.qnu.org.au

A preliminary draft award has been released for consultation with all unions and employer organisations.

After consideration of arguments from all local government unions including the QNU, the QIRC determined to consolidate all current local government awards into one single award.

There are currently more than 20 awards that apply to local government employees.

This includes three state awards for nurses, the Nurses’ Award – State 2005, the Nurses’ Aged Care Award – State 2005, and the Nurses’ Domiciliary Services Award – State 2003.

Despite the small number of nurses directly employed by local governments in Queensland, the QNU is actively involved in consultation around the draft.

The QNU remains committed to ensure all beneficial award provisions in local government are retained both for current and future nurses.

People power beats political interest Australians have decisively rejected the Abbott government’s plan to disadvantage lowincome earners through their superannuation.

In July, the newly-elected Senate rejected the government’s attempt to dismantle the Low Income Superannuation Contribution scheme (LISC), which was set up to help low earners make savings for retirement.

Under the LISC, workers who earned $37,000 per year or less received a payment of $500 every year directly into their superannuation savings.

This was a small but significant boost to the savings of those with broken work patterns—like women with caring responsibilities.

Without the LISC, 3.6 million Australian workers would have received no tax break on their compulsory super contributions.

Such contributions come with a 15% contributions tax, so in effect the LISC is refunding this tax to low income earners.

Support for the LISC came from all quarters. Popular protest against abolishing the scheme came from thousands of workers and their unions across the country, but also from the super industry, business, academia, women’s organisations, and policy and community groups.

The main beneficiaries of the LISC include women, part-time and casual workers, and rural workers.

Overall, some 28,000 Australians voiced their support for the LISC, with thousands emailing politicians to ask them to support it.

But the battle is not over as the Abbott government has indicated the Senate changes are unacceptable.

Watch this space.

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 13

NEWS

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2014: THE

OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY

An unusually cold and windy three days in Brisbane couldn’t prevent more than 300 QNU delegates generating a whole lot of power at this year’s annual conference.

Conference couldn’t have come at a better time. After twelve months advancing the interests of nurses and midwives in a decidedly hostile political and industrial environment, it was a fantastic opportunity to take stock and plan for the upcoming year—which will include the Public Sector’s EB9 and a state election.

It was a deeply challenging year for Queensland nurses and midwives.

With the tally of the Newman government’s nursing and midwifery job cuts now exceeding 1650 FTE positions, the Newman government continued its attacks on our public health, our rights, our ability to organise through our union, and on civil society in general.

The election of the Abbott federal government saw immediate attempts to redefine core elements of our social fabric—nowhere more evident than in the

14 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

hugely inequitable federal budget, which included the notorious $7 GP co-payment.

Governments at both state and federal levels have been trying to justify their cuts by making out we are in the midst of an economic crisis.

Nurses and midwives aren’t buying it.

We have been front and centre at everything this year, writing parliamentary submissions, organising and joining protests, attending meetings and forums, and campaigning for change through petitions and lobbying.

This activity is all based on speaking out for those we care for—but we have been equally active representing the professional and industrial interests of nurses and midwives.

Our Mater Public colleagues closed out a marathon campaign for fair wages

www.qnu.org.au

NEWS

and long-held conditions like professional development leave.

Nurses in the Australian Red Cross Blood Service also secured a new agreement against employer resistance, based around preserving skill-mix and safe practice.

Embracia aged care nurses stared down threats and intimidation from their employer, taking industrial action and securing a 12% pay increase and improved conditions.

Already this year, QNU activists have really stepped up as advocates for their local communities.

This was very clear in both the Redcliffe and Stafford by-elections. More will be needed of every member as we approach the 2015 state election.

In Hervey Bay, local nurses and midwives joined with their community to secure appropriate intensive care at the hospital. www.qnu.org.au

Perhaps the biggest victory was the community-based campaign, led by QNU members along the Sunshine Coast, to force the Newman government to back down on plans to privatise clinical services at the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

The QNU also continues to deliver on the bread-and-butter work of providing advice, services, and representation for members.

In the past twelve months, the QNU recovered almost $2 million in unpaid and underpaid wages for members.

Nurses and midwives deserve a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, like everyone else.

But our work is about more than the dollar bottom line—and in the coming year we will make sure politicians are reminded of this at every opportunity.

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 15

NEWS

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2014: THE

OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY

SPEAKERS What a wonderful range of speakers we had this year. You can view clips of the presentations on the QNU website at: www.qnu.org.au/ 2014-annual-conference Remember, this is for members only, so you’ll need your login and password.

Be sure to note down the time you spend watching clips in your Record of Continuing Professional Development! www.qnu.org.au/cpd-record

Jill Furillo from the New York State Nurses’ Association spoke about the growing gap in the US between rich and poor, and how nurses and midwives are taking a leading role to close the gap.

Helen McCue from APHEDA spoke about the founding role of nurses in APHEDA Union Aid Abroad, and what APHEDA has achieved in the last 30 years.

16 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

ANMF Federal Secretary Lee Thomas and Assistant Secretary Annie Butler spoke about the power of belonging to a federal union. www.qnu.org.au

NEWS

Susan Benedyka spoke about how the innovative campaign for the federal seat of Indi harnessed community-based power— and how nurses and midwives can too.

Desley Hegney reported on the findings of the most recent Your Work, Your Time, Your Life survey—the poll on how Queensland nurses and midwives understand their interests and priorities.

Peter Twist spoke about how the concept of ‘whole brain thinking’ can be applied in nursing and midwifery.

ACTU Assistant Secretary Tim Lyons spoke about how power is central and essential to working people—despite what some employers, politicians, and media organisations may say.

Nurse Practitioner Marg Adams spoke on the future of professional power for nurses and midwives.

www.qnu.org.au

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 17

NEWS

Bupa puts substandard

union training program COURSE

offer to nurses

Date

Location

Private Sector Nurses - Scope, practice and workloads

26 Aug

Brisbane

Being a QNU Contact in the workplace

27 Aug

Brisbane

QH - Scope, practice and workloads

28 Aug

Brisbane

QH - How to fix your workloads

10 Sep

Brisbane

Student survival toolkit

10 Sep

Brisbane

Your career starts now!

11 Sep

Brisbane

Creating a safe workplace (WH&S)

11 Sep

Brisbane

Emotional Resiliance

12 Sep

Brisbane

QH - Scope, practice and workloads

17 Sep

Townsville

Creating a safe workplace (WH&S)

18 Sep

Townsville

Handling grievances in the workplace

16 Sep

Brisbane

Someone should do something about that!

17-18 Sep

Brisbane

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER Workplace Representatives 1 8-10 Oct

Brisbane

QH - Scope, practice and workloads

14 Oct

Toowoomba

Being a QNU Contact in the workplace

15 Oct

Toowoomba

Private Sector Nurses Knowing your entitlements

16 Oct

Toowoomba

Handling grievances in the workplace

14 Oct

Cairns

Knowing your entitlements and understanding the Award!

15-16 Oct

Cairns

QNU Branch Development 1&2

21-23 Oct

Brisbane

Health & Safety Representative training for nurses and midwives

27-31 Oct

Brisbane

Bupa Aged Care will put a substandard wage offer to its Queensland nurses after ignoring pleas to pay them the same as Bupa nurses in Victoria and NSW. The QNU has urged Bupa nurses to vote NO to the offer.

Despite recording a $1.5 billion profit in 2013, Bupa refuses to pay its Queensland aged care nurses a decent wage.

Bupa nurses in Queensland are paid the lowest wages of virtually any aged care provider in the state.

Staff turnover is high and morale is low—not least because Bupa nurses in Queensland earn significantly less than Bupa nurses in New South Wales and Victoria.

For example, Registered Nurses (RNs) employed at Bupa Queensland are paid 25% less than RNs working for Bupa in NSW—for doing the same work.

Bupa Assistants in Nursing—valuable members of the nursing team—are paid less than trolley collectors at the local supermarket and shop assistants at the local retail store.

Bupa claims to be committed to empowering its people, that its staff are its greatest ambassadors and love working for Bupa.

Bupa nurses in Queensland do love their work—to provide dignity and respect to vulnerable older Australians is a privilege—but that doesn’t mean they should be paid so much less than Bupa nurses elsewhere in the country.

It’s a disgrace. Bupa nurses put in their personal best every day at work.

They are dedicated to the residents they care for but it seems they are not valued by their employer.

Bupa nurses say it’s not good enough Bupa nurses have already held two lunch-time protests against the insulting wage offer.

Small but determined crowds attended protests at Bupa facilities in New Farm and Merrimac.

A mobile billboard has also been travelling around facilities, spreading the word that Bupa puts profits before residents.

You can sign the Change.org petition by visiting the QNU Facebook page.

http://chn.ge/V5I3RM

TO ENROL IN THESE COURSES—  visit the QNU website at www.qnu.org.au/qnu-training OR

 ring the training unit in Brisbane on 3840 1431 or toll free 1800 177 273 18 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

Mobile billboard

www.qnu.org.au

NEWS

Policy roundtable creates a longterm plan for asylum seekers In July, a diverse group of 35 high-level policymakers and experts met to discuss a long-term framework for Australia’s asylum seeker policy.

The roundtable marked the start of a new conversation about this complex policy area.

Participants recognised there was no ready solution in this debate, and that a focus on politics over policy was unhelpful. The ultimate goal was to consider how Australia could facilitate a sustainable immigration policy that balances protection, safety, transparency and prosperity.

The roundtable drew on a discussion paper Beyond Operation Sovereign Borders: A Long-Term Asylum Policy for Australia which suggests pathways to better policy responses for the future.

www.qnu.org.au

Although the participants did not seek to reach consensus on a new policy, some important areas of common ground did emerge:  While Australia must respect its international legal obligations, the community wants reassurance that Australia retains control over who becomes Australian citizens and under what circumstances.  Fair, transparent and efficient procedures are needed wherever refugee determination processing takes place.  The militarisation of the current approach is deeply concerning.  Regional protection capacity and bilateral partnerships must be built on trust and respect.  Asylum seekers awaiting the outcome of their protection claims should have more rights, including the right to work.  Mandatory detention should be phased out.  Certain groups of asylum seekers should have their processing expedited.

 New community initiatives, especially in regional Australia, should be established.  A ‘second track’ dialogue that will engage the community, policymakers, experts and politicians in rethinking our approach should be created.  Any new approach must use language carefully, recognising the humanity of those in search of protection.

The roundtable was an important step forward in an area of human concern which Australia as a nation has struggled to manage.

While it was heartening to see parliamentarians from three of the four major political parties actively participating in the roundtable, it was deeply disappointing the current government declined to send any representatives.

