the lamp december 2013

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VOLUME 70 No.11 DECEMBER 2013–JANUARY 2014lamp

THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION

ADHC TO BEPRIVATISED

Issued by H.E.S.T. Australia Ltd ABN 66 006 818 695 AFSL No. 235249 Trustee of Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia (HESTA) ABN 64 971 749 321.

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REGULARS

5 Editorial 6 Your letters8 News in brief37 Ask Judith39 Social Media42 Nursing research online43 Crossword45 Books46 Movie of the month50 Diary dates

20 | Swift action haltshospital carve-up

26 | Christmas giveaway

12 | Hidden privatisation ofdisability revealed

The O’Farrell Government has announced thatthe disability sector will be fully privatised inNew South Wales.

Families of Stockton Centreresidents say thegovernment is selling themout for commercial gain.

Michael Grant and Jenny Preston, RNs

PHOTOGRAPH: SHARON HICKEY

17 | Lies and lucre

The NSWNMA stepped intothe breach with its ownworkers compensationscheme and RN AlexisDevine is glad we did.

28 | Alexis lands in our safety net

Outdoor furniture stackedin the empty pool, two-minute showers andshare accommodation forsix in a 2m x 3m cabin. Is this the cruise ship from hell?

32 | The love boat

THE LAMP DECEMBER 2013–JANUARY 2014 | 3

CONTENTS

COVER STORY

INSURANCEFRONTLINE JOBS

MERCY SHIPSCOMPETITON

COVER STORY

CONTACTS

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association

For all membership enquiries and assistance, includingLamp subscriptions and change of address, contact ourSydney office.

Sydney Office

50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017(all correspondence)T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro)F 9662 1414 E [email protected] www.nswnma.asn.au

Hunter Office

8-14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2300

NSWNMA Communications Manager

Janaki Chellam-Rajendra T 8595 1258

FOR ALL EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES, LETTERS AND DIARY DATES:T 8595 1234 E [email protected] 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017

Produced by

Hester Communications T 9568 3148

Press Releases

Send your press releases to:F 9662 1414 E [email protected]

Editorial Committee

• Brett Holmes, NSWNMA General Secretary• Judith Kiejda, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary• Coral Levett, NSWNMA President• Roz Norman, Tamworth Base Hospital• Elsie May Henson, Barraba Multi Purpose Service• Peg Hibbert, Hornsby & Ku-Ring-Gai Hospital• Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care• Richard Noort, Justice Health

Advertising

Patricia PurcellT 8595 2139 or 0416 259 845 or F 9662 1414E [email protected]

Records and Information Centre – Library

To find old articles from The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNMA nursing and health collection, contact:Jeannette Bromfield, RIC CoordinatorT 8595 2175 E [email protected]

The Lamp ISSN: 0047-3936

General disclaimer

The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSWNMA.Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own andnot necessarily those of the NSWNMA. Statements offact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibilityis accepted for them. All material appearing in TheLamp is covered by copyright and may not bereproduced without prior written permission. TheNSWNMA takes no responsibility for the advertisingappearing herein and it does not necessarily endorseany products advertised.

Privacy

Privacy statement: The NSWNMA collects personalinformation from members in order to perform our roleof representing their industrial and professionalinterests. We place great emphasis on maintaining andenhancing the privacy and security of your personalinformation. Personal information is protected underlaw and can only be released to someone else wherethe law requires or where you give permission. If youhave concerns about your personal information pleasecontact the NSWNMA office. If you are still notsatisfied that your privacy is being maintained you cancontact the Privacy Commission.

Subscriptions for 2013

Free to all Association members. Professional memberscan subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $50.Individuals $78, Institutions $130, Overseas $140.

lampTHE

VOLUME 70 No.11 DECEMBER 2013–JANUARY 2014

Are your workmates or friends members of the NSWNMA?

Why not ask them. And, if not, invite them to sign up. Like you, they need the security of belonging to a strong and dynamic union. Not only will you be building your union by signing up new members, you and a friend could win this fabulous holiday to Singapore. The more members you sign up, the more chances you have to win!

The prize includes return airfares for two from Sydney with Scoot Airlines; 5-nights accommodation at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore; Attractions Pass for 2; and taxi transfers from airport return.

Remember for every new member you recruit/have recruited from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014 means you will have your name submitted to the draw.

RECRUITERS NOTE: Nurses and midwives can now join online at www.nswnma.asn.au! If you refer a new member to join online, make sure you ask them to put your name and workplace on the online application form. You will then be entitled to your vouchers and draw/s in the NSWNMA Recruitment Incentive Scheme.

Get lost in Singaporeand go in

the draw toRecruit a new member

An ever-changing city, Singapore offers a diverse mix of experiences for you to enjoy this lush, modern and vibrant destination at your own pace.

The recently-opened Gardens by the Bay is a sight to behold. Home to a-quarter-of-a-million rare plants and a plethora of buzzing activities, it promises an all-encompassing experience for the whole family. After the sun sets, don’t miss the sky show of dazzling lights and sounds in the OCBC Garden Rhapsody, which takes place nightly amidst the Supertrees. We’re certain sleep will be the last thing on your mind with all the new and exciting things that are coming your way. Go to www.yoursingapore.com/getlostLocated in the heart of the city, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore is just a short walk to the city’s main shopping, entertainment and dining district. The hotel is well situated within Singapore’s extensive network of buses and trains, and it is only a 10-minute drive to the CBD and 30 minutes to Changi International Airport. Contact www.shangri-la.com/singapore Introducing Australia’s newest low cost airline flying direct to Singapore from Sydney and the Gold Coast. If you are looking for the most cost effective way to Asia, fly scoot and save loot. Book now at www.flyscoot.com

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First, we had the privatisation of the newNorthern Beaches hospital, followed by theannouncement that pilot mental health serviceswere to be given to private companies and thenon-government sector. Now we are toldAgeing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) isto be privatised and palliative care serviceshocked off to private consortiums (see page 19). This is a major shift in public health policybeing undertaken by the O’FarrellGovernment, without any public debate or consultation. Nurses and midwives and the community areentitled to ask: what is the case for doing so?Where is the evidence that this will lead tobetter public health provision and better patient care?In fact, there is plenty of evidence that says thisis a disastrous path to go down. The privatisedand highly competitive US health care system isa test case in market failure. It swallows up amassive 17% of US GDP. Despite this massivecommitment of money, huge numbers ofAmericans are without health cover and fallthrough the cracks. Of that health expenditure,31% is spent on administration costs – aridiculous waste of resources. Britain is an even more relevant cautionary tale.Historically it has a universal public healthsystem similar to our own. Both Britain’sNational Health System and Australia’sMedicare are iconic institutions, held in highregard by the public and representing the bestvalues of our societies. Since the Conservative Party came to office inBritain there has been an agenda of increasedprivatisation. A former head of the NHS, SirDavid Nicholson, described the “medicine” ofincreased privatisation and the morphing ofpatients into customers as “toxic”.

