The Lamp September 2009

FR

lamp the

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

volume 66 no.8 September 2009

because we care RECOGNITION FOR

AGED CARE

as S EE P kin en O g f d a ST or m CA mo ess RD re ag E fun e t NC din o y LO g f our SE or M D ag P ed ca re

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The information contained in this document is current as at April 2009.

2 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

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ABOUT THE LAMP

C O N T E N T S

Contacts NSW NURSES’ ASSOCIATION For all membership enquiries and assistance, including Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office.

SYDNEY OFFICE 43 Australia Street Camperdown NSW 2050 PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9550 3667 E gensec@nswnurses.asn.au W www.nswnurses.asn.au HUNTER OFFICE 120 Tudor Street Hamilton NSW 2303 ILLAWARRA OFFICE L1, 63 Market Street Wollongong NSW 2500

Cover story

lamp the

magazine of the NSW Nurses’ Association

as

FR E

E kin Sen PO g fo d a ST r m me CAR ore ssa D fun ge to ENC din y LO g fo our SE r a MP D ge dc are

volume 66 no.8 September 2009

Print Post Approved: PP241437/00033

Because we care Recognition for aged care 12 Cover

because we care RECOGNITION FOR

Sharon d’Souza, RN, and Theresa Riordan, AiN, Frank Whiddon Masonic Nursing Home

AGED CARE

Photography by Sharon Hickey

NSWNA COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Noel Hester T 8595 2153 NSWNA COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT Russell Burns T 8595 1219 For all Lamp editorial enquiries, letters and diary dates: Editorial Enquiries T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnurses.asn.au M PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 THE LAMP PRODUCED BY Sirius Media and Communications T 9560 1223

News in brief 8 8 8 9

Emergency department waiting game ‘In-kind’ deals not on Nurses squeezed out of property market US study reveals most ED nurses assaulted at work 9 Rally for legal homebirth 9 Beautiful diaries help beast cancer research 11 Grafton Base Hospital awarded for aged care program

NSWNA education program 11 What’s on

Aged care 18 57 new agreements, protection at 220 workplaces in aged care 20 Montefiore agreement delivers top pay 21 First union agreement for Regis

Industrial issues 22 Redundancy plan a threat to workloads and safety 24 12-hour shift win 25 Union agreement at St Vincent’s Private

Building stronger communities

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

32 Sydney Alliance needs your help

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

NSWNA matters 36 NSWNA branch news

Lifestyle 38 Movie reviews

Obituary 41 Winifred Bullôt Smith OAM: Valuable contributions to nursing

Regular columns 5 6 33 43 45 47 48

Editorial

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

Competition

Professional issues

37 Win one of 12 fabulous book packs

26 Commission maps out long-term health reform 28 Obama’s health reforms stir the hornets nest 30 Violence in ED

Special offers

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28

24

39 Win 25 double passes to Blessed, Looking for Eric and Valentino, and 15 double passes to Charlie & Boots

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

Privacy Privacy statement: The NSWNA collects personal information from members in order to perform our role of representing their industrial and professional interests. We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information. Personal information is protected under law and can only be released to someone else where the law requires or where you give permission. If you have concerns about your personal information please contact the NSWNA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained you can contact the Privacy Commission.

Subscriptions Free to all Association members. Professional members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $50.

Individuals $70, Institutions $106, Overseas $116.

Win a fabulous 3-day luxury retreat

to the Hunter Valley Start paying your NSWNA fees by Direct Debit for the chance to win a three-day, luxury retreat at Parrot Stump Farm in the Hunter Valley. Just 2 hours drive from Sydney, Parrot Stump Farm in the foothills of the Lovedale area offers luxury, self-contained accommodation in a country home set in 12 hectares of vineyards and landscaped gardens with its own on-site cellar door.

Our lucky Direct Debit winner and a friend will enjoy three nights’ mid week, luxury, country-home accommodation at the Parrot Stump Farm at Lovedale; three-course dinner and bottle of wine at Mojo’s on Wilderness Restaurant; two-course lunch and bottle of wine at Leaves and Fishes restaurant; massage; wine tasting on site; cheese platter; and a tasting pack of Midnight’s Promise wines.

Here’s how you can win • cancel your payroll deductions and start paying your fees through direct debit and you will go in the lucky draw and/or • convince your colleagues to convert from payroll deductions to direct debit and you, and each of your colleagues who switch to direct debit, will go in the lucky draw and/or • sign up a new member using the direct debit method of paying their fees and you, and the new member, will go in the lucky draw.

Photo courtesy of: Anson Smart/Tourism NSW

Direct debit is not only the easiest and most convenient way to pay your membership, but switching over could win you a luxury holiday! Don’t risk your membership lapsing from changing workplaces. With direct debit you are always protected on the job. Membership Application forms or Direct Debit forms can be downloaded from our website www.nswnurses.asn.au 4 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 Alternatively call the NSWNA on 8595 1234 (metro area) or 1300 367 962 (non-metro area) for more information.

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E D I T O R I A L

BY BRETT HOLMES GENERAL SECRETARY

First step for health reform g The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission has delivered a report on reforming our health system, with many laudable recommendations, but some are cause for concern. After so many years of neglect, reform is going to be a long-term task.

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n the short and long term, at the micro and macro levels, the public health system is in major flux and nurses need to stand our ground if we are to maintain our professional integrity.

The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission has delivered its final report to the Federal Government and in the medium to long term it will be a stimulus for big-picture reform.

There are many laudable recommendations in the report, which will be supported by all who care about our public health system – in particular a shift in emphasis towards better primary care, closing the gap in Aboriginal health, improving mental health services and the establishment of a universal dental health scheme.

As is often the case with these reports, the devil will be in the detail and some of the Commission’s main recommendations are a little loose on specifics.

The recommendation to investigate a new model called Medicare Select is a case in point. Under this proposal, the Federal Government would be the sole funder of health services. This has been recommended by progressive health commentators for many years. But the Commission’s references to ‘greater consumer choice’ and ‘provider competition’ and a greater role for private health insurers in the provision of health and hospital plans sets off alarm bells.

This jargon has become tainted as code for the abrogation of public responsibility

and a shift to private provision. The American experience (see p28) suggests this path should be avoided at all costs.

A greater role for private health insurers was a theme throughout the recommendations and is a matter of concern – perhaps not surprising, given the representation of those interests on the Commission.

What is clear is nurses need to be organised and vocal if we are to have a say in the reform of a system that depends so much on our expertise and commitment.

There are other reasons for concern.

Aged care and workforce issues are areas of deep and immediate importance to nurses and they have been dealt with in an underwhelming way in the report.

However, it is too early to be cynical.

As one of the Commissioners Sabina Knight told NSWNA members at our recent professional issues day, reforming our health system after so many years of neglect is a decade-long task.

What is clear is nurses need to be organised and vocal if we are to have a say in the reform of a system that depends so much on our expertise and commitment.

There are many vested interest groups with ample resources and much to lose who have historically had a strong influence on the development of health policy: health bureaucracies, the private health insurance industry, doctors and others. They will be active and forthright in protecting those interests.

It is paramount that we maintain a strong public voice and access to decision makers so that nurses are listened to and have a prominent role in the shaping of the future health system.

It is widely acknowledged that nurses hold the system together and that should give us a reasonable say in how the system goes forward.

While a robust and healthy debate evolves about how a future health system should look, we should not be distracted from addressing the ‘here and now’ problems.

Real reform means making the right decisions from now, not from some hazy moment in the future. Making the wrong decisions now will just exacerbate the problems.

That is why we will continue to fight hard against any dilution of the nursing role in our public hospitals. Undermining the one support that has kept the whole system propped up is a recipe for disaster.n THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 5

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L E T T E R S

LETTER of the month Rebecca Roseby

The uniform saga!

The introduction of a uniform supplied by the Health Department is not new for some, but for those of us on the north coast it is one big frustration. More than 12 months ago, North Coast AHS decided, without ‘consultation’, that the obvious person to approve and order nurses’ uniforms was the Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) – who else?

So, way back in August 2008, the NUMs at Tweed Hospital said, ‘No, we are NUMs and we do not do uniforms!’

Simple. Easy. What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand? But it began and staff members brought their order forms to NUMs. ‘They say you must approve,’ they told the NUMs. The NUMs replied, ‘I am the NUM. I do not deal with uniforms.’ But the forms kept coming and the piles got bigger, so the NUMs sought advice from their managers.

The forms were taken by the Assistant Directors of Nursing (ADONs) and the NUMs breathed a sigh of relief because, after all, they are the NUMs and do not do uniforms!

Now, 12 months later, confusion reigns. Nothing has been solved except memos on how staff are to access uniforms and buck-passing emails by the area health services corporate directorates. Uniforms are still not being supplied, the nurses’ allowance has ceased and still nurses come to their NUMs saying, ‘Where are my uniforms?

I ordered them six months ago – can you ring the supplier?’ They want an

order number. They say my manager must approve. You have to put it on a WebReq. My uniforms are all wrong.

They won’t exchange. Where can I try them on?’ and even ‘I got my uniforms – 10 shirts and no skirts!’ Again, I am the NUM. I do not deal with uniforms.

The situation is now beyond a joke.

Nursing staff have placed orders that are now lost. Memos have been issued on how to order uniforms and the forms are on the intranet, but the nurses are unsure how to navigate through the maze of the intranet to find the forms and the instructions they need for an order. So they come to the NUM (who does not do uniforms), but all the NUM can offer is the assistance of an overworked ward clerk (or maybe, in the future, a new clinical support person) who can place a WebReq. But alas! Frustration will continue, as where does a WebReq go once the ward clerk enters the order? It comes to the NUM’s inbox.

This letter originated as an epic poem, which we’ve had to cut back, but it emphasised the frustration that one NUM felt. Putting the sarcasm aside, the reality is that the uniform saga on the north coast is one big joke. The supply is poor and quality inferior and, worst of all, we as tax payers are paying for it!

NSWNA Tweed Hospital Branch Tweed Hospital Branch won the prize for this month’s letter of the month, a $50 David Jones voucher.

LETTER of the month

Every letter published receives a 10-week 7-day trial subscription to the Herald!

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

6 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

Subscribe to the Herald today to save 37% off the newsstand price and enjoy the convenience of the paper delivered to your home each morning.

Visit www.subscribe. smh.com.au/lamp **Proudly Australian Made** for more details.

What is the future for Enrolled Nurses?

For too long, Enrolled Nurses have been content to wait to be informed about what is happening. For too long, Enrolled Nurses have been told what courses they can do and have relied on their peers to inform them of this.

There are a lot of Enrolled Nurses who know they have opportunities to expand their role and are highly regarded in their workplace. However, there are many who have no support and others who are not pro-active and just want to go to work and not have any hassles.

Often Enrolled Nurses are encouraged to increase their skills and education but where does that lead, other than personal satisfaction for the Enrolled Nurse?

With the changes in Enrolled Nurse education and Enrolled Nurses embracing opportunities to specialise, what is the future for Enrolled Nurses and where is our place in the future of nursing?

Maybe it is time for Enrolled Nurses to be more active in their future and not feel they need permission to have a voice.

With changes to national education/ national registration, does that mean national recognition?

Now is an opportune time for Enrolled Nurses to step up and take control of their future in the nursing workforce.

If you feel strongly about your future, and the future of your colleagues, then stand up and be counted.

You can start by writing to the editor of The Lamp, the Chief Nurse and the NSW Minister for Health.

Rebecca Roseby, EEN Nepean Hospital, Penrith

Got something to say?

Send your letters to: Editorial Enquiries email lamp@nswnurses.asn.au; fax 9550 3667; mail PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 Please include a photograph along with your name, address, phone and membership number.

Letters may be edited for clarity and space.

Jolan Bogsanyi

More support for Enrolled Nurses As Enrolled Nurses, where is our future heading and are we facing the same demise as our compatriots in the UK who have become an extinct species?

Enrolled Nurses have a very important role in the health care team.

We can be found in very diverse fields but fail to be recognised for this.

We have an active role in workplace education but there is limited support from management.

We are expected to attend education sessions and conferences, often in our own time, with little encouragement from our managers. Registered Nurses seem to have more support to undertake these.

How are Enrolled Nurses expected to achieve the requirements of national registration if there are continuing difficulties upgrading education?

Jolan Bogsanyi, EEN, SSWAHS

Yes, I could pay straight away, but it had to include the late fee. Yes, I get that it is my responsibility to pay my registration on time, but with no reminder! They were adamant that the paper work was sent out and no way could it be a mistake at their end. As you could imagine, I was not keen to pay the late fee but I paid as that was the only way I was going to remain registered.

I later sent an email to the board to express my disgust and disappointment.

I will express that disappointment again to other members. I can’t believe they are so black and white in the rules. I am wondering if anyone on the board has children and has ever been on maternity leave? Is the Nurses and Midwives Board in touch with its members?

I sent the email well over a month ago and still have received no response.

This has made me question what institution am I a part of? I love being a nurse and I can’t see myself doing anything else, but this has really put a dampner on it.

Samantha Bellamy, RN, Gosford Hospital

Sean Hamilton

Samantha Bellamy

Disappointed with NMB I am writing to express my disappointment with the Nurses and Midwives Board of NSW. I am wondering if there are many other nurses out there who may feel the same.

I am currently on maternity leave and during this time my registration was due. No big deal if that is a date you remember without a reminder, but I am not that clever. I am running around looking after two young children so it is the last thing on my mind.

I have never missed a payment, so you can imagine my horror when I received the letter telling me my registration had lapsed and I am currently deregistered. I immediately rang the board and explained to them that I never received the paper work and can I pay now over the phone.

Unskilled nurses in mental health a danger I refer to the cover story of the July issue of The Lamp about replacing skilled RNs with AiNs and other minimally-skilled nurses.

I have to agree with Lyn Cohen when she says, ‘AiNs will not have the knowledge, background, training or experience to deal with very sick patients’.

This above statement pretty much says it all, particularly in the area of mental health. In mental health you need detailed knowledge of the many medications that are given. They are quite powerful drugs and can produce many side effects that can severely harm the patient.

My other concern is the lack of knowledge regarding patients’ signs and symptoms of psychosis, risk assessments and prediction of risk, which is particularly important when dealing with staff and patient safety in the ward environment.

RNs are highly skilled and trained in these areas and if they become increasingly outnumbered on the wards I would hate to think what would happen in the case of a serious injury because the reality is that aggression and self harm do occur.

Furthermore, if AiNs are sent away to aggression management courses and the like they will surely lack the background knowledge to fully understand the depth and content of this training. We can’t afford to have skilled nurses going onto Workers’ Compensation due to injuries at work.