To access the discussion paper click on the following link: http://bit.ly/1oFFJgR

New QNU policy on asylum seekers The roundtable discussion and release of the discussion paper is timely given delegates to the QNU’s 2014 Annual Conference endorsed the Asylum Seekers and Refugees policy developed by the QNU’s own policy committee.

Representing the culmination of 12 months’ work by the committee, this policy notes that prejudice and racism have no role to play in shaping Australia’s position on asylum seekers and refugees or the manner in which Australia treats them.

The policy affirms that those seeking asylum within Australia have the right to receive appropriate health care devoid of discrimination, regardless of citizenship, visa status, or ability to pay.

Like all who need health care, asylum seekers in Australia should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity.

The QNU recognises the social determinants of health must at all times be considered and factored into all government policy determinations and development.

The new QNU policy will be available on the website later this month.

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 19

NEWS

Federal budget update

Government admits ‘budget emergency’ was a lie Before and after the federal budget, Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey blitzed the media to argue their savage cuts were justified by a ‘budget emergency’.

In fact, during a 15-minute telephone interview on ABC Radio National just after the budget, Mr Abbott referred to ‘Labor’s debt and deficit disaster’ eight times—more than once every 120 seconds!

Many prominent economists protested that these claims were completely false.

Now, the government has unwittingly admitted the whole ‘budget emergency’ line was untrue.

“The Australian economy is not in trouble,” said Mr Hockey during an appearance on a New Zealand political affairs show in July.

“There’s no crisis at all in the Australian economy.”

Mr Hockey’s comments were reported back in Australian media, and may have contributed to the recent rise in consumer confidence which plummeted immediately after the budget.

It just goes to show the economic damage done by foolhardy comments about a ‘budget emergency’—consumer spending immediately and drastically dropped, slowing Australia’s economic activity.

All to sell a budget that will help few and harm many.

20 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

Will the new Senate co-operate?

A new Senate was sworn in on 1 July, taking the deciding votes on new legislation away from the Greens, and giving it to a range of newly-elected independents and Palmer United Party members.

After some initial arguments, the Palmer United Party joined with the government to end the carbon price, and with it Australia’s effective action against climate change.

However, it seems the Abbott government will have much more difficulty passing the federal budget through the Senate.

Given such broad-ranging opposition to the budget, it is reasonable to think the government might reconsider some measures.

Treasurer Joe Hockey had announced the government would seek ways to bypass the Senate, and ram through its budget cuts against the will of the Australian Parliament as well as the Australian people. Now he has started a charm offensive to convince the balance of power Senators to pass the budget.

Where does health stand?

The slashing of $50 billion from the health budget has already begun, and the government is now trying to push through the $7 co-payment for GP visits and diagnostic and pathology services, as well as the extra $5 for medicines.

Treasurer Joe Hockey

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation has launched a campaign to oppose these payments (see p22).

Cutting red tape? More like bureaucracy gone mad Just how much of the government’s new policies are based in careful, reasoned thinking, and how much is an ideological vendetta?

To take one example, consider the government’s proposal to require dole recipients to apply for 40 jobs each month.

There are currently 146,000 job vacancies for 740,000 unemployed Australians.

That means 30 million job applications submitted every month for 146,000 jobs.

The business lobby argues this proposal will only create mountains of half-baked job applications for employers to wade through. www.qnu.org.au

NEWS

When the cost outweighs the benefit Trade agreements. Governments always trumpet the economic growth they will bring, yet somehow they never work out to be quite so beneficial.

But the damage that could be caused by the Trans Pacific Partnership ‘mega agreement’ Australia is currently negotiating could really blow a hole in our way of life.

What is the Trans Pacific Partnership?

The Trans Pacific Partnership (commonly referred to as TPP) is a proposed regional free trade agreement being negotiated between 12 Pacific nations.

You may not know it, but these negotiations have been going on for more than five years.

Australia is a party in the negotiations, as well as the US, Japan, and nine other nations who trade in the Pacific region.

So what’s the problem with the TPP? The TPP is specifically aimed at establishing ‘free trade’ and ‘trade liberalisation’—that means trade with fewer regulations and restrictions.

Fewer regulations and restrictions might mean more trade for some corporations, but it could have a serious and damaging effect on normal citizens.

For example, while the US favours the ability of pharmaceutical companies to sell medicines and drugs for a profit, Australia favours the ability of citizens to easily and cheaply access medicines and drugs—so Australia regulates the price at which US corporations can sell medicines and drugs.

The TPP could mean fewer regulations on how medicines and drugs are priced in Australia. This means higher prices for new medicines.

Remember, Australia is one of the richest nations in the negotiations—the higher prices would have a severe impact in developing countries like Vietnam and Mexico. www.qnu.org.au

Other proposals could restrict our ability to regulate food, alcohol, and tobacco labelling.

Laws similar to the new and highly effective plain packaging laws for cigarettes could become much more difficult—even impossible—to pass.

A litigation-happy deal The TPP could also allow foreign companies to sue the governments if their investment is ‘harmed’.

Similar trade agreements have already seen this happen.

For example, the Renco mining company is suing the Peruvian government because it required the company to clean up lead pollution.

In El Salvador, the Pacific Rim company is suing the Salvadoran government because it was refused a mining licence on environmental grounds.

Workers’ rights and environmental protections Workers’ rights and environmental protections are under serious threat by the TPP. Leaked documents show no agreement on labour rights or environmental standards.

Nations in the TPP will soon see increased efforts to water down and strip away workers’ rights and environmental protections.

Cutting internet and media use The TPP could also increase costs and restrict use of internet, film, and hardcopy media through copyright provisions.

The amount of Australian content could also be cut. Currently, Australia has laws ensuring a certain proportion of Australian stories are told in audio-visual media.

The TPP could dismantle this requirement, permitting larger, wealthier multinational media corporations to squeeze out all Australian content.

What can we do?

The Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network—a network of community organisations advocating for fair trade based on human rights, labour rights and environmental sustainability—is standing up against the TPP. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, including the QNU, are members of the Network, which represents millions of Australians.

The Network has called on the government release the full text of the TPP agreement for public and Parliamentary scrutiny.

You can sign the petition and help spread the word about the TPP by visiting www.australianunions.org.au/tpp AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 21

NEWS

Australia is facing a healthcare emergency.

On 1 July, the Abbott federal government began systematically slashing more than $50 billion in health funding from the states and territories.

The government has also asked the Senate to demolish Medicare by introducing a $7 fee for GP visits and diagnostic and pathology services, and an extra $5 for pharmaceutical medicines.

That’s why our federal body, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, has launched a new national campaign—to stop these changes before they devastate the health of Australians.

The Lies, Cuts and Broken Promises campaign calls on members of the public to join nurses and midwives in fighting the proposed co-payments and health budget cuts, and to ask Senators to reject these changes.

“Nurses and midwives are not prepared to stand by and watch Australia’s successful, sustainable system of universal healthcare be destroyed by the Abbott government’s budget of lies, cuts and broken promises,” said ANMF Federal Secretary Lee Thomas.

“We cannot let the health of Australians be put at risk, especially the most vulnerable in our communities—the elderly, young families already struggling to make ends meet, people in regional and rural areas, and low income earners.

“Nurses and midwives believe health care should be available to those who need it, not just those who can pay for it.

“So we will be standing together to support the most vulnerable in our community by fighting these cuts to health and ensuring that Australia continues to have one of the best health systems in the world.”

ANMF Federal Secretary Lee Thomas and Assistant Secretary Annie Butler recently spoke at the QNU Annual Conference.

How can you help?

Nominate your number one government lie, cut or broken promise and share it on www.anmftakeaction.org.au or by using the hashtag #healthcaremergency on social media.

22 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

www.qnu.org.au

NEWS

Who cares for you night and day?

Nurses and midwives!

We all have families and friends we want to spend time with.

But as nurses and midwives, many of us can’t always be there. We are needed at work, caring for other people’s mums, dads, children and loved ones, night and day.

In return, we receive penalty rates—a little bit extra on our hourly wage. It’s not much, but it means a lot.

Now there is a concerted campaign by employers to take penalty rates away.

We can’t let the Abbott and Newman governments permit this.

In July Townsville nurses and midwives joined other workers—including North Queensland Cowboys star Brent Tate—to help save penalty rates.

The campaign is being co-ordinated by the ACTU, and led on the ground by union members. QNU members and officials have helped lead this campaign from day one.

Barbecues banned!

Raising public awareness of the importance of penalty rates has been about one-on-one conversations—but management have shown they’re not always happy to let us talk.

QNU Organisers who set up a barbecue outside Townsville Hospital recently were soon approached by security staff.

“Please don’t take this personally, but we’ll have to ask you to leave.”

Our Organisers politely declined to do so, and the security staff looked decidedly apologetic as they retreated to report back.

A great turn-out of nurses, midwives, and other hospital staff came for a spot of lunch over the next few hours. All-in-all, a very worthwhile day!

It’s a camp-out!

A few days later, locals unpacked the tents for a camp-out on the grass outside the hospital in a show of support for those of us who work around the clock.

This time our barbecue was foiled by management, but they couldn’t stop the www.qnu.org.au

The barbecue

refused to leav e!

delivery of 60 pizzas! A nice little evening snack for our hardworking colleagues.

With a candlelight vigil and everyone home and hosed before sunrise, it was a great evening and a powerful show of community support for penalty rates.

So far Townsville nurses and midwives have gathered more than 4000 signatures to add to the petition—and they’ve also signed up 60 new QNU members, and counting!

Now that’s what we call great communitybased campaigning!

What can you do?

Sign the Change.org petition.

There are currently more than 60,000 signatures on the Change.org petition asking Prime Minister Tony Abbott not to strip penalty rates from Australian workers.

Is yours one of them?

You can find the petition at http://chn.ge/1oKVs9n This is just the start of a long-burning campaign. Penalty rates can make up to 30% of a nurse or midwife’s wage—we literally can’t afford to be complacent about this.

Over the coming months the campaign will be rolling out right across the country—so keep your eyes peeled for activities in your local area and get ready to stand up for your penalty rates!

Campaign billboard launch.

k University.

l at James Coo

al Market Day st

Sign the petition: http://chn.ge/1oKVs9n AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 23

FEATURE

!

S K N A H T NO Carinity offers nurses pay cut and reduced conditions Carinity is shaping up as the next front in the campaign to establish fair and reasonable working conditions throughout aged care.

Nurses and midwives working at Carinity—formerly Queensland Baptist Care—are facing a strong push from their employer to reduce or remove a significant number of their conditions.