Section 75 of Britain’s Health and Social CareAct codifies this march to privatisation. Itstipulates that services must be tendered out.Now 49% of services are open to the privatesector. Management consultant McKinsey haspredicted that the British private sector healthmarket will be worth £200 billion Britishpounds by 2030.In Australia, the Liberal Party has been coyabout talking openly about privatising publichealth care. Privatisation is not popular in thiscountry. Remarkably in a recent meeting withNSWNMA representatives, the NSW Ministerfor Disability Services denied that theprivatisation of ADHC was indeed aprivatisation. It was, he said, a transfer of servicesto the private sector. A masterclass in semantics! The privatisation of ADHC is one of the largestin the history of NSW. In tandem we havelearnt that the National Disability InsuranceScheme (NDIS) is to be a wholly privatisedaffair in NSW.None of this has ever been put to the public orto the staff or the disabled and their families. In fact, it is a major policy decision delivered as a fait accompli when the bulk of policydevelopment around the NDIS is yet to bestarted.It is open to any one to question if thesedecisions are based on ideology rather thansound public policy. It is consistent with the modus operandi of theO’Farrell Government – that with its massivemajority it can bulldoze through an ideologicalagenda without effective public debate orconsultation. Late night sittings of the Legislative Council,where votes are traded by cross bench parties,does not replace informed public consultationand a genuine testing of ideas andrecommendations.


BY BRETT HOLMES GENERAL SECRETARY

EDITORIAL

“In a recentmeeting withthe NSWNMAthe Minister for DisabilityServices deniedthat theprivatisation of ADHC wasprivatisation. It was, he said, a transfer ofservices to theprivate sector.”

Privatisation: a majorpolicy shift underway,without debateAn agenda of privatising public health services is now apparent in New South Wales.

6 | THE LAMP DECEMBER 2013–JANUARY 2014

YOUR LETTERS

LETTER OF THE MONTH

letter of the

month

unionshopper.com.au • 1300 368 117

The letter judged the best each month will be awarded a $50 Coles Myer voucher.

“Whatever your next purchase, remember Union Shopper.After all, who can think of a reason NOT to save.”

On 2 September,NSWNMA membersat Port Macquarieincluded an expressionof solidarity withpersecuted health careworkers in Bahrain inour Global NursesUnited rally.

The ACTU had requested union members to support ourBahraini colleagues – tortured, falsely accused and imprisonedsimply for caring for others without discrimination. We should treasure our freedom in Australia to be activists in ourworkplaces and community. Shame on the Abbott Governmentthat one of their first actions was to revive its watchdog for thebuilding and construction industry. This body has inquisitorialpowers to interrogate workers – even leading to theirimprisonment. A fitting and moving end to our rally occurred when acommunity member shared an impromptu story of how a friendin her southeast Asian birth country was imprisoned for her activities as a trade unionist. We do well to be vigilant against attacks, whether subtle or blatant, on our civil liberties.Ken Procter Branch President NSWNMAPort Macquarie Base Hospital Branch

SAYSOMETHINGSend your letters to: Editorial Enquiries email [email protected] fax 9662 1414 mail 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017. Please include a high resolution photo along with your name, address, phone and membership number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.

Port Macquarie nursessupport Bahraini healthcare workers

Devouring The LampMany thanks to Joanne Lewis, or more specifically the editors of The Lamp, for publishing the article “Bringing Death to Life”(October 2013, page 30). I was able to use this article as the basis for a discussion on death and dying as part of our educator programhere at North Shore Private Hospital. Joanne makes some very valid points and uses a common sense approach to end of life care. Our session highlighted some very thought provoking andchallenging issues on this topic and many present acknowledged the need to learn more about this very sensitive part of our nursing lives. Once again, a heartfelt thanks to the editors. I devour every copyeach month.Christine Cherry, Roseville

A letter to the Minister for HealthThis is an abbreviated version of a letter sent to NSW Minister for HealthJillian Skinner in July this year.

Dear Jillian,With reference to your letter emailed to the NSWNurses and Midwives’ Association on 25 July, I would like to make some comments.With regard to your statement “More than 4000extra nurses and midwives have been recruited since

March 2011” – are you saying this is the net amount? That is, nursenumbers have increased by this amount? This totally disregards theattrition of nurses over the period. Further, it disregards the type ofemployment i.e. full time equivalent, part time/casual?I would like to emphasise that [our] campaign focus was primarilyconcerned with patient care. However, I believe that your responsewith regard to the pay rise and the linking of same tosuperannuation is, in my opinion, miserly.Finally, the support you talk of, with regard to nurses and midwivesdelivering safe effective patient care, is at best dubious. Should it continue along the same vein as being demonstratedcurrently, I personally hold grave concerns for patients and nursingoutcomes both now and in the future in the public health system.Yours faithfullySue White, Coffs Harbour

NSWNMA RESPONDSThanks Christine! A podcast of Joanne Lewis speaking about end-of-life issues at our annual conference can be found on theeducation section of our website:www.nswnma.asn.au/education/cpd/nswnma-podcasts/

YOUR LETTERS

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Pay increase I noticed recently that we received a payincrease. I’m guessing this was due to backpayment for our pay rise. Does this mean thatour award has been agreed upon, and we have let ratios go by the wayside?Emma Harrison, RN

NSWNMA RESPONDSDear EmmaWe have not let ratios go by the wayside. We are in a seriousstruggle with the government for safer patient care and ourcampaign to extend and improve ratios will be a long game. We need to be patient, innovative and determined to win. It needsmore than what we have done in the past because we can no longerrely as much on the machinery of industrial relations.We can still use what industrial processes we have at our disposalto enforce our wins of the past. As things now stand the Award hasbeen varied to pay a 2.27% wage increase. Meetings with the Ministry of Health have stopped. It isreasonable to expect that the next award pay increase is due in July 2014.The Award is still active so there is an opportunity for thegovernment to improve and extend ratios between now and July 2014.There are also opportunities for nurses and midwives to putpressure on the government to do the right thing. But we cannot confine our efforts to the industrial arena. We alsohave to fight the good fight in the political domain and in the courtof public opinion.All year we have been building that pressure with workplaceactivities, MP visits and paid advertising. We need to maintain thatmomentum, albeit strategically timed, between now and 2015.

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ AssociationIn association with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation

Membership Fees 2014Classification Year Quarter Month Fortnight

Registered NurseRegistered Midwife

$676.00 $169.00 $56.33 $26.00

Enrolled Nurse $575.00 $143.75 $47.91 $22.10

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Residential Care Nurse$473.00 $118.25 $39.41 $18.18

*All membership fees include GST +Trainee AiNs have their fees waived for the period of their traineeship ABN 63 398 164 405

MEMBERSHIP FEES ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE


NEWS IN BRIEF

Britain

Nurses at breaking pointA survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) of morethan 2000 British nursing staff found “unprecedented”levels of stress and illness as a result of staff cuts and theresulting increase in workloads. The survey found that:• 82% of nurses reported going to work sick because they feared

patients would be at risk due to understaffing.• Half said their stress levels had increased significantly in the past

year, due to increased workloads and staff shortages. • More than half said they had been made unwell by work-related

stress.• A quarter said managers had bullied them.The survey also revealed that increased pressure is driving hospitalmanagers into “panic behaviour”. Nurses reported increased levels of bullying by managers and awidespread blame culture that prevented frontline staff from voicingconcerns about poor care, according to the Independent newspaper.More than 5400 nursing posts have been cut since theConservative Party came to government in Britain, with theNational Health Service dealing with tighter budgets and aslowdown in health spending.Dr Peter Carter, the RCN’s chief executive, told the Independentthat the UK’s entire care system was facing a “huge challenge” ofmaintaining standards despite “increased demand and scantresource”.“Individual nurses are clearly going the extra mile to make sure thejob is done. However, the risk of burnout is very real, and verywidespread,” he said.