Sean Hamilton, NUM, Justice Health

Linda Hardman

Fantastic Annual Conference Congratulations on a fantastic Annual Conference. Once again, I have come home inspired and ready to continue the fight. I am ensuring, through all my contacts on social media, that the NSWNA is fully supporting AiNs. We are a very important part of the team.

Bring on licensing. The Right Nurse rally is something I will remember for a long time. Keep up the good work.

Linda Hardman, AiN Wollongong Nursing Home

Disruptive colleagues I attended the NSWNA Professional Day on 31 July 2009 and I was very disappointed with my nursing colleagues.

I was sitting in the third row from the back. The person directly behind me was reading her newspaper and, of course, the rustling of the paper was annoying. To her left there were at least two people who spoke almost non stop throughout the morning. When it came to Patricia Staunton’s speech, I actually moved to the back of the hall so I would be able to hear her clearly.

To those nurses responsible, if you don’t wish to listen to the speakers – don’t attend! Please do not ruin the day for those of us who want to listen!

Elizabeth Foster, RN THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 7

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N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF

EMERGENCY

’In-kind’ deals not on Nurses squeezed out Workers have been paid in food, of property market beverages and clothes instead of wages,

WAITING GAME

as employers try to deal with the added financial strain caused by the global economic crisis.

DEPARTMENT mergency department staff in major hospitals spend more than one third of their time caring for patients waiting for inpatient beds, according to a recent survey.

The study, carried out

by Associate Professor Drew Richardson from the Australian National University (ANU) Medical School, showed that half of Australia’s training hospitals have patients waiting for an inpatient bed more than 12 hours after that bed was formally requested.

The Access Block Point Prevalence Survey, carried out on 1 June, aimed to show a ‘snapshot’ of emergency departments in Australian training hospitals.

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The study showed that half of Australia’s training hospitals have patients waiting for an inpatient bed more than 12 hours after that bed was formally requested.

All 94 emergency departments accredited for training were contacted, and 79 responded with details of their activity.

Professor Richardson said there was no statistically significant improvement in access block compared to last year.

‘Of the 66 EDs that answered both the 2008 and 2009 surveys, 33 reported an improvement and 33 a worsening of access block.

Whilst there may be pockets of better practice, the net effect nationwide has been nil.’

8 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

‘The practice of paying staff in-kind – whether it is merchandise, food and beverage or board or lodgings – is unacceptable.’

Acting NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, Verity Firth, said employers were often under the mistaken impression they can negotiate alternative arrangements, such as payment in-kind, with their workers.

‘The practice of paying staff inkind – whether it is merchandise, food and beverage or board or lodgings – is unacceptable,’ she said.

‘Agreements that would undermine minimum conditions of employment, even by mutual consent, are not legally binding.’

The NSW Office of Industrial Relations responded to over 1200 complaints from workers around the state in the last financial year, with 20% from restaurants and cafes.

Overall, inspectors recovered more than $4 million in underpayments or wages and other entitlements, which was the result of more than 13,000 investigations covering more than 60,000 workers.

In the year ahead, inspectors will visit approximately 20,000 employers – targeting retail, cafes and restaurants, clothing and manufacturing.

‘The majority of employers do treat staff fairly and provide the correct wages and other entitlements in return for their hard work,’ Ms Firth said.

Owning a house in Sydney remains an unattainable dream for many nurses, with nearly nine in ten council areas in Sydney being unaffordable for key workers, according to a Bankwest report The Second Annual Bankwest Key Worker Housing Affordability Report revealed that Sydney is the least affordable capital city in Australia, with the median house price eight times the salary of an average key worker.

‘Nurses, teachers and fire-fighters face the most difficulties but all key workers are struggling to buy the average house in all areas, bar Sydney’s outer fringes,’ said Bankwest Retail Chief Executive Ian Corfield.

‘These are the essential workers Sydney-siders rely on every day to provide important services. The unfortunate reality is that many are locked permanently in the rental market and are unlikely to get the keys to their own home, while others have to commute long distances.’

Affordability, however, did improve marginally last year and over the past five years because of a flat property market.

In Sydney, the median house price was unaffordable in 86% of local government areas in March 2009, compared with 91% in March 2008.

According to the survey, Mosman is the least affordable local government area, and Campbelltown is the most affordable.

Blacktown and the Blue Mountains moved from being unaffordable in 2008 to being affordable in 2009.

US study reveals

MOST ED NURSES ASSAULTED

AT WORK ore than half of emergency department nurses in the US have been physically assaulted at work, a new study has found.

The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) study found that more than half of emergency nurses report experiencing physical violence on the job, including being spat at, hit, pushed or shoved, scratched, and kicked.

One in four nurses have experienced violence more than 20 times in the past three years and, just as alarming, one in five nurses have experienced verbal abuse more than 200 times during the same period.

‘People who work in the helping professions shouldn’t have to put their physical and emotional wellbeing on hold to do their jobs,’ said ENA President Bill Briggs, who is himself a nurse.

‘Emergency nurses provide crucial health care services. Their departments and their hospitals depend on them being able to deliver high quality care. They can’t do that if they’re in danger of being verbally or physically abused.’

One in three emergency nurses surveyed for the Violence Against Nurses Working in US Emergency Departments study had considered leaving their department or emergency nursing altogether because of the violence.

Reports of violence were lowest among nurses in paediatric emergency departments and highest among nurses who worked night shifts and on weekends. Male emergency nurses were more likely than their female colleagues to indicate having experienced workplace violence.

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See p30 of this issue of The Lamp for a feature on violence in emergency departments in NSW.

Rally for legal homebirth New laws that require private practicing midwives to hold professional indemnity insurance will deny independent midwives the right to perform home births in Australia from 1 July 2010.

The changes to insurance laws will effectively make attending a homebirth illegal, according to Homebirth Australia.

Midwives are the only health professionals who do not receive assistance with indemnity insurance from the Federal Government. In contrast, a $500 million support package for medical practitioners has been provided since 2001.

The changes to insurance laws will effectively make attending a homebirth illegal.

Homebirth Australia is holding a rally against the changes to insurance laws – to be held outside Parliament House in Canberra on Monday, 7 September 2009, at 11am. The NSWNA is sending a delegation to the rally, with a bus leaving early on that morning.

Homebirth Australia argues that women – many after hospital trauma – will continue to choose homebirth and will be forced to give birth at home without a midwife.

For information and to book your seat, contact Carolyn Kulling at the

NSWNA on (02) 8595 1234. Also visit www.homebirthaustralia.org/keepprivate-midwifery-alive

Beautiful diaries help beast cancer research The Breast Cancer Institute of Australia has released its 2010 Australian Women’s Health Diary.

The diary contains all the essential features needed to organise busy lives while including the latest information on health and wellbeing for women of all ages.

Breast cancer still remains the most common cause of death from cancer for Australian women. With more than 900 Australia women dying annually, and another 30 being diagnosed daily, the Australian Women’s Health Diary is a practical way to support the Institute and remain up to date on the latest diagnosis and treatment methods.

The diary also makes a great gift, so don’t forget your family and friends this Christmas.

The diary has raised $4.3 million for breast cancer research programs since 1999 and is now on sale from newsagents, selected Woolworths and Safeway supermarkets, and selected Commonwealth Bank branches.

The diary is just $14.95 and can also be ordered online at www.bcia.org.au or by calling 1800 423 444.

THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 9

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N E W S I INN BBRRI IEEFF

s Basic Foot Care for AiNs 9 September, Grafton This course aims to provide AiNs with the competence to provide basic foot care.

Members $85 • Non-members $150 s Policy & Guideline Writing 11 September, Camperdown, 1 day Seminar is suitable for all nurses.

Members $85 • Non-members $170 s Mental Health Nurses Forum 14 September, Camperdown, 1 day Seminar is suitable for all nurses.

Members $30 • Non-members $50

Sharon Wright (second from left) accepts an award for innovative, patientfocused care from NCAHS CEO Chris Crawford (left).

Grafton Base Hospital awarded for aged care program Staff at Grafton Base hospital have been rewarded for their innovation and patientfocused care with an award from North Coast Area Health Services (NCAHS).

For its Focus on Home program, the hospital won the NCAHS Quality Award in the category of Creating Better Patient Journeys.

The program, which is still running, is based on a slow-stream rehabilitation model and aims to improve the mobility and independence of aged-care patients recovering from an acute illness.

Sharon Wright, Nursing Manager at Grafton Base Hospital, said that by encouraging patients to remain mobile and independent while in hospital, they were able to retain strength and muscle tone, and avoid the need to move into nursing homes.

‘I think one of the most fabulous achievements of the program for me personally was when a lady came back after a fracture and, after participating in the program, was able to move into a hostel instead of a nursing home,’ Sharon said. ‘That epitomises what a great achievement this program is.’

Sharon also emphasised that the success of the program could not be achieved without the dedication of all the nursing staff on the wards.

s Legal and Professional Issues for Nurses 2 October, Dubbo; 30 October, Batemans Bay; 6 November, Westmead; ½ day Topics covered include the Nurses and Midwives Act 1991, potential liability, documentation, role of disciplinary tribunals including the NMB, writing statements.

Members $39 • Non-members $85 s Basic Foot Care for RNs & ENs 15 & 16 October, Camperdown, 2 days A VETAB-accredited course that aims to provide nurses with the competence to provide basic foot care.

Members $203 • Non-members $350 s Appropriate Workplace Behaviour 19 October, Camperdown, 1 day Topics include understanding why bullying occurs; anti-discrimination law & NSW Health policies; how to behave appropriately in the workplace; identify behaviour which constitutes unlawful harassment and bullying; what to do if subjected to unlawful harassment and bullying; how to use workplace grievance procedures; identify, prevent and resolve bullying.

Members $85 • Non-members $170 s Drug and Alcohol Nurses Forum 23 October, Camperdown, 1 day Seminar is suitable for all nurses.

Members $30 • Non-members $50 s Computer Essentials for Nurses 27 October, Concord, 1 day Seminar is suitable for all nurses.

Members $85 • Non-members $170 s Review & Implementation of Guidelines & Policies 6 November, Camperdown, 1 day Seminar is suitable for all nurses.

Members $85 • Non-members $170

Sharon Wright (bottom left) with patients and colleagues (top left) Bettina Sundgren, (from top centre) Ann Bourke, Beryl Jordan and Maureen Witton.

TO REGISTER or for more information go to www.nswnurses.asn.au or11ring THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 Carolyn Kulling on 1300 367 962

s

C O V E R S T O R Y

Because we care

Recognition for aged care The positive message about aged care is spreading across Australia c A new TV ad produced by the NSWNA, showing the professional role of aged care nurses, has been beaming into lounge rooms across NSW.

c So far, more than 18,000 Australians have signed Because we care Charters for Quality Aged Care.

AD CELEBRATES AGED CARE NURSES

c The pressure is on

T

Federal MPs and Senators, with new postcards from their constituents asking them to tell Parliament we need proper funding for aged care.

c The new Because we care van is now a familiar sight at community events and aged care facilities.

c The ANF also put aged care in the spotlight at the recent national ALP conference.

The Lamp celebrates the achievements of the Because we care campaign.

12 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

The NSWNA aged care ad stars Sharon d’Souza

hroughout August, the latest NSWNA TV ad – promoting the highly rewarding professional role of aged care nurses – beamed into lounge rooms across NSW. It’s the third in a series of NSWNA ads that shows the professional and highly-skilled roles of nurses.

The first TV ad showed the role of a paediatric hospital nurse, the second ad the role and personal life of a community mental health nurse, and a fourth ad showing the role of midwives will be released in October.

The four ads celebrating nurses and NSWNA members will screen throughout 2009.

The latest NSWNA aged care ad stars Sharon d’Souza, RN

g The positive message about aged care is spreading and tens of thousands of Australians have shown they care about aged care.

from Frank Whiddon Masonic Nursing Home in Glenfield.

Sharon said she was very excited to be selected for the NSWNA ad. ‘I was so excited when I heard. When they first started filming I was very nervous but by the end I was having a ball, and so were the residents. It’s a real thrill watching the ad with them – they get so excited.

‘I love working in aged care. It’s a challenging role: you’re dealing with frail residents with complex needs, you’re dealing with families and doctors. It’s challenging and requires high levels of nursing skills but it’s very rewarding.

‘As an aged care nurse you get to be part of residents’ lives. The most important part of my job is enhancing the quality of life for residents and making a difference to their day-to-day lives.

‘It’s good to let people know what an aged care nurse really does. Hopefully people will have greater understand about our role.

‘I think the ad will also make aged care more attractive to nursing students,’ said Sharon.n

NSWNA Organiser James Figallo showed the NSWNA TV ad about aged care to resident Mr Gaylard at Frank Whiddon Masonic Nursing Home in Glenfield, where the ad was filmed. Mr Gaylard said he was absolutely thrilled to see the ad.

THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 13

s

C O V E R S T O R Y

Because we care

NSWNA visits aged care facilities across NSW Proud to be a new member of the NSWNA, Natalia Villavilencio EEN joined the Association and is looking forward to receiving The Lamp.

D

uring August, the NSWNA visited aged care facilities across NSW to spread the word about the Because we care campaign.

NSWNA officials arrived at the facilities in the new Because we care van and over refreshments invited nurses to sign the Charter for Quality Aged Care and send postcards to their Federal MPs asking for increased funding for aged care.

After visiting members at Albury Nursing Home, NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said it was a great opportunity to meet members at work and recruit new members to the Association.

‘Many members said that after hearing about the Because we care 14 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

campaign, and seeing the NSWNA ad about aged care on TV, they felt proud to be an aged care nurse and a member of the NSWNA. The ANF campaign and NSWNA ad made them feel valued and recognised as aged care nurses.

‘Many aged care nurses who were not members also joined the Association during our workplace visits,’ said Brett.

Another of the facilities visited was the Easton Park facility of the Whiddon Group in Glenfield, where the latest NSWNA ad was filmed.

Over popcorn and drinks, the aged care ad was screened, to the delight of nurses and residents.

NSWNA officials also explained the details of the new workplace agreement at the Whiddon Group, and answered nurses’ questions about the agreement.n

Brett Holmes visited members at Albury Nursing Home.

EENs Diane Hale, Diane Prior and Peggy Clark planned to send a postcard to their Federal MPs, asking for greater funding for aged care.

AGED CARE ON THE AGENDA AT ALP CONFERENCE

Maya Maharaj enjoyed popcorn and planned to send a postcard to her MP.

ANF Secretary Ged Kearney

ANF Secretary Ged Kearney was determined to put the spotlight on aged care at the ALP National Conference in July.

Ged congratulated the Government on the health reform process and got up a resolution to have aged care part of the health policy chapter of discussions, rather than the previous category of social inclusion.