These include:  The introduction of rostered split shifts.  Increasing the maximum length of shifts from 8 to 10 hours.  Decreasing the minimum length of shift from 3 to 2 hours.  Removal of paid parental leave.  Removal of the workload management clause.  Removal of the right to take matters not contained in the agreement or the National Employment Standards to the Fair Work Commission.  Changing the evidence requirement for personal leave to the detriment of staff.  Reducing the break between shifts from 10 to 8 hours.  Reducing union training leave from 5 days per year to 2.

Carinity management have also offered wage rises well below CPI, just 1.5%, 1.5% and 2% over the next three years.

This is a significant pay cut in real terms for workers who are widely acknowledged to need far better wages from employers.

QNU Annual Conference passes unanimous resolution The QNU Annual Conference unanimously passed a resolution in support of Carinity nurses, calling on Carinity to: make a reasonable wage offer and cease their attempts to reduce or remove employment conditions of their nursing staff.

The resolution was moved by delegates from Carinity Wishart Branch.

The resolution was sent on in a letter to General Superintendent (GS) of the Queensland Baptists.

The QNU is calling on the GS to take the proposed cuts to working conditions off the table and to make a reasonable wage offer.

The QNU has sought a meeting with the GS but has yet to receive a response.

In the meantime, Carinity nurses have launched a campaign to raise awareness by informing residents and the public about the issues they are facing.

CARINI T NURSE Y S

DESERV BETTER E !

24 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

www.qnu.org.au

NEWS

D E C L A R AT I O N O F

Nursing and Midwifery and Union www.qnu.org.au

Values

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 25

FEATURE

WE ARE QUEENSLAND’S NURSES AND MIDWIVES

QNU DECLARATION OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY AND UNION VALUES

We work in public and private hospitals, aged care facilities, local clinics and homes, in the most remote communities, and in the busiest towns in Queensland.

We care for Queenslanders from birth to death. We are a constant presence for those who are sick. We are a voice for those at their most vulnerable. We are focused on keeping people well and out of hospital.

We work collectively through our union, the Queensland Nurses’ Union, because we are a powerful force when we act together.

The safety and quality of the care we provide to our community is at the heart of everything we do.

Our values guide us.

Our nursing and midwifery values of caring, advocacy, holism and professionalism drive us.

Our union values of fairness, collectivism, equality and opportunity unite us.

These values are the foundation of our collective and individual activity.

We are stronger when we work together.

We work with our nursing and midwifery and union colleagues across the nation and around the world to advance our shared values and interests.

Working together through our union and more broadly in our communities to find common interests and purpose is not always easy. It requires listening and critical reflection and making decisions based on evidence. It also means having the confidence to acknowledge we don’t have all the answers, having the courage to fight for what is right, and having the ability to adapt to our ever-changing world.

We must do this while remaining anchored to our defining values.

We must be creative, nimble, curious and resourceful.

Recognising we have only one world, we must also live and work sustainably and use precious resources effectively and efficiently.

We can lead the way to a sustainable health system for Australia’s ageing population. The road is long, our challenges are many, and the work required spans generations—but we know with passion, perseverance and a plan we will succeed in fulfilling our mission.

We care deeply. We are courageous in our commitment to caring. Every day we stand up and 26 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

speak out for what is right and necessary. We do this as individuals, with and on behalf of those in our care.

We do this together, by engaging with those who have power to affect the way we provide quality care.

We seek to achieve recognition and reward not only for our own contribution as workers to our health system, but also in a wider societal context.

The quality of nursing and midwifery we provide is central to our professional integrity. We are committed to person-centred care. We show this commitment by working in partnership with our patients, clients, residents and families, as well as the broader health team whose individual contribution and skills are vital to the best interests of those in our care.

We have untapped capacity and skills. We strive for the opportunity to work to our full potential by taking the lead in decision making and the improvement of health outcomes.

We take our role as advocates seriously, advancing health care for all based on need and delivering the same standard of health care to all regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual preference and political beliefs.

We acknowledge indigenous Australians are the original owners of our land. We are committed to advancing reconciliation between indigenous and nonindigenous Australians. The diversity of a multicultural Australia is one of our defining characteristics and great strengths as a nation.

We believe in a democratic Australia, which values all citizens and their aspirations. Government plays a critical role in balancing competing interests, civilising markets, and redistributing power to support equality, fairness and opportunity. We believe all Australians have a right to a fair share of our nation’s wealth and health, especially through employment and a decent standard of living.

The branch structure of our union embodies our commitment to democracy. Our governance structures are robust and of the highest standard and we operate in a manner that is transparent and accountable to our members and consistent with our values. Our union’s ce rep officers, staff and workplace representatives must conduct themselves in a manne manner consistent with this s. declaration of our values.

values

www.qnu.org.au

OUR

values ARE IMPORTANT

We need to be clear and confident in our approach and base our arguments on evidence. Clarity, confidence and evidence are the tools of our activism.

We challenge disadvantage to achieve greater social cohesion. When we take a stand it is to give effect to the deeply held values that drive us.

In a democracy, we know not everyone will agree with us. We accept this truth because respect and tolerance are central to a vibrant and cohesive society.

This short declaration pulls together many decades of work and thinking into a succinct statement of what we stand for. Our union values draw on work done by the Australian and the international union movements.

Our values underpin our union’s strategic plan and guide all that our union does.

Times and circumstances change, so collectively and individually, we rely on critical reflection and the rigour of our union’s democratic processes to ensure these values lead our work with power and relevance. This work is never ending.

WHERE TO FROM HERE? As unionists we operate in a highly contested political environment—one where conflicting values and ideas constantly battle. This is very evident today where hostile governments and other powerful forces are organising not only to limit our power and influence but also discredit us, just as they have done before.

At a time of growing disillusionment with politics and institutions, we seek to succeed by making an imperfect political system responsive to our values.

The alternative to this struggle—to give up and do nothing—is not an option.

There are many facets to the ongoing struggle for power. Given nursing and midwifery remain overwhelmingly female professions, gendered assumptions and pre-conceptions continue to www.qnu.org.au

influence the battle of ideas in broader society and within the union movement itself.

For our strategies to succeed we need to have the confidence, knowledge and skills to act on our ideas and win over others with the strength and evidence of our arguments.

We remain committed to our values in the long term.

The changes that we seek can take many years to achieve. We need passion, perseverance and a plan to succeed. We can never assume that our achievements are permanent. We must continue to be vigilant to protect hard-won gains.

We are determined, caring, united and professional.

We are up to the challenge.

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 27

QNU DECLARATION OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY AND UNION VALUES

Commonly held values unite us. Our values focus our activities around a common purpose, give us direction, and provide an anchor for our passion and the action we take. Defining and understanding our shared values strengthens our identity. Our values are the reason we do what we do. We know what we stand for when charting our way forward. The values of nursing and midwifery resonate in important ways with union values because the core of our caring mission is a shared humanity.

FEATURE

FEATURE

OUR NURSING AND MIDWIFERY

QNU DECLARATION OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY AND UNION VALUES

Caring Caring is central to our identity as nurses and midwives.

The caring we provide is not easily described or measured and therefore is difficult to appropriately acknowledge, cost, and value. We know this caring is indispensable, knowledgeable and human. Nurses and midwives commit themselves and their expertise to the humanity and welfare of those in our car care.

Nursing and midwifery ery transcends nds materialism m materia and we do not judge dge those in our care. are. We provide dignity, comfort and hope to people eople when they are at their eir most vulnerable. vulne Maintaining focus on the person att the centre of care is crucial to our ur partnership approach to health.

Holism

values

Advocacy We help to keep our health system safe.

We advocate at the individual and whole-ofsystem levels.

As we work across all settings, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, we are not only coordinators of care, but also crucial navigators and interpreters of the health system for those in our care.

We have the courage to speak out when something is wrong or a situation is unsafe. s uns The strong link between quality ual y nursing a and nd midwifery and positive health ealth outcomes sshows how why we take our role as advoc advocates ates of perso personcentred care so seriously. y

Professionalism

We help keep the system human.

We are accountable to the community.

We do this by caring for the whole person in all settings.

A robust regulatory framework, codes of ethics and professional practice standards ensure the community receives high quality nursing and midwifery.

We promote continuity of care and oppose approaches that seek to diminish the richness, humanity and often invisible benefits of holistic care.

Acknowledging the privileged position we hold in providing intimate care to people at their most vulnerable, we commit to acting in an ethical manner consistent with our values.

As a constant feature across cro oss all health settings ng gs we are the mainstay of the he h health system. We support continuity of car care, re, delivered by the who whole le ership h w re health team in partnership with those in ourr care and their families.

28 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

We are accountable for and have authority over our own practice. As health professionals in our own right we are autonomous and accountable for determining our roles and the safe scope of our practice.

We are committed to ensuring safety and quality remain foundations of nursing and midwifery y riate regulation. practice through appropriate In our daily practice, ce, we are diverse in our nity needs and focus on response to community providing confidentt and competent evidenceers effective and efficient based care that delivers solutions to health problems.

www.qnu.org.au

OUR UNION

Fairness

values

FEATURE

Collectivism We are stronger when we work together.

Unions help achieve fairness by redistributing power and giving a voice to those who would be powerless and voiceless without the strength of collective action.

Guided by our common purpose and values, we know that united we stand, divided we beg.

We work day in, day out to give everyone a fair go in our workplaces and our broader society.

All workers have the right to a decent wage and to fair and safe working conditions. This is best achieved by joining and being represented by a union, and by bargaining collectively.

Democratic structures and institutions in our society, including in our unions, support fairer outcomes and enhance ce our capacity to share the wealth of our nation more equitably equitably.

Our union’s collective aspirations are realised through our governance vernance and democratic processes. We take every opportunity ortunit to u uphold phold eve o our objectives ective through ugh o our our values and achieve active participation n in these processes processes.

We acknowledge e the long history and ongoing struggle to achieve eve greater fairness, and recognise “the equal and inalienable alienable rights of all members of the human family� contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. s.

wives, we are used to working As nurses and midwives, together. We understand stand betterr outco outcomes are red in s are iidentifi fied achieved when shared interests ed dresse through ough te ork an and challenges addressed teamwork and collaboration.

Equality

Opportunity

We believe all people should be treated equally and have the same rights under the law.

We seek to improve the quality of life of all Australians.

We strive to ensure our society is free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation and violence.

Equality of opportunity is a core element of an egalitarian society. Universal health care, equal opportunity and investment in education, progressive and equitable taxation and a fair industrial relations system coupled with access to safe, secure and meaningful work all contribute greatly to our dignity and social cohesion.

We recognise the role of unions in assisting the re-distribution of power in our society to deliver greater equality.