United States

Childhood poverty link to adult emotionA new study suggests that the stress of childhoodpoverty imbeds itself in the brain, with lastingconsequences for an adult’s ability to regulatetheir emotions.The study, Effects of childhood poverty and chronic stress onemotion regulatory brain function in adulthood was published inthe Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ofthe United States of America.The study built on previous research that found childhoodpoverty is associated with a whole host of problems thatcan follow people throughout their lives. These includephysical illness, psychopathology and an inability to handlestress. A lot of these problems stem from the chronicstressors that children face in a poor socioeconomicenvironment – which can cause serious, lasting changes inthe brain.The study found that income as an adult didn’t seem tomake a difference, but levels of chronic stress throughoutchildhood did mediate the connection between childhoodpoverty and adult brain activity.

82%OF NURSES REPORTEDGOING TO WORK SICKBECAUSE THEY FEAREDPATIENTS WOULD BE ATRISK DUE TOUNDERSTAFFING.


NEWS IN BRIEF

Australia

11 millionoverweightor obeseNational HealthPerformance Authoritydata shows theAustralian obesity raterose from 11% in 1989to 28% in 2011-12.The data, compiled atthe request of theCouncil of AustralianGovernments (COAG),confirms that overweightor obesity rates increasewith geographicremoteness and lower

socioeconomic status.The fattest area waswestern New SouthWales, where 79% ofpeople were overweightor obese.Eastern Sydney was theslimmest area with 49%of people overweight orobese, while Sydney’snorth shore and northernbeaches and inner north-west Melbourne followedat 50%.The report regarded abody mass index of 25 or more asoverweight and 30 ormore as obese.

OBESITY RATE ROSE FROM 11% TO 28%

Australia

Nurse elected mayorLucille McKenna, an NSWNMA councillor, has been elected mayor of AshfieldCouncil, the first female mayor in the council’s 142-year history. Lucille, who is a Director of Nursing at St Mary’s Villa at Concord, said she was excitedby the win after seven previous attempts.“I just felt you need to step up if you really believe in something, if you believe inequality for women, you have to try and make it happen,” she told the Inner West Courier. “[Ashfield Council] has been a bit of a trailblazer. We have a woman general manager andwomen directors, so I think we are women friendly, but now we have accomplished thewoman mayor so I’m very happy.”

“IF YOU BELIEVE INEQUALITY FOR WOMEN,YOU HAVE TO TRY ANDMAKE IT HAPPEN”

Australia

The low paid shafted over superIt appears that the right formining companies to earn superprofits comes before theretirement incomes of thecountry’s lowest paid. The Abbott Government hasflagged the repeal of the LowIncome Super Contribution (LISC)and a delay in the SuperannuationGuarantee increase to 12% so that it can repeal the Mineral ResourcesRent Tax.One of the major goals of Labor’sminerals tax was to boost the superof working people, especially thelower paid. This reform had theadded benefit of boosting nationalsavings.Industry Super Australia (ISA) saysthe LISC addressed a fundamentalinequity in the super system.“Abolishing the Low Income SuperContribution will mean one inthree working Australians will loseaccess to any tax break on theirmandatory contributions.ISA analysis indicates that itsremoval could mean as much as$30,000 less in retirement for aperson on a low income.“Between 1.5 million and 2 millionindustry super fund membersbenefit from the LISC. Around twothirds of these are women. Giventhat the average woman currentlyretires with around 43% less inretirement savings than men, it iscritical that the government finds away for the LISC to be retained.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Australia

Welfare cuts bad for healthAn Australian health expert warns that radical cuts to social welfare spending to reduce budget deficitscould have unintended consequences that will impacton public health.Dr Lesley Russell, a research associate at the Menzies Centrefor Health Policy at the University of Sydney, says theexperiences of the United States, where income inequalityaccounts for a significant component of its bloated healthcarecosts, and Europe where there have been disastrous healthconsequences from economic austerity, are warning signals for Australia.“There is growing evidence of the fraying of the social welfareand universal healthcare safety nets in Australia in recent times,highlighted by the growing disparities gap and increasing out-of-pocket costs. This will inevitably lead to increased healthcarecosts,” Dr Russell wrote in the Canberra Times.Dr Russell warns that although the Australian healthcaresystem delivers better results at lesser cost compared to the USsystem, we cannot afford to be complacent.“The 2013 Human Capital Report from the World EconomicForum shows Australia ranking just slightly better than the USin terms of social safety net protection and the Gini index,which measures the distribution of income or consumptionexpenditure among individuals or households within aneconomy.“The indicators show we are approaching a tipping point andthese reports send a warning signal: government efforts tobalance the budget on the backs of social welfare, educationand healthcare programs can result in untoward consequenceswith decreases in health status and substantial increases inhealthcare costs.”

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Britain

Digital spies for care homesThe Care Quality Commission in Englandhas proposed using cameras and“mystery shoppers” to monitor servicesprovided to elderly and mentally illpeople.According to the Guardian newspaper theCommission is considering “the potential useof hidden surveillance” to promote a culture ofsafety and quality.The proposal immediately raised concernswithin the sector about dignity and privacy.

Davina Ludlow, director of care homedirectory, carehome.co.uk, warned about theimpact on care users and staff. “We urge full and meaningful consultationbefore digital spies infiltrate the care sector.Not only will covert surveillance impact onresident freedom, it may also have a knock-oneffect on the motivation of staff. We need totrain, support and inspire the next generationof carers, not create a Big Brother culturewhere people are afraid to do this vital job.”

“WE NEED TO TRAIN, SUPPORTAND INSPIRE THE NEXTGENERATION OF CARERS, NOTCREATE A BIG BROTHER CULTURE.”

Australia

Queensland to ban ratios The Queensland government hasintroduced a bill into parliamentthat pre-empts any attempt byQueensland nurses to have ratiosincluded in an award. The new bill specifies coreemployment standards that excludeany content related to workloads andworkforce planning.The bill overhauls the Queensland IRsystem and at one level mimics theNational Employment Standards andaward modernisation process. The Queensland Attorney-GeneralJarrod Bleijie says the bill will specifymatters that can or cannot beincluded in awards. “Modern awards will not contain non-allowable content such asmatters relating to workloadmanagement and workforceplanning,” he said. The bill also:• Aims to “significantly reduce” the

number of public sector awards.• Prohibits employers deducting

union membership fees from publicsector employee wages.

Empowers the Industrial RelationsCommission to reduce “protracteddisputation” during bargaining andintroduce timeframes for conciliationif industrial action threatens to“endanger the health, safety orwelfare of the community orthreatens access to, or the deliveryof, services to the community”.

Australia

Bushfire appealThe NSWNMA has made a $10,000 donation to the RedCross bushfire appeal on behalf of nurses and midwivesin New South Wales.NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes extendedsympathy and support to those members who lost homes in thebushfires.“We encourage all members to contribute to the recoveryefforts, both on behalf of those nursing and midwiferycolleagues who lost their homes, and the wider communitieswhich face a difficult recovery from such devastating fires,” hesaid.Members who are suffering financial hardship as a consequenceof the fires are invited to contact NSWNMA Membershipservices to discuss union fee relief. Call (02) 8595 1234 (metro) or 1300 367 962 (regional) oremail [email protected].


COVER STORY

Hidden privatisationof disability revealedThe O’Farrell Government has announced there will be no state government involvement in disability services by 2018 and that the National Disability Insurance Schemewill be fully privatised in New South Wales.

“THE O’FARRELL GOVERNMENT HAS RUSHEDTHROUGH WITH OBSCENE HASTE LAWS THATCODIFY PRIVATISATION AS THE ONLY OPTION.”

Left to right: Michael Grant Vicki Yep and Jenny Preston.


THE BOMBSHELL OF AGEING DISABILITYand Home Care’s privatisation was an-nounced in an email to staff by ADHCDirector-General Michael Coutts-Trotter.

