The Lamp December 2021

COVID-19

WORKERS COMP

REGIONAL ECONOMIES

REGULARS

Nurses’ pandemic concerns revealed

Essential today, on the scrap heap tomorrow

Saving lives and livelihoods in regional areas

page 14

page 18

page 20

Your rights and entitlements at work Crossword Reviews Nursing research online

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 78 NO. 6 DEC 2021 / JAN 2022

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p.32 p.43 p.45 p.49

RECRUIT A NEW MEMBER AND GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN A REJUVENATING HOLIDAY AT THE SEBEL SYDNEY MANLY BEACH THE 2021– 22 NSWNMA MEMBER RECRUITMENT SCHEME PRIZE Enjoy a stylish retreat just steps from the water in Sydney’s vibrant seaside suburb at The Sebel Sydney Manly Beach. Located a short 30-minute ferry ride from Sydney CBD, Manly offers laidback vibes and plays host to one of Sydney’s most stunning beaches.

Stay in a recently refurbished Studio Ocean View room, offering a stylish furnished balcony – the perfect spot for morning coffee. You’ll be within walking distance of Manly’s many restaurants, cafés, bars and shops and the area’s picturesque coastal walks. You and a friend will experience: • 4 nights’ accommodation in a Studio Ocean View Room • Welcome bottle of wine • Daily a la carte breakfast for two adults • Complimentary parking • Complimentary WiFi • The NSWNMA will arrange return flights for two to Sydney (if flights are required)

PRIZE DRAWN 1 JULY 2022 RECRUITERS NOTE: Join online at www.nswnma.asn.au Every member you sign up over the year gives you an entry in the draw!

If you refer a member to join online, make sure you ask them to put your name and workplace on the online application form, so you will be entered in the draw.

Conditions apply. Prize must be redeemed by 1 July 2023 and is subject to room availability. Voucher must be presented upon request. Voucher is not transferrable nor redeemable for cash. Block-out dates may apply. The prize will be drawn on 1 July 2022. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date.

CONTENTS Contacts NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association For all membership enquiries and assistance, including The Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office.

Sydney Office 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au W www.nswnma.asn.au

VOLUME 78 NO. 6 DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

Hunter Office 8–14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2300 NSWNMA Communications Manager Janaki Chellam-Rajendra T 1300 367 962 For all editorial enquiries, letters and diary dates T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnma.asn.au 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 Produced by Hester Communications T 9568 3148 Press Releases Send your press releases to: F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au

8

Editorial Committee Brett Holmes, NSWNMA General Secretary Shaye Candish, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary O’Bray Smith, NSWNMA President Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care Richard Noort, Justice Health Liz McCall, Byron Central Hospital Diane Lang, South East Regional Hospital, Bega Valley Printed by Ovato Print Pty Ltd, 37–49 Browns Road, Clayton VIC 3168 Advertising Danielle Nicholson T 8595 2139 or 0429 269 750 F 9662 1414 E dnicholson@nswnma.asn.au Information & Records Management Centre To find archived articles from The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNMA nursing and health collection, contact: Adrian Hayward, Coordinator.

T 8595 2175 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au The Lamp ISSN: 0047-3936 General Disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSWNMA. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSWNMA. Statements of fact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibility is accepted for them. All material appearing in The Lamp is covered by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission. The NSWNMA takes no responsibility for the advertising appearing herein and it does not necessarily endorse any products advertised.

Authorised by B.Holmes, General Secretary, NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association, 50 O’Dea Avenue Waterloo NSW 2017 Privacy Statement The NSWNMA collects personal information from members in order to perform our role of representing their industrial and professional interests. We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information. Personal information is protected under law and can only be released to someone else where the law requires or where you give permission. If you have concerns about your personal information, please contact the NSWNMA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained, you can contact the Privacy Commission.

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COVER STORY

New Ramsay EA after company-wide campaign

14

COVID-19

Nurses’ pandemic concerns revealed A survey of Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) members has revealed how COVID-19 affected the workforce in 2020.

18

WORKERS COMP

Essential today, on the scrapheap tomorrow It will be much harder for nurses and midwives to get workers’ compensation when infected with COVID-19 if the NSW Liberal/National Party government gets its way.

20

REGULARS

5 6 24 31 32 36 43 45 46 49

REGIONAL ECONOMIES

22

Saving lives and livelihoods in regional areas New research finds that public sector employment is an important foundation of regional economies and is particularly important during crises such as the bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic.

Editorial Your letters Christmas competition What’s on Ask Shaye News in brief Crossword Book Club Your Health Nursing Research Online and Professional Issues

COVID-19

WORKERS COMP

REGIONAL ECONOMIES

REGULARS

Nurses’ pandemic concerns revealed

Essential today, on the scrap heap tomorrow

Saving lives and livelihoods in regional areas

page 14

page 18

page 20

Your rights and entitlements at work p.32 Crossword p.43 Reviews p.45 Nursing research online p.49

AGED CARE

Federal election will be aged care’s moment of truth When the country votes – probably early next year – it will be a rare opportunity to hold our politicians accountable for the woes of the troubled sector.

26

CLIMATE CHANGE

Health needs to be part of Australia’s climate solution Healthcare contributes seven per cent of Australia’s carbon emissions – but health is missing from our COP26 plan, says the Climate and Health Alliance.

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION VOLUME 78 NO. 6 DEC 2021 / JAN 2022

MEMBER LEADERS VITAL IN RAMSAY EA Print Post Approved: PP100007890

COVER: Photographed by Sharon Hickey

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THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 3

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4 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 The NDSS Agent in NSW and ACT is Diabetes NSW & ACT

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EDITORIAL

BRETT

Holmes GENERAL SECRETARY

Congratulations for your amazing contribution As the pandemic eases in NSW it’s time to take stock and to learn from the tough experiences of the last two years.

Summer is always a time of optimism and positivity and as we slip into the holiday season the NSW community should, and I think does, appreciate the enormous contribution of the state’s health workforce in getting us through the biggest health emergency in 100 years.

People in NSW will be able to enjoy with their families the best this state has to offer more safely than we were looking at not so long ago. I truly hope as many of our members as possible are able to experience some of the holiday experience.

The contribution of nurses and midwives in getting us to this enviable point has been spectacular and I couldn’t be more proud of you.

Of course this has come at some cost when nurses and midwives have barely had a break in two years. Everyone is tired.

While I’m sure the community appreciates your sacrifices, commitment and hard work I’m not sure I can say the same about our governments.

While they regularly sing the praises of nurses and midwives publicly their actions tell another, quite different story.

When it comes to talking about improving pay for nurses and midwives their petty meanness is apparent.

When it comes to talking about ratios and improved staffing, they wilfully refuse to acknowledge the reality of our under-resourced public health system.

In this issue of The Lamp we report on the Perrotet government’s attempt to strip nurses and midwives and other essential workers of their right to automatic cover for COVID-19 (see p. 18).

This would mean nurses and midwives would have to prove they

There is a growing body of research that shows that the pandemic has exacted a heavy emotional toll on nurses and midwives. were infected on the job and not in the community – a burden of proof that would be almost impossible to achieve.

This measure literally heaps insult upon injury. It is cruel and unwarranted.

These things together do raise important questions.

Is our state government capable of learning the lessons of COVID? Do they have the vision and the will required to build a robust, well-resourced public health system that will be able to provide safety for the NSW community against the health threats that experts tell us are inevitable.

More pandemics, superbugs and the consequences of climate change can no longer be dismissed as something that will happen down the track.

These threats exist now.

Delayed demand for normal health services will also put immediate pressure on our system as COVID, hopefully, abates.

A pressing priority must be the resilience of the health workforce.

The Australian College of Critical Care Nurses say critical care nurses are “leaving in droves”. We continue to press the NSW Minister for Health to recognise the problem and to act to establish professional standard staffing levels.

There is a growing body of research that shows that the pandemic has exacted a heavy emotional toll

on nurses and midwives. Levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), burnout, depression and anxiety among the health workforce have ballooned during COVID. The research shows, and we also know it from our own experiences, that much of that mental trauma comes from a heartfelt concern that our patients would not get the care they need and deserve because of a shortage of staff and resources and the vulnerability this engenders during a lethal pandemic.

The Association has been saying it for more than a decade but it is important to keep saying it: our public health system has been seriously under resourced and understaffed. COVID has just exposed that weakness and made it worse.

The state government with its responsibility for the public health system and the federal government with its responsibility for aged care just keep putting their heads in the sand and hope their political spin will make these problems go away.

That is at once laughable and irresponsible.

The Association takes the responsibility of improving the public health system seriously.

We have tirelessly advocated for ratios as an important pillar of any robust public health system.

That position has been backed by irrefutable research.

The problems aren’t going away and neither are we. n THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 5

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6 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

Our accredited Master of Nursing program specifies 860 hours of placement to ensure our graduates are equipped with the clinical and academic skills and experiences they need to become exceptional nurses. Like all higher education providers of nursing programs, we are currently considering the concessions now available for students who need them and these will be applied on a caseby-case basis according to each student’s specific circumstances. We have been communicating regularly with our students about their placement options, and the supports and adjustments available to them during this time.

We are very pleased that the vast majority of our nursing students have continued to move through their placements and will graduate on time, ready to support the health care workforce in a professional capacity as registered nurses.

Professor Donna Waters Acting Head of School and Dean Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery The University of Sydney

Settle for working a miracle every second day I’m retired now, but I worked on the front line for forty years.

I want to say thank you to all the nurses and midwives, and I value your effort in very trying times. The most important thing to remember is to look after yourself. Remember your family is the most important thing to you. Sometimes you cannot work a miracle every day, only every second day.

This means that if you don’t look after yourself, no one else will.

Stay united and strong. People do care about you.

Good luck everyone.

Safe staffing ratios are essential in ED, as they are everywhere.

Margaret Reddy, Retired member (Aged Care)

SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Editorial Enquiries EMAIL lamp@nswnma.asn.au fax 9662 1414 MAIL 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017.

Please include a high-resolution photo along with your name, address, phone and membership number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space. Anonymous letters will not be published.

LETTER OF THE MONTH From caring to who cares When the Coalition Government outsourced the care of our seniors to private equity firms and corporations, it resulted in sweeping deregulation: • The protective clause about staffing ratios was removed, meaning that aged care providers were left to determine staffing levels • The link that tied Commonwealth funding to care staffing was abolished!

• Registered Nurses’ and Personal Care Workers’ numbers were drastically reduced despite residents’ care needs increasing • The aged care workforce became highly casualised and insecure.

We are left with a precarious aged care system, where our older Australians and the aged care workforce have been devalued and exploited.

I have witnessed the demoralisation of our aged care staff.

It is common for nurses to stay back 3-5 hours unpaid to finish their essential documentation.

In a certain residential aged care facility, these nurses were asked by the manager to log off first when it is time to go home, then go back and finish their work.

One nurse, responsible for 150 residents, who had worked 15 shifts in a row asked for a day off and it was denied.

Aged care, the specialised field of nursing that I chose, has been reduced from a caring profession to a “who cares?” business model.

If only our government listened to our calls for reform long before COVID-19 hit our shores.

The final report of the Aged Care Royal Commission was made public on 1 March, 2021, with 148 recommendations – and still we wait for our Prime Minister to act on these recommendations!

Letter of the month If there’s something on your mind, send us a letter and have your say.

The letter of the month will WIN a gift card. The letter judged best each month will receive a $50 Coles Group and Myer gift card.

Is it too much to ask of our Prime Minister to mandate nurses in residential aged care 24/7, not just 16 hours a day, as this Coalition government is proposing? Severe pain, falls, critical incidents do not stop at 10pm!

Is it too much to ask of our Prime Minister to have mandated ratios and skills mix so we can deliver high quality care in dementia care, in palliative and end of life care?

Is it too much to ask of our Prime Minister for secure jobs in aged care?

Surely, that is not too much to ask!

Jocelyn Hoffman, RN LEARN MORE

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THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 7

COVER STORY

New Ramsay EA after company-wide campaign Member leaders played a vital role in negotiations.

N

S W NM A memb er s at Ramsay Health Care have overcome pandemic-related disruptions and obstacles to finalise a new, two-year enterprise agreement.

The NSWNMA started negotiating with Ramsay in April 2021 and staff voted to accept the company’s improved offer in October.

During this six-month period, COVID-19-related lockdowns in NSW forced a shift from face-to-face to Zoom meetings and created other campaign difficulties.

Despite this, a total of 12 Ramsay members from hospitals in Sydney and the regions joined with NSWNMA officials to coordinate the campaign and take part in negotiations.

These bargaining representatives from across NSW ensured members from all Ramsay hospitals had a voice in the campaign.

The new agreement protects all existing conditions and provides a pay and allowance increase of 3.5 per cent over two years with back pay to July 2021.

After the company withdrew its claims for cuts to nurses’ and midwives’ working conditions, Ramsay members voted to accept the agreement.

In the run-up to negotiations the NSWNMA surveyed members to find out what changes they wanted in the new agreement.

A record number of surveys were returned, showing members’ top concerns were improved staffing levels and improved pay.

8 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

‘ Despite a hostile attitude from the company during negotiations, our bargaining reps raised many situations where staffing was an issue.’

— Brett Holmes M issed mea l brea k s a nd insufficient notice of rosters were also priorities to be addressed.

The NSWNMA drew up a set of claims focusing on staffing ratios, fair rostering and better pay.