‘For too long, aged care has been seen as part of community services. It is a significant achievement to get aged care included in the health chapter,’ said Ged. ‘Community inclusion is important, especially for services that help older people stay at home, but the category doesn’t fit residential care where we have residents with high care needs, who are often coming to care straight from hospital.

‘Having aged care part of health policy discussions will help delegates think about aged care in terms of health care, delivered by skilled and qualified nurses.

Nursing students showed they care about quality aged care by signing the Charter for Quality Aged Care.

‘It’s an achievement that will see aged care part of health policy discussions at future ALP Conferences,’ said Ged. THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 15

s

C O V E R S T O R Y

Ask your MP to deliver for aged care in Budget 2010

Time to deliver for aged care in Budget 2010.

Nicole Kathner AiN wants her Federal MP to ask for greater funding for aged care.

T

he Federal Government needs to guarantee that taxpayer funding for aged care is used for resident nursing care and for minimum staffing levels.

The ANF has launched a national postcard campaign so you can send a message to your Federal MP and Senator asking them to deliver for aged care in the 2010 Budget. The postcards bear the message ‘Time to deliver for aged care in Budget 2010’.

Enclosed in this issue of The Lamp is a postcard for you to send to your Federal MP and Senator. See the table opposite for details on how to find out the name and contact details of your MP. Our aim is to have over 100,000 postcards – signed by the community and aged care workers – sent directly to Federal MPs and Senators telling them it is time to deliver for aged care in Budget 2010.

‘A major concern for aged care 16 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

Message to my MP:

Time to deliver for aged care in Budget 2010. nurses is the wage disparity with nurses in other sectors,’ said NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda. ‘Aged care nurses on average get paid $300 a week less than their colleagues in other sectors, even though they have equivalent qualifications and skills.

‘That’s why we are putting pressure on politicians to deliver with greater funding in the 2010 Federal budget.

‘The Because we care campaign aims to put aged care and the funding of the sector high on the public agenda. It will no doubt be raised as a real issue at the next Federal election.’n

HOW TO SEND

A MESSAGE

TO YOUR

FEDERAL MP 1 2 3 4 Find out your Electoral seat. Go to www.apps.aec.gov.au/esearch/ and enter your postcode.

Check the table opposite for the Federal MP and their address for your electoral seat.

Fill in the enclosed ‘Time to deliver for aged care in Budget 2010’ postcard and address it to your Federal MP. Put on a 55¢ stamp and post it.

Federal MPs and Senators in NSW Federal MP/Senator Electorate

Address to send postcard

The Hon. Tony Abbott

Warringah

PO Box 450, Manly NSW 2095

The Hon. Anthony Albanese

Grayndler

334A Marrickville Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204

The Hon. Bob Baldwin

Paterson

PO Box 156, Raymond Terrace NSW 2324

Ms Sharon Bird MP

Cunningham

PO Box 387, Wollongong NSW 2520

The Hon. Bronwyn Bishop

Mackellar

657 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why NSW 2099

The Hon. Chris Bowen

Prospect

PO Box 802, Fairfield NSW 2165

Mr David Bradbury

Lindsay

PO Box 712, Penrith NSW 2750

The Hon. Tony Burke

Watson

PO Box 324, Kingsgrove NSW 1480

Mr Jason Clare

Blaxland

PO Box 153, Bankstown NSW 1885

The Hon. John Cobb

Calare

1/179a Anson Street, Orange NSW 2800

The Hon. Greg Combet AM

Charlton

PO Box 747, Cardiff NSW 2285

Mr Mark Coulton

Parkes

Shop 3, 153 Brisbane Street, Dubbo NSW 2830

The Hon. Bob Debus

Macquarie

PO Box 997, Katoomba NSW 2780

The Hon. Justine Elliot

Richmond

PO Box 6996, Tweed Heads South, NSW 2486

The Hon. Pat Farmer

Macarthur

PO Box 129, Campbelltown, NSW 2560

The Hon. Laurie Ferguson

Reid

3rd Floor, 10 Bridge St, Granville NSW 2142

The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon

Hunter

PO Box 526, Cessnock NSW 2325

The Hon. Peter Garrett

Kingsford Smith PO Box 249, Maroubra NSW 2035

Mrs Joanna Gash

Gilmore

Ms Jennie George

Throsby

PO Box 864 Dapto NSW 2530

Ms Sharon Grierson

Newcastle

427 Hunter St, Newcastle NSW 2300

Ms Jill Hall

Shortland

PO Box 499, Belmont NSW 2280

PO Box 1009, Nowra NSW 2541

Mr Luke Hartsuyker

Cowper

PO Box 2056, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

Mr Alex Hawke

Mitchell

PO Box 1173, Castle Hill, NSW 1765

Mr Chris Hayes

Werriwa

Suite 1, Level 1, 2 Oxford Road, Ingleburn NSW 2565

The Hon. Joe Hockey

North Sydney

PO Box 1107, North Sydney NSW 2059

Mrs Kay Hull

Riverina

100 Yambil St, Griffith NSW 2680

Mrs Julia Irwin

Fowler

Shop 1A, Cecil Hills Shopping Centre, Lancaster Ave, Cecil Hills NSW 2171

The Hon. Dr Mike Kelly

Eden-Monaro

PO Box 214, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620

The Hon. Sussan Ley

Farrer

PO Box 672 Albury NSW 2640

Mrs Louise Markus

Greenway

PO Box 855, Windsor NSW 2756

The Hon. Robert McClelland

Barton

PO Box 861, Hurstville, NSW 2220

The Hon. Maxine McKew

Bennelong

PO Box 336 Gladesville NSW 2111

Mr Daryl Melham

Banks

PO Box 775, Revesby NSW 2212

Mr Scott Morrison

Cook

PO Box 819, Caringbah NSW 1495

The Hon. John Murphy

Lowe

Suite 103, 3 Railway Parade, Burwood NSW 2134

Ms Belinda Neal

Robertson

PO Box 577, Gosford NSW 2250

The Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson Bradfield

Suite 8, 12-16 Tryon Rd, Lindfield NSW 2070

Mr Robert Oakeshott

PO Box 112, Port Macquarie NSW 2444

Lyne

Ms Julie Owens

Parramatta

Suite 1, 25 Smith Street, Parramatta NSW 2150

The Hon. Tanya Plibersek

Sydney

422 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

The Hon. Roger Price

Chifley

PO Box 259 Mount Druitt NSW 2770

The Hon. Philip Ruddock

Berowra

PO Box 743, Pennant Hills NSW 1715

Ms Janelle Saffin

Page

61-63 Molesworth Street, Lismore NSW 2480

Mr Alby Schultz

Hume

PO Box 700, Goulburn NSW 2580

Mr Craig Thomson

Dobell

PO Box 5253, Chittaway Bay NSW 2261

The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull

Wentworth

PO Box 545, Edgecliff , NSW 2027

The Hon. Danna Vale

Hughes

PO Box 1014, Sutherland NSW 1499

Mr Tony Windsor

New England

PO Box 963, Tamworth NSW 2340 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 17

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A G E D C A R E

57

new ag

g NSWNA negotiates 57 new agreements in aged care, winning leading pay and conditions at more than 220 workplaces.

‘We do eight-hour shifts and you can be working short-staffed all the time.The reasonable workloads clause means employers have to address workloads problems. A lot of the nurses are very happy about the paid maternity and paternity leave. I’d tell nurses in other workplaces not covered by an agreement to join the Union and fight for it.’

A

fifth of NSW aged care workplaces working in aged care have won significant pay rises and improved conditions, with 57 employers signing up to new agreements in the past month.

The new agreements are based on the template agreement negotiated between Aged and Community Services (NSW) (ACS), the NSWNA and the Health Services Union (HSU) in July 2009.

NEW AGED CARE EMPLOYERS

ON BOARD

Protection at 220

Jennifer Smith, EEN at Pioneer Lodge at Gerringong

The new work laws have allowed the NSWNA to negotiate a multi-employer agreement with 47 aged care providers, covering nurses at 220 facilities. Under the old WorkChoices, agreements had to

c Abel Tasman Village Association Limited

c Cowra Retirement Village Ltd

c Adelene Retirement Village

c Deniliquin Nursing Home Foundation Limited

c Australian Nursing Home Foundation Limited

c Denman and District Retirement Centre Association

c Bega & District Nursing Home Ltd

c Garden Village Port Macquarie

c Berrigan and District Aged Care Association Limited

c Gunnedah Aged Care Services Limited

c Bethshan Ministries Limited

c Harbison Memorial Retirement Village

c Chatswood Community Care Association Limited c Christian Brethren Community Services c Clarence Village Association c Coleambally Aged Persons Accommodation Association Incorporation c Coonamble Hostel Association

18 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

be negotiated site by site with individual employers. Ten aged care employers have also signed single employer agreements (see table below).

At the time of printing, most of the

c Haven Community Incorporated (The) c Hunter Housing Inc c Imlay District Nursing Home Ltd c Juliana Village Association Ltd c Lee Hostel Committee Inc c Lutheran Church of Australia

reements workplaces in aged care 57 agreements had been put to vote and accepted by nurses working at the facilities.

The new agreements deliver a pay rise of 3% from the first pay period after 1 July 2009, and a further pay rise of 3% from 1 July 2010. An RN8 under this agreement is paid 6% more than those working for most for-profit employers who have not negotiated Enterprise Agreements.

Importantly, the new agreements include a commitment to reasonable workloads and provide a process to manage workloads. They also include nine weeks’ paid maternity and adoption leave and one weeks’ paid paternity leave.

The 47 employers who have signed the new agreements are amongst the biggest employers in aged care, and most took up the previous ACS template agreement in 2007.

NSWNA Assistant General Secretary

‘Overall, not-for-profit employers who are ACS members are paying more and offering better conditions than for-profit employers.The pressure is now on the for-profit providers to negotiate fair agreements with the NSWNA.’ NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda

Judith Kiejda said these employers are to be congratulated for giving their staff the recognition they deserve with a good agreement that offers fair pay and conditions.

‘They will become employers of choice in the aged care sector. There’s a chronic shortage of nurses in aged care.

Nurses will choose to work for employers who offer the fairest pay and conditions.

‘These 57 new agreements based on the ACS agreement set a benchmark in the sector and employers who fail to meet these standards will lose staff,’ said Judith.

‘Overall, not-for-profit employers who are ACS members are paying more and offering better conditions than forprofit employers. The pressure is now on the for-profit providers to negotiate fair agreements with the NSWNA.’n

c Lithgow District Aged Peoples Homes Association

c Stroud Community Lodge Inc

c Bundaleer Care Services Ltd

c Tanderra Lithgow Inc

c Maroba

c Tenterfield Care Centre Inc

c Catholic Care – Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle

c Maroba Lodge Ltd

c The Pioneers Lodge Inc.

c Nambucca Valley Care Ltd

c The Storm Retirement Village

c Our Lady of Consolation Aged Care Services Ltd c Pioneer House Aged Care Incorporated c Port Stephens Veterans and Citizens Aged Care Ltd c Royal Freemasons Benevolent Institution c Sisters of St Joseph Aged Care Services (NSW) c St Hedwig Village c St Joseph’s Aged Care Facility for Religious Limited

c Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church Diocese of Lismore

c Thomas Holt Memorial Village

c Illaroo Co-operative Aboriginal Corporation

c Tocumwal Lions Community Hostel Limited

c Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust

c Touriandi Inc

c Anglicare - Diocese of Newcastle

c United Protestant Association of NSW

c Residential Gardens for Spanish Speaking Frail Aged Inc

c Vietnam Veterans Keith Payne VC Hostel Ltd

c Timbrebongie House Inc

c Wommin Bay Hostels Ltd

c Lockhart and District Aged Care Association Inc

c Woolgoolga and District Retirement Village Ltd

c UnitingCare NSW.ACT

c Salvation Army (NSW) THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 19

s

A G E D C A R E

Montefiore agreement delivers top pay g Montefiore agreement delivers up to 22.9% pay increase and a new workloads clause.

M

embers at Sir Moses Montefiore nursing homes have a new agreement that includes pay increases up to 22.9% in 2009 and a workloads clause to deal with excessive workloads.

After a resounding ‘yes’ vote on the agreement in June, Sir Moses Montefiore members have welcomed the new agreement negotiated between the NSWNA, the HSU and Montefiore that protects wages and conditions over one year, and provides two wage increases in 2009.

The new agreement covers 750 nurses and other staff at three Montefiore facilities in Maroubra, Randwick and Hunters Hill.

AiNs receive a 6.6-7.5% pay increase backdated to February 2009, plus a further 2.5% from I July 2009. These increases align the AiN pay rate with the Care Services Employees pay rate.

ENs receive a 4.7-8.2% pay increase backdated to February 2009, plus a further 2.5% from I July.

RNs years 1–4 will be paid at a Level 1, which is equivalent to a current Year 4 level. This means that some RNs could receive up to a 19.4% pay increase backdated to February 2009, plus a further 2.5% from I July.

‘More members and a NSWNA Branch will place you in a stronger bargaining position and will deliver a better Agreement next time around.’

NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda

The inclusion of a Workloads Clause in the agreement is a big win for Montefiore members and sets a new pace in the aged care sector. The workloads clause will deal with excessive workloads and considers skills mix and acuity levels as well as the number of staff.

Other improvements to conditions under the Montefiore agreement include: c Improved annual leave entitlements, with five weeks annual leave and annual leave loading of 17.5% paid for the full five weeks. Employees can cash out annual leave (provided they leave three weeks in accrual).

They can also purchase an extra two weeks annual leave by forgoing 1.92% of their wage for each week of leave purchased. c An increase in the rate long service leave accumulates after 10 years’ service. Nurses can cash out long

PAY INCREASES UNDER SIR MOSES MONTEFIORE AGREEMENT CLASSIFICATION

DATE & AMOUNT OF INCREASE 1 February 09^

1 July 2009

AiN

6.6 – 7.5%*

2.5%*

EN

4.7 – 8.2%*

2.5%*

RN

1.5 – 19.4%*

2.5%*

* Increases are approximate and rounded. ^ Wages will be backdated to this date.

20 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

service leave (provided they leave three weeks in their ‘bank’). c A new classification and additional pay increase for AiN Team Leaders. c Long-term casuals have a right to apply for their position to be made permanent (if they work regularly and systematically over a period of 26 weeks). c Permanent part timers who regularly work more than their contracted hours have the right to request that their contracted hours be increased to reflect the hours they’re actually working. c Staff cannot be forced to work overtime in unreasonable circumstances.

NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda said the Montefiore agreement provides a good pay rise and significant improvements to conditions.

‘It’s an excellent result and Montefiore management has shown it values its nurses by offering fair pay and conditions.

‘However, this agreement only protects pay and conditions for one year.

Montefiore members need to think about their next agreement now.