“By 2018 our department will nolonger provide disability services. Peoplewith disability will get their supports from non-government organisations andpossibly, the Commonwealth,” he wrote.

“One thing is crystal clear. To makesure there is no disruption to supportsfor people with disability we have to encourage as many of our staff as possible, who now support people withdisability, to move to the non-govern-ment sector as NSW moves out of directservice delivery.

“Having our staff transition and continue to work in the sector is criticalto the success of the NDIS.”

The seeds of this agenda to privatiseADHC lie in the agreement between theO’Farrell and Gillard Governments onthe adoption of the National DisabilityInsurance Scheme.

Buried deep in the agreement is aclause which states: “following the com-mencement of the full NDIS, the NSWGovernment will not provide any residualspecialist disability services or basic community services”.

The O’Farrell Government has sincerushed through legislation to “enable” theNDIS that codifies the privatisation, givesthe government extraordinary powers of compulsion to move ADHC staff andunprecedented interference in the rightsof workers.

The legislation was pushed throughparliament with little consultation withstaff and their representatives and after ahurried debate in which amendments to protect staff, proposed by the ALP and the Greens, were overruled by theCoalition majority supported by theChristian Democrats and the Fishers andShooters Party.

Some of these extraordinary powers include: • It is at the discretion of the Minister

whether a staff member gets a job or not.

• A transfer to an NGO or the privatesector “does not require the consentof the person transferred”.

• There is no access to redundancypayments and no capacity to argue “comparable employment” or locality factors.

NSWNMA General Secretary BrettHolmes says both the intent and the method of the privatisation are disgraceful.

“This is another example of the O’Farrell Government bulldozingthrough parliament in the dead of night,without consultation or adequate debate,laws that further their ideological agenda.

“The NDIS is a worthy reform thatis long overdue and strongly supportedby nurses and midwives. But it has neverbeen put before the community that it isto be a fully privatised system.

“The O’Farrell Government hasrushed through with obscene haste lawsthat codify privatisation as the only option, and which have coercive elementstowards staff, when much of the policydevelopment around the NDIS is still to be done.”

Brett says the NDIS is a massive undertaking and there should be an opendiscussion with all stakeholders, includingfamilies and staff, about the right solutionsfor clients.

“Right now, having some public provision of disability services gives familiesa choice about the sort of care they canhave. That choice is being taken away.

“Some of these people have verycomplex needs requiring intensive care.Who is going to be the provider of lastresort if a private provider finds these casestoo difficult or unprofitable?”

Key points•Following commencement of the

full National Disability InsuranceScheme the NSW governmentwill not provide any specialistdisability services or basiccommunity care services.

•Privatisation is to be completedby 2018.

•There is no certainty ofemployment for staff in thetransfer. Continued employmentwill be at the discretion of theMinister.

•A transfer of employment “doesnot require the consent of theperson transferred”.

•There will be no access toredundancy provisions.

MAY 2013 — NorthernBeaches HospitalNSW Health Minister JillianSkinner announced that theprivate sector would design,construct, operate and maintaina public hospital on Sydney’snorthern beaches. The newNorthern Beaches Hospital willtake over acute servicesrelocated from Mona Vale andManly hospitals.

AUGUST 2013 — MentalHealth ServicesNSW Minister for MentalHealth Kevin Humphriesannounced that two pilotmental health services would beput out to tender to privatecompanies and the non-government sector to delivermental health, physical healthand drug and alcohol support.


COVER STORY

“THAT’S MY CAREER GONE.”Vicki Yep, Residential Unit Nurse Manager, Norton Road Specialist Supported Living, North Ryde

“The NDIS is a great reform that will deliver funding to peoplewho desperately need it. But it’s being used as a cover for theprivatisation of the whole system of disability services.

Families of some of our clients assume they will have theoption of choosing to spend their NDIS funding packages ongovernment-provided services for their sons and daughters.However privatisation means that choice will be taken awayfrom them.

I worked in the community sector for 10 years then largeresidentials and specialist supported living for 12 to 13 years,so I’ve seen both sides.

There are good non-government services but history hasshown that the public sector has always taken the mostdifficult cases, the clients with intensive – and expensive –support needs.

Many non-govs are unable to fully support people withcomplex medical conditions and demanding behavioural needs– clients who do not have the ability to understand what ourcommunity deems acceptable, clients who assault, strip inpublic, destroy property. What happens to them afterprivatisation?

You need knowledge, confidence and discipline to implement aconsistent approach in managing such difficult behaviour.

Public sector wages and conditions are better so we tend toattract the better-qualified and experienced people.

I don’t want to be forced out of the public sector and toldyou’re no longer a nurse, you’re a disability support worker.That’s my career gone.”

Privatisationagenda

gathers pace2013 HAS SEEN A

NUMBER OF MAJORANNOUNCEMENTSOF PUBLIC HEALTH

SERVICES TO BEPRIVATISED BY THE

O’FARRELLGOVERNMENT

OCTOBER 2013 — Palliative CareHealth Minister Jillian Skinner announcedthat palliative care services in the localhealth districts of Central Coast, NorthernSydney, South Eastern Sydney, WesternNSW, Murrumbidgee, Southern NSW andFar West would be given to a privateconsortium made up of Hammond Care,Sacred Heart and Calvary Health Care.Silver Chain Group will be given palliativecare services in the LHDs of South WesternSydney, Nepean Blue Mountains, WesternSydney, Sydney and Illawarra/Shoalhaven.Silver Chain Group will also care forpatients in Hunter New England, MidNorth Coast and Northern NSW.

NOVEMBER 2013 — ADHCNSW Minister for Disability Services John Ajaka announced the privatisation of ADHC with 14,000 jobs including 1,200 nurses to move to the non-government sector in one of the state’s largest privatisations.

“THERE IS CURRENTLYNOWHERE ELSE FORCLIENTS TO GO.”Gary Dunne RN, ADHC Summer Hill centre

“We haven’t been told anything about the future of Summer Hill. Iassume the service will have to continue because there is currentlynowhere else for our clients to go.The non-govs have not wanted our clients in the past because, beingboth disability and complex health, they are by far the most expensiveto look after. They need an experienced registered nurse close by, 24/7,plus easy access to allied health professionals such as physio and OT. Yet it seems the government wants all of us off their books by 2018.If the service is put out to tender, will a private agency continue tooffer the same level of staffing and service? It’s hard to see how aprivate provider could run Summer Hill for less except by cuttingthe service.Many long-term staff members have said they would transfer backto general nursing in the public hospital system rather than workunder a private provider. We find it hard to get staff now for what are public servicepositions. There is a nursing home down the road that’s paying moreper hour for RNs. Any new management will have a difficult timejust getting enough experienced staff to keep the service running.It’s not that we are desperate to hang on to our jobs, but we aredesperate to hang on to what we have built up and the quality carewe currently provide for a very unique group of vulnerable people.”

“OUR CLIENTS WILL LOSE NURSES’EXPERTISE.”Michael Grant RN, president of NSWNMAStockton Centre branch

“This is a tough time for our staff because they careabout their clients and fear for their future. Andthey know their own livelihoods and careers areunder threat.Privatisation threatens to eliminate our career paths,regardless of whether you are an AiN, EN or RN.All of us face the potential of having our careersterminated.The non-government sector has disability supportworkers with a few nurses in a few situations butthe only ones paid relatively appropriately are inthe government sector.I gather the enabling legislation [to the NDIS] saysour wages and conditions will be maintained foran undisclosed period of up to five years. Then werevert to whatever award is followed by whatevercompany takes us over. I don’t know of any non-government award that would pay any of our staffthe rates we are currently on.If privatisation results in nurses leaving thedisability sector our clients will lose those nurses’expertise. These clients are people who are multi-handicapped and with medical, psychological, andpsychiatric issues. Many can’t do much for themselves, many othershave issues with aggression and inability to controlthemselves, all of them require specialist nursing care,and their families are worried about their futures.”