Three negotiation meetings were held before the COVID-19 lockdown in June 2021, which then forced negotiations to go online.

RAMSAY WANTED CUTS TO CONDITIONS NSWNMA General Secretary, Brett Holmes, said the meetings gave member leaders the opportunity to speak candidly about staffing and other concerns.

“Despite a hostile attitude from the company during negotiations, our bargaining reps raised many situations where staffing was an issue, backed by examples in support of the claims,” he said.

“During the campaign over 2200 Ramsay nurses and midwives signed a petition calling for staffing ratios, a safer skill mix, ACORN standards, the ability to take meal breaks and fair rostering.

“However, Ramsay flatly refused

to consider any of our claims relating to ratios. “ They ma inta ined that their existing staffing arrangements provided safe patient care but refused to provide information on the formula, citing ‘commercial-in-confidence’.”

Ramsay came to the table with their own demands for cuts to working conditions, including greater “flexibility” in rostering, but later withdrew them after members stood together to reject them.

The new two-year agreement will expire on 31 March 2023. It includes the following pay and allowance increases: • 1 .5 per cent increase backdated to the first pay period on or after 1 July 2021 • 0.5 per cent increase from the first pay period on or after 1 January 2022 • 1.5 per cent increase from the first pay period on or after I July 2022.

Ramsay is the largest private hospital operator in Australia, with 72 private hospitals and day surgery units. n

COVER STORY

‘A lot of people were happy to put their names to the petition, which was signed by over 2200 people.’

— Deanna Hayes

COVID-19 lockdown hindered Ramsay negotiations An NSWNMA member representative on the enterprise agreement (EA) bargaining committee, Deanna Hayes from St George Private Hospital, said COVID-19 made it harder for members to campaign for a better agreement.

“I think the public health regulations and general level of uncertainty during the pandemic made nurses less likely to take action to press their claims. People didn’t know what was happening to their hours, and how COVID-19 would impact the community.

“The COVID-19 lockdowns in NSW interrupted our bargaining process and forced us to meet with management online. COVID-19 caused a hiatus in the middle of negotiations.”

Deanna said it was disappointing the company “cried poor” and claimed it could not afford to pay a substantial wage increase, despite Ramsay’s

share price rising through most of the negotiation period.

“Yes, some procedures were postponed, but every Ramsay nurse like me who got redeployed to vaccination hubs or rural areas had their costs covered by NSW Health.

And a lot of private hospitals took public patients by agreement with NSW Health.”

According to the Australian Financial Review, Ramsay CEO Craig McNally’s pay tripled to $5.9 million in the 2021 financial year, and the company’s statutory profit is up 58 per cent despite lockdowns.

The Commonwealth government’s $1.3 billion rescue package more than compensated for bans on elective surgery, with Ramsay receiving almost $1 billion in subsidies from governments in Australia and Europe. Even without these subsidies, revenue was up 3.9 per cent.

Around 430 Ramsay nurses and

midwives were deployed to support the public health system during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“They claimed Ramsay had their own method for working out safe staffing but wouldn’t say what this was, because it was ‘confidential’,” said Deanna.

“A lot of people were happy to put their names to our petition, which was signed by over 2200 people, because they don’t always get meal breaks due to inadequate staffing.

“They tell stories of being on night duty with just one other staff member and 20 post-op patients.”

She said the company was dismissive of these examples of staffing shortages that the bargaining reps passed on to them from their workplace colleagues.

“We tried to explain it to them numerous times, but they wouldn’t accept that what we were saying was true.” n

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 9

COVER STORY

Ramsay backs down on cuts after staff resistance Ramsay management came to the bargaining table with their own claims to downgrade nurses and midwives’ working conditions.

A

m id t he p a nde m ic , Australia’s biggest private hospital operator, Ramsay Hea lt h Ca re, opened negotiations with the NSWNMA by demanding greater “flexibility” in rostering and other measures.

The flexibility, however, was all in the company’s favour.

Ramsay HR sought the right to change rosters with as little as 24 hours’ notice and to roster contracted hours over an eight-week period instead of the current two weeks.

It also wanted: • reduced breaks between shifts after overtime from the current 10 hours after overtime to eight hours • the right to direct staff to take annual leave with just two weeks’ notice during periods of low activity • f urther restrictions to when meal breaks can be taken • a n increase in the kilometre range from 20 km to 50 km when asked to work at another site.

Jacky Soucoulis, a theatre nurse in Sydney’s Inner West, was one of 10 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

‘ Members have consistently rated staffing as one of their top concerns for a number of years.’ — Jacky Soucoulis 12 NSWNMA members to take part in the negotiations.

She said management was unable to explain how its “flexible” rostering proposal would work.

“It didn’t surprise me that they were trying to take people’s conditions away from them. They seem to care only about their bottom dollar and not their staff,” she said.

“I think they were trying to avoid paying overtime. I wouldn’t be surprised if it raises its head during the next EA. “It’s not right to force you to take a day off when it only suits the company.

“Nor is it right to work a twoweek period and still not get your contracted hours in, so you

have to claim annual leave to get your money.”

Ramsay withdrew its demands at the third round of negotiations.

MEMBERS ‘VISUAL’ PRESENCE AT TALKS Management representatives arrived at that meeting to find the negotiation room at North Shore Private Hospital packed with posters showing nurses holding signs in support of the union’s log of claims.

The signs included “Ratios Save Lives”, “Ratios Not KPIs”, “Enough Staff to Cover Meal Breaks”, “People Before Profit”, “In Charge Without a Patient Load”, and “No to Forced Roster Changes”.

“The staffing issue meant a lot to us because we were fighting for

COVER STORY

‘The staffing issue meant a lot to us because we were fighting for ourselves, our colleagues and our patients to be safe.’

— Jacky Soucoulis

ourselves, our colleagues and our patients to be safe.

“Members have consistently rated staffing as one of their top concerns for a number of years.”

She sa id ma na gement representatives also ignored ev idence from NSW NM A members of EA breaches at some hospitals.

“For example, when members raised the issue of some hospitals refusing to pay for missed meal breaks, the company denied such practices ever happened – even when they were given concrete examples.

“Or they claimed these were rare and isolated site issues.”

The COVID-19 lockdown i n Greater Syd ney a nd elsewhere put an end to face -to -face negot iat ion s, which were followed by one Zoom negotiation.

Jacky said the lockdown weakened the campaign and made it easier for Ramsay to

wind up negotiations.

“Before the lockdown we managed to get over 2200 Ramsay nurses to hand-sign a petition calling for guaranteed safe staffing ratios, safe skill mix, ACORN theatre standards, fair rostering and the ability to take meal breaks.”

Hospital branch meetings also relied on Zoom meetings and online chat services.

Jack y used a W hat sApp group for her branch members, to keep t hem informed of developments in bargaining meetings.

She said some members were left confused by the company’s communications, especially about the pay offer, thinking it was a 3.5 per cent one-off payment. In fact, it is to be paid between July 2021 and July 2022.

“This shows the need for crystal clear communications,” Jacky said. n

Union wins back pay for Ramsay members The NSWNMA has won back pay for Ramsay Health Care members after discovering statewide underpayments of afternoon penalty rates for full-time nurses.

Full-time nurses who worked afternoon shifts that started between 10 am and 4 pm and ended before 6 pm received back pay.

About one in three nurses working at Ramsay is full time.

The underpayments were discovered in December 2020 following earlier union action that recovered missed meal break underpayments for 186 staff.

Ramsay carried out an audit of affected employees in January 2021. n THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 11

COVER STORY

Ramsay nurses and midwives have never been stronger The campaign for a new Ramsay EA (enterprise agreement) inspired nurses and midwives to join the NSWNMA and fight to improve their conditions at work.

P

or t Macqua r ie P r ivate Hospital Branch Secretary, Fiona Day, said activity a rou nd t he c a mpa ig n had encouraged more staff to join the branch.

“The NSWNMA did a great job of representing nurses during the campaign,” Fiona said.

“Their great communication with us by Zoom meetings, text messages and group chats helped us to negotiate the EA process. I always felt I could reach out for help and information when I needed it.”

D u r i ng negot iat ion s, t he NSWNMA bargaining team took several initiatives to convey nurses’ views and concerns to Ramsay.

“This included a very successful display of photos of staff holding signs highlighting our claims,” she said. “It made a great visual impact when put together in poster board format and placed in the room used for negotiation meetings with Ramsay HR. “We followed this by gathering over 2200 signatures on a petition to emphasise nurses and midwives’ concer n s rega rd ing st a f f ing ratios, late rosters, and access to

12 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

‘ They didn’t want to hear evidence that ratios benefit patients, staff and the company, because, as a Queensland study showed, they actually save money.’

— Fiona Day proper meal breaks, along with safety concerns regarding annual fit-testing and paid pandemic leave.”

A clear majority of the nurses and midwives at Port Macquarie Private Hospital signed the petition.

Fiona said w ritten communication from Ramsay HR left many nurses confused.

“Ramsay sent emails about the EA that contained incorrect figures and made false claims.

“For instance, they claimed we had agreed in principle on all EA claims when we had not. And management's explanation of the wage increase included an incorrect wages table.

“Both of these emails had to be followed up with corrections and apologies. It got very messy and confusing for a lot of people.

“The EA is a big thing, it impacts a lot of people, and we have to live with it for two years. They had a whole team working on it, yet they didn’t take enough time and care over what they sent out to employees.”

RAMSAY REFUSED TO CONSIDER RATIOS Fiona said that as a relatively new branch official she gained valuable experience by being on the negotiating team.

COVER STORY

RAMSAY MEMBERS PACKED THE EA NEGOTIATING ROOM WITH POSTERS SHOWING NURSES HOLDING SIGNS IN SUPPORT OF THEIR LOG OF CLAIMS.

“I got a much better understanding of how the whole process works.

“You can have your own thoughts and feelings about an issue, but you have to take matters to your fellow nurses and represent the views of the majority.

“To keep members in the loop, I sent my meeting notes to other branch committee members so they could pass the information on to nurses on the floor.

“Members of the bargaining committee communicated via a WhatsApp chat group. Now that this EA is finalised we are using the chat group to learn about nurses’ experiences at other hospitals and get advice on our local issues.”

Fiona said benefits of the finalised EA include incremental pay increases (3.5 per cent in total), rosters to be posted two weeks in advance (in most circumstances), annual leave requests approved within two weeks (except in peak times) and overtime rates for part-timers.

Ramsay will provide 10 days’ domestic violence leave and lactation breaks.

“Top of the list of our demands was the need to address safe staffing ratios, fair rostering (including the need to get them out in a timely fashion) and pay increases.

“Ramsay HR made it very clear from the outset that they would not consider any changes to staff ratios.

“They claimed that increases in numbers of other staff such as allied health and clerks and improvements in technology, negated the need to change current nursing staff levels.

“They didn’t want to hear evidence that ratios benefit patients, staff and the company, because, as a Queensland study showed, ratios actually save money.

“However, NSWNMA representatives and members will continue to work towards better working conditions for all Ramsay nurses.” n

Union push leads to PPE rollout During 2020, NSWNMA members at Ramsay repeatedly raised concerns about lack of access to appropriate PPE. As a result, members advocated for all Ramsay nurses involved in highrisk procedures to have access to fit-tested P2/N95 masks.

High-risk procedures include nurses involved in aerosol-generating procedures such as intubation and extubation, or high-risk areas like ICU, respiratory wards, theatres and ED. Ramsay started a rollout of fittesting in January 2021.

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 13

COVID-19

Nurses and midwives’ pandemic concerns revealed A survey of Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) members has revealed how COVID-19 affected the workforce in 2020.

A

survey on COVID-19 and work force wellbeing conduc te d b et we en August and October 2020 revealed that the COVID19 pandemic left about half of Australia’s nursing, midwifery and care worker workforce feeling concerned about the welfare of their colleagues in 2020.

It found that just over half were moderately or extremely concerned about having adequate staff (53.18 per cent), the welfare of their colleagues (52.15 per cent), and having the right skills mix in the workplace (51.43 per cent).

One-quarter of respondents were moderately or extremely concerned about job security.

Those who worked in residential aged care facilities were the most concerned (35.75 per cent).

Almost half (46.74 per cent) of all respondents felt their workload had significantly or moderately increased since the pandemic.

Those working in residential aged care facilities were most likely to report their workload had significantly or moderately increased (56.71 per cent).

Aged care members also reported the highest levels of workplace demand, role conflict, and work–life conflict, as well as the lowest role clarity compared to all other workplace groups.

They also reported the lowest job satisfaction.

Most respondents (59.24 per cent) had experienced or felt community support for the work they do.

14 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

‘Those working in residential aged care facilities were most likely to report their workload had significantly or moderately increased.’

Out of the four main workplaces, those working in residential aged care facilities were the least likely to have experienced support or felt supported (43.37 per cent).

HIGH NUMBERS EXPERIENCED ABUSE One-third of respondents (33.22 per cent) had experienced abuse or been threatened by members of the public/patients at work, and 15.91 per cent had also experienced abuse by members of the public in settings outside of work.

Workers of Chinese ethnicity were the most likely to experience abuse or feel threatened outside of work (25.55 per cent).

More than 65 per cent of respondents rated the COVID19 information provided by their workplace as good to excellent in regard to being timely, trustworthy, clearly written, consistent with other sources and comprehensive.