‘Ask your colleagues if they are members of the NSWNA and if they are not, ask them to join the Union.

‘Also talk to your colleagues about forming a NSWNA Branch at Montefiore,’ said Judith. ‘More members and a NSWNA Branch will place you in a stronger bargaining position and will deliver a better agreement next time around.’n

First union agreement for Regis g The NSW Nurses’ Association has negotiated the first ever union collective agreement to cover the Regis Group’s six nursing homes in NSW.

R

egis nurses will get three wage increases of 3.25% paid every October during the three-year agreement.

Other new benefits include: c Paid maternity leave c A reasonable workloads provision c Faster accumulation of long service leave (13 weeks/10 years) c 15% penalty rate for all shifts starting after 12pm and before 6am c Minimum 10-hour break between rostered shifts.

About 70% of Regis staff voted in favour of the agreement, which also covers nonnursing staff.

Four of the Regis homes were previously covered only by the award, which sets minimum standards. Two others at Port Stephens and Port

Macquarie employed most nurses under individual contracts.

Regis management told the Union it wanted all sites under one agreement and wished to phase out individual contracts, said NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes.

‘The company was very co-operative and we managed to negotiate this agreement in just six weeks,’ Brett said.

He said the NSWNA branch at Regis Port Macquarie was re-established as a result of the bargaining process.

A member of the NSWNA bargaining committee covering all Regis sites, Dennis Mlalazi from the 110-bed

Gannon Gardens at Hurstville, said most nurses felt the 3.25% pay increase was reasonable given that inflation is currently running at around 2.5%.

The company was very co-operative and we managed to negotiate this agreement in just six weeks.

‘There are a number of “firsts” in the agreement including paid maternity leave and a reasonable workloads clause,’ Dennis said.

‘People were very interested in hearing what the Union representatives had to say during the bargaining process, especially at the final meeting before the ballot.

‘During the negotiations quite a number of people took up membership with the Union.’n

Staff at the Regis-owned Gannon Gardens nursing home.

THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 21

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

Redundancy plan to workloads and g Union seeks talks over redundancy offers.

T

he NSW Nurses’ Association is seeking agreement with Area Health Services on a process of implementing voluntary redundancies, including consultation with nurse managers.

The Union wants to ensure offers of redundancy do not reduce ward skill levels and put more pressure on nurses who remain.

The NSWNA succeeded in stopping Greater Southern Area Health Service from processing voluntary redundancies last month, after notifying a dispute to the Industrial Relations Commission.

‘The problem with redundancies is that if they are approved, the position disappears.There needs to be discussion to ascertain whether or not it’s appropriate to delete that position.’ Liz McCall At least four area health services – Greater Southern, Sydney West, North Coast and Greater Western – have called for expressions of interest for voluntary redundancies across all staff categories.

‘It is difficult to see how voluntary redundancies…are consistent with Garling’s recommendations.’

NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes

NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said the Union went to the IRC because Greater Southern AHS breached the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award and its own policy by failing to consult with the union about the process of offering redundancies, and their possible effects.

Brett said the Garling inquiry into acute care services stressed the crucial role of experienced nurses in providing adequate patient care and training for the next generation of nurses.

‘It is difficult to see how voluntary redundancies, which will increase workloads, reduce skill levels and put more pressure on the nurses who remain, are consistent with Garling’s recommendations,’ he said.

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22 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

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th

a threat safety Similarly, a 2007 Sydney University of Technology study commissioned by the Health Department showed that higher numbers of skilled and qualified staff resulted in better patient outcomes.

Brett said it was essential that the senior nurses in charge of wards are allowed input into the redundancy process.

‘The Department has sanctioned an across-the-board offer of voluntary redundancies but the effects will vary according to the staffing situation in individual units.

‘This means senior nurses, such as NUMs who are responsible for managing a ward, must be consulted about the appropriate skill mix for their ward and how redundancies might impact on that.’

Brett said NSW Health should not use voluntary redundancies as a backdoor means of replacing experienced and highly qualified nurses with unlicensed Assistants in Nursing.

‘There is a valuable role for classifications such as AiNs but the mix of skills on a ward should be based on the needs of the ward, not the budget.

‘NUMs should not be forced to put AiNs into jobs that should be filled by RNs just because area management decides to save money by reducing RN positions.’

At Byron Bay District Hospital, which has a 26-bed general ward with 24-hour emergency service, NUM Liz McCall agrees that the effects of voluntary redundancies ought to be discussed before they are issued.

‘The problem with redundancies is that if they are approved, the position disappears. There needs to be discussion with the local NSWNA branch and on a wider scale the union as a whole, to ascertain whether or not it’s appropriate to delete that position,’ Liz said.

‘The area management needs to talk to nurse managers about safe staffing levels and skill mix, because we are the ones who know what skill mix we need.’

Liz is NUM of the ward and the emergency department and is responsible for staffing. She shares administration of the ED with a nurse manager and works there herself when required.

‘We only have four nurses on morning and evening shifts and three on night duty. We never have AiNs or ENs on nights because of our needs in ED. On the other two shifts I can only accommodate one EN or a new graduate because of our needs in the ED,’ she said.

‘If a RN or EN position were to be replaced with an AiN, that would be absolute dynamite for Byron Hospital.

‘At Byron, our skill mix is so fragile that if a RN or EN was given voluntary redundancy and they slotted an AiN into that position it would be totally untenable in terms of patient safety.’n

64

Annual Conference

09 29, 30, 31 July 20

NSW Nurses’ Association gratefully acknowledges the sponsorship provided by the following companies for our Annual Conference held at the AJC Randwick 29–31 July 2009 First State Super Maurice Blackburn Members Equity Bank HESTA Super Fund Health Industry Plan Offset Alpine Printing Scott & Broad Pty Ltd Computershare Document Services Commonwealth Bank Chifley Financial Services Angel Mah-Chut Architects Fuji Xerox The Association also thanks the following companies for their contribution and assistance Berocca Captain Cook Cruises Crabtree & Evelyn Dettol Forte Brands Kleenex Silk Tissues Medically Sound Nivea Palmers PineOClean Revlon Shannons Way The York Apartments Tulsi Teas Wet Ones Wine Selector Wollombi Wines THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 23

s

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

12-hour shift win g Mental health unit to trial new roster

W

ith a fax machine as their weapon, a group of South Coast mental health nurses have won a breakthrough in their battle to introduce 12-hour shifts.

After a year of saying ‘No’, management of South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service announced a trial of 12-hour rosters for Eloura West mental health unit at Shellharbour Hospital starting this month (September).

The about-face follows an avalanche of fax messages to top health bureaucrats and an appeal to former Health Minister John Della Bosca from members of the NSW Nurses’ Association Illawarra Mental Health branch.

Branch delegate Glenn Hayes said members fired off about 150 faxes to Mr Della Bosca, NSW Health Director General Debora Picone, NSW Chief Nurse Debra Thoms and other officials, supporting a trial.

‘A big majority of branch members signed letters supporting their 15 fellow nurses and security staff at Eloura West,’ Glenn said.

He said members believed a 12hour roster would reduce the number of 16-hour double shifts being worked in ‘a very stressful high dependency ward’, providing a better work/life balance for nurses and greater staff continuity for patients.

‘Other units have now decided they want 12-hour shifts and are hoping for a successful trial at Eloura West.’

When former Minister Mr Della Bosca addressed the NSWNA annual conference in July and took questions from delegates, Eloura West RN and Secretary of the Illawarra Mental Health Branch, Angela Pridham, seized the opportunity.

‘I spoke about our long campaign to persuade management to introduce 12hour shifts, which are already in place in other units across the state,’ Angela said.

‘I presented Mr Della Bosca with a

24 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

Nurses from the Eloura West mental health unit at Shellharbour Hospital have been fighting for 12-hour rosters: (back) Kim McAllister, Charmaine Simpson, Angela Pridham, (front) Clare Bate, Glenn Hayes.

bundle of fax messages in case he was not aware of our case, and he said he would look into it.

‘That was on Wednesday, 29 July.

The following Monday the director of the southern network mental health service emailed the NUM of Eloura West to say they would do a trial of the 12-hour roster.

overtime before or after an eight-hour shift, unless required by exceptional circumstances (see The Lamp, August 2009).

The Area Health Service took the NSWNA to the Industrial Relations Commission seeking an order against the overtime restrictions at Eloura West.

Commissioner Donna McKenna

A big majority of branch members signed letters supporting their 15 fellow nurses and security staff at Eloura West.

‘I don’t know what role the Minister played, but we were applying pressure from all areas, including the union’s General Secretary Brett Holmes speaking to our CEO Terry Clout.’

Following management’s repeated refusal to undertake a trial, the Illawarra Mental Health branch had earlier resolved not to work more than four hours

declined to take action against the restrictions, on the grounds that the public health system award provided for the working of reasonable overtime.

‘If time is being worked in excess of four hours before or after a shift, it certainly seems to me to be getting into the territory of unreasonable overtime,’ Commissioner McKenna said.n

Union agreement at St Vincent’s Private g Nurses at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Darlinghurst, have given near-unanimous support to a new union collective agreement that includes 3.9% annual wage increases to match public hospital pay gains.

M

ore than 95% of votes were in favour of the agreement. The first pay increase is backdated to January 1 this year with a second rise due next January.

Other improvements include: c Additional annual leave (up to five days) for nurses who work night shift; c Sick/carers leave increased to 12 days per year with the incorporation of existing special leave entitlements; c A reasonable workloads clause; c Minimum nine-hour breaks between shifts; c Increased on-call allowances for nurses who are rostered off.

The NSW Nurses’ Association branch president and delegate at St Vincent’s Private, Brett Dowd, said the overwhelming vote in favour of the deal reflected the membership’s extensive involvement in the bargaining process.

‘Every floor of the hospital had a representative on the bargaining committee so that all areas of the hospital were informed throughout the negotiations,’ said Brett, who is a member of the NSWNA Council, the union’s governing body.

‘Then we held a series of branch meetings including one for the night shift, to decide whether to put management’s final offer to a vote by postal ballot.

‘The process took a long time and people had plenty of opportunity to have their say, so when it finally went to a vote nurses knew it was the best deal possible.’

Brett said St Vincent’s Private staff would get wage increases without having to accept ‘offsets’ such as those imposed by the State Government on public system nurses.

He said the agreement would contribute to the hospital’s ‘innovative recruitment and retention strategy,

which has allowed us to reduce agency nurse numbers’.

‘We are doing everything we can to attract and hold onto nurses,’ he said.

‘For example, the hospital pays a new graduate allowance equivalent to the HECS fees of new graduates. And we have an accelerated progression pathway – a competency-based reward system on top of the time-based career path, which allows nurses to jump ahead on the ladder providing they meet a series of competencies.’

He said the hospital accepted the branch’s draft of a reasonable workloads clause without argument.

He said that after seeking the views of night shift nurses, the branch opted for extra annual leave as compensation for night work.

provision and minimum breaks between shifts of nine hours.

The Mater agreement features a 3.9% increase backdated to 1 January 2009 and another 3.9% from 1 January next year, followed by a 3.2% increase from 1 January 2011.

A ‘leave reserved’ clause in the agreement allows the NSWNA to reopen negotiations over the size of the third increase if public health system nurses receive more than 3.2% in their 2010 campaign.

Other changes include a reworking of the Accelerated Progression Program which, among other outcomes, provides for quicker pay progression for part-time and casual nursing staff.n

Mater Hospital agreement Meanwhile, nurses at the Mater Hospital at Crows Nest have negotiated a union collective agreement with similar conditions to St Vincent’s Private Hospital, with the backing of the NSWNA.

‘We are doing everything we can to attract and hold onto nurses.’

NSWNA St Vincent’s Private Hospital Branch President Brett Dowd.

Mater nurses also get up to five days additional annual leave for nurses who work night shifts; an increase in sick/ carers leave to 12 days per year with the incorporation of existing special leave entitlements; a reasonable workloads

THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 25

s

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Commission maps out long-term health reform g Mixed reception for National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission report.

T

he final report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission has met with a mixed reception from health sector stakeholders.

The report was released after 16 months of work by 10 health policy experts. It is touted by

the Government as the blueprint for the largest overhaul to health since the introduction of Medicare in the 1980s.

The report contains 123 recommendations including that the Federal Government take full responsibility for primary health care, basic dental care and aged care.

It recommends a change in funding arrangements for public hospitals, moving from block funding to an arrangement where the Federal Government would pay the state governments based on each service provided.

GLA N CE

AT A rm goals: T R O P E ee refo TH E R self thr

s ity issue and equ s: rres g major Tacklin high prioritie of Aboriginal and To e mes with fiv h outco

it ion set mmiss The Co access

‘It can hardly be said that this report is independent when it takes such a partisan view on private health insurance.’

lt ss; ing hea tal illne ; improv us men r people io e r d e n s la h l areas; ple wit Strait Is nd rura for peo a e r te a c o rem proved living in c im re; people r fo ealth ca rt po als. ental h d to c sup s c hospit s in publi ed acce v e o r r a p c uality c im meet ess to q ely acc m tem to s ti y s c h t l ea

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eh ning th nges: g i s e d n; e R rventio challe g n rly inte i rvices; a g e r d e n a care se em n d aged eventio

pr ealth an embed grate h te in d n nect a are; c con ; g Medic system dernisin o . health m le b a c rkforce in the wo a susta r g fo n ti rt a o e supp c cr system: g ing and n i n r v a o le r e p r -im c mo and self ement and voice; e l i g a n a n; gag Creating ening consumer en and communicatio ls; n th de o g o ti en rma ing m c str ata, info purchas d f ic o g e te s a art u d str c sm ding an ned fun ig s e t is -d ll are tha nce; c we f Medic overna o g n g io in s rm lans. expan c refo spital p ct – an and ho re Sele h a lt ic a d e e ng h c M n creati based o

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26 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

The report proposes a new universal dental care scheme called ‘Denticare Australia’, which would give a choice of basic dental services through a private health insurance plan or through public dental services.

The Commission also recommended a new governance model – Medicare Select – that would establish ‘health and hospital plans’. In this model the Federal Government would be the sole government funder of health services.

All Australians would automatically belong to a health and hospital plan, which could be operated by the government, a not-for-profit organisation or by private enterprise.

John Menadue

It’s not a quick fix One of the Commissioners, Associate Professor Sabina Knight, who is a remote area nurse, said it would take 10 years to implement the report. ‘This Associate Professor report won’t change Sabina Knight what’s happening today. It is a report for the long term. We were commissioned to take the long-term view: how should the system be designed for the future.’

Professor Knight said the Commission was driven by three perspectives: access and equity issues, the need to redesign the health system so it is responsive, and the need for an agile and self-improving system.