What thepoliticians had to sayThe full privatisationof NSW disabilityservices is enshrined inthe National DisabilityInsurance Scheme (NSWEnabling Bill) 2013.The bill was debatedfor five hours in theNSW parliament. Thisis what some of theparticipants in thedebate had to say.

“There is a side to this legislationthat is aimed at the comprehensivetransfer of all disabilities serviceprovision to the private sector. Thelegislation is not about the NationalDisability Insurance Scheme; it isabout privatisation of the 40% ofservice delivery that currentlyoccurs in the public sector. This isprobably the largest singleprivatisation that NSW has ever seen.” — Dr John Kaye (NSW Greens spokesperson on health)

“Non-government organisations aremainly inclusive, participatory andquality-focused and have thecapacity to generate social capital ina way that the government and theprivate sector cannot.” — John Ajaka, (Liberal Party) Minister for Disability Service

“The government is targetingand manipulating workersbecause it knows how muchthe community wants andneeds a national disabilityscheme. It is disappointingthat the O’Farrell Governmentis playing political games withdisability support workers. Ittakes the gloss off thiswonderful reform.” — Shaoquett Moselmane (ALP)

“This legislation is aboutdevolution. I think we allbelieve passionately thatthrough allowing devolutionand choice we will see athousand flowers bloom in theform of local solutions.” — Catherine Cusack (Liberal Party)


COVER STORY

“PRIVATE COMPANIES COULDPUT PROFIT BEFORE CARE”Jenny Preston, RN and NSWNMA branch delegate, TomareeLodge residential centre, Shoal Bay

“We had no idea the government was going to privatisedisability services – it was a huge shock to us all. Our concernis that private companies could put profits before quality care.Paying low wages for staff with basic training and working withlow staff numbers would lead to high staff turnover, whichadversely impacts on clients.

It looks like the government will close Tomaree and relocateour clients. It’s anyone’s guess where they will be sent. I thinkmost would prefer to stay together, in the local area. They haveknown each other a long time and care about each other.

Our centre provides cluster housing, which mirrors the type ofaccommodation the government says it wants people withdisabilities to live in. But it is on prime waterfront land anddevelopers have been trying to get their hands on it for years. A local councilor said recently the site should be redeveloped asa casino with our clients relocated on a farm somewhere.

If our clients are forced out of Tomaree they will lose theirstrong interaction with the local community. They access localmedical services and local volunteers help with activities on siteand in the community. There’s a fishing club and a group whotravel to Newcastle to see the Jets play soccer and the Knightsplay rugby league. How will they rebuild those communityconnections somewhere new?

The NDIS is a fantastic scheme but its not a one size fits all.There are clients who have tried to live in the community andfailed dismally. They need to have somewhere they can live alife with a degree of freedom and support – including fromexperienced nurses.”

ASTHE STATE GOVERNMENT EXITS DISABILITYservices it appears set to break another promiseand close the Stockton Centre, which housesabout 400 people with disabilities.

A government official has denied the motive is to sell the prime beachfront sitenear Newcastle to a housing developer.

Soon after winning the 2011 election the Coalition government recommitted tokeeping Stockton open – noting that it neededupgrading. However, in October, Minister forDisability Services John Ajaka said Stocktonresidents would have to leave by 2018 whenthe centre would be “redeveloped”.

The government will not commit tosome form of accommodation for disabledpeople being available onsite after the rede-velopment, the Newcastle Herald has reported.

The paper quoted a government officialworking on the Stockton redevelopment,John Ryan, as saying that while Stockton is abeach it is too isolated and far from being anideal place for community housing. He denied any of the changes were driven by adesire to sell sites to developers.

“This is not about the real estate,” he said.

Gregory Howley’s brother Doug has been a resident of the Kanangra Centre and Stockton Centre for 50 years.

Mr Howley wrote to the Newcastle Herald:“As recently as April 2011 we were told thatresidents would not be forced out. The Stock-ton Centre would remain open for as longas residents needed.

“Now it seems that was a lie, with a closuredate of 2018 again proposed. The familieslearned this from a report in Thursday’s Newcastle Herald, not from the government.

“Doug requires 24-hour supervision andcare in a secure environment and this is provided by the state via the wonderfullydedicated staff at Stockton.

“Stockton has been home for most ofDoug’s life and the staff there are very muchpart of his family.”

Mr Howley says residents contribute to the cost of their accommodation and upkeep from their Commonwealth DisabilitySupport Pensions.

“It is a good system that private operatorswith a profit motive could not match.

“How ironic, that the National Disability

Insurance Scheme initiative may be the window of opportunity for New South Walesto push through its economic rationalistagenda, at a cost to some of those the schemewas designed to help.”

In a letter to Minister John Ajaka, WendyCuneo said she had a son at Stockton and a daughter in a group home and had experience of both systems.

“The NGOs [non-government organi-sations] pick and choose whom they want,”Mrs Cuneo said. “What happens if after mov-ing our people into another home, the NGOdecides it can no longer support that person?

“This has happened to us three times andeach time a person is moved, their mentalhealth deteriorates. These are people we aretalking about, not pawns in a chess game.”

Meg Panov, the mother of another resident,told the Herald that community agencies wouldnot be able to handle some clients.

“My son was taken out of communitycare by two policemen in a paddy wagon 22 years ago because they couldn’t handlehim and the only place he could go wasStockton,” she said.

Lies and lucreFamilies of Stockton Centre residents say

the government is selling them out for commercial gain.

Wendy Cuneo and her son David, a Stockton Centre resident. PHOTO: RYAN OSLAND, NEWCASTLE HERALD


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THE STATE GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCEDit will deliver palliative care to more peopleat home – mainly by contracting out servicesto private providers.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner said the$35 million program was aimed at givingmore people the option of dying at home.

The centerpiece of the program is theprovision of up to 2863 packages of homesupport by 2015/16 “designed to ensure safeand comfortable end of life care at home,”she said.

“While 70% of Australians say they wantto die at home, only 16% do. Over half diein hospitals, 20% in hospices and 10% innursing homes.”

The support packages for people dyingat home are being delivered under three-year contracts for specific local health districts.

A consortium made up of HammondCare, Sacred Heart and Calvary Health Carewill service the local health districts of Central Coast, Northern Sydney, South Eastern Sydney, Western NSW, Mur-rumbidgee, Southern NSW and Far West.

South Western Sydney LHD in partner-ship with Silver Chain Group will cover theLHDs of South Western Sydney, NepeanBlue Mountains, Western Sydney, Sydneyand Illawarra/Shoalhaven.

Silver Chain Group will care for patientsin Hunter New England, Mid North Coastand Northern NSW.

Mrs Skinner described the $35 millionas “new money” on top of the $86 millionannual spending on palliative care.

However NSWNMA Assistant GeneralSecretary Judith Kiejda says the program

presents “significant professional and industrial concerns” for nurses.

“Privatising services is likely to down-grade the level of care available to patients,”Judith said. “Most of the private providersdo not employ registered nurses for homecare and their patients are more likely to becared for by palliative care aides.

“Privatising services that previously weredelivered by the public sector therefore hasthe potential to reduce nurse employmentin palliative care.

“Ministry representatives were not ableto tell us what level of clinical care would beprovided in the different areas under the newarrangements.

“The ministry advised that while someservice teams would be led by clinical nurseconsultants, others would be headed by palliative care aides.