Protocols for general cleaning and cleaning of isolation rooms were also viewed as being good to excellent by most respondents.

Areas that were rated poor to very poor by at least 20 per cent of staff were managing staff

abuse, access to workplace mental health support, and access to alternative accommodation.

Areas that were rated poor to very poor by at least 30 per cent of staff were being able to deploy more staff if required and debriefing processes.

The majority (57.61 per cent) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were supported by their workplace regarding PPE concerns and requirements.

Forty per cent reported their workplace had cared for someone with confirmed COVID-19.

For those who worked in a setting where care was provided to COVID-19 patients/clients, only 21.01 per cent had provided direct care to those with confirmed COVID-19.

Less than half (46.06 per cent) of respondents answered that they had not missed work due to reasons associated with COVID-19.

For those who had missed work, the most common type of leave taken was personal/ sick leave (64.12 per cent) or special COVID-19 paid leave (22.45 per cent). n

COVID-19

About the workforce survey The survey was conducted by the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre for the NSWNMA’s federal body, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF).

The online, anonymous survey ran over 12 weeks between August and October 2020.

Across Australia, 11,902 nurses, midwives, personal care workers, and other healthcare providers answered at least one question.

Most responses (71.15 per cent) were from registered nurses, followed by enrolled nurses (14.65 per cent), midwives (7.12 per cent), personal care workers (6.66 per cent) and students (0.42 per cent).

Most responses were from Victoria (45.33 per cent) and NSW (25.53 per cent).

The long arm of COVID-19 COVID-19 has affected the work environment and wellbeing of healthcare workers even in facilities that have managed to avoid an outbreak.

Gosford Hospital’s busy maternity unit on the NSW Central Coast is one such facility.

“So far we have been lucky to dodge that bullet. We haven’t had to nurse COVID-19-positive mums or bubs, like some midwives in Western Sydney and South Western Sydney have,” said Gosford midwife and NSWNMA member Nicole Richardson.

However, COVID-19-related visitor restrictions have reduced the emotional and physical family support available to new mums.

Midwives do their utmost to fill the gaps, but they were already under-staffed before COVID-19.

“During the lockdown we had exhausted women isolated from their families and trying to establish breast feeding – and their buzzers weren’t getting answered in a reasonable time frame,” Nicole said.

“Some of our women have just had major abdominal surgery, a lower segment Caesarean section to birth their baby. C-section babies

NICOLE RICHARDSON

have a tendency to vomit small amounts after birth and these mothers find it difficult and painful to reach over and pick up the baby after the C-section.

“Therefore, they need our assistance but we can’t get to everyone fast enough. That puts huge stress on everyone. We feel terrible and the women feel terrible asking for help – and they shouldn’t.”

Since the Delta outbreak, several maternity staff have left the service or converted from permanent to casual because of the increased workload and stress, thereby widening the gaps in the roster. n

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 15

COVID-19

COVID-19 weighs heavily on psychiatric nurses Cumberland mental health nurses knew COVID-19 would eventually reach their understaffed and ill-prepared hospital, but their warnings went unheeded.

W

hen the Delta outbreak took the life of a Cumberland Hospital mental health patient in August, nurses and medical staff took up a collection for their family.

“We were very upset by their death,” said Nick Howson, the hospital’s NSWNMA delegate and branch president.

“In mental health, you can have years-long relationships with some of your patients, and this patient was extremely well known to us.

“We felt we had let them and their family down because we failed to stop the infection getting into the unit, despite taking every precaution provided to us.”

Staff suspect the initial patient contracted the virus in the emergency department, where they returned a negative COVID-19 test result in the ED prior to coming to the unit.

“Our patient developed symptoms a couple of days after admission and by then it was too late to stop the infection spreading through the closed environment of the unit,” Nick said.

“We were policing distances between patients and doing our 16 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

‘We have always had to fight to get staff shortages covered.’ utmost to get them to wear masks, and it still wasn't enough to stop the infection spreading.”

A total of 11 patients were reported to have been infected in that outbreak at Cumberland Hospital, which is Western Sydney’s main psychiatric hospital.

Delta also spread through Nepean, Campbelltown, and other Sydney mental health units.

A STRUGGLE TO GET PPE AND STAFF Nick, who is also the health and safety representative for his work group, said nurses knew that COVID-19 would eventually reach the hospital, which was understaffed and ill-prepared.

“There were COVID-19 plans on paper, but no-one really knew what to do in a practical sense and we hadn’t had any drills. It was all based on prevention – not what to do when the virus got in.

“Our PPE stocks were locked away

apart from a few kits and very few of our patients were vaccinated.

“We were understaffed, and we knew it would be an absolute nightmare when Delta got here, but management ignored our warnings.

“We have always had to fight to get staff shortages covered.

“In the first week of the outbreak in August, there was an endless struggle to get the PPE we needed and the staff we needed. We were told there was enough, yet we constantly had to chase up supplies.

“On the first day there were only five of us on shift to start with and seven after staff deployments. We should have had ten.”

Nick points out that mental health patients are less likely than most to follow guidelines and requests.

“Before Delta got here, only about 20 per cent of patients would wear masks regularly and some would flat out refuse to wear them.

“We get people who spit and

COVID-19

become violent if you try to tell them what to do. Even if it’s in the interest of their own safety.

“On the first day of the outbreak I called all patients into the lounge before breakfast and told them a patient had COVID-19 and everyone had to wear masks. Anyone who refused would be kept in their room with a staff member stationed outside.

“Most patients immediately got a mask and went outdoors to put a bit of space between them and others.”

HIGHER RATES OF BURNOUT Getting enough staff in mental health has always been difficult and COVID-19 has added to the strain on nurses.

Nurses who escort patients to outside appointments face the challenge of ensuring the patient wears a mask and takes other precautions against contracting the virus.

Mental health nurses are also required to do more medical work now than they did before COVID-19.

“Having to learn how to do more advanced observations for respiratory, cardiac and other issues related to COVID-19 was a stressful experience for everyone in our unit – nursing and allied health as well as the consultant psychiatrists,” Nick said.

“The extra time and effort involved in donning and doffing PPE makes you more uncomfortable and tired than normal and erodes a lot of break time.

“It takes an extra 10 minutes to get in and out of your gear every time you need to change. By the time everybody has had their breaks, that is the equivalent of taking one person off the floor for six of the eight hours.

“People were postponing toilet breaks because they were approaching the end of the shift and didn’t want to waste time dealing with PPE. “At the start we had 14 permanent staff put in isolation, which obviously made the workload even more horrific for the rest of us.

“On top of all that, we had to swab every patient every day of the first week.”

‘I'll be very surprised if the profession as a whole doesn’t come out with some sort of collective PTSD from this.’ — Nick Howson Under these circumstances, nurses were only able to do perfunctory mental health assessments.

“The quality of mental health care we were able to provide was well below any anything that any of us were comfortable with,” Nick said.

“COVID-19 has led to a higher rate of burnout among staff who need a break from the

acute environment.

“People are resigning, taking maternity leave and long service leave earlier than planned, or shifting to rehab work.

“I’ll be very surprised if the profession as a whole doesn’t come out with some sort of collective PTSD from this.” n

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 17

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Essential today, on the scrapheap tomorrow It will be much harder for nurses and midwives to get workers compensation for being infected with COVID-19 if the NSW Liberal/National Party government gets its way.

T

he Perrottet government ha s move d to s t r ip nurses and midwives and other essential workers of their automatic right to workers compensation cover for COVID-19.

The government has introduced legislation to state parliament to repeal amendments to the Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) introduced in May 2020.

Under these amendments, workers in health, aged care, disability, transport, hospitality, retail, education, and construction making a workers compensation claim for COVID-19 are presumed to have been infected on the job.

However, under the latest legislation they will have to prove they were infected on the job and not in the community or at the shops.

Angry nurses and midwives sent about 25,000 emails to members of parliament over one weekend in November, urging them to block the government’s planned changes.

NSWNMA General Secretary, Brett Holmes, called the government’s move a disgrace.

“Workers would be forced to engage lawyers to fight their case and produce costly scientific evidence to prove they got infected at work,” 18 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

‘ Workers would be forced to engage lawyers to fight their case and produce costly scientific evidence to prove they got infected at work.’

— Brett Holmes

he told a media conference.

“This is increasingly difficult when vaccinated people can carry the disease without symptoms and may not get tested. “ The minimum COV ID -19 recovery time is 14 days, yet the average full-time permanent worker gets 10 days’ sick leave per year.

“The most vulnerable healthcare workers are casuals who have helped keep our health system af loat throughout COVID-19. They get zero sick leave.

“If nurses are forced to go through a disputed claims process it could be months before they get an outcome.

“This is out of touch, insulting and cruel.

“We want to make sure all our

members are confident they will be looked after when they go to work.

And that we won’t have to have to engage the union’s lawyers to mount one hell of a fight to get a couple of weeks’ wages.”

The government says repealing the 2020 amendments will save the average small business $950 a year in insurance premiums.

But Brett said the government is “living in fantasyland” by claiming a saving of $950 will lead businesses to employ more people and increase wages.

“I call upon those small businesses that have advocated for this to think about the workers who keep the health system, the aged care system, the police and other services in operation,” he said. n

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Recovering nurse tells MPs: Do the right thing The law that automatically grants workers compensation to essential employees who get COVID-19 has been a blessing for Josh, a 25year-old registered nurse at a busy Sydney emergency department.

Josh has worked on the frontline throughout the pandemic, caring for patients as they present to his ED. He was twice forced to isolate for a total of four weeks, after being identified as a close contact.

Though testing negative both times, he had to spend the four weeks in hotel quarantine because his sister is an asthmatic and his mum has had collapsed lungs.

In October Josh tested positive after an exposure in the ED – despite being fully vaccinated, wearing full PPE, and adhering to strict infection control policies.

He was again required to isolate away from his family.

With the support of the NSWNMA,

Josh was able to lodge a workers compensation claim and receive physiotherapy and psychological support to assist his recovery and return to work.

At a Sydney media conference, Josh urged state MPs to “do the right thing and block the government’s shameful repeal of the law”.

“All frontline staff have done an exceptionally good job in attempting to best care for and protect the people of NSW,” he said.

“Taking this support away from one of the most essential services is unjust and simply cruel.

“It will lead casual nurses and midwives to not risk working as they would be financially, physically and physiologically impacted by COVID-19, with no support.

“This will in turn lead to more patients being cared for by fewer nurses, putting even more strain on an already burnt-out workforce.” n

‘ Taking this support away from one of the most essential services is unjust and simply cruel.’ — ED nurse Josh

STOP PRESS All of the ALP and lower house independents Alex Greenwich, Joe McGirr, Greg Piper, plus Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party MPs Roy Butler, Helen Dalton, Philip Donato and Greens MPs Jenny Leong, Jamie Parker and Tamara Smith voted against the government bill.

The bill will now go to an Upper House Committee with submissions due by 20 December 2021 and a hearing to be held on or about 21 January 2022.

The bill can still be defeated in the upper house.

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 19

REGIONAL ECONOMIES

Saving lives and livelihoods in regional areas New research finds that public sector employment is an important foundation of regional economies and is particularly important during crises such as the bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic.

N

urses, teachers, police, firefighters and other public servants not only protect us, keep us healthy, safe and educated; they are also the backbone of regional economies, according to a report just released by the University of Wollongong.

In particular, the income and spending from public sector employment in times of economic downturn and crisis is critical to regional economic survival, it says.

But the report warns that “The stimulus to regional economies from public sector employment and income in times of crises, when many are working longer and often unpaid hours, is also at risk from government-imposed wage freezes imposed in these same times under the guise of austerity.”

The study, commissioned by the South Coast Labour Council, focused on nine regional economies and communities in the south east of New South Wales. Many of these regions were heavily affected by the bushfires of 2019–20, leaving little time for recovery before all regions were affected by COVID-19’s economic impact.

The author of the report, Associate Professor Martin O’Brien, said public sector income was a stable feature of regional economies, which are vulnerable to weather events or unpredictable crises.

“A characteristic of Shoalhaven 20 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

and other South Coast LGAs is their reliance on tourism. Tourism can be quite volatile and go through many economic fluctuations throughout the year. So in 2019–20 when the bushfires hit, the tourism season didn’t exist for many businesses and then the same when COVID-19 hit as well,” he said.

NSWNMA Shoalhaven Branch President Michael Clarke says the report confirms what nurses and midwives in the area have long felt.

“They appreciate that public sector pay rises go a long way to supporting the villages and towns that rely on visitors to our region,” he said.

The report highlights how public sector income in these areas is much more significant to the regional economy than otherwise found in the Greater Sydney area or Australia.

While public sector income contributes approximately 6.37

per cent to the Greater Sydney economy and 7.8 per cent Australiawide, the research estimates public sector income exceeds 9 per cent of Eurobodalla and Shoalhaven’s economy; over 10 per cent in Snowy Monaro, Shellharbour and Wollongong; approximately 20 per cent in Kiama; and over 35 per cent of Queanbeyan-Palerang’s economy.

UNIVERSITIES, SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS ARE BIG EMPLOYERS The report points out that these areas have public sector workplaces that are very large individual employers. For example, the University of Wollongong has more than 2500 direct employees, as well as contractors on campus and other indirect employment flow-on effects.

L i ke w i s e , ho s pit a l s a nd high schools are large individual employers.

One public health system nurse

‘ As a community we must demand that this government adequately invests in public sector wages and implements nurse-to-patient ratios, to ensure that regions like Shoalhaven can prosper well into the future.’