She said it was important to maintain and build on the current system’s strengths. ‘We have a strong ethic of universality in Australia. We think that is good and we should build on it.’

THREE VIEWS BENEFITS FOR NURSES c

School nurses in all primary schools.

c

Fully-funded clinical placements for undergraduates.

c

Extends Medicare rebates to relevant diagnostic services and specialist medical services ordered or referred by nurse practitioners and other health professionals.

ON THE REPORT John Menadue, health commentator The report is strong on specifics and incremental change but does not espouse a clear health strategy based on a consensus of public values.

Many of the Commission’s recommendations have been greeted positively. In particular, the strong emphasis on prevention and primary care, measures to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Islander people, improved care for people with serious mental illness and better access to health services in remote and rural areas.

It is timid on the question of workplace reform. There are several examples such as nurse practitioners and midwives where greater productivity and professional satisfaction is possible. Nurses hold the system together but they are denied career opportunities and professional satisfaction.

‘The report is the most comprehensive analysis of the entire health system we have ever had.’

Powerful vested interests – state governments and the health bureaucracies, the AMA, the private health insurance industry and the Pharmacy Guild – will now gear up to protect their interests during the six months’ consultation period that the government has announced.

The critics say it is flawed

Tony McBride, Chair of the Australian Health Care Reform Alliance

But some of the recommendations have been met with scepticism. Prominent health commentator John Menadue said the report provides a platform for the expansion of governmentsubsidised private health insurance, which presently costs the taxpayer about $5 billion a year.

‘Private health insurance is insinuated throughout the report.

The dental proposal is a means to churn further taxpayers’ money through private health insurance. Every country that has significant private health insurance has major problems with escalating health costs. Just ask Barack Obama,’ John said. ‘It can hardly be said that this report is independent when it takes such a partisan view on private health insurance.’

ANF Secretary Ged Kearney said she has concerns about the Commission’s section on aged care, in particular the recommendation to introduce accommodation bonds in high care.

‘Aged care is in desperate need for good reform. The population is ageing, people’s care needs are increasing, and nurses and assistants in nursing are under intense pressure. Putting the burden of funding on older Australians, perhaps forcing them out of their homes because they are in need of high-level care is not an answer. The Commission had the opportunity to bring positive reforms to aged care; instead they have ignored the critical issues of workforce and transparency and accountability of taxpayers funding.’

Roxon says no more business as usual Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the report would give the Government the blueprint for change. ‘People care deeply about Medicare, hospitals and the health system, which is why they are upset to see it under stress – something the previous government chose to ignore.’

The Commission had come up with ‘a solid body of work,’ Roxon said. ‘The Commission’s Health Minister work is … a fundamental examination of our Nicola Roxon health system, which represents an opportunity for the most important reform of our health system for decades, certainly since the introduction of Medicare.’n

Tony McBride, Chair of the Australian Health Care Reform Alliance The report is the most comprehensive analysis of the entire health system we have ever had.

Many of the report’s recommendations represent valuable pieces of the jigsaw towards a more equitable health system.

Of course, the Government’s blind spot is around private health insurance and the wasteful rebate.

Yet even there, some movement has been visible in the last Budget.

Ged Kearney, Secretary of the Australian Nurses’ Federation We welcome the focus on primary health care from a range of health professionals, which means people and their community will have access to health care delivered by the right professional at the right time.

The ANF welcomes recommendations to extend Medicare rebates to relevant diagnostic services and specialist medical services ordered or referred by nurse practitioners and other health professionals, and for the establishment of person-controlled e-health records and better links between health services.

However, the ANF is concerned about the proposed introduction of Medicare Select. We will be looking for more information on this recommendation and all other funding models.

THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 27

s

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Obama’s health reforms stir the hornets nest

Ryan Donnell/SEIU Healthcare

g US President Barack Obama has developed a program for health reform, which aims to deliver affordable, accessible and quality health care for all Americans. His plans have provoked a vicious backlash from an alliance of Republicans, evangelical Christian pastors, insurance companies and right-wing media commentators.

T

he United States has had an outbreak of fevered political activity in recent months: riotous public hall meetings, accusations of fascist government policy and airwaves swamped by political advertising.

The issue that has provoked this radicalism isn’t American intervention in a war or a coup. The polarising issue has been health reform.

Barack Obama campaigned strongly on health reform, including a publiclyfunded insurance option, during his bid for the Presidency and has come up with a program for change that would be seen as modest in other Western countries.

In one swoop, his plan would address the problems of cost, access and quality.

Obama aims to extend health coverage to 45 million Americans currently without any health coverage. His last budget allowed for an extra $634 billion over 10 years to finance this extension. He also wants to create a government-run insurance plan, which he says ‘will keep insurance companies honest’.

thought the plan smacked of socialism but then he changed his mind. It was now leading the US towards fascism, he said.

Influential conservative media outlets and bloggers have peddled the lie that Obama’s plan includes the creation of ‘death panels’: governmental bodies that would cut off care for the critically ill as a cost-cutting measure. These inflammatory views have been given credence by Republican politicians such as Sarah Palin, who have, bizarrely, portrayed health reform as pro-abortion and pro-euthanasia.

An irrational backlash

Town hall meetings organised to debate the reforms have been swamped and disrupted by Republican party activists comparing the Obama administration with the Third Reich and wearing t-shirts saying ‘Hitler made great speeches too’. Meanwhile, private insurance companies have been spending enormous sums on TV advertising, attacking any publicly-financed health insurance option.

A potent alliance of Republicans, evangelical Christian pastors, insurance companies and right-wing media commentators have fuelled a vicious backlash to the Obama plan.

Rush Limbaugh, an Alan Joneslike talkback radio host, said Obama’s proposal for universal healthcare reminded him of the Nazis. Another talkback giant Glenn Beck originally 28 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

‘Influential conservative media outlets and bloggers have peddled the lie that Obama’s plan includes the creation of “death panels”.’

THE UNITED STATES’ MOTLEY HEALTH SYSTEM A moment of opportunity For almost a century, Democratic presidents have tried and failed to provide universal health care to Americans. The last attempt – by Bill Clinton – was buried under a similar onslaught of organised resistance by the health insurance industry and other beneficiaries of the status quo.

What is different this time, despite the frenzied resistance, is the broader coalition of support for reform, including some unlikely allies. One of the most significant changes between Clinton’s attempt at reform and Obama’s is that employers and business groups are now among the strongest supporters of reform.

The American Medical Association has also historically been opposed to reform but it is supporting Obama’s plan.

The United States’ predominantly employment-based health coverage has become a major business burden in the midst of a full-blown economic crisis with health costs continuing to spiral out of control. US health care is the most expensive in the world and the cost of health care continues to soar. In 2008, 16% of GDP was spent on health care (compared to 9% in Australia). Yet an estimated 46 million people are still without coverage.

American nurses stand up to be counted American nurses have been prominent in the pro-reform lobby. Rose Ann DeMoro, Executive Director of the California Nurses’ Association, outlined the nurses’ position on PBS television.

c

Most Americans (59.3%) receive their health insurance coverage through an employer.

c

Less than 9% of the population purchases individual health care insurance.

c

Government programs directly cover 27.8% of the population (83 million).

c

In 2007, 45.7 million people in the US (15.3% of the population) were without health insurance.

The privatised US health system is spiralling out of control c

US health expenditure grew 6.1% to $2.2 trillion in 2007, or $7,421 per person, and accounted for 16.2% of Gross Domestic Product.

c

The health share of GDP is projected to reach 20.3% by 2018 – a poor performer among the developed countries.

More is spent on health care in the United States on a per capita basis than in any other nation in the world yet: c

among OECD nations, the United States ranked third last for the health care of women (after Mexico and Hungary) and fifth last for men;

c

The World Health Organisation ranked the US health care system 37th in overall performance and 72nd by overall level of health (among 191 member nations included in the study);

c

a 2008 report by the Commonwealth fund ranked the United States last in the quality of health care among the 19 compared countries;

c

the US has a higher infant mortality rate than all other developed countries.

‘Every registered nurse in this country advocates for her patient at the bedside,’ she said. ‘She’s the last line of defence for the patients. She fights for the patients against hospital corporations, often putting her own job in jeopardy.

And you can’t fight for your patient without changing the social structure in which that care is delivered. So, registered nurses, organised by us, have become a pretty dramatic force in this country to change the healthcare system.

‘If you look at health care in America, there is no health care system.

There’s a health care industry. The major objective is profit making. Which means not providing the patient all of the care they need, discharging patients early, patients without insurance being treated differently than wealthy people, frankly. And that is the healthcare system in America. Those who can afford it get to live and those who can’t suffer needlessly.’n THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 29

Neil Parekh/SEIU Healthcare 775NW

More than 5,000 people participated in Seattle’s march and rally for Health Care Reform.

s

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Violence in ED g A dramatic increase in patients with mental health problems or drug and alcohol dependence is putting EDs under unprecedented stress, and violence is increasing as a result.

A

lot can happen on a Saturday night at the local Emergency Department. A man may arrive, agitated, and threaten a triage nurse with a long-bladed knife; a disturbed middle-aged woman may rip the NUM’s skirt and kick her in the throat; a police officer may have a face-off in a triage cubicle with a man wielding an axe; or a group of steroid-charged men may use their already-injured friend as a battering ram to skip the emergency queue and charge into the triage area.

Or maybe the most traumatic incident will be a mother’s tears of relief as her daughter’s first asthma attack is brought under control. This is more likely, but anything is possible … all of the incidents mentioned above have happened, too.

The Garling Report states that the number of people using the public health system has surged since 2006. A dramatic increase in elderly patients, as well as adolescents – many of whom present with mental health problems or drug and alcohol dependence – is putting EDs under unprecedented stress, and violence is increasing as a result.

In Australia, only security guards are

more exposed to workplace violence than emergency nurses.

NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes says the Garling Report highlights that we must react to the increasing demands on the health system with new and improved policies to protect the safety of nurses.

Tony Lochead, NUM of the ED at Tweed Hospital, Tweed Heads, is one of many ED nurses worried about increasing violence at work. He formally requested an OHS review of his unit following several serious incidents there.

At the heart of Tony’s concerns is the question of how best to deal with the large number of mentally ill patients presenting at the ED, and how to train ED nurses to deal with potentially violent situations when they arise.

‘It’s important that every person presenting under a presumption of mental illness is assessed for underlying or co-existing physical conditions. We need to acknowledge that the ED has been mandated in NSW at least as the best place for this to occur, but we need adequate provision of physical resources, the availability 24 hours per day of specialist nursing and medical staff and processes for ED skill development,’ said Tony.

‘There is a definite sense of “abandonment”, with unskilled, unsupported ED nurses being left to do all the high-end mental health work.’ Tony Lochead

ZERO TOLERANCE FOR VIOLENT ABUSE Shortly before midnight on Saturday, 8 December 2007, a young man was brought to Bankstown Hospital by three of his steroid-charged friends.

Frustrated by the long queue, the three men used their friend as a battering ram to charge into the Emergency Department’s triage area.

‘The crazed men demolished half the waiting room, wrecked all the 30 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

computers in the clerks’ quarters, and terrorised the patients, visitors and staff,’ said Clive Avery, an RN who was on triage duty that night.

‘It was scary for all involved, and it made us think a lot about our safety.

The ED has been made a lot more secure since then,’ said Clive.

A study in NSW, which included 650

ED nurses, found that all of the nurses surveyed had experienced violence in the workplace. Alarmingly, evidence suggests that only 30% of incidents are reported. With the help of the NSWNA, Clive and his colleagues had the four men charged.

‘It is important to have a zerotolerance policy towards violence,’ said Clive.

violence management training for nurses can reduce the incidence of aggression in EDs by as much as 50%. The NSWNA recommends that five-day courses on duress response and de-escalation methods should be compulsory for all ED

permanent person to the CNC position, plans progressed for the creation of architecturally-designed “secure rooms”, the rollout of four-day training to all staff, and improvements in the number of duress pagers with further duress system

In Australia, only security guards are more exposed to workplace violence than emergency nurses.

‘Everything in the waiting room can be a trigger for psychotic episodes and aggression.’

Barbara Daly

‘The absence of these factors at Tweed Hospital has led to ED nurses having had a “gutful”. There is a definite sense of “abandonment”, with unskilled, unsupported ED nurses being left to do all the high-end mental health work for ever-extending lengths of time and for ever-increasing numbers of patients.’

Emergency Departments in many of the state’s older hospitals are ill-equipped to cater for the specific needs of the mentally ill. Loud noises, bright lights and long waiting times can all cause or aggravate psychoses.

‘Everything in the waiting room can be a trigger for psychotic episodes and aggression,’ said Barbara Daly, NUM of the ED at Prince of Wales Hospital.

‘People try to stay calm but, environmentally, the odds are against them. Even the general public can be abusive, throwing their weight around, demanding their rights and intentionally intimidating our female nurses,’ said Barbara.

Rachel Meek is the acting NUM of the ED at Calvery Mater Hospital, Newcastle. She believes that ED nurses should receive the same violence management and minimisation training as mental health nurses, and this is a position the NSWNA supports.

Evidence suggests that basic one-day

nurses, and OHS expert Trish Butrej says that drug and alcohol and mental health units need to coordinate more with EDs. Tony Lochead reports that improvements have occurred at Tweed Hospital ED since an OHS report was conducted by the NSWNA. ‘The improvements include appointment of a

changes in progress. We are still a long way from being in a position we accept as our minimum standard, and even further away from having the first rural PECC Unit, but with the continued assistance and support of the NSWNA – especially from OHS Officer Trish Butrej – I am confident we will get there.’n

PECCS, TWO YEARS ON n October 2006, The Lamp reported that the opening of four Psychiatric Emergency Care Centres (PECCs) signalled the transformation of mental health nursing in Sydney hospitals.

PECCs are designed to minimise the time mentally ill patients have to wait for an acute mental health bed, and to decrease the risk of violence towards ED nurses. Their success has led to PECCs being opened in five other metropolitan hospitals, and there are plans to establish more in regional hospitals.

Tony Lochead, NUM of the ED at The Tweed Hospital, would like to have a PECC attached to his department.

‘We need to implement measures to ensure that mentally ill patients receive the same level of skill, privacy and compassion as our other patient groups – be those in the resus room or paediatric bays.

Provision of an area with at least three room levels to manage this group and highly-skilled mental health staff are required to improve care. After all, we do not try and

I

resuscitate a neonate with only a wards-person in the primary care room, ’ said Tony.

However, Barbara Daly, NUM of the ED at Prince of Wales Hospital, is disappointed with the lack of communication and co-operation with the PECC there.

‘The access to the PECC at Prince of Wales is skeletal. It only accepts patients who aren’t under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and who aren’t scheduled, but that describes most of the mentally-ill patients presenting in the ED, so we still have to deal with them,’ said Barbara.