Every Australian deserves equal access to free, quality public health care and education and other essential services, regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances. We are committed to delivering the same quality of hea health services to odes o all in accordance with our ccodes of ethics and andar s. professional standards. es hav ve a central role to o play Nurses and midwive midwives have g ineq uity in health care by b activ vely in addressing inequity actively d help he elp ng to address the th so oci cial al and a recognising and helping social rminants of h ealth. economic determinants health.

www.qnu.org.au

Opportunity strengthens the fabric of our society.

We demonstrate our commitment ment to a fair society and each other by contributing g as we are able.

We believe the role and activities ties of governmen government are central to ensuring opportunity unit for or all. ve tthe quality of If we are to continue to improve men unions, life for all Australians, governments, ach have e a role employers and civil society each ress inequality. providing opportunities to address nated solutions to We will require globally coordinated equality is addressed ensure wealth and income inequality ind. and ordinary citizens are not left behind.

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 29

QNU DECLARATION OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY AND UNION VALUES

We are committed to a fair society.

PROFESSIONAL

Concerns over regulation in the private sector Recent reports have the QNU deeply concerned about safety standards in some private facilities.

The QNU has received an increasing number of reports from private sector members, patients and other staff about a range of incidents and practices in private facilities that could endanger public safety.

This includes breaches of operating procedures (ACORN), medication management protocols, scope of practice, skill mix and workloads.

Obtaining official information about incidents that occur in the private sector can be difficult due to the complex regulatory framework that surrounds Queensland’s private health facilities.

How are private health facilities held to account?

Queensland Health’s Private Health Regulation Unit is responsible for ensuring that private health facilities undertake accreditation, and comply with licensing, the Private Health Facilities Act 1999 and the ten operating standards.

The main objective of the Act is to provide a framework to protect the health and wellbeing of patients receiving services at private health facilities.

However, the Act also includes a provision that information cannot be disclosed if it would be likely to damage the commercial activities of the facility or unless the Chief Health Officer authorises disclosure in the public interest.

It seems an unfair arrangement— remember, taxpayer contributions substantially fund the operation of many of these facilities.

So although private health facilities receive public funds, and although there is an array of legal instruments and reporting tools to deliver information, there is nothing that holds private health facilities publicly to account.

30 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

Why does it matter?

The Rockhampton example The lack of transparency denies the public sufficient access to important information on clinical practice and outcomes in private health facilities.

We note for example a recent case in Rockhampton where a doctor operating in both the private and public sectors was the subject of investigation following alleged errors during surgery.

The Queensland Health investigation made its preliminary results public—as you would expect from a taxpayer-funded government department.

The Minister was so concerned he commissioned a comprehensive clinical review and investigation into Rockhampton Hospital following questions raised about patient safety.

However, the private hospital where the surgeon also worked simply stated he had treated more than 800 patients and their internal review found no unusual or concerning clinical outcomes.

Everyone benefits from clear accountability In the interests of maintaining quality and safety standards, the QNU believes there must be consistency in investigating and reporting publicly on all adverse incidents whether they occur in the private or public health systems.

The QNU is currently conducting an online survey of private sector members to discover the true nature and extent of ineffective enforcement and reporting requirements that permit private health facilities to avoid necessary scrutiny.

Queensland nurses and midwives take patient advocacy seriously and act to ensure safe standards and practices.

If you work in the private sector, please take part in the survey or talk to your local QNU Organiser if you have any concerns.

If you have not received the online survey you may request a hard copy by calling the QNU on 3840 1444. www.qnu.org.au

PROFESSIONAL

New Health Ombudsman up and running The Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO) officially opened its doors on 1 July 2014.

The OHO works with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) to manage issues relating to health practitioners in Queensland—including nurses and midwives.

The OHO brings some changes to the way complaints about health practitioners are handled.

Complaints handled differently From 1 July 2014, all notifications and complaints against nurses and midwives must be referred to the OHO first.

After this, the OHO will decide which matters it will deal with in their office, and which matters will be referred to AHPRA and the NMBA.

Short timeframes for response One of the aims of the OHO is to deal with matters more quickly.

The timeframes for response set by the OHO are very short, and the OHO has the power, in very serious cases, to take immediate action against a practitioner without seeking a response first.

Record your CPD activities Did you know you can track your training and other professional development activities by using the Record of Continuing Professional Development available on the QNU website?

This resource is available electronically for you to download, save to your own computer and update as necessary.

This record is an important single reference document for all of your professional development and education activities.

The 2014/15 version is now available in the resources section members-only area on our website.

Under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme you must meet specific continuing professional development (CPD) requirements in order to maintain your registration.

This includes a minimum of 20 hours of CPD activity each registration year relevant to your profession.

The registration year commences on 1 June annually, and evidence of CPD for each year needs to be kept for three years.

AINs can now have action taken against them The OHO also has power to take action against unregistered health workers, such as AINs, PCWs and doulas.

Prohibition orders can be issued if the OHO believes a health worker’s personal health, conduct or performance poses a serious risk to persons.

Breach of a prohibition order can be punished by a fine of over $20,000.

If you receive a letter from the Health Ombudsman

More detail to come

Any letter from the OHO should be taken seriously.

If you receive a letter from the OHO, contact the QNU immediately to request assistance.

It’s early days for the operation of the new OHO—the October edition of tqn will include an in-depth report on how the changes are affecting nurses and midwives.

www.qnu.org.au

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 31

NURSING AND MIDWIFERY RESEARCH

Does repositioning prevent pressure ulcers?

Show me the evidence!

BY B.M. GILLESPIE FOR THE NHMRC CENTRE FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE IN NURSING

Alarmingly, hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU) are among the top five adverse events.

In Australia, state-wide audits show that the incidence of HAPU ranges from 7.4%–17.4% in hospitalised patients (Mulligan et al 2011).

In Queensland, the incidence of HAPU among patients with restricted mobility is 15.1%.

The cost associated with treating PU is expensive.

In the United Kingdom, expenditure ranges from £1.4 to £2.1 billion annually (4% of total NHS expenditures) (Bennett et al 2004).

In the United States, the cost is around $11 billion per annum (Institute for Health Improvement, 2008), while in Australia, the yearly cost equates to AU$285 million (Mulligan et al 2011).

Internationally, clinical guidelines advocate routine positioning of patients who are at risk of developing PU, and generally recommend second-hourly repositioning for at-risk patients (Australian Wound Management Association 2013).

Despite the wide acceptance of these clinical guidelines, there is limited research evidence to support the recommendations.

Where’s the evidence?

In response to the apparent lack of research evidence, a team of NCREN researchers with expertise in nursing, health economics, and biostatistics decided to undertake a Cochrane systematic review (Gillespie et al 2014) to establish the state of the science.

The research questions were: 1. Does repositioning prevent the development of PU in patients, regardless of risk?

32 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

2. What type of repositioning schedules are the most effective for preventing PU? 3. What are the most effective positions for preventing PU in patients, regardless of risk?

The primary clinical outcome was the proportion of any new PU of any stage or category, anywhere on the body.

Secondary outcomes included healthrelated quality of life, pain, patient satisfaction, and cost.

Results of the literature search uncovered only three (1.2%) randomised controlled trials out of a possible 253 articles that met the inclusion criteria for the review (Gillespie et al 2014).

Of these, one trial included a parallel cost effectiveness study.

Across the three trials, 502 patients from acute and aged care settings were included.

Two trials (Moore et al 2011, Young 2004) evaluated a 30º tilt with 3-hourly repositioning versus a 90º with 6-hourly repositioning were pooled with 252 analysed patients.

The proportion of stage 1 to 2 PU in 30º tilt group was 6/117 (3%) versus 15/135 (7%) in the 90º group. The numbers in each group were too small to show an effect of difference between groups.

The third study compared 2-hourly versus 3-hourly repositioning on standard mattresses, and 4 hourly versus 6-hourly repositioning on visco-elastic (VE) mattresses (De Floor et al 2005).

In the 2-hourly repositioning group, 39/63 (62%) patients developed a PU while in the 3-hourly repositioning group, 40/58 (69%) developed a PU.

In the 4-hourly group repositioning on a VE mattress, 30/66 (46%) patients developed a PU while in the 6-hourly repositioning group, 39/63 (62%) patients developed a PU. Cost was the only secondary outcome examined.

The parallel cost effectiveness study examined nursing time relative to 3-hourly repositioning using the 30º tilt overnight with standard care consisting of 6-hourly repositioning using the 90º lateral rotation overnight.

The intervention was reported to be cost saving compared with standard care (Moore et al, 2013).

In summary, evidence about the effectiveness of repositioning is inconclusive about optimum position or frequency of re-positioning.

Nonetheless this lack of experimental evidence for repositioning or for specific positions and frequencies should not be interpreted as evidence of ineffectiveness.

Clearly, more research into this important area of nursing is needed.

Want to know more?

Please contact Associate Professor Brigid Gillespie, NCREN.

This study is funded by the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Nursing and an Early Career Researcher Mentored Grant from the Centre from Health Practice Innovation, Griffith University.

For more information on the NHMRC Centre of research Excellence in Nursing (NCREN) in Queensland visit www.griffith.edu.au/health/centreresearch-excellence-nursing www.qnu.org.au

NURSING AND MIDWIFERY RESEARCH

Patients with restricted mobility are more prone to developing a HAPU.

Source List Australian Wound Management Association (2013). Pan-Pacific clinical practice guideline for the prevention and management of pressure injury. West Leederville WA, Cambridge Publishing.

Bennett G, Dealey C, Posnett J. The cost of pressure ulcers in the UK. Age and Ageing 2004 33(3), 230–5.

Defloor T, De Bacquer D, Grypdonck MH. (2005).

The effect of various combinations of turning and pressure reducing devices on the incidence of pressure ulcers. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 42(1), 37–46.

Connect with us

European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. (2009).

Treatment of pressure ulcers: quick reference guide. www.npuap.org Gillespie, BM, Chaboyer, W, McInnes, E, Kent, B, Whitty, J & Thalib, L. (2014). Repositioning for pressure ulcer prevention in adults. [Review], The Cochrane Library, 2014, Issue 4.

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (2008).

Getting started kit: prevent pressure ulcers how-to guide 5 million lives campaign. Available at www. in.gov/isdh/files/IHI_PU_Getting_Started_ Supplement_for_Rural_Hospitals.pdf Moore Z, Cowman S, Conroy RM (2011). A randomised controlled clinical trial of repositioning, using the 30o tilt, for the prevention of pressure ulcers. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20 (17-18), 2633–44.

Mulligan, S., J. Prentice, and L. Scott (2011), WoundsWest Wound Prevalence Survey Statewide Overview Report., A.C. Services, Editor.