— NSWNMA Assistant Secretary Shaye Candish

REGIONAL ECONOMIES

SHAYE CANDISH AND MICHAEL CLARKE

NURSES, TEACHERS AND OTHER PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS AT THE LAUNCH OF THE REPORT

‘ Nurses and midwives appreciate that public sector pay rises go a long way to supporting the villages and towns that rely on visitors to our region.’

— NSWNMA Shoalhaven Branch President Michael Clarke f rom Shoa l haven told t he researchers that there were more than 500 nurses who worked at her hospital.

“You wouldn’t want to close the hospital and lose 500 people who could contribute to your local economy, because I’m sure that would have an impact,” she said.

NSWNMA Assistant Secretary Shaye Candish says regional communities are indirect casualties of the NSW Government’s rigid policies on pay and staffing.

“Nurses and midwives have experienced low wages growth for the last decade, largely due to the NSW Government’s draconian wages cap.

“Just last year our members were forced to suffer the impact of an insulting 0.3 per cent wage rise, despite grappling with a health pandemic and the significant events of the summertime bushfires.

“Low wages force nurses and midwives to reconsider their personal budgets and the

contributions they can make in local shops, cafes and businesses,” she said.

“As a community we must demand that this government adequately invests in public sector wages and implements nurse-topatient ratios, to ensure that regions like Shoalhaven can prosper well into the future.” n

Read the report https://www.nswnma. asn.au/wp-content/ uploads/2021/11/PublicSector-Impact-final_withforward-and-contents-1.pdf

How public sector workers boost local economies • most public sector workers spent approximately 80 per cent of their income at local businesses • the relative stability of public sector employment and income throughout the year provides sustained stimulus to regional economies in months when business is traditionally slow • resourcing large public sector organisations such as high school and hospitals in regions has a positive flow on effect to local business • the relocation of public sector offices to regional areas can boost a variety of sectors in the local economy.

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 21

AGED CARE

Federal election will be aged care’s moment of truth When the country votes – probably early next year – it will be a rare opportunity to hold our politicians accountable for the woes of the troubled sector.

M

embers working in aged care will campaign to make the sector a key election issue in the lead up to the next federal election.

The union’s key demands are for ratios and better skill mix, RNs to be present in all residential aged care facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week; improved wages and conditions; and greater transparency and accountability, to ensure funding is meeting the care needs of residents.

“The aged care system has been in turmoil for the best part of the decade, if not longer,” Shaye Candish, NSW NM A Assistant General Secretary, told a recent webinar of aged care member leaders.

“Some employers are attempting to do the right thing but aren’t able to, some employers frankly aren’t doing the right thing, and we’ve got a really lacklustre political leadership.”

Shaye said that the recent Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety “demonstrated what members have been saying for so long”. It is disappointing, then, she said, “to see the fairly minimal approach by the government to embrace its recommendations”.

Shaye said the Association will campaign in key marginal seats to 22 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

raise voter awareness about the state of the sector, and put pressure on whichever party forms government, to prioritise aged care.

Apart from putting pressure on the Morrison government, the Association wants a commitment from Labor – which has so far made few promises in aged care – to do more in the sector if they win government.

“Without campaigning, this is probably as good as it’s going to get in the sector,” Shaye said. “While the government has announced 17.7 billion dollars of additional funding, it hasn’t been explicitly targeted to improving care, improving poor pay and conditions, and ratios.

“We want ratios because we know the only way we can deliver the minimum standard of care that people deserve is if we have some minimum mandated requirements around how many staff have to be in the facility. And we want to see wages and conditions improved because we know that is going to be fundamental to attracting people to the sector and keeping them there.

“Since the royal commission, the government has gone some way to committing to a mandated level of staffing, but it is not far enough. We need a five-star system that actually

gives us more RN time and more time for AiNs to care for residents.”

INTEGRATE HEALTH AND AGED CARE Anita Westera, a research fellow with the Australian Health Services Research Institute, University of Wollongong, and a former RN, spoke to members during the webinar about the outcomes of the royal commission, which cost $100 million dollars over two years of hearings and attracted close to 11,000 written submissions and nearly 7000 telephone submissions.

“There were some good things and some quick wins as a result of the commission, such as the promise of a new aged care act underpinned by human rights obligations,” Anita said. “A need for more public funding was recognised. And while there was recognition that we need increased staffing levels, that hasn’t included allied health.”

One positive outcome has been the inclusion of aged care in the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA), which will be renamed the Independent Hospital and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA). Anita said this will allow for greater auditing of the costs of aged care and “limit opportunities

AGED CARE

for gaming”.

“A missed opportunity is that it continued to see aged care as a silo, where older people are separated from health services and local community.”

She said what is needed is better integration of aged and health care, and the reframing of residential care as a non-acute healthcare service.

SECTOR NEEDS RIGHTSBASED APPROACH Anika Stobart, an associate at the Grattan Institute’s health and aged care program, told members that the royal commission found many systemic problems across the sector.

She said the Association and community groups need to push for the implementation of a rightsbased approach to aged care; one that is based on our international obligations to uphold the rights of older people.

Stobart added that the establishment of an independent pricing authority was a big win and means the real cost of care, including staffing and higher wages, can be priced into service delivery.

She said it was positive to see new minimum care hours mandated – an average of at least 200 minutes of

‘ Without pressure we won’t get the changes we need to see, just another level of band aids. Whoever ends up in government, we need to make sure they understand that this is a voting issue in their communities.’

— NSWNMA Assistant Secretary Shaye Candish

care for every resident, every day (40 minutes of which must be by a nurse) – but this will not kick in until 2023.

“On the other hand,” she said, “it is disappointing to see no commitment to minimum training requirements and no support for a wage uplift.”

Shaye urged Association members working in aged care to join the campaign along with members in other states and territories. “Without pressure we won’t get the changes we need to see, just another level of band aids. Whoever ends up in government, we need to make sure they understand that this is a voting issue in their communities.” n

Get involved Members wanting to get involved in the aged care election campaign should contact Emily Suvaal, NSWNMA lead organiser for aged care, on 0459 958 766.

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 23

COMPETITION

Wishing our members a holiday season full of peace, joy, and happiness.

We invite you to be part of this year's giveaway.

Dive in and discover Sydney at PARKROYAL Darling Harbour

Set sail for high tea at sea with Captain Cook Cruises

Situated on the city side of Darling Harbour, PARKROYAL Darling Harbour features 340 stylish rooms and suites with superior king-sized beds, widescreen TV, and in-room amenities. Dine in the award-winning ABODE Bistro. Bar or explore iconic attractions on the doorstep. PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, Sydney – your harbour side sanctuary.

Sydney loves an indulgent high tea, and with good reason. Captain Cook Cruises have given it a modern setting and created the High Tea at Sea. Pink bubbly, tiered platters of sweet and savoury treats and a harbour vista that even British aristocrats would find hard to believe.

The Lamp is offering members the chance to win two nights’ accommodation in a Superior Room with breakfast daily and parking included*

We have partnered with Captain Cook Cruises and are offering you the chance to win one of four double passes to HIGH TEA at sea (each double pass is valued at $150).

Your high tea experience includes a sweet and savoury High Tea shared platter, glass of sparkling wine each, selection of fine teas and 1 to 2 circuits of the harbour – each circuit approx. 90 minutes. *Conditions apply. Rooms subject to availability.

Prize must be redeemed by 31 July 2022.

Voucher is non-transferable, not redeemable for cash and must be presented on arrival.

enter o t How To be in the draw to win one of these fabulous prizes email your entry with subject: Christmas giveaway (prize title) to lamp@nswnma.asn.au including your name and membership number. A separate email is required for each prize.

24 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

For more information or to book your high tea experience, please visit www.captaincook.com.au *Conditions apply. Prize valid for NSWNMA members for travel to 30 September 2022 excluding public holidays and special events. Subject to availability.

Important: Only one entry per member for each competition will be accepted. Entries must indicate which prize you would like to win in the email subject.

Competition entries from NSWNMA members only and limited to one entry per member per prize. All entries must be received by Thursday, 16 December 2021 with prizes drawn Friday, 17 December 2021. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date.

Seven Islands Skincare – a holiday for your skin!

Seven Islands Skincare and The Lamp are offering you the chance to win a limited edition ‘Let It Glow’ Christmas gift pack (valued at over $75). This stunning pack contains a gorgeous face oil, a delicious lip balm, a refreshing hydrating mist and a beautifully scented allnatural soy wax candle.

Seven Islands Skincare is a holiday for your skin. Allow your skin to glow this Christmas and beyond by giving it a break from chemicals, synthetics, pollution and stress.

Beauty therapist formulated, allnatural and hand made. Let it Glow!

Let it Glow! Let it Glow!

Exclusive to NSWNMA members!

20% off until midnight 24 December 2021. Simply use the code NSWNMA20 online at www. sevenislandsskincare.com.au

Holiday reading Kick back and relax with a threebook gift pack. We have three packs (of three books each) to give away: The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital by Joanna Nell (Hachette Australia): a heartwarming and hilarious novel by the author of The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village and The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home.

ER Nurses – True stories from the frontline by James Patterson & Matt Eversmann (Penguin Random House): unforgettable stories of everyday heroes who look after us in our most challenging circumstances.

The Eighth Wonder by Tania Farrelly (Penguin Radom House): a journey through New York in 1897 – The Eighth Wonder follows a young feminist and aspiring architect who must fight against the rules of society in order to find her place in the world.

Shine a light of hope this Christmas with artinspired gifts by Koh Living Koh Living have created art-inspired gifts that are both meaningful and great value. When you give a loved-one a unique gift from Koh Living you can be sure it will be loved and used for years to come.

The Lamp is offering members a chance to win one of three beautiful care packs: two Christmas Minikin lantern packs (valued at $74.85 each) and one Christmas tealight gift pack by artist Rebecca Gibbon (valued at $109.80) to give away.

Go to www.kohliving.com.au to discover gifts by established Australian and International artists.

eNurse – Australia’s leading online nurse shop

Season’s Greetings from Posh Active

The Lamp and eNurse are offering you the chance to win a $250 voucher – imagine yourself in new scrubs, new shoes and accessories!

Posh Active would like to thank you for all your hard work this year by offering members a chance to win a Posh Active 3-piece Cult Classic track suit in a colour or pattern of your choice (valued at approx. $350).

Special offer! Enjoy 10% off* all your online purchases exclusive to NSWNMA members.

Simply use promo code NSWNMA10OFF at www.enurse.com.au *Conditions apply. Excludes books, Littmann Stethoscopes, Fashion Biz and specials. Not valid in conjunction with any other offers or promotions. Offer valid until 31 March 2022.

Posh Active is a world of luxury lounge wear. Specially made from Posh Active’s own viscose blend, it is soft and beautiful to wear. The relaxed silhouette is stylish and will take you anywhere from lounging around, to the supermarket, or out to dinner. View the range at www.posh-active.com.au THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 25

CLIMATE CHANGE

Health needs to be part of Australia’s climate solution Healthcare contributes seven per cent of Australia’s carbon emissions – but health is missing from our COP26 plan, says the Climate and Health Alliance.

W

hile other countries turned up to the COP26 conference with health factored into t heir climate plans, Australia was “missing in action”, says the Alliance’s Executive Director, Fiona Armstrong.

She says this is a lost opportunity: health systems are well placed to be a significant part of the solution, as climate change drives poorer health outcomes and increases deaths and health inequities.

According to a recent analysis of Australian policy, there is little recognition at the Commonwealth level of the health impacts of climate change.

The federa l government ’s pamphlet, The Plan to Deliver Net Zero: The Australian Way, doesn’t address the risks and opportunities for the health sector, despite its significant contribution to national emissions.

This emission contribution is largely from public and private hospitals, which have huge energy demands, largely met by coalpowered electricity. Also, the production of pharmaceuticals is extremely energy intensive.

Ahead of COP26, Australia’s failure to address the health impacts 26 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

‘ Australia’s action to address the health impacts of climate change has been described as ‘catastrophic for human health’.’ — Fiona Armstrong of climate change in its climate plan recently led the Global Climate and Health Alliance to score it 0/15 compared to other countries .

Health groups recently sent Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Health Minister Greg Hunt an open letter calling on the government to recognise the magnitude of the health emergency caused by climate change and to embrace more ambitious targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The letter included a health strategy, the Healthy, Regenerative and Just: Framework for a national strategy on climate, health and well-being for Australia, informed by academics, researchers, health service managers, policymakers, professional associations, unions, and health and medical professionals from many disciplines.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE: • legislate a 75 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 • rapidly phase out fossil fuel-based energy and transport and invest in renewable energy resources and infrastructure • improve the preparedness of health and emergency services to respond to the impacts of climate change, such as increased extreme weather events • integrate climate risk assessments into all disaster preparedness and health sector planning • educate and train health professionals to respond to the health impacts of climate change

CLIMATE CHANGE

CCPI • Results 2022

Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute & Climate Action Network

Climate Change Performance Index 2022 – Rating table Rank

Rank change

Country

Score**

1.*

–

–

–

2.

–

–

–

3.

–

–

–

4.

2▲

Denmark

76.92

5.

-1 ▼

Sweden

74.46

6.

2▲

Norway

73.62

7.

-2 ▼

United Kingdom

8.

-1 ▼

Morocco

9.