“This means palliative patients will betreated differently depending on which LHDthey live in.

“The ministry was also unable to provideinformation on the training of the non-nurs-ing workers who will be involved in theservices.”

Mrs Skinner said that in addition to at-home care the $35 million program wouldpay for a “pop up model of care” to mobiliseclinical expertise and support for a dyingchild as close to home as possible.

She said the program would also establishan after-hours telephone support servicestaffed by palliative care nurses.

Mrs Skinner said the Health Ministrywould spend an additional $3 million to fund30 extra clinical nurse specialists and clinicalnurse educators in palliative care in 2013/14.


Cloud looms overpalliative nursing

Fewer patients are likely to get care from a trained nurse under changes

to palliative care services in New South Wales.

“Privatising servicespreviouslydelivered by thepublic sector hasthe potential toreduce nurseemployment inpalliative care.”– Judith Kiejda

COVER STORY

THE WESTERN NSW LOCAL HEALTHDistrict has backed down from a decision toabolish about 15 full-time equivalent (FTE)frontline nursing positions plus allied healthand clerical positions at the hospital.

Following a week of community outrageLHD management announced an externalreview of hospital operations to identify cost-cutting measures.

All changes to bed numbers and staffingwere put on hold pending the outcome of aninvestigation to be finished before Christmas.

Nurses were stunned by the original decision to implement bed closures and staffcuts affecting the rehabilitation unit, emer-gency department, intensive care unit andoperating theatres.

Announcement of the reductions camewithout any warning or consultation. It followed the closure of five surgical beds earlier this year and a dispute over seriousunderstaffing of the ED.

Hospital general manager David Wright,accompanied by a human resources func-tionary, delivered news of the latest cuts toaffected staff and heads of departments onOctober 29, saying cuts were imminent andnecessary because of a budget blowout.

Nurses in redundant positions would bemoved to other parts of the hospital involuntarily if there were not enough volunteers.

The next day more than 80 union members from every department met at the


FRONTLINE JOB CUTS

Swift actionhalts hospital

carve-upPublic outcry has forced health bureaucrats to

shelve a decision to close beds and cut staff atBathurst Base Hospital – for now, at least.

“We deserve tohave an inputinto the process.” — Kathi Hamilton, RN

STOP PRESS: Western NSW LHD management has broken its commitment toconduct an independent review before proceeding with any cuts to Bathurst Hospital services.Angry nurses said they felt betrayed by a shock announcement that five beds in the medical ward will close from December 9.Management is also refusing to give new graduate nurses any commitment to ongoing employment next year. A meeting of 67 NSWNMA members called on management to reverse the bed closures. The branch has called for a public forum on thehospital crisis to be held on December 2.

Union members from every department met at the hospital to discuss the cuts.

hospital with organisers from the NSWNurses and Midwives’ Association.

Assistant Secretary of the union’s Bathurstbranch, registered nurse Kathi Hamilton, saidnurses were in shock when the news camethrough.

“People are very disheartened and frustrated and very worried about the servicesthat will be lost to the community,” Kathisaid at the time. “We just had a battle in Mayand June over the closure of surgical beds,and now this happens.

“If there is a need to save money we deserve to have an input into the process todecide where savings can be made.”

NSWNMA Assistant General SecretaryJudith Kiejda said these were the biggest cutsat Bathurst anyone could remember.

“I cannot believe government and management think this is the way to go,” Judith said. “Bathurst is a large and growingregional city so service demand will increase.The hospital is a major rural referral centrethat was redeveloped in 2007. It makes absolutely no sense to cut services and staff.”

Judith said the impact on the communitywould be severe with patients forced to travellong distances to other hospitals and manygoing without care.

“The LHD says this must happen becauseof a budget imperative. They have no ideawhat this does to a regional area.

“The union will fully support whateverdecision the Bathurst nurses take to defendtheir hospital and their community.”

Bathurst Medical Staff Council chairmanDr Ray Parkin said the cuts would have amassive impact not only on existing servicelevels but also on the hospital’s ability to attract specialist staff.

The Bathurst-based Western Advocatenewspaper urged the community to get be-hind hospital staff and called for a protestrally outside the hospital.

“If the doctors and nurses at BathurstBase Hospital are ready to fight for its future,then the rest of the community has no choicebut to stand beside them,” the paper said.“The state government needs to understandthat … it cannot rely on the solid support ofthe people of Bathurst based solely on theextraordinary result of the last state election.

“If the state government thought the people of Bathurst were an easy touch, thenthey are about to learn they were very wrong.”

Just three days after General ManagerDavid Wright walked around the hospitaltelling individual nurses their positions wereabout to be eliminated, public reaction wasalready forcing the authorities to backtrack.

On November 1 the chief executive ofthe LHD, Scott McLachlan, issued a mediarelease complaining that press reporting ofthe issue “lacked balance”.

He claimed, incredibly: “There is absolutely no plan to downgrade or downsize

Bathurst Hospital. No decisions have beenmade about changes to staffing or servicelevels at Bathurst Hospital. Any changes will be made in collaboration with the hospital’s doctors, nurses and staff as well asthe community.”

Mr McLachlan then maintained thatBathurst was too expensive to operate with-out changes because it admitted patients whocould be cared for at home and who stayedlonger than patients at other hospitals.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner enteredthe debate, describing any talk of BathurstHospital being downgraded as “nonsense andscaremongering”.

The general manager and director ofnursing addressed a second meeting of theunion’s Bathurst branch on November 7.

In front of 85 members they confirmedthat all changes were on hold pending anexternal review of the Bathurst health service.They added that intensive care unit bed andstaff numbers would be quarantined fromchanges.

The branch adopted a unanimous resolution seeking input and sign off of theinquiry’s terms of reference and an assurancethat management would talk to the branchabout the inquiry’s recommendations beforemaking any changes.


Biggest cuts in hospital’s historymanagement’s plan for bathurst hospital included:

REHABILITATION UNIT• Cut bed numbers from 16 to 11.

• Shift 4.30 FTE nursing positions (RN and EN) to other parts of the hospital.

• Reduce nurse staffing by one per shift, seven days a week.

• Management to consider running an outreach service from the rehab unit to assist people at home.

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT• Move 5.50 FTE registered nurses to other parts of the hospital.

• Cut nurse staffing from three per shift to two per shift, sevendays a week.

• Enhance the role of the NUM to take over ICU, highdependency unit and emergency department.

• NUM2 positions in both ICU and ED would be lost with thecreation of the NUM3 position over the ED/Critical Care areas.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT• Reduce the clinical nurse educator position from 0.84 FTE

to 0.42 FTE.

• Remove the NUM position.

THEATRES• Reduce elective surgery including in orthopaedics, urology,

obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgery and ophthalmology.

• 1.65 FTE nursing vacancies will not be filled.

CRITICAL CARE ROTATION• All 3.0 FTE critical care rotation nurses put on temporary

contracts.

• Their contracts not renewed and the 3.0 FTE positions not filled.

• The three nurses would become casual employees.

CASUALS AND TEMPS• All temporary nursing contracts not renewed so nurses

become casual employees. Casual nurses to lose hours.


FRONTLINE JOB CUTS

Community outcry sa

“WE SIMPLY CANNOT ALLOWANY CHANGES AT OURHOSPITAL THAT FURTHERERODE OR COMPROMISEPATIENT CARE.”— NSWNMA delegate Lyn Sloane

NSWNMA delegates Lyn Sloane (left) and Tatiana Muller


MP urged to take a standNSWNMA delegate Lyn Sloane said it was disappointing thatBathurst MP Paul Toole of the National Party spoke to health servicemanagement but did not talk to nurses and other frontline staff.