Department of Health, Perth, Western Australia.

Young T. (2004). The 30 degree tilt position vs the 90 degree lateral and supine positions in reducing the incidence of nonblanching erythema in a hospital inpatient population: a randomised controlled trial. Journal of Tissue Viability, 14(3), 88, 90, 92-6.

www.qnu.org.au

/qldnursesunion AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 33

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

C ASE S TU DY

Injuries and impairments – your obligations in job application and registration MICHELLE JAMES, MAURICE BLACKBURN LAWYERS

In certain cases, nurses and midwives with pre-existing injuries that may impact their ability to do their job must disclose the injuries to an employer.

There can be consequences for failure to disclose these injuries.

This article sets out the key areas where disclosure must be made, and some of the pitfalls to be aware of.

Disclosure of injuries at job application stage On 15 October 2013, wide ranging changes were made to the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act which governs the WorkCover system in Queensland.

For the first time in Queensland’s history, prospective employers have the power to ask in a job interview if you have any preexisting injuries that may affect you doing the job.

A prospective employer must ask you the question in writing and must give you information about the duties you will have to perform if you get the job.

If such a request is made, it must be answered truthfully.

If you have a pre-existing injury you think could be aggravated or affected by doing the new job and you deliberately do not tell the new employer when asked, and then aggravate that injury in a work accident, WorkCover and selfinsurers can refuse to pay you workers’ compensation for all injuries arising out of that work accident.

Under the new laws, it is up to you to decide on any aspects of a new role you think could be made worse.

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This is very difficult, given most jobs on paper don’t clearly show what tasks or body movements might be needed.

Example Elizabeth is a Registered Nurse who applies for a job with ABC Aged Care on 16 October 2013.

She is asked in writing if she has any preexisting injuries.

ABC Aged Care tell her in writing her duties will be “usual nursing duties in an aged care environment”.

Elizabeth dislocated her knee playing netball when she was 23 and it has given way once or twice a year since then.

She doesn’t think the injury can be aggravated by performing her new job so doesn’t tell ABC. Elizabeth gets the job, and in her second week her knee gives way as she is assisting an AIN to manoeuvre a patient using a hoist.

She falls to the floor injuring her knee, back and wrist.

She applies for workers’ compensation— but WorkCover reject her claim saying she deliberately did not tell her employer about the old knee injury.

If Elizabeth does not challenge this decision she will not be paid for her time off work, or medical treatment for any of her injuries, which include an operation to fix her wrist.

In this scenario, Elizabeth would need to challenge this decision as soon as possible and important time limits apply.

She should speak to the QNU as soon possible so she can be referred to the union’s lawyers for help.

Potential termination of employment If it is found a request was not answered truthfully, and your pre-existing injury

is aggravated by your work or prevents you from doing some aspects of your job, your employer may argue they have grounds to terminate your employment.

You may have some rights under discrimination law if an employer takes this action, depending on the circumstances.

Reporting obligations during registration and employment Registration and renewal Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld), nurses and midwives who are renewing their registration must disclose details of any: [I]mpairment and management of the impairment.

Similarly, when first becoming registered with AHPRA and the NMBA, student nurses and midwives must attach details of: [A]ny impairment that detrimentally effects, or is likely to detrimentally effect, their capacity to practice.

This includes details of how this impairment is managed…

(Nurses and midwives are also required to disclose criminal histories and previous complaints however these are not the subject of this article.)

What is impairment?

The National Law defines ‘impairment’ as: ‘a physical or mental impairment, disability, condition or disorder that detrimentally affects or is likely to detrimentally affect the person’s capacity to practise the profession.’

This includes substance abuse or dependence. www.qnu.org.au

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Voluntary and mandatory notifications Under the National Law a registered health practitioner may make voluntary notification: “That the practitioner has, or may have, an impairment” Similarly, a voluntary notification may be made regarding a student who: “May have, an impairment” Additionally, there are mandatory notification circumstances listed under the National Law which can be made by the registered health practitioner’s employer, colleagues, or education providers.

Mandatory reporting conduct is a higher threshold than voluntary notification, and in relation to ‘impairment’, the person reporting the conduct must have a reasonable belief that the registered health practitioner has: “Placed the public at risk of substantial harm in the practitioner’s practice of the profession because the practitioner has an impairment”.

To trigger a mandatory notification, a practitioner must have placed the public at risk of substantial harm.

‘Substantial harm’ means harm such as a failure to correctly or appropriately diagnose or treat because of the impairment.

For example, a practitioner who has an illness which causes cognitive impairment so they cannot practise effectively would require a mandatory notification.

However, a practitioner who has a blood-borne virus who practises appropriately and safely in light of their condition and complies with any registration standards or guidelines and professional standards and protocols would not trigger a notification.

Once a notification has been made, the NMBA will investigate.

What you must do Nurses and midwives have an obligation to report any physical or mental impairment, disability, condition or disorder that detrimentally effects, or is likely to detrimentally effect, their capacity to practice.

If you have such impairment, you must provide details of how it is managed.

Failure to disclose injuries when asked in writing at job application stage could affect your entitlement to workers’ compensation benefits.

Failure to disclose certain pre-existing injuries that prevent you from performing aspects of your job may affect your rights under employment and industrial laws.

As with any issue affecting registration or entitlements such as workers’ compensation, if you have concerns, seek advice from the QNU as we can often assist with appeals, or refer you to a specialist law firm who can provide advice.

Reflective exercise for case study over page »

Michelle James acknowledges the assistance of Zoe Keane and Alana Heffernan with researching this article. www.qnu.org.au

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 35

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

C ASE S TU DY

Reflective exercise: Obligation to disclose injury and impairment Completing this reflective exercise will contribute to your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia requires all nurses and midwives to complete a minimum of 20 hours CPD per registration year for each respective profession for which the individual holds current registration.

For example an individual who is a Registered Nurse and a midwife must complete 40 hours of CPD. Please refer to www.nursingmidwiferyboard. gov.au/Registration-Standards. aspx for full details.

Effective learning is not simply reading a journal article—it requires you to reflect on your readings and integrate new information where it is relevant to improve your practice.

It should include:  looking for learning points/ objectives within the content on which you reflect  considering how you might apply these in other situations to enhance your performance  changing or modifying your practice in response to the learning undertaken.

Consider the possible impact of changes in legislation that impact on your obligations to disclose injury and impairment at the time of job application and AHPRA registration.

The following questions are offered as a guide to assist you in identifying your learning from reading and analysing the content of the article. Explain and analyse the following questions: 1. What pre-existing injuries do you as a nurse and / or midwife need to disclose at job interview?

2. How does a prospective employer ask the question about pre-existing injuries to the applicant that will compel you as a nurse and / or midwife to provide this information?

3. How is impairment defined under The National Law? 4. When do you as a nurse and / or midwife need to provide voluntary and mandatory notifications to AHPRA and the NMBA regarding any impairment and include the management of the impairment?

5. Who else can provide a mandatory notification and under what circumstances to APHRA and the NMBA in relation to a registrant nurse and / or midwife’s impairment?

6. What impairments for examples, do not need to be notified to AHPRA and the NMBA and why?

7. When does the QNU need to be contacted in regards to obligations to disclose and impairment?

Following reflection, consider how you will retain and share the new knowledge about the changes in legislation affecting your obligation as a nurse and / or midwife to disclose injury and impairment.

What influence will these changes have on your professional practice regarding disclosure of injury and impairment?

To meet the NMBA CPD standard it is important that you can produce a record of CPD hours, if requested to do so, by the board on audit.

The time spent reading this article, reviewing the referenced material and then reflecting upon how to incorporate the information into your practice will contribute to your CPD hours.

Please keep a record of time spent doing each activity in your CPD record.

The following is an example only of a record of CDP hours (based on the ANMF continuing education packages):

36 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

Date

Topic

Description

27-03-10

Coroner’s matter Understanding – workloads the implications of the Coroner’s recommendations for the establishment of effective workload management strategies

Learning Need OR Objective

Outcome

CPD hours

To increase my knowledge about the consequences of workloads demands and skill mix deficits on patient safety .

I have achieved 2.5 hrs a greater awareness of…..

www.qnu.org.au

MIDWIFERY

Maternity Choices Australia: women working with midwives to improve birth care In this article, Bruce Teakle from Maternity Choices Australia (formerly Maternity Coalition) outlines the aims of the MCA, and how the MCA is working with the QNU to improve the care options available for birthing women, especially midwifery models.

What options should women have in their maternity care?

Are hospitals the best places to provide normal antenatal and postnatal care?

Are midwives working for employers, or women?

Who makes the decisions about women’s births?

These are some of the questions that energise consumer group Maternity Choices Australia (MCA), an Australiawide, volunteer-run group which focuses on lobbying and representation for women and families who use maternity care services.

Under our former name “Maternity Coalition”, we launched the National Maternity Action Plan in 2002, proposing all women should have the option of community-based continuity of midwifery care.

Determined lobbying by women in this campaign led to a range of reforms in Queensland, including new birth centres and midwifery models.

This campaign also led to the Commonwealth’s maternity services reform package in 2009, which introduced Medicare and PBS rebates and Commonwealth-subsidised professional indemnity insurance for eligible private midwives.

These reforms can fundamentally transform the role of midwives in Australian maternity services: increasing women’s access to care in their own community, with greater accountability to women.

Midwives are of course the key partners for consumer birth activists.

In Queensland, the QNU and Australian College of Midwives worked closely and www.qnu.org.au

effectively with the Maternity Coalition, promoting women and midwives as stakeholders in the health system.

The QNU has enabled Queensland to lead the way in developing industrial awards which support annualised salaries for midwives working in public caseload models (such as birth centres and midwifery group practices).

The QNU engaged positively and proactively with Maternity Coalition in the implementation of the 2010 Commonwealth maternity reforms, which enable the development of private midwifery care in Australia.

This is part of a broader move to gain recognition for midwives as able to deliver primary maternity care on their own responsibility, and consult and refer to medical practitioners according to midwifery professional guidelines.

MCA is strongly focused on pushing state governments to deliver on their commitments to give eligible private midwives visiting access to public hospitals, thus enabling women a new choice of midwifery continuity of care.

We see this as a key driver of cultural change women are seeking in the whole maternity care system: recognising midwives as professionals and supporting women’s ability to make choices.

The QNU is a key partner with MCA and the College of Midwives in regular meetings with the Queensland Health Minister about maternity services.

There is a strong commitment by all of us to progress hospital access for eligible private midwives.

Queensland now leads Australia in women’s access to Medicare-funded midwifery care, with eligible private midwives able to admit women to six Queensland hospitals, and strong government support for universal access.

