Quality of Care Report
Our People REDHS is committed to ensuring that its staff and visiting medical officers are suitably qualified, well trained and can respond to the needs of the Health Service and the wider community. With the dual challenges of an ageing workforce and the successful attraction and retention of high calibre staff in a rural health service, REDHS developed a Human Resources (HR) Action Plan to outline strategies to meet these challenges. Position descriptions (including key selection criteria) are reviewed at least annually during the Performance Appraisal process or more often if required. To ensure a successful appointment, new staff must meet specific selection criteria as set down in the position description and clinical credentials must be current. For example: all Support Services Staff must have successfully completed the appropriate competencies before handling food and/or chemicals. All Clinical (Nursing) staff must have current registration and competencies in Blood and Blood Products – Handling, Storage and Transfusions, and Medication Administration before the commencement of duties. Visiting Medical Officers (VMO) must be fully credentialed every three years. Current VMOs are credentialed until 2009, however they are required to present their registration and public liability insurance to REDHS annually.
GOTAFE and LaTrobe University (Bendigo). Medical and Pharmacy students have also gained valuable experience in our facilities. In 2006/07 a Training and Education Plan was developed in response to the individual needs of staff (as indicated in the Education Needs Analysis survey) and to meet organisational needs in accordance with the Strategic Plan. The Training and Education Plan outlines the strategies for ensuring that staff are well trained and can respond to the needs of the Health Service and the wider community. Performance indicators set down in this training plan will be reviewed on an annual basis. In order to attract and retain staff, Management encourage and support staff in their pursuit of education and professional development opportunities. REDHS is also linked with Continuing Nurse Education (CNE) that provides educational opportunities to nurses. Over seventy staff have accessed external training sessions/ courses in the past year with many achieving outstanding results. Congratulations to the following staff on the completion of training: •• Sarah Attree - Masters of Physiotherapy •• Richard Beddell - Diploma of Bus Man •• Mathew Dennis - OHS Training, Project Officer Training
All new staff must attend an Orientation Day that is conducted in conjunction with the mandatory Annual Training Day for existing staff. These days are held monthly so that all staff have the opportunity to attend within a twelve month period. In 20062007, a total of 149 staff and volunteers attended. Topics covered include: Privacy, Basic Life Support, Occupational Health and Safety, Risk Management, Emergency Procedures/ Fire Response Training, Quality, Infection Control/ Waste Management and Manual Handling/No Lift (both clinical and non-clinical sessions).
•• Jeannie Holmberg, Andrea Howarth, Wendy Kneebone – Certificate of Gerontology
Conducting the Orientation/ Annual Training Day (ATD) on a monthly basis requires a significant allocation of resources. To ensure that the sessions are relevant and informative, all participants are encouraged to provide evaluations of each session throughout the day and the results are monitored, allowing adjustments to programs as required. The walking tour around the facilities was reintroduced following requests from staff.
•• Traineeships – Amy Price (Business Administration) and Nathan Shaw (Cert III Health Support Services – Grounds Maint.)
Volunteers have also been attending the ATD but feedback has indicated that they find that not all information is relevant to them and a full day commitment is not always possible or desirable. In response to this, during 2007-08 we will be conducting halfday “volunteer –specific” sessions to provide volunteers with an abridged version of the ATD, be taken on a guided tour of all facilities and the redevelopment projects and finish with a catered lunch in appreciation of their attendance. Evaluations will be conducted to monitor the effectiveness of this initiative. Students from all levels are encouraged to carry out work placements / work experience in our facilities to gain a wide range of experience. Secondary school students have participated in our work experience programs, as have nursing students from BRIT,
redhs annual report 2007 page 34
•• Beverley Hunt, Lynda Kellow, Elizabeth Moulden - Medication Endorsement for Division 2 Nurses •• Dianne Kenyon - Graduate Diploma – Further Education & Training •• Lynn Wolfe - Adv. Diploma of Bus Man (HR Bridging) Staff currently undertaking further training:
•• Certificate IV – Training and Assessment • RN Div 1 - Tarnya Hamilton, Robyn Kelly, Cheryl Petrini, and Jan Prigg • RN Div 2 - Lynda Kellow • Social Worker - Kevin Holmes External sessions/courses have included: •• Advanced Cardiac Life Support Practical •• Avian Influenza •• Better Quality Better Health Care •• Business Performance Improvement •• Certificate IV in Mental Health Nursing •• Child Sexual Assault •• Continence Management •• Dementia Essentials •• Diabetes Information