PECCS have a policy against admitting patients under the influence of alcohol or drugs because their toxicology must be assessed and stabilised before their psychological state can be established. However, many ED nurses say this policy needs to be more flexible.

‘If a patient is homicidal or suicidal, their psychological condition must take precedence over their toxicology,’ said Rachel Meed, NUM of the ED at Calvery Mater Hospital, Newcastle.

THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 31

s

BUILDING STRONGER COMMUNITIES

Sydney Alliance needs your help g NSWNA members are encouraged to take part in training to help strengthen our local communities.

T

he Sydney Alliance is a citizens’ coalition committed to social change and building stronger communities. In November 2007, 13 organisations came together and committed to funding a vision: to establish stronger relationships between religious organisations, unions and community organisations.

Initial training and leadership programs took place in 2008 and the Alliance now boasts 21 member organisations, including the NSWNA, Arab Council Australia, Jewish Board of Deputies, Wesley Mission, Asian Women at Work and Unions NSW.

32 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

Over the next two years the Alliance is looking to grow the network of organisations involved to ensure that it is geographically, ethnically, religiously and socially representative of Sydney. Its goal is to act for the common good, to achieve social change and build peace in our communities.

NSWNA is encouraging members to take part in the Alliance’s upcoming training programs. You don’t have to be involved as a union official – all you need is an

interest in and commitment to building relationships with members of Sydney’s diverse communities.

The next two-day training takes place on Sunday 15 and Sunday 22 November and provides an introduction to community organising techniques used by the Sydney Alliance.

There will also be training for people committed to understanding the craft of community organising and who want to play a key role in leading the activities of the Alliance inside their organisation and acting as a bridge between the member organisations.

Contact Rita Martin on 8595 1234 or email rmartin@ nswnurses.asn.au if you’d like to take part.

More information about the Sydney Alliance can be found online at www.sydneyalliance.org.aun

s

Q & A

ASK

JUDITH

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

Moving up the incremental scale I am an RN employed permanent parttime in a public hospital. I work about four shifts per week. I have been paid as a third-year RN for two years. How many hours do I need to work to move up the incremental scale?

To move up the incremental scale you need to complete 1,982 hours for each year on the scale. All paid leave is accounted for when tallying up hours worked. If you believe that you are not receiving the correct rate you should ask your pay office to recalculate your hours for any errors.

Nurses in the private sector must complete 1,976 hours for each year of the incremental scale, which also includes all paid leave taken.

Good advice for all nurses is to keep a diary specifically for work, and record all hours worked, leave taken etc, along with your pay slips. This can be extremely valuable in resolving disputes with your pay office if there is a discrepancy over hours worked, or leave balances.

Non-work injuries I am an enrolled nurse working in the public hospital system and have sustained a non-work related injury to my back. I now have a permanent impairment that affects what I can

do at work. My doctor has advised against some duties and suggested minor alterations to my workspace.

Even though my injury wasn’t work related, do I still have any rights?

Yes, you do. The health system employs all sorts of people with impairments and disabilities who make a valuable contribution to nursing. Management should still follow the rule of ‘reasonable adjustment’. This means that if adjusting the workplace or work practice won’t unreasonably affect other staff or patient care then, in fairness, management should make the adjustment. NSW Health has a policy Employment of People with Disabilities in DoH, AHS’ and Public Hospitals (PD2005_032) that is relevant to you and other nurses in a similar situation. It details ‘reasonable adjustment’ further and is a great resource.

Cutting contract hours I am a permanent part-time RN working in a nursing home.

Management have cut my rostered contract hours. They say that because of their economic situation, they have to reduce staff hours. Can they do this?

No, they cannot. If you have a permanent, ongoing contract of employment for a set number of hours, management cannot cut your hours below the contracted hours without your consent. However, if you are working above your contracted hours,

management can reduce your hours back to what your contract provides. This applies to all members, whether you work in the public, private or charitable sector.

Overtime shifts I work in a public hospital and was rostered to work the afternoon shift and then the morning shift. During my afternoon shift my NUM asked me to stay back and do the night duty instead of the morning shift so she wouldn’t have to pay me overtime.

Can she do this?

Clause 25(ii)(a) of the Public System Nurses and Midwives (State) Award states: ‘All time worked by employees in excess of the rostered daily ordinary hours of work shall be overtime’.

Therefore, the night duty shift should be paid at overtime rates, because you are working beyond your rostered shift for that day. Clause 25(ix) also states that you are allowed a minimum of 10 hours off duty without loss of pay between the end of your overtime shift and the start of your next rostered shift. This means you need to be paid for your rostered morning shift at the base rate. Depending on when the overtime finished, you may have to come in and work the end of the shift after you have had a 10-hour break.

You do not have to agree to ‘swap’ your rostered shift for an overtime shift.n

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THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 35

s

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

NSWNA Branch News

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

Sydney Hospital members rallied for affordable car parking.

Members at a QACAG central coast meeting this month.

Ann Ausburn CNS and Delegate from Sydney Eye Hospital stood in front of her photo on the backdrop at the annual conference.

NSWNA Organising Works Trainee Lucy Fu attended the Royal North Shore Hospital orientation day in late July and signed up new members.

Photo courtesy Cooma Monaro Express.

Wendy Chapman CNS, Branch President Cooma Hospital, spoke out on 31 July against proposed job cuts to Cooma Community Health. The NSWNA branch held a rally in the main street of Cooma along with allied health staff including psychologists, physiotherapists and women’s health staff.

36 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

NSWNA Organisers Jay Davis (left) and Holly Rebeiro (right) handed out ‘Time to Deliver’ aged care postcards at the ALP national conference.

C O M P E T I T I O N

Courtesy of Port Macquarie Newspaper.

Not happy: Port Macquarie Base Hospital staff and NSWNA organisers vented their anger at proposed staff changes at a rally.

WIN! ONE OF 12

FABULOUS BOOK PACKS The Lamp is giving 12 members the chance to win a fabulous pack of four newly released books published by Hachette Australia.

SMALL MIRACLES

by Rachel Stanfield-Porter Small Miracles is a landmark Australian self-help book offering practical counselling and inspiring consolation for anyone coping with the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, and related issues such as infertility.

A PASSION FOR LIVING

by Alexander Stobbs The inspiring and life-enhancing memoir of an 18-year-old cystic fibrosis sufferer.

Alex is a musical prodigy and has won numerous awards for his performances, which would be extraordinary for any boy of his age, but in one with a particularly serious form of cystic fibrosis, it is humbling. On a daily cocktail of drugs, Alex lives from goal to goal, determined not to let his disability hold him back.

Members of Wontama Branch had a stall in the Orange shopping centre: (left to right) Sharon Cowan, Marilyn Wells, Alison Ford, Anne-Maree Kerr, Cherylene Alderson, Siobhan Burns.

SMASH CUT by Sandra Brown Photo by Darryl Fernance courtesy of the Goulburn Post.

The International Thriller Writer’s Association named Sandra Brown the Thriller Master of 2008.

When a prominent Atlanta businessman is shot and killed during an armed robbery, it appears to be a situation of wrong place, wrong time, but his friend Julie Rutledge believes differently and sets out to prove it was murder, orchestrated by the victim’s nephew.

ONE DAY by David Nicholls Forget Harry met Sally, forget Courtney and Kurt, Ange and Brad …

Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation.

Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.

So, where will they be on this one day next year? And every year that follows?

Twenty years, two people, One Day. To enter this month’s competition, simply write your name, address and membership number on the back of an envelope and send it to: Hachette Books Competition PO Box 40, Camperdown NSW 1450

Goulburn Base Hospital Director of Nursing and NSWNA member Judy Lyall raised money for the Goulburn Hospital Foundation by participating in a ’Dancing with the Starz’ fundraiser.

Competition closes 30 September 2009.

For more books by Hachette Australia go to www.hachette.com.au THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 37

s

L I F E S T Y L E

OUR REVIEWERS & TIPSTERS RECEIVE A DELIGHTFUL

ABC CLASSICS CD

FOR UPLIFTING ENJOYMENT!

Looking for Eric g It all began with a beautiful pass from Eric Cantona, football hero and poster boy extraordinaire!

E

ric (Steve Evets) the postman is falling apart. His wife is gone, his stepsons are out of control and the house is chaotic, even before a cement mixer appeared in the front yard. Life is crazy enough, but it is Eric’s own secret that is driving him to the brink. How can he face up to Lily (Stephanie Bishop), the woman of his dreams whom he once loved and walked out on many years ago? Despite the comical efforts and misplaced goodwill of his mates, Eric continues to sink.

After Lily, Eric had married Chrissie.

To the marriage Chrissie brought Ryan and Jess, her two sons from different relationships. When she left Eric, she left them as well. Eric is depressed, frustrated and powerless to control Ryan and Jess and his own life as well.

Meatballs (John Renshaw), the selfstyled leader of the postmen, decides to take action. The posties head round to Eric’s house on the outskirts of 38 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

Manchester to try and help him get his confidence back. All the lads are lifelong Manchester United fans and tell Eric he needs to find someone to trust and be able to talk through his problems. So Eric turns to his all-time hero, footballing genius, Eric Cantona.

Eric has a spliff – and chats to his life-sized poster of Eric Cantona. It might be the weed, but Cantona appears in Eric’s room with typically gnomic advice.

With Cantona by his side, or at least in his head, Eric plucks up the courage to see Lily and over a few weeks they begin to build a relationship while they share baby-sitting duties of their daughter’s son Sam (Lucy-Jo Hudson).

Meanwhile, Eric’s eldest stepson Ryan is getting into trouble. Zac, a local thug, is controlling him and just when it looks as if Eric and Lily might be getting somewhere, Eric is forced to lie to her to protect Ryan.

What little trust she has in him dissolves.

Eric is ashamed and isolated.

Eric needs to get Zac to leave Ryan

Gifts so good, you won’t want to give them away.

There is an ABC Shop near you. For locations visit abcshop.com.au or call 1300 360 111.

Ask about our rewards program.

Review by Stephanie Gray, RN, Australian Red Cross Blood Service

alone and to get Lily to believe in him again. But he can only do that, Cantona suggests, by trusting in his mates and asking for help. Meatballs and the boys hatch a plan to hit Zac where it hurts. The plan is: OPERATION CANTONA. The movie is about friendship and coming to terms with who you are. It’s a film against individualism: we’re stronger as a gang of mates than on our own. It’s about the solidarity of friends epitomised in a crowd of football supporters.

The special moments and the sage advice given between Eric and Eric Cantona are just magic. Also, one of the best scenes is when the lads are putting Operation Cantona into action against Zac. It isn’t just funny, it shows that friendship and teamwork triumph.n Looking for Eric opens on 24 September.

GIVEAWAYS

FOR NSWNA MEMBERS

FOR NSWNA MEMBERS

Valentino: The Last Emperor g Valentino: The Last Emperor is an engaging documentary about the legendary designer.

T

he focus of this documentary is the closing stages of this man’s extraordinary career.

It reveals how Valentino began, how the world of fashion has changed over the decades, and how difficult it was for him to retire.

Valentino began his career as a designer because, as he says, ‘... it is the only thing I am any good at’.

Inspired by the American silver screen, his designs were glamorous.

Wealthy, powerful women became his clients in the 1960s: most notably, Jacqueline Kennedy. This was the watershed of his career; suddenly his business grew beyond belief. He won international respect and was immediately flanked by celebrities and film stars.

This documentary allows us as the audience to gain some insight into the fashion world. It reveals what is involved, from Valentino sketching a dress on a piece of paper, to seeing it worn by a model parading down a catwalk. The process is tedious and arduous; Valentino’s eccentricities and artistic temperament make it even more challenging. The result is, though, in Valentino’s own words, ‘astonishing’.

There were difficulties in the beginning until he met his partner in life and in business – Giancario Giammetti.

Together they created the empire of Valentino. Their private and professional relationship is at times very dysfunctional.

Review by Meg Collins, RN, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Charlie McFarland (Paul Hogan) suffers a devastating loss and withdraws into his grief. Charlie’s youngest son, Boots (Shane Jacobson) decides something needs to be done and it is up to him to do it. Boots convinces his reluctant father to go on a fishing trip, but later confesses that the fish are off the top of Australia at Cape York – 3,000 miles away! The resulting trip takes the two on an adventure across some of the most beautiful locations in Australia. As they get closer to their destination, old wounds are reopened and family secrets exposed. Charlie & Boots is a celebration of a father and son’s relationship, a heartfelt and emotional comedy. www.charlieandboots.com

ONLY AT THE MOVES FROM 3 SEPTEMBER

However, the love and mutual respect between these two men is undeniable.

I would recommend this film – for those of us who have an interest in fashion.

You will not be able to stop giggling throughout. The models are stunningly gaunt and look like they haven’t eaten a meal for two years. There are only beautiful people or people who have consulted a plastic surgeon in this film. And, of course, there are the dresses. Enjoy.n Valentino opens on 17 September.

We are seeking closet film buffs to share with other nurses their views on the movies they love and hate. It’s a chance to see previews of next month’s new releases.

Please contact us with expressions of interest to be part of our movie review team. Call Editorial Enquiries now on 02 8595 1219 or email lamp@nswnurses.asn.au

BLESSED During the course of one day and night, seven children wander the streets in an urban odyssey. But not all of them will find their way home.

Dawn breaks, and it’s the same day but now we experience the viewpoint of the five mothers. Over the course of their respective journeys we understand that they are as lost and defenceless as the children they care for. Blessed is a film about mothers and children, about love and beauty, about being lost and finding your way home.

Blessed opens on 10 September The Lamp has 25 double passes to Blessed, Looking for Eric and Valentino, and 15 double passes to Charlie & Boots.

To enter, email lamp@nswnurses. asn.au with your name, membership number, address and contact number. First entries win!

THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 39

© Charlie and Boots Holding Pty Ltd, Screen Australia, The Premium Movie Partnership and Film Victoria 2009. All Rights Reserved

CHARLIE & BOOTS

London roles – Interviewing NOW Hays Healthcare, the UK’s largest specialist recruitment consultancy is working in partnership with Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK and among the largest in Europe, to recruit qualified nursing professionals for its Hospital located in the exclusive area of Chelsea in West London.

Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust offers the chance to work with many of the world’s leading cardio respiratory experts providing cutting edge and complex care and treatment. To achieve this it places great emphasis on continuing education and professional development.