Maternity Choices Australia greatly values our partnership with QNU—the “big sister” in our political landscape.

We look forward to continuing the close partnership between women and the midwives and nurses who care for them and their babies, in building maternity services that are truly responsive to birthing women’s needs and choices.

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 37

INDUSTRIAL

Pulse Health nurses step up for industrial action They are among the worst paid private health nurses in Queensland and they’ve had enough.

Pulse Health nurses across Queensland have voted to take industrial action in the coming weeks—they’ve even voted for strike action.

Pulse Health runs private health facilities at Coolum, Kingaroy, Mackay and Gympie, although the Mackay nurses were not involved in the ballot for protected action as they have only been under Pulse Health management for a month.

Pulse Health nurses began work bans on 15 August including bans on filing, non-clinical and non-nursing duties, admitting patients, staff meetings and duties related to hospital accreditation.

This will be followed by stop work action beginning from 22 August.

As part of their log of claims, nurses are seeking pay parity with Queensland Health.

Not only are Pulse Health nurses poorly paid by comparison to other private health nurses around the state, there are also wage discrepancies across the group.

For example, AINs in Gympie and Kingaroy are paid about $5 less an hour than their Mackay colleagues, and are about $8 an hour behind the state’s best paid AINs. Gympie and Kingaroy ENs and RN1s are about $7 behind their Mackay colleagues and are paid about $8-12 an hour less

than nurses of the same grade working in Ramsay or Healthscope.

Pulse Health has so far refused wage parity with Queensland Health and instead has proposed wages which, although slightly increased, will keep Pulse Health nurses on some of the worst private hospital nurses’ wages in Queensland.

Pulse Health management has proposed to increase Kingaroy wages to Gympie rates (about 2% increase) plus 3% from 1 July each year for three years for all Pulse Health nurses except those in Mackay. Pulse Health proposes no wage increases at all for nurses in Mackay.

Pulse Health has the money Pulse Health can easily afford public sector wage parity for its nurses.

On 16 May 2014 Pulse Health told the Australian Stock Exchange that its profit for this financial year would be around $5 million.

Public sector wage parity for nurses would cost Pulse Health much less than $5 million and would still leave dividends for shareholders.

Pulse Health nurses are also seeking 14 weeks paid parental leave and inclusion of a mandatory handover period in the staff roster.

They are hopeful management will move quickly to present a better offer, but are prepared to do what they must to secure a fair outcome.

Pulse Health:

OUR WAGES NEED CPR

STAT! 38 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

Embracia nurses lock in new and improved agreement Nurses at Embracia Care finally have a new enterprise agreement.

The agreement includes wage increases of 5% in December 2013, 3.5% in July 2014 and 3.5% in July 2015.

Although Embracia Care nurses voted in favour of the agreement last year, the approval was held up for almost six months because Embracia refused to correct the clause relating to annual leave for shift workers.

The QNU had repeatedly warned Embracia over many months that the Fair Work Commission would reject Embracia’s proposed definition of a shift worker for the purposes of an extra week of annual leave.

The QNU was proven correct when the commission refused to approve the agreement until Embracia fixed the annual leave clause.

Finally Embracia agreed that any nurse who works on the roster and on at least ten weekend days each year for at least four hours on each occasion would be defined as a shift worker, and therefore entitled to the extra week of annual leave.

It goes to show that persistence, passion and a plan make for the best outcomes.

In this case QNU members achieved a 12% wage increase over two and a half years, an extra week of annual leave, improved penalty rates, and a better agreement over all.

Congratulations Embracia nurses! www.qnu.org.au

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Workers’ compensation changes starting to wash through The Newman government’s October 2013 changes to Queensland’s workers’ compensation scheme are starting to have a negative impact on injured Queensland workers.

This is because workers injured after 15 October last year are beginning to be assessed under the new “permanent impairment” regime.

A permanent impairment must be more than 5.4% One of the most important changes is that a worker must be assessed as having a permanent impairment greater than 5% before they are able to sue.

In fact, the truth is even worse.

Due to the new system, impairment percentages are rounded up or rounded down, so in reality an impairment must be 5.5% or greater for a worker to sue, because 5.4% would be rounded down to 5% and therefore not meet the threshold for compensation.

This means if you are injured by a negligent employer’s act or omission and suffer a permanent impairment of 5.4% or less, you cannot seek damages.

Nurses and midwives will find it very difficult to reach this threshold.

This is because nurses and midwives often suffer injuries that are an aggravation of a pre-existing condition which is taken into account during assessment.

The QNU has assisted many nurses and midwives who have had a permanent impairment assessed as less than 5%, but have been unable to return to work or have been terminated by their employers.

Because of these changes, nurses and midwives suffering injuries caused by their employer’s negligence cannot secure their financial futures. www.qnu.org.au

Real-life examples of compensation Here are some real-life examples of nurses and midwives from the previous scheme, where even though their impairments were assessed less than 5% they were able to seek compensation.

1. RN – 60 years of age ◆ Three injuries from 2009 to 2012, all sustained during heavy manual handling. ◆ Employer was aware of the RN’s need for suitable duties, but continued to expose worker to inappropriate tasks.

Matter was settled in excess of $360,000.

2. RN ◆ Psychological injury, sexual harassment. ◆ Matter settled in excess of $130,000.

3. RN ◆ Chest injury following workplace assault. ◆ WorkCover doctor assessed her as having a 0% injury. ◆ Claim settled in excess of $160,000.

4. RN ◆ Right knee/ankle injury which required surgery. ◆ Injury sustained due to inappropriate equipment. ◆ Claim settled in excess of $160,000.

Thanks to the Newman government’s changes, these nurses would no longer be able to make a common law damages claim.

They would have to settle for whatever they were offered—if they were offered anything at all!

The Newman’s government’s significant reductions to employers’ workers’ compensation premiums are like Robin Hood in reverse—removing workers’ entitlements while giving to employers.

Changes were made against government’s own advice Remember, these changes—and others, like allowing employers to obtain the workers’ compensation history of injured workers—were introduced despite an LNP-dominated committee recommending against such drastic changes.

This is just another example of the Newman Government not listening and disregarding the evidence.

Nurses and midwives will continue to campaign strongly for reinstatement of the original workers’ compensation system.

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 39

HEALTH REFORM AND GOVERNANCE

Here come the Primary Health Networks Medicare Locals will be replaced by Primary Health Networks on 1 July 2015, according to the Department of Health.

ANMF Federal Assistant Secretary Annie Butler confirmed the timeline after attending the department’s Primary and Mental Health Care Division briefing session.

The federal government has decided to implement most of the recommendations of the Horvath Review of Medicare Locals.

The review recommended reducing the overall number of Medicare Locals to achieve savings on administration, as well as aligning Medicare Local boundaries with those of Local Hospital Networks or other regionally-based organisations.

Another key recommendation is to cease funding for the current peak body, the Australian Medicare Locals Alliance, and to remove a national coordinating body for Primary Heath Networks (PHNs).

The QNU had previously reserved judgment on the benefits of Medicare Locals given their relatively recent introduction and that accreditation had not been undertaken.

However, the Horvath Review’s criticism that Medicare Locals had not been delivering consistency with national priorities and were duplicating services seems unreasonable given a key factor in gauging their success was the need for flexibility and local relevance of primary health services.

40 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

Role and function of PHNs The new PHNs will:  make greater use of the private sector  be far fewer but much larger than Medicare Locals  be regional purchasers of services, not providers of services  have outcome-focused performance indicators  maximise investment in frontline services  be responsible for population health planning in collaboration with LHNs and will be expected to have some joint KPIs with LHNs  be expected to have clinical pathways, provide practice support and to “innovate” to find solutions to health problems.

The PHNs will be overseen by Clinical Councils and Community Advisory Committees, which according to departmental statements at the briefing session, will provide “local engagement, accountability and relevance”.  Clinical Councils will comprise ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ clinicians but will be led by GPs.  Clinical Councils are to be the link between clinicians and the PHN boards.  Community Advisory Committees will report to the PHN boards and will collaborate with the Clinical Councils.  The committees are to provide the mechanism for community input into the directions of the PHNs. Several concerns and questions were raised at the session which will interest members. These related to:  The lack of any sound risk analysis of the Horvath Recommendations prior

to proceeding with their implementation.  A lack of emphasis on ‘prevention’ and ‘primary health care’.  No clear definition of ‘outcomes’ or outline of how such outcomes are to be measured.  No rationale given for making PHNs GP-led, and no clear arrangements for the roles of other health professionals.

Consultation regarding PHNs has now concluded.

What will happen to nurses and midwives currently working at Medicare Locals?

There will be fewer staff required at PHNs. The department says some limited employment opportunities will be available.

The QNU will monitor the introduction of PHNs for impact on members but as yet this remains largely an unknown.

Support for professional development of members in the form of funding for education sessions under the auspices of the Medicare Local Alliance will be lost.

The QNU is concerned that nurses and midwives in regional areas—will struggle to maintain access to educational opportunities to support safe, evidencebased nursing.

Nurses and midwives should be alert for opportunities to influence decisionmaking and to advocate for the pivotal role of the professions in community and primary health care, as well as quality health outcomes for the public. www.qnu.org.au

HEALTH REFORM AND GOVERNANCE

What’s good for the goose?

Queensland Health and ‘prescribed employers’ An unprecedented situation is unfolding in Queensland Health at the moment, as eight of the 16 Hospital and Health Services make the shift to ‘prescribed employer’ status.

From 1 July 2014, Children’s Health Queensland, Gold Coast, Metro North, Metro South, North West, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, and West Moreton all legally became employers.

The change raises questions about whether ‘prescribed’ HHSs will perform and be treated differently to ‘nonprescribed’ HHSs. While eight HHSs have ‘prescribed employer’ status and therefore are the employer of all their staff, there are still another eight HHSs who are not prescribed employers and still have the Director General (DG) of Queensland Health as the official employer.

The DG also remains the employer for the Department of Health itself which employs staff from a range of support services and agencies as well as Corporate Office. www.qnu.org.au

The government has flagged that no other HHSs will be prescribed as standalone employers until 1 July 2015.

While Queensland Health assessed the eight HHSs as meeting the required criteria to move to prescribed employer status, there are questions regarding the ability of the remaining HHSs to perform as standalone employers.

Employer changes, terms and conditions don’t The confusion is further extended as the terms and conditions of employment of all staff (both prescribed and nonprescribed HHSs) remain unchanged.

The DG will continue to have responsibility for industrial arrangements relating to awards and enterprise agreements.