0 – Chile

73.29 71.64 69.66

10.

0 – India

69.22

11.

4▲

65.06

12.

0 – Malta

64.39 63.82

Lithuania

13.

6▲

14.

-3 ▼

Finland

15.

-1 ▼

Switzerland

Germany

61.98

1▲

Portugal

61.45

17.

6▲

France

61.33

3▲

Luxembourg

10 ▲

Netherlands

18.

19.

61.03 60.81

0 – Ukraine

60.52

21.

1▲

Egypt

59.83

22.

-6 ▼

European Union (27)

59.53

23.

new

Philippines

58.98

10 ▲

Greece

24.

25.

new

26.

-13 ▼

27.

-3 ▼

28.

29.

30.

31.

58.55 58.11 58.06

Indonesia

57.39

-10 ▼

Croatia

56.26

3▲

Mexico

56.19

-3 ▼

Italy

55.70

-5 ▼

Thailand

55.28

Estonia

55.25

32.

6▲

33.

-8 ▼

34.

Colombia Latvia

7▲

Brazil

55.17

Spain

54.71

-7 ▼

New Zealand

54.49

36.

-1 ▼

Austria

52.80

37.

-4 ▼

China

52.66

35.

38.

-8 ▼

Romania

39.

-2 ▼

South Africa

51.56

40.

-9 ▼

Slovak Republic

50.90

41.

42.

43.

8▲

Cyprus

0 – Turkey new

Viet Nam

52.59

50.89 50.75

High

49.35

0 – Bulgaria

49.02

45.

0 – Japan

48.94

-7 ▼

Ireland

47.

-1 ▼

Argentina

47.50

-12 ▼

Belarus

46.91

49.

-9 ▼

Belgium

46.27

50.

1▲

Slovenia

43.73

51.

52.

Index Categories GHG Emissions (40% weighting)

Poland

-3 ▼

Hungary

40.71

6▲

56.

Algeria

40.24

United States

37.90

-4 ▼

Russian Federation

35.00

57.

-1 ▼

Malaysia

34.37

58.

-4 ▼

Australia

30.41

59.

-6 ▼

Korea

27.28

-3 ▼

Chinese Taipei

60.

Very Low

41.01

Czech Republic

-4 ▼ -11 ▼

55.

Low

42.53

-4 ▼

53.

Medium

48.29

48.

54.

Rating Very High

44.

46.

The federal government’s climate policy, titled The Plan to Deliver Net Zero: The Australian Way, was given short shrift at the global climate summit in Glasgow.

62.74

16.

20.

This is the Australian Way? Australia ranked last for climate crisis policy

Categories

Renewable Energy (20% weighting) Energy Use (20% weighting) Climate Policy (20% weighting)

27.11

61.

-3 ▼

Canada

26.73

62.

-3 ▼

Islamic Republic of Iran

26.35

63.

-3 ▼

Saudi Arabia

24.45

64.

-9 ▼

Kazakhstan

19.81

* None of the countries achieved positions one to three. No country is doing enough to prevent dangerous climate change. ** rounded

© Germanwatch 2021

7

• establish a roadmap by 2023 to decarbonise healthcare by 2035.

The call from health groups for more ambitious targets came after an MJA–Lancet Countdown report, which issued a “serious health warning” for Australians from heat, bushfires and air pollution, and emphasises the disproportionate health burden borne by Indigenous Australians.

“Australia’s action to address the health impacts of climate change has been described as ‘catastrophic for human health’,” Ms Armstrong said. “It is wrong and unnecessary to endanger Australian lives in this way.” n

Find out more Healthy, Regenerative and Just: Framework for a national strategy on climate, health and wellbeing for Australia https://www.caha.org.au/ mr2710

The summit saw the release of the Climate Change Performance Index, which assesses countries across four categories: policy, emissions, renewables, and energy use.

Countries are given one of five ratings from “very high” to “very poor”. No country was given an overall “very high” rating because “no country is doing enough to prevent dangerous climate change”.

The top five performing countries overall were Denmark, then Sweden, Norway, the UK and Morocco. The bottom five are Kazakhstan, followed by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Canada and Taiwan.

Overall, Australia slipped four places on the index from the previous year, when it was 50th, and it was the only country allocated a score of zero in the climate policy category, faring only slightly better in three other areas.

“The country’s lack of ambition and action has made its way to the international stage,” the report says.

Suzanne Harter, from the Australian Conservation Foundation, was one of seven experts who provided an evaluation for the climate policy category of the index, which looked at national and international policy performance.

“There’s no genuine strategy, no reasonable interim targets or any appropriate investment,” she told The Guardian. “There’s no phase-out plan for fossil fuels, no carbon pricing, and the technology roadmap relies on technologies that don’t even exist yet.

“There’s no national renewable energy policy and we’re one of the last OECD countries without efficiency standards for vehicles.

“Not only do we not have a policy, but the government is promoting the opposite direction. If anything, the government is giving more money to fossil fuels, such as with the gas-fired recovery.”

The index is produced by a coalition of climate change think tanks, including Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network International.

More information The Climate Change Performance Index https://ccpi.org

‘ (Australia’s) lack of ambition and action has made its way to the international stage.’

— Climate Change Performance Index report

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 27

CLIMATE CHANGE

200 health journals call for urgent action on climate change Editors called on governments to take emergency action to tackle the “catastrophic harm to health” from climate change.

A joint editorial said that while recent targets to reduce emissions and conserve biodiversity are welcome, they are not enough and need to be matched with credible short and longer term plans.

The editorial was published simultaneously on 6 September in 233 international titles including The British Medical Journal, The Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, the East African Medical Journal, the Chinese Science Bulletin, The National Medical Journal of India, and the Medical Journal of Australia.

It was published just prior to the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.

Here is an abridged version of the editorial: We – the editors of health journals worldwide – call for urgent action to keep average global temperature increases below 1.5°C, halt the destruction of nature, and protect health.

Health is already being harmed by global temperature increases and the destruction of the natural world, a state of affairs that health professionals have been bringing attention to for decades.

The science is unequivocal: a global increase of 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average and the continued loss of biodiversity, risk catastrophic harm to health that will be impossible to reverse.

Despite the world’s necessary preoccupation with COVID-19, we cannot wait for the pandemic to pass to rapidly reduce emissions.

Reflecting the severity of the moment, this editorial appears in health journals across the world.

We are united in recognising that only fundamental and equitable changes to societies will reverse our current trajectory.

The risks to health of increases above 1.5°C are now well established. Indeed, no temperature rise is “safe”. In the past 20 years, heat-related mortality among people aged over 65 has increased by more than 50 per cent.

Higher temperatures have brought

28 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

increased dehydration and renal function loss, dermatological malignancies, tropical infections, adverse mental health outcomes, pregnancy complications, allergies, and cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidity and mortality. Harms disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, including children, older populations, ethnic minorities, poorer communities, and those with underlying health problems.

Thriving ecosystems are essential to human health, and the widespread destruction of nature, including habitats and species, is eroding water and food security and increasing the chance of pandemics.

No country, no matter how wealthy, can shield itself from these impacts.

Allowing the consequences to fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable will breed more conflict, food insecurity, forced displacement, and zoonotic disease – with severe implications for all countries and communities. As with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are globally as strong as our weakest member.

GLOBAL TARGETS ARE NOT ENOUGH Targets to reach net-zero emissions are easy to set and hard to achieve.

They are yet to be matched with credible short and longer term plans to accelerate cleaner technologies and transform societies.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Emissions reduction plans do not adequately incorporate health considerations. Concern is growing that temperature rises above 1.5°C are beginning to be seen as inevitable, or even acceptable, to powerful members of the global community. Relatedly, current strategies for reducing emissions to net zero by the middle of the century implausibly assume that the world will acquire great capabilities to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

This insufficient action means that temperature increases are likely to be well in excess of 2°C, a catastrophic outcome for health and environmental stability. This is an overall environmental crisis.

Health professionals are united with environmental scientists, businesses, and many others in rejecting that this outcome is inevitable. We join health professionals worldwide who have already supported calls for rapid action.

Equity must be at the centre of the global response. Contributing a fair share to the global effort means that reduction commitments must account for the cumulative, historical contribution each country has made to emissions, as well as its current emissions and capacity to respond. Wealthier countries will have to cut emissions more quickly, making reductions by 2030 beyond those currently

proposed and reaching net-zero emissions before 2050. Similar targets and emergency action are needed for biodiversity loss and the wider destruction of the natural world.

To achieve these targets, governments must make fundamental changes to how our societies and economies are organised and how we live.

Many governments met the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic with unprecedented funding. The environmental crisis demands a similar emergency response. Huge investment will be needed, beyond what is being considered or delivered anywhere in the world.

But such investments will produce huge positive health and economic outcomes. These include high-quality jobs, reduced air pollution, increased physical activity, and improved housing and diet. Better air quality alone would realise health benefits that easily offset the global costs of emissions reductions.

COOPERATION HINGES ON WEALTHY NATIONS DOING MORE In particular, countries that have disproportionately created the environmental crisis must do more to support low- and middleincome countries to build cleaner, healthier and more resilient societies. Funding must be equally split between mitigation and

adaptation, including improving the resilience of health systems.

As health professionals, we must do all we can to aid the transition to a more sustainable, fairer, more resilient and healthier world.

We must hold global leaders to account and continue to educate others about the health risks of the crisis. We must join in the work to achieve environmentally sustainable health systems before 2040, recognising that this will mean changing clinical practice.

The greatest threat to global public health is the continued failure of world leaders to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5°C and to restore nature.

Urgent, society-wide changes must be made and will lead to a fairer and healthier world.

We, as editors of health journals, call for governments and other leaders to act, marking 2021 as the year that the world finally changes course.

Read the full editorial Call for emergency action to limit global temperature increases, restore biodiversity, and protect health, BMJ 2021;374:n1734 https://www.bmj.com/content/374/ bmj.n1734 THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 29

SPECIAL OFFER – EXCLUSIVE TO NSWNMA!

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Captain Cook Cruises wishes to THANK YOU for your hard word and commitment and is offering all NSWNMA members FREE HARBOUR BAR access for you* and 1 friend (valued at $29 each) Advance bookings essential, please visit www.captaincook.com.au/promo/nurses *Conditions apply. Offer valid for NSWNMA members only and 1 guest. Bookings will be verified by the NSWNMA to ensure members are financial at time of booking.

Advance bookings essential and valid for booking and travel from 3 November to 30 December 2021.

30 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

Do you have an interest or area of expertise in…

Aged Care Drug & Alcohol Midwifery Mental Health Environmental Issues CALD Issues The NSWNMA is seeking expressions of interest from members to join these Reference Groups Each group meets between 4-6 times per year* to discuss practice and professional issues relevant to each area.

Members provide vital advice and assist the Association to accurately represent the interests of our members.

To submit an Expression of Interest please email your details and brief outline as to why you would like to be involved, and what you believe you could add to the Reference Group to education@nswnma.asn.au.

*Virtual / online attendance is available for members who are non-metro or not able to attend meetings in person.

THE We encourage non-metro members to join to provide a regional perspective toLAMP eachDECEMBER group. 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 31

YOUR RIGHTS

Ask

Shaye The end of 2021 nears, but a glimpse of what might be ...

Members, what a rollercoaster 12 months. The year began with a minor skirmish with COVID-19 in the Northern Beaches, but NSW soon settled into (what we can now appreciate was) a false sense of security. In the interim, nurses and midwives throughout the public health system finally said enough was enough. Mid-year, members all across the state took action, ranging from demonstrations to bed closures, to a withdrawal of their labour.

These continued regardless of tribunals, bureaucrats and the government, and the yet-again insulting use of a wages policy that curtailed any attempt to get fair wages, let alone safe staffing. Your momentum was building and was truly threatening to challenge this unsatisfactory status quo of blandly disregarding what was needed to provide a safe place of work and care. And then along came the Delta variant, which snuffed out this momentum and had you, as always, back on the front line, yet again being worked to and beyond exhaustion.

Whilst it took a pandemic to stifle your campaign, those efforts are not lost. A powerful beachhead has been established. But much more needs to be done. We can do this by working together, as part of the largest union in this state and country. Enough with being labelled heroes by those in power but then treated with such casual disrespect. We must and will prevail.

32 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

When it comes to your rights and entitlements at work, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Shaye has the answers.

In preparation for the year ahead, I wish all members, your families and friends, a very merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.

Take care, hopefully enjoy a little celebration if you can, and I look forward to catching up with you all again next year, when our march across all sectors and workplaces recommences anew.

PARENTAL LEAVE SPECIAL Parental leave – other parent What are the leave provisions available to public hospital workers who may not be the partner with the primary caring responsibilities?

A public sector employee who has completed not less than 40 weeks’ continuous service at the time of the birth, adoption or surrogacy, and who will not have primary responsibility for the care of their child, is entitled to two weeks’ paid parental leave at the time of the birth, adoption or surrogacy, and up to 12 weeks’ additional paid parental leave within the first 12 months – provided that the employee assumes primary responsibility for the care of the child during that 12-week period.

You may request to use this entitlement outside a single continuous period, but such leave cannot be taken beyond the first 12 months following the date of birth, adoption, or surrogacy. These provisions are set out in Premier’s Memorandum M2021-12 Paid Parental Leave and commenced from 1 July 2021.

Parental leave for primary carer I work part time at a nursing

home run by Uniting. What paid leave am I entitled to when I give birth to my baby?