We are looking for Nurses specialising in: • Theatres • High Dependency Unit • Paediatrics

• Cardiothoracic • Critical Care

These are fantastic opportunities offering job security, competitive salaries and great benefits. Interviews are being held over the next few months for successful candidates and sponsorship is available.* An information session is being held 8th September 2009 in Sydney. The session includes a group presentation and personal consultations. If you are considering a UK working experience within the next 12 months contact your consultant NOW for further information and to secure your place: Caroline Morfoot-Pettit T 02 8226 9770 E caroline.morfoot-pettit@hays.com.au

*Conditions apply

Specialist Recruitment hays.com.au

Nursing in the UK – Free flights Hays Healthcare, the UK’s largest specialist recruitment consultancy is working in partnership with Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest general hospital trusts in the UK to recruit qualified nursing professionals for permanent positions in: • General Surgical • General Medical

• Theatres (scrub and scout) • Theatres (anaesthetic and recovery)

Berkshire is surrounded by picturesque countryside and within easy reach of London and many European destinations. Whilst working through Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, you will benefit from a competitive salary, free flights* and accommodation assistance including the first month’s rent paid.* Your dedicated Hays Healthcare consultant will advise and support you through every step of the relocation process, making it easy and worry free. Interviews are being held over the next few months for successful candidates offering job security before you leave home.

Sponsorship is available.* An information session is being held 8th September 2009 in Sydney. The session includes a group presentation and personal consultations. If you are considering a UK working experience within the next 12 months contact your consultant NOW for further information and to secure your place: Caroline Morfoot-Pettit T 02 8226 9770 E caroline.morfoot-pettit@hays.com.au

40 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

Specialist Recruitment hays.com.au

*Conditions apply

s

O B I T U A R Y

Valuable contributions to nursing WINIFRED BULLÔT SMITH OAM 7 OCTOBER 1921 – 7 MARCH 2009

W

in died in Bowral, NSW, after several years of declining health.

Win became known throughout NSW and beyond for her nursing skills, her dedication to nurse education and her contribution to the College of Nursing.

She grew up in Sydney. Her early years were spent at Haberfield and later the family moved to Roseville.

Win commenced her nursing training at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children – the ‘Kids’ Hospital – Camperdown, in October 1939. Following midwifery training at Crown St Women’s Hospital and mothercraft at Karitane Training Centre at Woollahra, she travelled to New Zealand for further experience.

After several years back at Camperdown, Win travelled to England where she gained the Premature Baby Certificate at Sorrento Maternity Hospital, Birmingham.

Win returned to Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in the early ’50s, working in Yaralla Ward and remodeling the Diet Kitchen, before completing her Diploma of Nursing Education, a two-year course at the NSW College of Nursing, in 1958.

In 1958 she was appointed Head of the School of Nursing where she remained until 1973.

Win was instrumental in developing

two post-basic certificate courses in Paediatric Nursing, and implemented a 12-month program for enrolled nurses.

With Yvonne Lew, her deputy, Win wrote the standard nursing text still in use in NSW, Nursing Care of the Patient. She also wrote a text for Enrolled Nurses.

Win was totally involved in the extra curricular activities of the Children’s Hospital, which included the regular staff revue and the Inter-Hospital Swimming Carnival held annually.

During these years in Sydney, her love of horses from childhood continued, and at weekends she was off to Bowral where her horses were stabled. Win was involved in the Bowral Show Society, both as a competitor and a steward, and the Berrima District Pony Club where she spent much time teaching young riders.

She became a life member of both the Show Society and the Pony Club.

It was a natural consequence that in 1973 she moved to Bowral where she became the Deputy Matron of Bowral District Hospital. Again, Win quickly became involved in the hospital’s activities, life in the local community and nurse education in the Illawarra.

Locally, Win became involved in Cross Country Eventing, the Berrima District Historical and Family History Society, Moss Vale and District Agricultural, Horticultural and Industrial Society, the Bowral Branch of the NSW Hospital Auxiliaries where

she was treasurer for many years, and a member of the selection committee of the Hospital’s Centenary Scholarship. The United Hospital’s Association of NSW and ACT awarded Win life membership.

In 1979, Win was seconded to the Wollongong College of Advanced Education to develop a nurse education curriculum that was acceptable to the Board of Studies and the Nurses’ Registration Board of NSW. This became the first hospital-based, co-operative nurse education involving a higher education tertiary facility. Win was appointed to the Council of the University and in 1997 was honoured with a Fellowship of the University. She was also presented with the Bowral and District Hospital Medal.

In honour of the 100-year anniversary of the hospital, Win published Blessed Are They, The Story of the Bowral and District Hospital.

Win retired in 1986 and shortly afterwards was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her contribution to nursing.

Win’s life was celebrated at the Uniting Church of Bowral on Wednesday, 18 March 2009, in the presence of members of her family and her many nursing colleagues and friends.

A much-loved friend is honoured and mourned by many.n

By Meryl Caldwell-Smith AM

Join and refer your friends to Australia’s leading Nursing Agency and receive up to $450 Immediate and exible work available now in Acute care, Aged, Home and Community Care.

Book your shifts online at your convenience.

Sydney, Parramatta, Newcastle and Canberra.

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&ORVJSJFT CZ EBZ OJHIUT PS XFFLFOET PS CZ QIPOF GBY PS FNBJM JG UIBU TVJUT ZPV "EWJDF CBTFE PO PDDVQBUJPOBM SVMJOHT -PDBUJPO o 3BOEXJDL %FSFL 3ZEFS JT B $1" 1SBDUJDF

t UBY !CJHQPOE DPN BV -JDFOTFE 5BY "HFOU THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 41

LIONS NURSES’SCHOLARSHIP

Looking for funding to further your studies

in 2010?

The trustees of the Lions Nurses’ Scholarship Foundation invite applications for scholarships for 2010.

Nurses eligible for these scholarships must be resident and employed within the State of NSW or ACT. You must be registered or enrolled with either the NSW Nurses and Midwives Board or regulatory authority of the ACT, and must have a minimum of three years’ experience in the nursing profession in NSW or the ACT. Applicants must also be able to produce evidence that your employer will grant leave for the required period of the scholarship.

Details of eligibility and the scholarships available (which include study projects either within Australia or overseas), and application forms are available from: The Honourary Secretary, Lions Nurses’ Scholarship Foundation 43 Australia Street, Camperdown NSW 1450 or contact Ms Glen Ginty on 1300 367 962 or gginty@nswnurses.asn.au www.nswnurses.asn.au Completed applications must be in the hands of the secretary no later than 28 November 2009.

Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery

Staff awards Student rewards Here in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Sydney we take pride in enabling our students to experience great opportunities for learning within a stimulating and supportive environment. Central to this experience are our excellent academic staff, many of whom are renowned both nationally and internationally and who bring expertise and innovation to our research and teaching capacities. They include recent appointments of Professor Mary Chiarella, Professor Sally Tracy and Associate Professor Donna Waters.

We congratulate four of our academic staff who recently won prestigious awards for learning and teaching.

Associate Professor Maureen Boughton, Lynne Brown and Lesley Halliday were recognised with Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. They were recognised for their work with our students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including the many international students we attract to our programs.

Associate Professor Sandra West was awarded the University of Sydney’s Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Supervision. These annual awards for Learning and Teaching recognise outstanding achievements by University faculties, groups and individuals in teaching and research supervision.

The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery programs prepare students for leadership in clinical practice, research, teaching and administration. Students have the opportunity to study from pre-registration level right through to the Doctor of Philosophy. Staff awards are student rewards.

Contact us for more information: Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mallett Street, Camperdown Telephone: +61 2 9351 0693 Email: info@nursing.usyd.edu.au

www.nursing.usyd.edu.au

42 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

CRICOS provider No. 00026A H25069 CRICOS provider No. 00026A H24627

s

B O O K S

WHERE TO GET THIS MONTH’S NEW RELEASES

Book me Women’s Health: A Guide to Health Promotion and Disorder Management

by Springhouse Publishing Company Staff, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, RRP £29.50 : ISBN 9781582552828 Women’s Health: A Guide to Health Promotion and Disorder Management equips nurses with the knowledge they need to provide comprehensive, current, evidence-based care to women at all stages of life. This thorough guide to health promotion and disease management focuses on strategies for maintaining health and preventing disease across the lifespan.

Nurse’s Rapid Reference (1st edition)

by Springhouse, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, RRP £28.95 : ISBN 9780781787420 Nurse’s Rapid Reference is a handbook that every practising nurse needs to competently perform everyday nursing skills with ease and confidence.

Organised and designed for quick reference, the book presents the most important information on 125 diseases, 48 treatments, 48 diagnostic tests, 42 procedures, 75 signs and symptoms, and 75 drugs. It features tabs that help nurses in various clinical settings to find what they’re looking for.

Health Promotion Strategies and Methods (2nd edition)

Key Concepts in Public Health

by Garry Egger, Ross Stark and Rob Donovan, McGraw-Hill Australia, RRP £21.99: ISBN 0074715003 Health Promotion Strategies and Methods (2nd edition) conveys the key principles and processes of health promotion to enable the practitioner to select, plan and implement effective programs for the promotion of better health for any issue, group or location. It also clearly explains the differences in individual, group and mass population approaches to health intervention and prevention programs.

edited by Frances Wilson and Mzwandile Mabhala, Sage Publications (available for purchase from Footprint Books), RRP $41.95 ISBN 9781412948807 Key Concepts in Public Health is an ideal guide for individuals new to the public health field and for those who have minimal knowledge of public health concepts, theories, principles and domains. This text can support programmes of study, or readers may use the book as a reference point, for supplementary reading or to provide an introduction to a specific concept.

S P E C I A L

I N T E R E S T

T I T L E

Our Little Messenger ‘Lou’: To Love Rather Than to be Loved A true story by Pat Rich, purchase details email: patrich@internode.on.net : ISBN 9780980393514 In this amazing, honest book, the reader can see the doubts, the fears, the frustrations, the tears, but always the labour of love that warms the heart as little Lou responded to love in a household where faith preceded all else. While initially this story brought tears to my eyes, I couldn’t escape the fact that this story is about the victory Lou’s short life brought in the immeasurable joy and reward to those who loved her. This is undeniably a beautifully told story that should be a must-read for any person caring for a child with an incurable, unpleasant illness.

These books are all available on order through the publisher or your local bookshop. Members of the NSWNA can borrow any of these books and more from our Records and Information Centre.

For borrowing information, contact Jeannette Bromfield, 8595 2175, jbromfield@nswnurses.asn.au or Cathy Matias, 8595 2121, cmatias@nswnurses.asn.au Reviews by NSWNA librarian, Jeannette Bromfield

Westmead Anaesthetic Manual (3rd edition)

by Anthony P. Padley, McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd, RRP £36.99: ISBN 9780070159204 The Westmead Anaesthetic Manual is a guide to everyday anaesthetic practice. It provides information about the practices and the management of anaesthesia as well as including coverage of commonly used drugs, management of life-threatening emergencies, and techniques. An erratum for Westmead Anaesthetic Manual, 3rd Edition has been released that identifies three errors relating to dosages as follows: Erratum – Westmead Anaesthetic Manual page 120, line 23 Regarding cerebral aneurysm clipping, a bolus of remifentanil 40 A g/ kg is suggested to blunt the hypertensive response to intubation. This dose is incorrect and dangerous. Page 122, line 23 regarding triple H therapy for cerebral vasospasm, line should read hypertension to systolic BP of 120-150 mmHg, not MAP. Page 278, line 25 regarding the management of raised intracranial pressure, the dose of dexamethasone is 16mg not 16g.n

P U B L I S H E R S Mosby Elsevier Australia: www.us.elsevierhealth.com Lippincott Williams and Wilkins: www.lww.com McGraw-Hill Australia: www.mcgraw-hill.com.au Sage Publications: www.uk.sagepub.com/home.nav Footprint Books: www.footprint.com.au THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 43

44 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

s

N U R S I N G O N L I N E

Reviewing the Commission’s report on Australian health he National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission released a landmark report on the future of the Australian health system in late July.

T

Health Reform Commission Life Matters, ABC Radio National, 28 July 2009 Australia’s health system will undergo dramatic change if the recommendations of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission are implemented.

The Commission has recommended an enhanced role for the Federal Government in the delivery of health care. Nonetheless, the states will retain responsibility for in-patient hospital care. A major focus of the report is Federal funding of primary and preventive health to reduce the rate of chronic disease. In future, hospitals will be only for the very ill and the family GP will be a thing of the past.

Guests include Dr Stephen Duckett, CEO, Alberta Health Services and Commissioner, National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, and Tony McBride, Chair Australian Healthcare Reform Alliance. c www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/

stories/2009/2637912.htm

John Menadue’s advice for Rudd and Roxon on health reform 31 July 2009 John Menadue was not overly optimistic about the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission report before its release, as he wrote a week before the release: c www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/24/

menadue-we-need-more-thanclayton%E2%80%99s-health-reform/

Now that he’s had a chance to read the report, here is his assessment: c http://blogs.crikey.com.au/

croakey/2009/07/31/johnmenadues-advice-for-rudd-androxon-on-health-reform/

Rudd’s stab at the pain barrier Ross Gittins, Sydney Morning Herald, 29 July 2009 Is this it? Kevin Rudd has unveiled the long-awaited report of the health reform commission and is sounding like he may accept the recommendations he says are ‘the most substantial reform to the structure of our health and hospitals system since the establishment of Medicare’. Are we on the cusp of achieving the big improvements in health care most of us have long believed necessary? c www.smh.com.au/opinion/rudds-

stab-at-the-pain-barrier-20090728dzzu.html?page=-1

Health system needs a bigger dose of reform Ben Eltham, New Matilda, 3 August 2009 The Reform Commission’s report does an admirable but limited job of trying to address these issues. It rightly argues Australia must do much better in terms of primary care and prevention – in helping people get treatment before they have to enter a tertiary hospital – and in ensuring more of us stay healthy enough that we don’t need to see a doctor in the first place.

But the report’s recommendations are also complex, piecemeal and evolutionary, disappointing many health policy experts who believe the report hasn’t gone nearly far enough.

One of the biggest criticisms of the report is that it fails to bite the bullet on a single system for public hospitals. As John Dwyer has argued, a single system, ideally run by the Commonwealth, is the ‘holy grail’ of Australian hospital reforms.

But the NHHRC was not brave enough to recommend it.

The Centre for Policy Development’s John Menadue, perhaps one of the most knowledgeable people in the country on health reform issues, also argues the report does not go far enough. Menadue thinks the report is ‘strong on specifics and incremental change, but does not espouse a clear health strategy based on a consensus of public values’, and is ‘timid on the question of workforce reform’. By ‘workplace reform’, he means the need to address the power of doctors, who enjoy all sorts of legislated monopolies but who also suffer through working conditions straight out of the 19th century (as anyone who knows a junior doctor in a hospital will tell you). c http://newmatilda.

com/2009/08/03/health-systemneeds-bigger-dose-reform

Health reform blueprint for all Australians?