The DG also retains a role in matters taken to the Industrial Relations Commission, including disputes with HHSs, unless written notice is given by the DG to the HHS and the Commission.

Trouble in paradise?

It is not surprising that despite Corporate Office HR Unit being told to ‘butt out’ of HHS industrial relations issues, there are

already clear tensions opening up between individual HHSs and Corporate Office.

The QNU has experienced individual HHSs openly stating they will be ignoring the Corporate Office position on certain matters.

At the other end, Corporate Office has indicated it will allow HHSs to misinterpret industrial provisions because correcting HHSs “is not our job”.

Some HHSs are taking proactive steps to hold themselves out as ‘an employer of choice’, as they attempt to attract and retain high quality staff by actively poaching them from other HHSs. The disparity in individual HHS budgets increases the chances of some HHSs engaging in such activities.

For some health service employees there are obvious dangers in giving employer status to their HHS, as they lack the resources and industrial maturity to hold such status, but there are also some emerging benefits for employees particularly where staff shortages are being experienced.

The future performance of HHSs as standalone employers will certainly be closely examined by all interested parties, including the QNU. AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 41

PROFILE

Blazing a trail from Bathurst to Brussels She may not get the recognition she deserves at home, but abroad Sharan Burrow is widely acknowledged as one of the leading lights of the world union movement.

In May this year, the former teacher and ACTU President was elected for a second term as General Secretary of the Brussels-based International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which represents 176 million workers from 325 unions and associations across 161 countries and territories.

It’s a heck of a patch.

It’s a long way to come after starting as a teacher in rural NSW, but then Sharan’s family does have a long history of union activism—her great, great grandfather was a participant in one of Australia’s earliest and most important industrial disputes, the 1891 shearers’ strike.

After serving as President of the Australian Education Union and VicePresident of Education International, which represents 24 million teachers worldwide, in 2000 Sharan became the second woman elected President of the ACTU. (Jennie George was the first woman elected ACTU President, in 1996, while our own Ged Kearney was the third, elected to replace Sharan).

Sharan was elected President of ITUC at its founding conference in June 2006, then General Secretary in October 2010.

Since then, Sharan has been busy building the worldwide network of unions.

This year, much of her focus has been on Qatar, which was awarded the 2022 FIFA World Cup despite having an employment system described by ITUC as ‘broken’, and by Sharan herself as ‘modern day slavery’.

Sharan will be in the global spotlight again in November, when she appears at the G20 summit in Brisbane as the lead representative of working people all around the world.

Re-balancing global power away from the few and toward the many will surely be a key theme.

In addition to the broken Qatari system, Sharan is already on the public record speaking out against the American Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to refuse a minimum wage in Moldova, the poorest European nation.

She has also condemned the TransPacific Partnership (see report on

The dignity of work, decent work, is non-negotiable, and if governments can’t or won’t work to lift investment in infrastructure, the green economy and the care economy, then we will put our democracies to work and stand with our communities to change the economic model.”

Sharan Burrow.* * “Corporate power must be tamed”, Huffington Post, July 2014.

p21) for allowing corporations to sue governments for so-called “lost profit”, as well as the execution and jailing of striking Cambodian workers, and global corporations paying poverty wages in Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Sharan is the epitome of the Australian unionist. She has taken the lead everywhere she has been needed, without fanfare or overblown words, with a focus on pragmatic outcomes.

Sharan is a wonderful role model for Queensland nurses and midwives as we look to our own challenges ahead— confident, sensible, compassionate, and perhaps most importantly, aware of the power of being in touch with the everyday lives of working people.

42 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

www.qnu.org.au

SOCIAL

Peter Greste just doing his job

OPINION: LINDA BRADY, QNU SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Before we saw his eyes peering out from behind a wire cage in an Egyptian court, few Australians had even heard of Peter Greste.

He wasn’t a rumpled legend like George Negus or an ABC mainstay like Fran Kelly.

He wasn’t a chafing provocateur in the style of Andrew Bolt and he certainly wasn’t a human headline like Karl Stefanovic.

He was one of thousands of correspondents across the globe, doing their job, often at great personal risk.

For Greste and his Al Jazeera colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, that job meant reporting on the corruption, brutality and excesses of Egypt’s ruling force under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Last month, following a show trial that was as absurd as it was crooked, Greste was sentenced to seven years in prison for defaming Egypt and aiding banned Islamists—the Muslim Brotherhood.

As he and his colleagues were sentenced, my frustration was palpable and I railed at the injustice of shooting the messenger.

A journo by trade and one who has worked under emergency rule and censorship provisions in a country at war, Greste’s case echoed deeply for my partner and me.

Buy me a beer one day and I’ll tell you how my journo friend was murdered by the militia, my editor bashed and exiled and my colleague imprisoned on trumped-up charges. Buy me another and I’ll explain how I was shot at, punched and tear gassed at a politician’s funeral or had to throw away my Dunlop Volleys because they were caked in blood and scalp after I took a misstep at a bomb site. www.qnu.org.au

Then I’ll tell you just how small fry I was compared with the likes of Greste.

A QUT graduate and an award winning veteran reporter whose CV includes big guns like Reuters and BBC, Peter Greste is a journo’s journo, working a country where more than 1400 people have been killed and 15,000 jailed as a usurper president doggedly clutches to power.

It’s the sort of environment where simply reporting the news is enough to brand you a terrorist sympathiser.

Greste’s trial was designed to scare journalists away from reporting anything unfavourable about President el-Sisi.

It was a choreographed attack on press freedom.

It’s no surprise that when democracies fail one of the first things to tumble is press freedom.

Make no mistake, people in power know the political danger of an unshackled press.

A free press is the cornerstone of civil society.

It shines a light into the darkest corners of our world, and without it, human rights abuses, injustice and corruption remain hidden from view and are allowed to fester.

If you are a journalist with a well-calibrated ethical compass, you tend to wear your faith in the essential goodness of press freedom like armour.

You accept the barbs, the threats and the public’s disdain for reporters because you believe ignorance is dangerous.

If we as Australians and as global citizens purport to value human rights and justice, we must defend media freedom as our eyes and ears.

That might sound altruistic to Australians who question the quality of journalism in this country and the bias of certain press empires, but objective journalism does exist, even if you have to wade through the dross that is Lady Gaga’s makeupless selfie and the top five paleo superfoods to find it.

Peter Greste is one of the craftsmen of that quality journalism we forage for.

He is no terrorist.

He’s just a bloke jailed for being good at his job.

What can you do?  Sign the Amnesty petition: www.amnesty.org.au/action/ action/33972/

 Send Peter a personal message of support: freepetergreste@gmail.com

 Read more at: http://thehoopla.com. au/write-greste-brothers-appeal/

 Follow the campaign on Twitter: @ PeterGreste (hashtag #FreeAJstaff )

 Follow the campaign on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Free-PeterGreste/811904132159423

 View a message from Peter: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=DuHZl5CCXhY AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 43

YOUR LIBRARY

POPULAR BOOKS These books can be ordered through the publishers Elsevier at elsevierhealth.com.au or John Wiley & Sons at www. wiley.com or most bookshops selling medical/nursing books.

Queensland Nurses’ Union (QNU) members may borrow them by contacting the QNU library by email library@qnu.org.au or phone 3840 1480.

NORMAL LIBRARY HOURS Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8.30am–2.30pm Tuesday, Thursday 9am–4pm 07 3840 1480 library@qnu.org.au www.qnu.org.au Small groups can book the library for study sessions.

Contact the library for details.

Evidence-based Nursing: An introduction What is evidence-based nursing? Simply, it is the application of valid, relevant, and research-based information in nurse decision-making. Used effectively, evidence-based nursing methods can be used to dramatically enhance patient care and improve outcomes.

Evidence-based Nursing: An introduction is a practical guide to evidence-based nursing for students and practitioners.

Proceeding step-by-step, it enables nurses to understand and evaluate the different types of evidence that are available, and to critically appraise the studies that lie behind them.

It also considers the ways in which these findings can be implemented in clinical practice, and how research can be practically applied to clinical decision-making.

The Care of Wounds: A guide for nurses The Care of Wounds addresses all aspects of holistic wound management. The fourth edition of this successful clinical text continues to reflect current research and evidence based practice, while incorporating the considerable developments which have occurred in wound care practice since the publication of the previous edition.

This book includes chapters on the physiology of wound healing, general principles of wound management, wound management products, and the management of patients with both acute and chronic wounds. Superbly illustrated with full colour illustrations throughout.

The Care of Wounds is of value to all nurses and healthcare professionals working in the field of tissue viability and wound healing.

Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing – 3rd edition Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing third edition continues to deliver students and lecturers an authoritative and accessible approach to mental health nursing. The combined efforts of a highly-respected and experienced editorial team and the expertise of the contributors have resulted in a valuable and influential text, with a strong focus on evidence-based practice and recent research.

This new edition places an important emphasis on recovery and strengths across all chapters dealing with mental health nursing practice, providing students with the confidence to engage a recovery-orientated, empathic and holistic approach to psychiatric and mental health nursing. This edition also includes a new chapter on forensic mental health nursing and addresses the integration of mental health care into primary health care. An increased focus on preventative mental health strategies and current and emerging interventions will help students to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to interact effectively with clients and their families.

44 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

www.qnu.org.au

CALENDAR

If you would like to see your conference or reunion on this page, let us know by emailing your details to dsmith@qnu.org.au

AUGUST QNU training Private Sector Nurses - Scope, practice and workloads 26 August 2014.Brisbane Being a QNU Contact in the workplace 27 August 2014. Brisbane QH - Scope, practice and workloads 28 August 2014, Brisbane www.qnu.org.au/qnu-training

SEPTEMBER 9th National Conference of the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners New Frontiers – Building future generation 2-4 September 2014, Sydney http://acnp.org.au/events/15 Lung Health Promotion Centre at The Alfred 3–5 September, Respiratory Course 3–5 September, Respiratory Course (Module A) Ph: (03) 9076 2382 Email: lunghealth@alfred.org.au Nurses-Healing Workshops 5-12 September. Sanur Bali http://nurses-healing.com Ph: 0431 994 618 Email: angeline@nurses-healing.com 18th International Conference on Cancer Nursing 7-11 September, Panama City http://chnwa2014.iceaustralia.com/ International Literacy Day 8 September

QNU training QH - How to fix your workloads 10 September 2014,Brisbane Student survival toolkit 10 September 2014, Brisbane Your career starts now!

11 September 2014, Brisbane Creating a safe workplace (WH&S) 11 September 2014,Brisbane Emotional Resiliance 12 September 2014, Brisbane QH - Scope, practice and workloads 17 September 2014, Townsville Creating a safe workplace (WH&S) 18 September 2014, Townsville Handling grievances in the workplace 16 September 2014, Brisbane Someone should do something about that!