Clause 40.3 of the Uniting Aged Care Enterprise Agreement (NSW) 2017 sets out that permanent full-time and parttime employees can access paid parental leave of 14 weeks at ordinary pay if you have or will have completed at least 52 weeks of continuous service with the employer immediately before the expected date of birth.

This also applies if adopting and you are the primary carer of the child.

Miscarriage leave What are the arrangements to assist public health workers when subject to miscarriage?

From 1 July 2021, the NSW Government introduced five days’ special leave for a public sector employee, or the spouse of an employee, when a pregnancy sadly ceases by way of miscarriage up to 20 weeks’ gestation. The paid leave will commence from the date the miscarriage occurs and is to be taken in one continuous block of leave. These provisions are set out in Premier’s Memorandum M2021-11 Paid Leave in the Event of a Miscarriage or Pre-Term Birth.

Pre-term birth entitlements I understand there are new arrangements when dealing with a premature birth. What are these entitlements?

Again, from 1 July 2021, where a public sector employee gives birth to a pre-term child (prior to 37 weeks), the parent with the primary caring responsibility is entitled to paid special preterm parental leave from the

YOUR RIGHTS

date of birth of the child (or children from a multiple birth) up to the end of 36 weeks in one continuous period.

On commencement of the 37th week, your paid parental leave of 14 weeks then kicks in as per the relevant award. To be eligible, you would have – or would have had if not for the pre-term birth – completed 40 weeks’ continuous service at the expected due date. This is also contained in Premier’s Memorandum M2021-11 .

What are my parental leave entitlements under the Nurses Award?

Eligibility is limited to those who have worked for their employer for at least 12 months before the date or expected date of birth, adoption or surrogacy, or have primary responsibility for the care of a child.

I am currently employed under the Nurses Award. What are my parental leave entitlements from my employer?

Reduced hours on returning from parental leave

Sadly, not much. Clause 24 of the Nurses Award refers to the parental leave entitlements set out in the Fair Work Act. In short, your entitlement to parental leave is up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave. You can also request up to a further 12 months of leave.

I work in a public hospital and want to return from parental leave on reduced hours to help balance my family responsibilities.

Is this permitted?

Clause 34D(i) of the Public Health System

Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award allows a request to return to duty for less than the full-time hours they previously worked to assist in their work/ family balance. Such requests should be considered and approved if based on the employee’s genuine parental responsibilities. Under this arrangement, fulltime employees remain so, and the hours not worked will be recorded as leave without pay.

We’re looking after your benefit rewards We’ve joined forces with Member Advantage, Australia’s leading loyalty program, to bring you a membership benefits program that offers you hundreds of savings every day. As a member of The NSW Nurses & Midwives’ Association, you can enjoy: • • • • • • •

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1300 853 352 customercare@memberadvantage.com.au

THE LAMP OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 | 33

AGED CARE REFERENCE GROUP

Are you a registered nurse, enrolled nurse or assistant in nursing currently working in the aged care sector?

Are you a member of the NSWNMA? The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association is seeking members to join the Aged Care Reference Group. The group meet every second month to discuss current issues and challenges in the aged care sector. Meetings are held in a blended Zoom/face-to-face format to allow members to be involved regardless of geographical location.

Current NSWNMA members working in the aged care sector are invited to join.

Being a member of the Aged Care Reference Group gives you the opportunity to: be a voice for the issues impacting nurses in the aged care sector provide feedback to the NSWNMA Professional Issues Committee assist in the development and reviewing of policies be a link between members and the Association

MORE INFORMATION + EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: Dean Murphy • EMAIL: dmurphy@nswnma.asn.au • PHONE: 0417 567 374

QACAG NEEDS YOU! QACAG Quality Aged Care Action Group Incorporated

The Quality Aged Care Action Group (QACAG) was established to advocate for quality aged care. We are a small group of like-minded individuals who meet every two months to campaign for quality aged care, including safe staffing. We lobby Government, make submissions and collaborate with other consumer advocacy organisations.

Meetings are usually held every two months in Sydney and concurrently via Zoom to allow those in regional areas to be involved. However, you do not have to attend the meetings to be an active member. Most members are aged care nurses, people who have experiences of aged care, or who live in aged care themselves.

Membership costs $20 a year for individuals and $50 a year for organisations.

If you would like to join us please contact us in any of the following ways: 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 0417 567 374 dmurphy@nswnma.asn.au

34 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

2022 NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association Election of Branch Delegates and Alternate Delegates Pursuant to the Industrial Relations Act 1996, Ms Peta Kava will be the Returning Officer for the election of branch delegates and alternate delegates to the Annual Conference and the Committee of Delegates of the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association.

Nominations Nominations in writing are hereby invited on and from 1 January 2022 for the following positions: Branch delegates and alternate delegates to the Annual Conference and the Committee of Delegates.

Each branch shall be entitled to elect such delegates according to the number of financial members in that branch as at 31 December 2021, as follows: (information as to the number of financial members in each branch is available from each branch secretary, or the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association, telephone 1300 367 962)

Midwives’ Association other than the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, (ii) such person has been, within the period of two years immediately preceding the date of nomination or election, dismissed from any office or position in accordance with rule 14 of the Association’s Rules.

Nomination forms may be obtained from the returning officer, Ms Peta Kava, NEW Law, 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo 2017 or from NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (telephone 1300 367 962) or from the member only section of the Association’s website (www.nswnma.asn.au).

Close of nominations Signed Nominations must be received by the returning officer, as approved by the Industrial Registrar, Ms Peta Kava, not later than 5pm, Wednesday 16 February 2022. They may be hand delivered to Returning Officer, Ms Peta Kava, NEW Law, 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo 2017; scanned and emailed to returningofficer@newlaw.com.au, faxed to (02) 9662 1463, or posted to Returning Officer, Ms Peta Kava, PO Box 6373, Alexandria 2015. Nominations received after the time and date specified will not be accepted. Nominations cannot be lodged with the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association.

50 financial members or less

1 delegate

51-130 (inclusive) financial members

2 delegates

131-300 (inclusive) financial members

3 delegates

301-500 (inclusive) financial members

4 delegates

501-750 (inclusive) financial members

5 delegates

751-1000 (inclusive) financial members

6 delegates

1001-1250 (inclusive) financial members

7 delegates

1251-1500 (inclusive) financial members

8 delegates

1501-1750 (inclusive) financial members

9 delegates

Voting

1751-2000 (inclusive) financial members

10 delegates

If the election is contested a postal ballot will be conducted. All members of the relevant branch of the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association financial as at 10am, Tuesday 22 February 2022 and entitled to vote will be sent a ballot paper on Thursday 24 February 2022. The ballot will open on Monday 28 February 2022 close at 5pm, Monday 21 March 2022. The method of voting to be observed for this election will be first past the post. Any candidate in a contested election may nominate another person to act as their scrutineer at the counting of the ballot. Candidates should ring the Association to ascertain the date and time of counting.

And one additional delegate for every additional 250 financial members thereafter.

Each branch shall be entitled to elect alternate delegates equal to the delegate entitlement of that branch, provided that a branch shall be entitled to elect at least two alternate delegates.

Note: A person may nominate for one of these positions only.

Candidates for election to the position of branch delegate or alternate delegate are required to be financial members of the Association at the date of opening of nominations 1 January 2022.

A person is not eligible to nominate for, be elected to, or hold any office in the Association, Committee of Delegates or branch thereof if: (i) such person holds any office in any other registered trade union or a like or kindred nature or having objects similar to the objects of the New South Wales Nurses and

Any defect in a nomination must be rectified by the candidate prior to the close of nominations. A candidate may only withdraw their nomination in writing, and this must be received by the returning officer prior to the close of nominations.

Should more than the required number of nominations be received a draw will be conducted to determine the order of candidates’ names on the ballot paper at 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo at 10am, Tuesday 22 February 2022. Candidates or their representatives are invited to witness the draw.

Members should ensure that the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association has been advised of their current residential address as voting material will be posted to each member’s residential address. Any enquiries concerning this election should be in writing and be addressed to the Returning Officer Ms Peta Kava.

Ms Peta Kava, Returning Officer for the 2022 Election Term New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association Election THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 35

NEWS IN BRIEF

UNITED KINGDOM

AUSTRALIA

COVID-19 vaccine systems: a Victorian health service can fire template for other health goals nurses who refuse COVID-19 vaccine, The vaccine infrastructure created for COVID-19 court rules should be maintained for other illnesses, says health-policy expert.

Developing a global adult-vaccination program out of the infrastructure built for COVID-19 would be as profound a legacy for public health as the creation of the United Nations out of the ruins of the second world war was for international relations, says Sir John Bell, former president of Britain’s Academy of Medical Sciences.

“COVID-19 has cost millions of lives and exposed weaknesses in public health care. We have a moral responsibility to learn from it, act and save others,” he wrote in The Economist.

“In the past, it was impossible to imagine a global adultvaccination programme. Today it is realistic. This is because the pandemic has accelerated advances in vaccine development, manufacturing and delivery, as well as the build-out of technology systems, health centres and trained staff.”

This infrastructure should now be applied to other adult vaccines and injectable medication, he argues.

“Vaccine technology has progressed dramatically. A new generation of tools will soon be available to tackle many of the most dangerous pathogens in the world.”

These medical tools will be effective not only against infectious diseases, but long-acting injectable therapies will also be available against cardiometabolic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, he said.

An injunction to stop Victoria’s largest public health service from firing nurses who refuse the COVID-19 vaccination or refusing to disclose their vaccination status was thrown out by the federal court in November.

A group of 90 nurses from Monash Health argued before the court that they should have been consulted before any disciplinary action was taken against them.

The health service was acting on a directive from Victoria’s chief health officer under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic), which made it clear that health workers must be fully vaccinated, having received at least their first COVID-19 vaccine dose by 29 October in order to work in a healthcare setting. They had to provide evidence of vaccination to their employer.

In the federal court, Justice John Snaden said the public health directions did not permit Monash to do anything else other than terminate employment.

He dismissed the nurses’ argument that they should have been consulted before disciplinary action was implemented.

He described their case as “at best, weak”.

Chris O’Grady QC, representing Monash Health, said the employer had simply been following the chief health officer’s directions.

“In light of the CHO directions, it goes without saying that anyone working in the health sector is going to have difficulty working in that sector, absent their willingness to either be vaccinated or disclose their vaccination status,” he said.

‘ COVID-19 has cost millions of lives and exposed The Supreme Court has also rejected several challenges weaknesses in public to NSW Public Health Orders as has the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. health care. We have a The Federal Court judge described moral responsibility to the nurses’ case as ‘at best, weak’. learn from it, act and save others.’ — Sir John Bell

36 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

NSWNMA welcomes bill on assisted dying The Association welcomed the recent introduction of a draft bill to the NSW parliament by Independent MP Alex Greenwich, which aims to give those suffering from terminal and incurable illnesses the ability to die with dignity.

NSWNMA General Secretary, Brett Holmes, said nurses and midwives had expressed support for a compassionate law to be introduced in NSW for many years.

“Nurses and midwives have a duty of care to patients, and we acknowledge that people with a terminal or incurable illness should have the right to choice at the end of their life,” he said.

“We understand not everyone agrees with voluntary assisted dying, but we will support members who exercise their conscientious objection, and this has been accommodated in the draft bill.

“This legislation ensures everyone has access to palliative care options and we will continue to demand proper resourcing, including the availability of suitably qualified nurses and midwives. Nurse practitioners and registered nurses who choose to participate in voluntary assisted dying must be provided with education and protection for their work.”

In a recent NSWNMA survey of members (with 2561 respondents),

‘ We acknowledge people with a terminal or incurable illness should have the right to choice at the end of their life.’

— NSWNMA General Secretary, Brett Holmes

over 83 per cent indicated having professional experience in providing care to adults diagnosed with a terminal illness. Over half of those respondents said they had been asked by a terminally ill patient for assistance to end their life.

The survey also revealed almost 87 per cent of respondents supported the introduction of legislation similar to laws passed in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

STOP PRESS As The Lamp goes to print the Voluntary Assisted Dying bill has passed the Lower House with a solid majority of 53 to 36.

Quality legal advice for NSWNMA members • Workers Compensation Claims • Litigation, including workplace related claims • Employment and Industrial Law • Workplace Health and Safety • Anti-Discrimination • Criminal, including driving offences • Probate / Estates • Public Notary • Discounted rates for members including First Free Consultations for members

Call the NSWNMA on 1300 367 962

and find out how you can access this great service

Offices in Sydney and Newcastle with visiting offices in regional areas (by appointment) THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 37

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

A surge in people working more than one job There are now 867,900 Australians working multiple jobs – the highest number since the Australian Bureau of Statistics began tracking secondary jobs in 1994.

Worse yet, there are now a record number of Australians working three or more jobs – 209,100 – a shocking 10.8 per cent increase from June 2020.

A new ACTU report has revealed that workers who do multiple jobs still earn 17.5 per cent less than the national average.

BRAZIL

Bolsonaro’s handling of COVID-19 ‘a crime against humanity’ The Brazilian Senate has recommended that President Jair Bolsonaro be tried for his handling of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Bolsonaro has attracted worldwide notoriety for his COVID-19 scepticism and irresponsible behaviour during the pandemic, when he organised large gatherings of his supporters – without masks – and disparaged scientists and public health officials during the most intense periods of the outbreak.