The Western Advocate pointed out that Mr Toole had indicated awillingness to fight the cuts and was in the best position to lead thecommunity campaign.

“He must put loyalty to his constituents ahead of loyalty to hisgovernment in this case or he will pay the price at the ballot box,”the paper warned.

“We simply cannot allow any changes at our hospital that furthererode or compromise patient care, particularly at a time when we seemore and more services being sent to Orange. Cutting services as thepopulation grows is a recipe for disaster.

“We thank the Western NSW LHD for reconsidering its original plans,but promise that any future plans to hurt our hospital will be metwith the same passionate opposition.”

State Opposition leader John Robertson was forced to speak tohospital staff over a fence, during their morning tea break, because hewas denied permission to set foot on hospital grounds. The NSWLabor leader told a large gathering of nurses, cleaners and alliedhealth staff that he would take their stories to parliament.

aves ICUPLANNED CHANGES TO BATHURSTHospital’s intensive care unit wouldhave effectively disabled the unit,NSWNMA branch delegate LynSloane says.

The plan, now apparentlyscrapped following public outcry,was to cut nurse numbers fromthree on morning and afternoonshifts to just two, seven days a week.

Lyn said patient numbers wouldhave to be cut from seven at a timeto a maximum four.

She said it would have been impossible and dangerous for onlytwo nurses to staff the unit with aventilated patient.

ICU staff members also performall Medical Emergency Team calls,because an LHD directive barsemergency department staff fromdoing so.

Lyn said any cut to the unit’sability to manage critically ill patients would have a flow-on effectto every other part of the hospital.

“There was an outcry in thecommunity because critically illpeople more than likely would haveto be shipped out of town to another hospital in either Orangeor Sydney.

“Nurses were quite flattenedand demoralised by the news. We had no involvement in any dis-cussion about it; it came as a shock.”

She said cuts to rehabilitationbed numbers would force patientsto go elsewhere for care or be senthome earlier.

Nurses would be transferred tofill vacancies in areas where theyhad no training or clinical expertise.

“The changes as originallyplanned would have left us with avery basic hospital and changed thewhole character of the Bathurstmedical service,” Lyn said. “We area training hospital but it would havebeen difficult to place students herebecause they wouldn’t have beenable to get the training they require.”


The year in review2013

The long struggle to improve patient care in theNew South Wales public health system continuedthrough 2013, in the face of a state governmentcommitted to rolling back the public sector.

Nurses and midwives throughout the state engaged inworkplace activities, visited their local MPs, andparticipated in a statewide strike as we pressed forextended and improved ratios that would delivermuch-needed improvements to the public healthsystem. These actions were backed by a high profileadvertising campaign by the NSWNMA.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW


Our successful campaign for ratios hasbeen much admired globally and thebaton has been taken up in a number ofother countries. 2013 saw the birth of anew international grouping of nursesand midwives – Global Nurses United –

which coordinated a very successful joint day of action in September.

The fight for better ratios and a challengeto further privatisation will continue to bemajor campaigns in the coming year.

Privatisation of public health services has alsoemerged as a major issue in NSW in the wake of asimilar and more advanced agenda in Queensland.

“We can’t put profits before patients.”


COVER STORY

WHEN ALEXIS DEVINE SET OFF FOR HOMEfrom her job in intensive care in June thisyear she was no more weary than normal after a 12-hour shift.

“I was feeling fine for the majority ofthe drive home and suddenly I felt so tired.When I got into a familiar street close tohome I felt a wave of exhaustion. I had amicro-sleep behind the wheel of the car,mounted a verge and ended up running intoa tree,” she told The Lamp. “I injured myknee and fractured a rib. I was off work forsix weeks.”

Alexis, an agency nurse, says the accidentcould have been a financial disaster.

“It was huge for me, I rely on each shiftto get pay and I don’t get any sick leave orannual leave or employment insurance. Itmeant I had to go straight into my savings tomaintain my living expenses.


JOURNEY INSURANCE

Alexislands in oursafety netWhen the O’Farrell Government gutted

the state’s workers compensation scheme in2012, the loss of cover for injuries sufferedduring journeys to-and-from work bit nurses

and midwives particularly hard. The NSWNMA stepped into the breach with its

own scheme and RN Alexis Devine is glad we did.

NSWNMA’s Accident Journey Insurance

On June 2012 the O’FarrellGovernment rolled back the rights ofworkers in New South Wales, leavingnurses and midwives vulnerable in theevent of an injury while travelling to orfrom work.

General Secretary Brett Holmes says theAssociation decided to step in andestablish a safety net for nurses andmidwives.

“We now offer all financial members ofthe Association accident journeyinsurance as part of their membership,”he said.

“This insurance provides assistance tomembers injured on a journey to orfrom work, where they would havepreviously been covered by workerscompensation.

“It can’t completely replace workerscompensation but it does providemembers with a limited safety net thatprovides 85% of lost weekly wages,death and disability insurance up to$100,000 and rehabilitation expenses.”

Brett says it is important to know thatonly nurses and midwives with currentfinancial membership of the NSWNMAat the time of their accident are coveredby the scheme.

“I can’t stress enough how important it isfor all members to ensure they arefinancial. Don’t hesitate to contact theAssociation to inquire about yourmembership status.”


“I was lucky that I didn’t have anymajor surgery. There were some billsthat came from the hospital. I alsocopped a fine. It affected me hugely. Ihad to eat into my savings so I couldget through every day.”

Alexis’ accident came almost 12months after the O’Farrell Govern-ment had made drastic cuts to the state’sworkers compensation scheme, includ-ing for injuries suffered when travellingto and from work. She was not entitledto compensation she would have received if the accident had occurred ayear earlier.

“Initially I didn’t think I could becovered and I left it a long time until Irealised that my injuries were lastinglonger than I expected,” she said.

“I was in the hospital in the emer-gency department getting a check overand one of the younger nurses men-tioned that the NSWNMA providescover for those members who havebeen in an accident.

“They had stepped up and takenover that role to provide some com-pensation financially. I was over themoon. It was nice to know that theAssociation was there to provide thatassistance. I am so impressed and indebted to them for it.”

Alexis says what has happened toher has prompted conversations withother nurses about the impact thechange to workers comp has had onnurses.

“It affects us hugely, unfortunately.We work so hard through the night tocare for people and then for someonelike me, through no fault of my own,to have an accident with injuries thatwill be with me for a long time. I feltdisappointed by the government for taking it [compensation] away. Itsaddens me a lot.”

“It was nice toknow that theAssociation wasthere to providethat assistance.”

“I can’t stressenough howimportant it is for all membersto ensure they are financial. Don’t hesitate to contact theAssociation to inquire about yourmembershipstatus.” — Brett Holmes

How to applyFinancial members of the NSWNMA should lodge a workers compensation claim in the first instance. If that is denied they can download a claim form from the NSWNMAwebsite and lodge all the necessary documentation including a medicalcertificate with the Association. The Association will verify that the claimant was a financial member at thetime of the accident and then forward the claim on to the insurer.Alexis Devine says that once she had sorted out the paperwork with heremployer the process to get compensation moved quickly and smoothly.“The paper work is always a bit of a drag but once it was off I was reallyimpressed how quickly the Association processed it and howcommunicative they were. They rang me and let me know what was goingon. Then my payment arrived and it was like Christmas!”

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IN PORT THE EXCURSIONS ARE IN REVERSE– from shore to ship. One excursionist is Ellison, 7. His legs are twisted like pretzelsfrom the knees down. He lives under a bridgeand begs to support himself and his disabledgrandmother.