17 & 18 September, Brisbane www.qnu.org.au/qnu-training 3rd World Congress of Clinical Safety (3WCCS) Clinical Risk Management 10-12 September, Madrid, Spain www.iarmm.org/3WCCS/ Lactation Symposium 12–13 September 2014 Glen Waverley www.monashhealth.org/page/Events/ Lactation_Conference_2014/ New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Conference Nurses – champions for change 18 September 2014 Wellington, New Zealand www.nzno.org.nz/2014conference Nurses For Nurses Network 2014 Annual Conference Practice Innovation in a Contemporary Nursing Landscape 20-27 September, Norwegian Jade, Departing Venice, Italy http://cpdcruises.com.au/ conferences/Nurses-for-Nurses-2014Annual-Conference/

QNU training Workplace Representatives 1 8, 9 & 10 October 2014,Brisbane QH - Scope, practice and workloads 14 October 2014,Toowoomba Being a QNU Contact in the workplace 15 October 2014, Toowoomba Private Sector Nurses - Knowing your entitlements 16 October 2014, Toowoomba Handling grievances in the workplace 14 October 2014, Cairns Knowing your entitlements and understanding the Award!

15 & 16 October 2014, Cairns QNU Branch Development 1 & 2 21, 22 & 23 October 2014, Brisbane Health & Safety Representative training for nurses and midwives 27,28,29,30,31 October,Brisbane www.qnu.org.au/qnu-training World Mental Health Day 10 October National Indigenous Mens Conference 13-15 October, Cairns www.indigenousconferences.com Lung Health Promotion Centre at The Alfred 15–16 October, Respiratory Course (Module B) 23–24 October, Managing COPD 27-28 October, Spirometry Principles & Practice Ph: (03) 9076 2382 Email: lunghealth@alfred.org.au Nurses-Healing Workshops 20-26 October. Glenelg S.A http://nurses-healing.com Ph: 0431 994 618 Email: angeline@nurses-healing.com Safe Work Australia Week 27 October-2 November

18th International Conference on Cancer Nursing 7-11 September, Panama City www.isncc.org/?page=18th_ICCN

www.qnu.org.au

International Day of Older Persons 1 October Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law Conference How should we decide 2-4 October, Perth WA. www.conferencedesign.com.au/ aabhl2014/ Mental Health Week 5-12 October

6th Australian Rural and Remote Mental Health Symposium The Practitioner’s Voice 12-14 November, Albury, NSW http://anzmh.asn.au/rrmh/ International Day of Tolerance 16 November 2nd International Conference on Nursing & Healthcare Exploring the Possibilities towards Better Healthcare 17-19 November, Chicago, USA http://nursing2014.conferenceseries. net

Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control Conference 23-26 November, Adelaide, SA http://www.acipcconference.com.au/ International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women 25 November

OCTOBER QNU Meeting of Delegates 8 September, Brisbane 10 September, Gold Coast 16 September, Toowoomba 18 September, Sunshine Coast 23 September, Rockhampton 24 September, Mackay 30 September, Bundaberg

Lung Health Promotion Centre at The Alfred 11 November, Educating & Presenting With Confidence 12-14 November, Asthma Educator’s Course 20-21 November, Smoking Cessation Facilitator’s Course Ph: (03) 9076 2382 Email: lunghealth@alfred.org.au

Universal Children’s Day 20 November

CATSINaM 16th National Conference Embrace the difference within our people 23-25 September 2014, Perth http://catsin.org.au/

QNU Meeting of Delegates 1 October, Hervey Bay 8 October, Townsville 9 October, Cairns

QNU training Nurses & Midwives EB9 - Phase 1 6 November 2014,Brisbane Emotional Resiliance 7 November 2014, Brisbane Nurses & Midwives EB9 - Phase 1 10 November 2014, Brisbane Nurses & Midwives EB9 - Phase 1 12 November 2014, Toowoomba Nurses & Midwives EB9 - Phase 1 13 November 2014, Bundaberg Nurses & Midwives EB9 - Phase 1 18 November 2014, Cairns Nurses & Midwives EB9 - Phase 1 18 November 2014, Mackay Nurses & Midwives EB9 - Phase 1 20 November 2014, Townsville Nurses & Midwives EB9 - Phase 1 20 November 2014, Rockhampton www.qnu.org.au/qnu-training

NOVEMBER Australian College of Nursing National Nursing Forum 2-4 November, Adelaide www.acn.edu.au/forum The National Primary Health Care (NPHC) Conference 5-7 November, Canberra http://amlalliance.com.au/events/ national-primary-health-careconference-2014

The Emerging Face of Midwifery Education & Research Conference 28 November, Darwin Email: arminda@dreamedia.com.au

DECEMBER World Aids Day 1 December International Day for People with a Disability 3 December Human Rights Day 10 December

AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 45

YOUR SUPER

How does your super fund stack up?

How is your super invested?

Your super may seem like something you have no control over until you retire, but nothing could be further from the truth. You may not be able to access your super whenever you want, but chances are you can choose how it is invested within your fund.

Whether you’re a new or experienced investor, HESTA makes it easy to make an investment choice that can help fund the retirement lifestyle you want.

Depending on how involved in your investment choice you want to be, you can leave your money in the Core Pool (our default option), choose one of our ready-made investment pools, design your own choice portfolio or mix and match from the above.

The key to making your investment choice is deciding how much risk you’re comfortable taking, balanced against what level of investment return you want. Each HESTA investment option has its own objective, strategy and level of expected risk and return. The option(s) you choose should be shaped by your own needs and goals.

We understand that no matter what stage of life you’re at, making the right investment choice to suit your retirement needs can be confusing. However, personal advice on your super is available to HESTA members through your Superannuation Adviser, at no extra cost.

For more information on the investment choices available through HESTA, request a Member investment choice presentation at your workplace, visit hesta.com.au for a copy of our Investment Choices guide or call 1800 813 327 to arrange a consultation with a HESTA Superannuation Adviser.

With more than 25 years of experience and $28 billion in assets, more people in health and community services choose HESTA for their super.

This material is issued by H.E.S.T. Australia Ltd ABN 66 006 818 695 AFSL No. 235249, the Trustee of Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia (HESTA) ABN 64 971 749 321.

Information provided is of a general nature. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or specific needs. You should look at your own financial position and requirements before making a decision and may wish to consult an adviser when doing this.

This information contains H.E.S.T. Australia Ltd’s interpretation of the law but should not be relied upon as advice. For more information, call 1800 813 327 or visit hesta.com.au for a copy of a Product Disclosure Statement which should be considered when making a decision about HESTA products.

46 | TQN | AUGUST 2014

There is now more than 532,0001 different super funds in Australia – made up mostly of small, self-managed super funds (SMSFs). Most of the larger funds offer multiple investment options, so the choice between literally thousands of super solutions can be very daunting.

Where do I start?

According to ASIC’s website www.moneysmart.gov.au, there are some important things to consider when assessing a super fund – fees, investment options, extra benefits, performance, insurance and service. It’s always good to do some research to ensure your super fund measures up.

How does QSuper stack up?

• Great value – one low fee. QSuper’s fees are among the lowest in Australia2. Unlike other super funds, there are no hidden costs or exit fees so you’ve got more money working for you.

• Smart super solutions. QSuper has nine investment options so is flexible enough to fit your needs no matter where you are in life.

• Over 100 years and still going strong. Not only is QSuper one of Australia’s largest super funds, it’s also received Platinum ratings from SuperRatings3 for performance for the last seven years in a row!

• More than just super. As a QSuper member, you have access to a wide range of financial products and services to help you see the big picture, including Death and Total and permanent disability (TPD) and income protection insurance, and financial advice from QInvest4 that’s tailored to your personal needs.

• Manage it how you want it. Go to a seminar, register for Member Online, call the Contact Centre or visit the website to check how your super is performing, access information to help you make informed decisions and make an investment switch.

For more information on QSuper’s performance, investment options, insurance and support services visit qsuper.qld.gov.au or call 1300 360 750.

Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), Superannuation Statistics – November 2013. 2. SuperRatings Fundamentals report as at January 2014. SuperRatings Pty Ltd (ABN 95 100 192 283 AFSL 311880) is an independently owned superannuation assessment and ratings organisation. 3. SuperRatings 7 Year Platinum Performance 2006-2013. SuperRatings does not issue, sell, guarantee or underwrite this product. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 4. QInvest Limited (ABN 35 063 511 580, AFSL and Australian Credit Licence number 238274) (QInvest) is ultimately owned by the QSuper Board (ABN 32 125 059 006) as trustee for the QSuper Fund (ABN 60 905 115 063), and is a separate legal entity which is responsible for the financial services and credit services it provides. Members pay a co-payment for advice relating to their QSuper benefit. QInvest also provides advice about investments outside of your QSuper benefit and this may incur an additional fee.

This information is provided by the fund administrator, QSuper Limited (ABN 50 125 248 286 AFSL 334546) which is ultimately owned by the QSuper Board (ABN 32 125 059 006) as trustee for the QSuper Fund (ABN 60 905 115 063). All products are issued by the QSuper Board as trustee for the QSuper Fund. This information has been prepared for general purposes only without taking into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Consider whether the product is appropriate for you and read the product disclosure statement (PDS) before making a decision. You can download the PDS from our website at qsuper.qld.gov.au, or call us on 1300 360 750 and we’ll send you a copy. © QSuper Board of Trustees 2014

www.qnu.org.au

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AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 47

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: Denielle Smith

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Outstanding nurse, outstanding future.

If you’re just as motivated about patient care as you are about health reform, then postgraduate nursing at QUT is the best way to an outstanding career.

You can be confident that you’ll learn from influential leaders in Australian nursing, and that our courses are informed by QUT nursing research which is independently ranked as above world standard.

Flexible external and part-time options are available.

Find out how to send your career skywards at QUT’s online postgraduate options evening, Wednesday 15 October.

Register now at www.qut.edu.au/postgraduate-nursing

CRICOS No.00213J © QUT 2014 HLT-14-1225 20334

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AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 49

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AUGUST 2014 | TQN | 53

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UPDATE YOUR OWN DETAILS AND MORE, MUCH MORE! The QNU has changed the way you update your details with the launch of an exciting new portal called MEMBERLINK. Through MEMBERLINK, as a financial member you will be able to: update your own details pay fees update your password (choose your own) print tax statements for the last three financial years

request a new membership card print your own PII letter, and contact either the Membership section, QNU Connect or send an email to our general email address.

To access MEMBERLINK visit https://member.qnu.org.au/