The Senate report said Bolsonaro’s insistence on treatment with the discredited anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine was “practically the only government policy to fight the pandemic”.

It described his actions as a “crime against public health”.

Bolsonaro’s abysmal handling of COVID-19 has resulted in 680,000 excess deaths in Brazil, according to calculations by The Economist.

The Senate committee’s six-month investigation of the government’s handling of the pandemic called for prosecutors to try Bolsonaro on charges ranging from charlatanism and inciting crime, to misuse of public funds and crimes against humanity.

More than 65 others are implicated in the report and could also face criminal proceedings.

The decision on whether to prosecute the president will be up to Prosecutor General Augusto Aras, a Bolsonaro appointee who is widely viewed as protecting him. The allegation of crimes against humanity would need to be pursued by the international criminal court.

Bolsonaro’s approval ratings plummeted during the Senate hearings – from 33 per cent to 22 per cent. During the six months the proceedings were broadcast live, half a million viewers regularly tuned in.

‘ The Senate report described Bolsonaro’s actions as a “crime against public health.’

38 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

Women working multiple jobs are significantly worse off than men, earning almost $10,000 less per year than their male counterparts. Women make up 53.7 per cent of multiple job holders.

Millennials and Generation Z are most affected – 55 per cent of workers with two or more jobs are under 35.

Multiple job holding has surged most in administrative and support services.

Healthcare and social assistance also saw one of the largest increases in multiple job holding.

Employers offering insecure work is driving this surge in people working multiple jobs, says the ACTU. “The Morrison Government is overseeing the erosion of the financial security that secure employment has provided for generations of Australian workers,” said ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus.

“It urgently needs to address the insecure jobs crisis plaguing this country. Australian workers have been doing it extremely tough for almost two years.”

‘ The Morrison Government is overseeing the erosion of the financial security that secure employment has provided for generations of Australian workers.’

— ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus

NEWS IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA

Important super changes introduced Federal government changes to super that “staple” a fund member to a performing fund for their working life were introduced on 1 November.

The new super laws ensure that, unless you actively choose otherwise, your active super account or the first fund you joined when you started working will follow you throughout your working life, even if the fund is poor-performing.

This is what is known as “member stapling” in the legislation.

The goal is to avoid a person having more than one super fund and paying multiple fees, which would erode retirement savings unnecessarily.

If you do not provide your fund of choosing, it will be an employer’s responsibility to search and check with the ATO if their new employee has a “stapled” super fund and ensure that future SG contributions are paid into it.

AUSTRALIA

Underpaid injured workers to share $38 million payout

A review of 16,000 workers’ files found 3.5 per cent had been underpaid due to an error in the way the insurer, icare, was calculating their earnings before their injuries.

At least 53,000 injured workers will now share in a $38 million payout from the NSW public insurer, and icare’s chief executive has had to make a “sincere apology” for miscalculating payment amounts.

The calculation errors were made between 2012 and 2019.

NSW Shadow Treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, told The Guardian that the decision was “a big step forward for justice” for injured workers, who had been the victims of “the biggest act of wage theft committed by any Australian government”.

He said the government should guarantee the repayments would cover the state’s public service.

Unions NSW raised its concerns about the bureaucratic hoops that injured workers faced before they could be compensated. “icare must err on the side of accepting further claims from people who have been underpaid,” Unions NSW secretary, Mark Morey, said.

“There may be many thousands more sick and injured workers whose underpayments have not been captured by this review. icare needs to give them the benefit of the doubt.”

Morey said the icare saga should prompt a “fundamental rethink” of how the state treats sick and injured workers.

Stapling does not apply to members working in the NSW Public Health System. Aware Super – a “top-performing” fund – is nominated as the default fund for employees under the First State Superannuation Act 1992 (NSW).

Aware Super recommends that if you change jobs: • check with your new employer’s payroll team and request a Superannuation Standard Choice form to provide them with your chosen super account details • research and review your superannuation fund’s performance. An underperforming fund can mean less for you in retirement, which could mean you’ll need to work longer.

For more information Your super, your choice: https://www.industrysuper.com/ understand-super/super-basics/ your-super-your-choice/

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 39

TRAVEL

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Never pay full price for a holiday again As restrictions lift many of us will be looking to book a welldeserved holiday. UBOOKDIRECT offers all NSWNMA members discounted rates on 100's of hotels state-wide and when the borders open 1000's Australia-wide. voucher UBOOKDIRECT is giving members a $20 voucher to use on any already discounted member package when booking through the Concierge. To book one of these fantastic packages call 1300 959 550 or email bookings@ubookdirect.com.au

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Studio Room – 2 nights $240* (2 ADULTS) • Free car parking • Unlimited internet access Leisure Inn Spires: valid until 31 March 2022. Rate based on 2 adults and subject to availability • YEHS Sydney Hotel Harbour Suites: valid for travel until 31 August 2022. Rate based on 2 adults and subject to availability • Leisure Inn Pokolbin Hill: valid for travel until 31 March 2022. Rate based on 2 adults and subject to availability. For full t&c’s go to https://travelbenefits.ubookdirect.com

40 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

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Studio Spa Queen – 2 nights $214* (2 ADULTS) • Complimentary WiFi during stay • Free car parking

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Contact the Member Concierge desk to discuss thousands of hotel deals on offer across Australia and New Zealand. To book one of these fantastic packages email bookings@ubookdirect.com.au or call 1300 959 550. For all other packages, head to https://travelbenefits.ubookdirect.com

ANMF NSW FINANCIALS 2021

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation New South Wales Branch Summary of Financial Information for the Year Ended 30 June 2021

T

he financial statements of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation New South Wales Branch have been audited in accordance with the provisions of the Industrial Relations Act, 1991 and the following summary is provided for members in accordance with Section 517(2) of the Act, as applied by section 282(3) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1996.

A copy of the Financial Statements, including the independent Audit Report, will be supplied free of charge to members upon request. Certificates required to be given under the Act by the Committee of Management have been completed in accordance with the provisions of the Act and contain no qualifications.

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS OR OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2021 Service fee – NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) Interest income Other income Total income Less total expenditure Result for the year Remeasurement of retirement benefit obligations Total comprehensive income for the year

2021 ($)

2020 ($)

25,050,091

23,845,455

53,836 119,242 569,632 254,769 25,673,559 24,219,466 (24,688,916) (24,069,648) 984,643 149,818 426,610 139 1,411,253 149,957

SUMMARY BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 JUNE 2021 Total equity 1,804,939 Represented by: Current assets 7,765,857 Non-current assets 4,241,732 Total assets 12,007,589 Current liabilities 9,256,778 Non-current liabilities 945,872 Total liabilities 10,202,650 Net assets 1,804,939 INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED TO MEMBERS OR REGISTRAR In accordance with the requirements of the Industrial Relations Act, 1991 [NSW] the attention of members is drawn to the provisions of Sub-Sections (1) and (2) of Section 512 which read as follows: (1) A member of an organisation, or the Industrial Registrar, may apply to the organisation for specified information prescribed by the regulations in relation to the organisation.

(2) An organisation must, on the making of such an application, make the specified information available to the member or the Industrial Registrar in the manner, and within the time, prescribed by the regulations.

393,686 6,381,732 3,868,608 10,250,340 8,716,601 1,140,053 9,856,654 393,686

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR ON THE SUMMARY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AUSTRALIAN NURSING AND MIDWIFERY FEDERATION NEW SOUTH WALES BRANCH Opinion

The summary financial statements, which comprise the summary balance sheet as at 30 June 2021 and the summary statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the year then ended are derived from the audited financial report of Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation New South Wales Branch for the year ended 30 June 2021. In our opinion, the accompanying summary financial statements are a fair summary of the audited financial report.

Summary Financial Statements

The summary financial statements do not contain all the disclosures required

by Section 510 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1991 [NSW] or Australian Accounting Standards. Reading the summary financial statements and the auditor’s report thereon, therefore, is not a substitute for reading the audited financial report and the auditor’s report thereon.

The Audited Financial Report and Our Report Thereon

We expressed an unmodified audit opinion on the audited financial report in our report dated 14 October 2021.

Our Independent Auditor’s Report to the members on the Financial Report did not contain any particulars of any deficiency, failure or shortcoming as referred to in the Industrial Relations Act 1991 [NSW], as applied by Section 282(3) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1996.

Committee of Management’s Responsibility for the Summary Financial Statements

The Committee of Management is responsible for the preparation of the summary financial statements.

Auditor’s Responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on whether the summary financial statements are a fair summary of the audited financial report based on our procedures, which were conducted in accordance with Auditing Standard ASA 810 Engagements to Report on Summary Financial Statements.

Daley Audit

Stephen Milgate

Partner

14 October 2021, Wollongong Liability limited by a Scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

A copy of the Financial Report, including the Independent Audit Report, is available to members on the Member Central portal accessed via www.nswnma.asn.au. Members can obtain a hard copy by emailing the Branch Secretary, ANMF (NSW Branch) at gensec@nswnma.asn.au or calling 1300 367 962.

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 41

MINIMUM WAGE

Nobel prize won for showing increase in the minimum wage doesn’t cost jobs Groundbreaking study on the minimum wage that has reshaped the field of economics.

T

he Nobel Prize for Economics this year has been awarded to an economist for a study that revolutionised thinking about the minimum wage and the way economics should be studied.

David Card, with his associate Alan Krueger, found that an increase in the minimum wage did not kill jobs. The research was a bombshell for the economic world, challenging an orthodoxy that had dominated the field for decades.

Before their study it was accepted that “everyone knew” that increasing the minimum wage would cost jobs, as employers wouldn’t have the money to keep on as many staff.

Card and Krueger conducted an innovative “natural experiment”, which was based on real life rather than the purely theoretical framework that had been done previously.

In 1992, the US state of New Jersey increased its minimum wage to be the highest in the US. The neighbouring state of Pennsylvania did not.

Card and Krueger surveyed 400 outlets on either side of the border, to see if there were any changes to the number of workers employed in the cities that only 42 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

differed in what they had done to the minimum wage.

They emphatically found that the rise in the minimum wage had not cost jobs.

Their work has since been supported by the International Monetary Fund and the OECD. It has been cited in judgments of Australia’s Fair Work Commission in their minimum wage decisions.

Prof. Card’s alma mater, Un iver sit y of Ca l i for n ia , Berkeley, said he had “challenged orthodoxy and dramatically sh if ted u nder st a nd ing of inequality and the social and economic forces that impact lowwage workers”.

Card also c o n du c t e d research with similar “real life” methodolog y, which found immigration did not reduce native-born workers’ wages. In a 1990 study he analysed what happened to the labour market in Miami after 1980, when there was a large influx of immigrants from Cuba.

The arrival of the immigrants – known as the Mariel boatlift – “had virtually no effect on the wage rates of lessskilled, non-Cuban workers”.

Why the minimum wage is important A high minimum wage is not only important for ensuring low-paid workers don’t live in working poverty, it also determines whether an economy takes the trajectory of a high-wage economy or a low-wage one.

In the United States nearly one in four workers is defined as low wage. It has the third highest percentage of lowwage workers in the OECD. Only Latvia and Romania are worse. The US federal minimum wage is just $7.25 an hour. It hasn’t increased since July 2009.

A Brookings Institute study found that 53 million Americans hold low-wage jobs with a median pay of $10.22 an hour, and median annual earnings of $17,950.

The US business community relentlessly opposes any minimum wage increases, arguing that raising the wage floor would be a job killer.

In Australia it has been no different, with business organisations and Coalition governments perennially regaling the Fair Work Commission with submissions arguing against a rise in the minimum wage for the same reason – that it would have adverse impacts on employment.

CROSSWORD

test your

Knowledge 1

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ACROSS 1. A condition seen after nuclear explosions or accidents (9.8) 10. Reduces to nonexistence [11] 12. Experience of endure [7] 13. Concerning the tympanic cavity and hyoid arch [11] 16. Intestinal Ischemia (1.1) 17. A native of a Jewish state in Asia [7] 18. Immunisation [11] 20. A finger or toe [6] 22. Arch; bow [5] 23. Elegant and stylish [4] 25. Consisting of pimples [8] 26. Lifting [8] 27. A type of beverage that contains antioxidants [3] 28. A visual presentation [4]

30. Tumour that arises from the insulin-producing cells [10] 32. User experience (1.1) 33. Aftereffect (1.1) 34. A benign tumour composed chiefly of fat cells [8] 35. An apparatus for measuring light sense by means of a spectrum [17] DOWN 1. Reiter syndrome (8.9) 2. Active, energetic [7] 3. Cinder [3] 4. Sick [3] 5. Taste of peanut butter [5] 6. A hormone secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas [7] 7. More friendly, generous [6] 8. Hungry; greedy [8]

9. A rare malignant tumour most commonly involving the knee joint (8.7) 11. A yellowish liquid ketone with violets odour and use in perfume [6] 14. Beautiful or striking [11] 15. The production of young from an egg [8] 19. Relating to the back of the head [9] 20. A hair cleanser in powder form (3.7) 21. Native crystalline aluminum oxide [8] 24. A substance that has the ability to undergo a chemical reaction with oxygen [8] 29. Precise, accurate [5] 31. Mentally healthy [4] THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 43

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44 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

REVIEWS

book club

T AL

ES

CI

IN T E

R

S PE

John Grisham Penguin Random House RRP $29.95: ISBN 9780385546027

INTE IAL

ST RE

The Judge’s List

SPE C

All books can be ordered through the publisher or your local bookshop. Call 8595 1234 or 1300 367 962, or email library@nswnma.asn.au for assistance with loans or research.