Bush Telegraph, ABC Radio National, 28 July 2009 The Rudd Government will now spend six months talking to all concerned before trying to implement some of the recommendations on health reform released yesterday. So what’s in this blueprint for those of us living outside our cities?

The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission report is called A Healthier Future for All Australians and the Rural Health Alliance says that despite its model for health governance being rejected, it is hopeful the recommendations will result in better outcomes in our towns and regions.

Guests include Dr Jenny May, Chair of the National Rural Health Alliance, and a GP based in Tamworth, NSW. c www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/

content/2009/s2638669.htm The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission report can be accessed at c www.nhhrc.org.aun THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 45

Be part of the effort to improve Indigenous health “Being accepted as part of the local community was the highlight of my experience. I would go back there in the blink of an eye if I could; the people were amazing and so inspiring.�

Mary, Registered Nurse and RAHC Participant.

We need registered nurses to ďŹ ll short-term placements in remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. Placements are paid and from as little as three weeks.

J-LAMP – 08/09

Get involved. Call 1300 MYRAHC or visit rahc.com.au

Funded by the Australian Government

The College of Nursing creating nursing’s future

Your career, your future, your College s 2. AND %. SPECIALTY COURSES s 'RADUATE CERTIlCATE SINGLE SUBJECT OR SHORT COURSES s #USTOMISED AND COLLABORATIVE EDUCATION SERVICES s #ERTIlCATE )6 IN 4RAINING AND !SSESSMENT s %. $IPLOMA 5PGRADE

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Call NOW 1800 265 534 46 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

www.nursing.edu.au

CRoSSWoRD Test your knowledge in this month’s nursing crossword.

1

2

3

4

7

8

5

6

9

10 11

12 13

14 15 17

16

18 19

21

20

22 23

25

24

26

27

s

ACROSS

1.

5.

7.

Allergic reaction (11) Child (3) Muscle separating the thorax and the abdomen (9) Water from the eyes (5) Compound found in wheat foods that some are sensitive to (6) Chronic inflammation of the lungs (6) Mix, blend (4) Bone at the base of the skull (8) Addictive substance in cigarettes (8) Cleans (6)

8.

11.

13.

14.

15.

17.

19.

28

21. People who are sensitive to 11 Across have this disease (7) 25. ‘Hepatic’ relates to this organ (5) 26. Specialty dealing with the nervous system (9) 27. Waxy steroid in the blood plasma (11) 28. Egg of a louse (3) s

DOWN

1.

2.

3.

4.

6.

Dependence on a substance (9) Pain reliever (9) Chest pain (6) Be seated (3) Suffers from an impairment that

9.

10.

12.

15.

16.

18.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

26.

limits activity (8) Inspect, observe (8) Group, set (5) Causing death (8) Observe (3) Frozen water (3) Grease (3) An illegal addictive drug (6) Incessant crying in babies (5) Intensive care, abbrev (1.1.1.)

Heat water to 100 degrees (4) Sac (4) Insect of pediculosis (3)

Solution page 49 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 47

NSWNA

DIARY DATES Conferences, seminars, meetings SYDNEY, HUNTER & ILLAWARRA History Council of NSW: Researching the Dark Side of Nursing & Health Care Display 8 & 11 Sept, 10am–4pm, Faculty of Nursing, Mallet Street, Camperdown.

Contact: Noeline Kyle, 0403 868 051, nkyle@nursing.usyd.edu.au The NSW Enrolled Nurse Professional Association Conf. 2009 17–18 September, Bomaderry NSW Contact: 1300 554 249 2009 APNA Best Practice Awards Australian Practice Nurses Association.

Nominations close 5pm, 25 September.

Contact: www.apna.asn.au Symposium for Nurses & Midwives in Non-Mental Health Care Settings & 35th International Conf. of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses 29 Sept – 2 Oct, Sheraton on the Park, Syd. Conf. program & registration: (07) 5528 2501, acmhn09@astmanagement.com.au, www.astmanagement.com.au/acmhn9 Vascular 09 ‘Innovation in Intervention’ 1–4 October, Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney Info: www.vascular2009.com 2009 AusMed Young NSW Nurses’ Conference 16–17 Oct, Young Services Club, Young Registration $438.90 Contact: www.ausmed.com.au A.C.A.T Nurses Meeting 20 October, 1–3 pm, 2A/2B Conf. Room Bankstown Hospital.

48 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

Contact: Wendy Oliver, 9722 7236, wendy.oliver@sswahs.nsw.gov.au 2009 Australian College of Nurse Practitioners Conference 28–30 October, Sydney Convention Centre Contact: (03) 6231 2999, anna@cdesign. com.au, www.cdesign.com.au/acnp2009 NSW Lactation College – Annual State Conference 30–31 Oct, Vibe Hotel, Goulburn St, Syd. Contact: Lynne Hall, halls4@bigpond. net.au, www.lactation.org.au John Hunter Hospital – Staff Health Professional Day 20 Nov, 8.30am–4pm, John Hunter Hosp, Newcastle. Cost: free, lunch provided Contact: Staff Health Unit, 4921 3501/ Leonie Crowder, leonie.crowder@ hnehealth.nsw.gov.au St Vincent’s & Mater Health Sydney Nursing Research Symposium 2009 "Phoenix Rising: Nursing Research At SV & MHS Back On The Agenda" 26 Nov, St Vincent’s Clinic Function Room, 438 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst Contact: Liz McInness, 9739 2528, prfsm.research@acu.edu.au INTERSTATE AND OVERSEAS Council of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Nurses 10th National Conf.

10–12 September, Mercure Grosvenor Hotel, Adelaide. Contact: (03) 5886 0505 Parkinson’s Disease Seminar 14 Sept, Education Block, Westmead Hosp.

Contact:Katherine Schaffarczyk 9845 5555, page 09134, Katherine_ Schaffarczyk@wsahs.nsw.gov.au

Australian College of Midwives 16th Biennial Conference ’Women & Midwives – A Brilliant Blend’ 22–25 Sept, Adelaide Convention Ctr SA. Contact: www.acmi.org.au Anzona 4th International Orthopaedic Conference – ’You Break It – We Fix It’ 21–23 Oct, Stamford Grand Htl Glenelg, SA Contact: www.anzona.net International Conf. on Cultural Connections for Quality Care at the End of Life 24–28 September, Perth WA. Contact: www.pallcare.org.au 14th Australasian Nurse Educators Conference 2009 in New Zealand 30 September – 2 October, Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch, NZ Contact: www.nursed.ac.nz ANZICS/ACCCN Annual Scientific Meeting 29-31 Oct, Perth Convention & Exhibition Ctr Contact: info@intensivecareasm.com.au

Branch Officials’ and Activists’ Training Program

2009 New Delegates Program Half day, 1pm–4pm for new delegates Tue 15 Sept, NSWNA Camperdown

Negotiation & Advocacy Part 1 Wed 16 September /18 November, NSWNA Camperdown, 9am–4pm for branch officials and activists (1 day).

Negotiation & Advocacy Part 2 ‘The IRC, NMB and You’ Wed 16 September /18 November, NSWNA Camperdown, 9am-4pm (1 day).

Target group: those who have completed the Negotiation and Advocacy workshop in 2008 or Part 1 in 2008.

Reunions RPA Hospital PTS Group July 1962 26 September, Tattersalls Sydney Contact: Rosemary Cuneo, rjohno@ bigpond.net.au Royal Prince Alfred PTS 1977 Reunion PTS Jan 1977, October long weekend, Camperdown VTA. Contact: Judy (Mather) Massey, 0418 402 934, Jamass1@tpg.com.au/ Sue-Anne SAM Mills, sueanne@bigpond.net.au CJ Cummins (Psychiatric) unit of RNSH Second annual reunion.

10 October, 2pm, the Kirribilli Club, 11 Harbourview Crescent, Lavender Bay

Full details will be sent to branches via General Secretary Circulars.

For more information contact Vicki Anderson at the NSWNA. Metro (02) 8595 1234 • Rural 1300 367 962 Contact:Evelyn Kelly, 9817 7421 / 0411 331 023, gladesville@yahoo.com.au Marrickville District Hospital Reunion For All Ex-Trainees & Staff 17 October, 2pm, Masonic Club (NSW) 169 Castlereagh Street, Sydney Contact: Evelyn Kelly, 9817 7421/0411 331 023, Gladesville@yahoo.com.au

Diary Dates Diary Dates is a free service for members. Please send diary date details, in the same format used here – event, date, venue, contact details, via email, fax, mail and the web before the 5th of the month prior, for example: 5th of May for June Lamp.

Send information to: Editorial Enquiries Email: lamp@nswnurses.asn.au Fax: 9550 3667 PO Box 40 Camperdown NSW 1450 Please double-check all information sent is correct. The Lamp cannot guarantee that the issue will always be mailed in time for the listed event.

St George Hospital Kogarah Reunion 17 October, St George Leagues Club Contact: Jan Robson, 9570 5517/ Judith Cornell, jcornell@netspace.net.au Mater Graduate Nurses’ Association Annual Reunion Mass & Lunch 18 Oct. Mass 11.45am, ’Our Lady Star of the Sea’ Kirribilli. Lunch 1pm, Vibe Hotel, Milsons Point. Cost: $50 pp (before 31 Aug)/ $55 pp (after). RSVP by 11 Sept.

Contact: Jillian O’Brien, 9900 7549, matergrads@matersydney.com.au Wallsend District Hospital Reunion 31 October.

Contact. Margaret White, 0431 042 849 RAHC Graduate Nurses’ Reunion 31 October, Le Montage Leichhardt All PTS years, RSVP by 24 October Contact: Helen Bytheway, 9550 0518, helenb1@chw.edu.au Prince Henry Hosp. 1969 Graduates 40 Year Reunion 31 October, Prince Henry Hospital.

Contact: margaret.piggott@gwahs. health.nsw.gov.au, 6847 2091 (AH) Wollongong Hosp. Grad. 40th Reunion 7 Nov. Venue: TBA. Seeking graduates Contact: Carolynne Macdonald, 4228 8936, jeltzz@ozemail.com.au WWBH 1908 – 1993 ’I Remember When’ Reunion – for staff of WWBH prior to transition to Riverina Health Service 13–15 Nov. Venue: various Contact: Mary Saligari, 6932 3002, jeltzz@ozemail.com.au MARSDEN 40th Reunion – staff, past & present, clients, family & friends 14 November. Contact: Ronnie James or Virginnia [Lawrence] Watt, 9842 2355

Due to high demands on the page, some dates too close to publication or too far in the future may be cut. Only Diary Dates with an advised date and contact person will be published. Diary Dates are also on the web – www. nswnurses.asn.au Special Interest Groups Special Interest Groups is now part of Diary Dates. If you are a special interest group, you now must send information about your event as above.

Send us your snaps If you’re having a reunion, send us some photos and any information from the night, and we’ll try to publish them.

Other notices Kenmore Hospital Museum, Goulburn Open 5–6 Sept & 12–13 Sept, 10am– 4pm / by appointment, 197 Taralga Road, Goulburn 2580 NSW. Historical tours at 11am & 2pm. Admission: $2 pp.

Contact: Leoné Morgan, 4821 2587/ 0438 212 587, lemamo@bigpond.com.au Treatment for Alcohol Use & Trauma Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Study If you have suffered serious trauma/ distress, you can participate in this study.

Sponsored by NSCCH, RPAH & National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre.

Contact: Dr Claudia Sannibale, 0414 385 149, c.sannibale@unsw.edu.au Volunteer wanted for Health Promotion Service for Older People to educate the older community on health issues 3 days basic training at 19, 20 and 21 Oct. Contact: 9281 3588, 1800 451 488, health@cpsa.org.au, www.cpsa.org.au ’Controversies in Public Health – Lecture Series 2009’ by School of Public Health, Uni of Sydney.

• 12 Oct: Obesity: is the food industry more part of the problem than part of the solution? • 19 Nov: Whither primary health care in Australia?

Venue: Eastern Ave. Complex, Uni of Sydney Camperdown, 5.30pm: refreshments, 6–7pm: lecture. Cost: free Contact: www.health.usyd.edu.au

NSWNA Events

Challenge us to find you a better deal.

UNION SHOPPER IS ALL ABOUT ENSURING MEMBERS RECEIVE GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY ON WHATEVER YOU ARE LOOKING TO BUY. At no cost to you, we help save time and money, without the hassles and headache.

Be part of the savings and make the most of this valuable money saving service.

Before you make another purchase, remember Union Shopper and challenge us to find you a better deal.

Upcoming NSWNA Committee of Delegates (CODs) Meetings 15 September, 17 November

Crossword solution

Prince Henry & POW July 1979 PTC 30-Year Reunion Date: TBA. Contact: Gill Longbottom, 0402 848 542/ Karen Mcguire(Gilliman), 0408 269 414/ Lynne Dive(Mccarthy), kl.dive@hotmail.com Canterbury Hospital PTS July 1969 Seeking interest. Contact: Lorraine Barton (Nee Hardy), 9773 6223, lorraine.barton@ optusnet.com.au

Big Savings for Union Members

THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009 49

lamp the

Great legal advice for Nurses

magazine of the NSW Nurses’

volume 64 no.8 September

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2007

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volume 64 no.3 April

Nurses’ Association

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volume 64 no.2 March 2007

SES

Free legal advice

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Conditions apply

Call the Association information line on 1300 367 962.

Maurice Blackburn has offices in: Sydney T (02) 9261 1488

Newcastle T (02) 4953 9500

New offices in: Parramatta T (02) 9806 7222

Canberra T (02) 6214 3200

Visiting Offices Camperdown T (02) 9261 1488

Wollongong T (02) 9261 1488

Appointments for regional members can also be arranged.

www.mauriceblackburn.com.au 50 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009

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Sign up a new member and win a fabulous Hong Kong Holiday for 2

ARE YOUR WORKMATES OR FRIENDS MEMBERS OF THE NSWNA? Why not ask them and if they aren’t, sign them up.

Like you, they need the security of belonging to a strong and dynamic union.

DRAWN 3 0 J UN E 2010

Not only will you be building your union by signing up a new member, you and a friend could win this fabulous Hong Kong holiday.

The more members you sign up, the more chances you have to win!

THE PRIZE INCLUDES • Return airfares for two flying Virgin Atlantic • Five nights’ accommodation at the Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees Hotel • Return Airport Express Link transfers • Delicious seafood dinner on Hong Kong’s Lamma Island • Explore the city with a 24 hour MTR rail pass.

HURRY! Call the Association now for a recruitment kit and recruitment incentive scheme details.

Ph: 8595 1234 (metropolitan area) or 1300 367 962 (non metropolitan area) or go to www.nswnurses.asn.au

52 THE LAMP SEPTEMBER 2009