Books are not independently reviewed or reviewed using information supplied by the publishers.

Nonstop suspense. Investigator Lacy Stoltz follows the trail of a serial killer, and closes in on a shocking suspect – a sitting judge.

In The Whistler, Lacy Stoltz investigated a corrupt judge who was taking millions in bribes from a crime syndicate. She put the criminals away, but only after being attacked and nearly killed by them. Three years later, and approaching forty, she is tired of her work for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct and ready for a change.

A Bloody Good Rant

Great Australian Mysteries

Thomas Kenneally Allen & Unwin RRP $39.99: ISBN 9781743311578

Graham Seal Allen & Unwin RRP $29.99: ISBN 9781760879549

Following a lifetime observing Australia and its people, Tom Keneally turns inwards to reflect on what has been

Spine-tingling tales of disappearances, secrets, unsolved crimes and lost treasure.

important to him.

“When I was born in 1935 I grew up, despite the Depression and World War II, with a primitive sense of being fortunate . . . The utopian strain was very strong . . . if we weren’t to be a better society, if we were simply serfs designed to support a system of privilege, what was the bloody point?’”

Australia’s master storyteller Graham Seal brings to life the enigmas and puzzles behind famous unsolved crimes, long-held secrets, buried loot and strange phenomena from the bush and the city.

The Spy’s Wife Fiona McIntosh Penguin Random House RRP $32.99: ISBN 9781760895006

The highly anticipated new historical adventure from the bestselling author of The Champagne War. Evie, a widow and stationmaster’s daughter, cannot help but look out for the weekly visit of the handsome man she and her sister call the Southerner on their train platform in the wilds of northern England. When polite salutations shift to friendly conversations, they become captivated by each other. After so much sorrow, the childless Evie cannot believe love and the chance for her own family have come into her life again.

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 45

YOUR HEALTH

fitness+wellbeing Healthy Christmas Recipes Christmas time is a period of family gatherings and celebrations, and with that comes food – a lot of it. It’s important to indulge yourself over the festive season, but there are some dishes that are delicious and still good for your body! Here are three of our favourite healthy Christmas Recipes.

Roasted Salmon with Crispy Potatoes and Broccoli

Vegan Lentil, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew

INGREDIENTS • 1 head broccoli, cut into florets •5 00 g washed potatoes, quartered • 1 large red onion, quartered • 3 tbsp olive oil • s alt (½ tsp for vegetables, ¼ tsp for salmon) •p epper (¼ tsp for vegetables, ¼ tsp for salmon) • 7 00 g salmon fillet (skinned and boned) • ¼ cup mayonnaise • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice • ½ clove garlic, minced

INGREDIENTS • 1¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling • 3 French shallots, thinly sliced • 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary sprigs • 1 medium sweet potato, chopped into 3 cm pieces • 1 cup French green lentils • 750ml vegetable stock • 1 tin of chickpeas, well-drained and rinsed • baby spinach, to serve

METHOD • Preheat the oven to 230˚C. •O n a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the broccoli, potatoes and onion with the oil, salt and pepper.

•S pread in an even layer and roast for 15 minutes.

•S eason the salmon with the remaining salt and pepper, and lay it on top of the cooked vegetables. Continue roasting until the vegetables are golden brown and tender and the salmon is opaque throughout (around 8 to 10 minutes).

•W hile the salmon is cooking, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl.

Serve with the fish and the vegetables.

46 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

METHOD • Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and rosemary sprigs and cook for around 3–4 minutes to soften.

• Add the sweet potato and cook for a further minute.

• Then, add the lentils, the stock and enough water to submerge the vegetables by 3–4 cm.

• Simmer on medium–low heat for around 35–40 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft and the lentils are cooked. Add the chickpeas in the last 10 minutes. Season to taste.

• Transfer to a large serving bowl and top with plenty of baby spinach and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve.

Green Beans with Orange and Almond Gremolata INGREDIENTS • 1 kg green beans • 1 tbsp salt • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped • 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary • ½ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped • 1 tsp orange zest • ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped METHOD • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with iced water. Add the salt to the boiling water, then in batches, cook green beans until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer green beans to the iced water to cool slightly, then drain and set aside.

• In a small skillet heat the oil, garlic, and rosemary on medium heat until garlic sizzles around the edges and begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with almonds and orange zest, then parsley.

• Serve over warm or room-temperature green beans.

Diabetic-friendly Strawberry Chocolate Trifle INGREDIENTS •9 g sachet low-kilojoule raspberry jelly crystals •3 75 g fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, plus 125g whole strawberries extra • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice • 2 tbsp sugar-free maple syrup • 1 75 g savoiardi (sponge finger biscuits), broken into 2 cm pieces • 250 g fresh raspberries Chocolate custard: • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder • 1½ tbsp cornflour • 2 egg yolks • 2 cups skim milk • ¼ cup sugar-free maple syrup METHOD Jelly •P repare the jelly following packet directions. Cover and place in the fridge for 4 hours or until set. Use a fork to roughly break up the jelly.

Custard •T o make the custard, sift the cocoa and cornflour into a large bowl. Add the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the milk. Whisk until smooth.

•P lace the remaining milk in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until simmering. Slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until smooth and well combined.

•T ransfer the mixture to a clean saucepan and cook, stirring, over low heat until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the maple syrup.

•T ransfer to a bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap. Set aside to cool, then place in the fridge for 2–3 hours or until chilled.

Assembly •P lace the sliced strawberries in a bowl with the lemon juice and maple syrup. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes to macerate.

•P lace half the sponge finger biscuits in the base of a 2-litre serving dish.

Top with half the macerated strawberries, half the raspberries, half the custard and then half the jelly.

•C ontinue layering with the remaining biscuits, macerated strawberries, raspberries and custard. Top with the remaining jelly and the whole strawberries. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 47

NEW MEMBER BENEFIT

Access to online Professional Education ers!

b m e FREE for NSWNMA m Meeting your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) obligations* is now even easier with this great new offer for NSWNMA members. As a financial member you’ll have access to 61 online courses absolutely free.

FEATURING Access to over 20 hours of FREE CPD* 61 topics including those modules that are deemed mandatory annual competencies by large health organisations and nursing agencies* Free professional development portfolio to provide evidence to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) of participation in CPD annually Access free webinars on a range of topics

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bit.ly/NSWNMAMemberCentral * Nurses and midwives have various obligations in relation to CPD, which you can read more about on the NMBA website or here. The NMBA outlines that CPD must be relevant to your context of practice, and recommends nurses and midwives complete a range of CPD activities, e.g. – face-to-face, simulation, interactive e-learning, self-directed learning. The ANMF Education is developed for nurses and midwives working across Australia. For nurses and midwives practicing in NSW, it is important to ensure you follow relevant governance and legislative requirements.

48 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022

NURSING RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Summary of interventions to prevent adverse childhood experiences and reduce their negative impact on mental health: An evidence-based review

recruiting and training more health professionals. This might sound commendable, but I argue the evidence shows this is unlikely to work.

Sahle B., et al. Centre of Research Excellence in Childhood Adversity and Mental. Health, Melbourne, Australia, 2020

The other report, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), provides the latest data on suicide and self-harm. This report makes no recommendations about preventing suicide. However, it identifies child abuse and neglect as a major modifiable risk factor for suicide right across the lifespan.

The prevalence of anxiety disorders and depression in Australian children and youth has not reduced, despite increased use of services and medications for these conditions. This could be due to inadequate identification and treatment of early risk factors for anxiety disorders and depression.

Children who experience adversities or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as they grow are six to 10 times more likely to develop mental health problems later in life.

ACEs are defined as stressful and potentially traumatic experiences in childhood. They include physical, emotional and sexual abuse or neglect, bullying, parent mental health problems, harsh parenting, parent substance abuse and housing problems.

Targeting interventions to reduce these risk factors during the early childhood years could help to reduce suicidality and improve the mental health and wellbeing of Australian children and the adults they will become. https://www.childhoodadversity. org.au/media/3dnlakks/summary_ evidence_interventions_report_v1.pdf Recruiting more mental health workers won’t stop suicides. Preventing child abuse and neglect will Anthony Jorm, 4 November 2021 Two major reports on mental health and suicide suggest two very different solutions to prevent suicides. One, from the House of Representatives Select Committee on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, recommends putting more resources into the mental health workforce. This includes

This approach to preventing suicide, involving removing the underlying causes, has more evidence to back it. Yet this was barely mentioned in the select committee report. https://theconversation.com/ recruiting-more-mental-healthworkers-wont-stop-suicidespreventing-child-abuse-and-neglectwill-171110 Child maltreatment and long-term physical and mental health outcomes: An exploration of Biopsychosocial determinants and implications for prevention Divya Mehta, et al, Child Psychiatry & Human Development (2021) There is a major expansion in awareness of the prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and child maltreatment in particular. The devastating impact of sexual, physical and emotional abuse on survivor wellbeing, the trusted institutions that failed to protect children, and the need for improving complaints mechanisms and institutional regulation/ oversight has often been discussed.

The paper is organised into four parts: (1) Epidemiology, (2) Systematic factors, (3) Prevention, and (4) Recommendations.

This paper overviews definitions, heuristics for categorisation, prevalence rates, health and economic consequences of child maltreatment, and school and family-oriented prevention and intervention approaches. It highlights the ongoing challenges

of conducting high-quality research into the development and prevention of child maltreatment, particularly in the age of COVID-19, when social isolation is high, and economic recession is uncovering structural inequalities, many of which are perpetuated by unequal distribution of resources, rights and opportunities, and are also known, in turn, to perpetuate child maltreatment. https://link.springer.com/article/ 10.1007%2Fs10578-021-01258-8 The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS): Protocol for a national survey of the prevalence of child abuse and neglect, associated mental disorders and physical health problems, and burden of disease Ben Mathews, et al, BMJ Open 2021 Child maltreatment through physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and exposure to domestic violence is common worldwide. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have found child maltreatment is associated with substantial adverse effects throughout life on mental health and physical health. Child maltreatment is associated with structural and functional changes to brain architecture, affecting neurocognitive function; compromised educational attainment; maladaptive coping mechanisms such as smoking, alcohol and substance abuse; and interpersonal violence, self-harm and suicidality. The associated burden of disease is substantial, and economic costs are vast.

Efforts to prevent child maltreatment must be informed by reliable evidence of prevalence, characteristics and risk profiles, and evidence of associated health problems. Due to its gravity for health, human rights and economic wellbeing, child maltreatment prevention is a clearly defined international policy priority. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/5/ e047074

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 | 49

INSURANCE BENEFITS

For NSWNMA Members

Insurance protection when you need it most The NSWNMA is committed to protecting the interests of nurses and midwives by purchasing a range of insurances to cover members.

Journey Accident Insurance provides cover for members who are injured as a result of an accident while travelling between their home and their regular place of employment.

Professional Indemnity Insurance provides legal representation and protection for members when required.

Make sure your membership remains financial at all times in order to access the insurance and other benefits provided by the NSWNMA.

1/

Unsure if you are financial?

It’s easy!

3/

Ring and check today on 8595 1234 (metro) or 1300 367 962 (rural) 4/ Change your payment information online at www.nswnma.asn.au

www.nswnma.asn.au 50 |

IMPORTANT NOTE From 1 December 2018 the insurance benefits have 5/ changed as follows: • Journey Accident Insurance: the waiting period for benefits is now 14 days THE LAMP DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 • Professional Indemnity Insurance: the limit per claim is now $5 million

NOTICE

NSWNMA FEE WAIVER for members on parental leave DID YOU KNOW,

if you’re going on parental leave, paid or unpaid, we’ll waive your Association fees until you return to work?

You’ll still be entitled to access advice and receive The Lamp.

Contact the Association and let us know when you plan to take parental leave so we can set up your waiver.

PHONE 8595 1234 • 1300 367 962 EMAIL gensec@nswnma.asn.au

www.nswnma.asn.au

Authorised by B.Holmes, General Secretary, NSWNMA

UPDATE YOUR DETAILS

and Win Have you recently moved house or changed jobs?

Changed your email or classification?

Log on to online.nswnma.asn.au Update your details and go into the draw to win: • Two nights’ accommodation in a superior room at PARKROYAL Darling Harbour* • Breakfast for two at Barkers Restaurant • Dinner for two at ABODE Bistro. Bar • Valet Parking for 1 car

Dive in and discover Sydney! Situated on the city side of Darling Harbour, our hotel features 340 stylish rooms and suites with superior king-sized beds, widescreen TV, and in-room amenities. Dine in our award winning ABODE Bistro. Bar, relax in our Club Lounge, or explore iconic attractions on our doorstep. PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, Sydney – your harbour side sanctuary.

Everyone who uses our online portal from 1 April 2021 – 30 March 2022 to update their details will automatically be entered in the draw to win. *Conditions apply. Prize must be redeemed by 30 March 2023 and is subject to room availability. he winner must be a financial member of the NSWNMA. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it mustNurses be heldandupMidwives’ to 3 months from the draw date. NSW NSW2017 Permit no: LTPM/20/05518.

Authorised by B. Holmes, General Secretary, New South Wales Association, 50 original O’Dea Ave, Waterloo