After a day surrounded by scary peoplewith large machines called x-rays, Ellisonwants to leave. There is only one languagethat will convince him to stay, so that oneday soon he might be able to run and walk.Australian nurse Lynne White knows whatthat is.

“I go and sit with him and just put myarms around him. After dinner as night closes,tears well up in his eyes and Ruth, my trans-lator, tells me that Ellison wants to ‘go home’back to the bridge,” Lynne wrote in her diaryblog that night.

“A lot of people talk to Ellison to noavail. I am listening quietly, but in my mind,regardless of race, I don’t think it’s too bene-ficial to negotiate with seven-year-olds forlong lengths of time. Maternal instinct tellsme there is only one answer and that is alwaysDISTRACTION!”

And so Ellison is revealed as a masterbuilder with a stacking game, and after 100games he is laughing uproariously. He goes

to sleep clutching Lynne’s koala hand puppetas she sings to him.

For Ellison this is the first day of a journeythat will, among many other things, makehim the hero of a documentary film soon tobe screened on SBS.

It was Lynne’s first day at work on AfricaMercy of the Mercy Ships charity, which operates medical ships to the world’s poorest.The ship’s doctors and nurses deal with a range of disfiguring and crippling orthopaedic deformities, gross facial tumours,watermelon-sized goitres and inguinal hernias so large, patients carry them on awheelbarrow. In many cases, facial tumourshave grown so large they are leading to starvation and suffocation.

Lynne, 53, from Sydney, lived and workedfor two months on the Africa Mercy in 2012,while it was docked in Guinea. And despitethe undeniable discomfort of living incramped quarters and the sadness and tearsthat are as inevitable as the joys of seeing patients given a normal life again, she volunteered again this year, this time for theCongo. But there was already a full quota ofnurse volunteers.

Volunteering on a Mercy ship is not foreveryone, according to Lynne.

“You need to be quite resilient and assimilate quickly,” she says. Many volunteersare young and Lynne found herself lendingthem a lot of emotional support, earningherself the nickname Mercy Mama fromyounger crew members, struggling at timeswith the challenges of six women, all on different shifts, sharing three bunks, one toiletand a shower.

“It’s character building stuff and it’s tricky,but no sacrifice compared to the sufferingdown the gangway outside.”

Most, but not all, volunteers are committedChristians, but all shared one aim, to serveothers before self.

“My passion and heart has always beenfor Africa, don’t ask me why, there are manyin great need everywhere. I think God justwires you to lend yourself to a particulargroup,” Lynne says. “The African people thatwe loved and tended were blown away thatwe would touch and care for them so freely.”

On her third day at an onshore screeningsite Lynne realised there would be no helpfor some, like Aduba, 16.

“His tummy hurts and he says his anus isnot completely open … his abdomen feelsrigid on both sides.”

Aduba’s father offers to work 24/7 on


MERCY SHIPS

The love boatOutdoor furniture stacked in the empty pool, two-minute

showers and share accommodation for six in a 2m x 3m cabin.Is this the cruise ship from hell? No, it’s from the heavenly side of cruising and there’s a waiting list to get onboard.

the ship in exchange for help for his son. “Somehow I have toget him to understand that the ship does not have the rightequipment to help. My heart was breaking for them. I’m afraidthat as things stand Aduba will eventually die. But this childcould definitely be helped in the first world.”

Back on board to air conditioning and toilets that flush,Ellison, has revealed his real name is YaYa. His grandmotherand uncle have given consent for surgery on his legs and whilehe awaits surgery he earns yet another name, The Little General,giving orders as he hops along behind Nick the ortho tech,holding the saw between cuts as Nick removes casts fromother children.

A few days before Lynne leaves Africa Mercy, YaYa is backon her ward.

“He is now upright, has special boots Velcro-strapped onand is weight bearing through his legs, leaning against a stoolwith a game perched on the top. By the time we have playedthe game he has stood for 15 minutes. I have really beenblessed to see this progress before I leave. It will be a verylong-term recovery,” Lynne reported in one of her final blogs.

“I just loved him so much and so did everyone on board,”Lynne told The Lamp. “He is highly intelligent and anxious tolearn. If it had been possible and in his best interests I wouldhave taken him home with me.

“I have been able to arrange with a missionary couple towatch over him and organise schooling for him and I willfund the cost for as long as he needs,” Lynne said. “I can’t waitto see him again on film and hear his gruff voice, he truly hasa piece of my heart.”


Aboard the Mercy ShipA variety of long and short-term,onboard volunteer positions areavailable on Africa Mercy. Theyinclude housekeeping, galley, deckcrew, doctors and nurses.Volunteers pay their own travelcosts to and from the ships andfrom $US700 room and board forup to three months. For more visitwww.mercyships.org.au or call1300 739 899. The documentary The Surgery Ship was scheduled toscreen on SBS on December 10.

YaYa

NEW NATIONAL ANTI-BULLYING LAWS

will come into force next year, giving the Fair Work Commissionpower to issue orders against individuals and employers.

The state government’s work-place safety authority, WorkCoverNSW, considers bullying a serioushealth and safety issue.

“The stress caused to someonewho is bullied, or to those who workin a climate of bullying, can resultin psychological injuries such as anx-iety and depression, and can indirectly cause physical injuries,”WorkCover says.

It says employers should takesteps to prevent and manage bullyingand should encourage workers to report bullying incidents.

Workplace health and safety pro-fessional officers at the NSW Nursesand Midwives’ Association say thatwhile staff-related bullying is usuallymanager to staff, it can involve staffto staff, or staff to manager. Bullyingcan be done by individuals andgroups.

WHAT IS BULLYING?WorkCover defines bullying at workas “repeated unreasonable behaviourdirected towards a worker or groupof workers that creates a risk tohealth and safety”.

Bullying can be direct or indirect. Examples of direct bullying include:• verbal abuse• putting someone down• spreading rumours or innuendo

about someone• interfering with someone’s

personal property or workequipment.

Examples of indirect bullyinginclude:• unjustified criticism or complaints• deliberately excluding someone

from workplace activities• deliberately denying access to

information or other resources• withholding information that is

vital for effective workperformance

• setting tasks that are unreasonablyabove or below a worker’sability

• deliberately changing workarrangements to inconvenience aparticular worker or workers

• excessive scrutiny at work.“Reasonable management actions

carried out in a fair way” are notdefined as bullying.

WHAT CAN I DO?If you can, tell the bully that theirbehaviour is unreasonable and inappropriate, and that you want it tostop.


BULLYING

Bullying at work can have aserious impact on individuals and organisations. It should not be regarded as normalworkplace behaviour and it should not be tolerated.


The cost of bullyingA 2010 ProductivityCommission reportestimated that theannual cost ofworkplace bullying, toemployers and theeconomy, ranged from $6 billion to as much as $36 billion.

Direct costs ofbullying result fromabsenteeism, staffturnover, legal andcompensation costs,and redundancy andearly retirementpayouts.

Hidden direct costsinclude managementtime consumed inaddressing claims forbullying, investigatingallegations of bullyingthrough formalgrievance proceduresand workplacesupport services suchas counselling.

Other costs to theeconomy includepublic sector costssuch as the health andmedical servicesneeded to treatbullied individuals,and income supportand other governmentbenefits provided tovictims of bullyingwho becomeunemployed as aresult.

IF MEMBERS ARE HAVINGPROBLEMS MAKING A COMPLAINTTO SOMEONE IN AUTHORITY INTHEIR WORKPLACE, OR ARE AFRAIDTO DO SO, THEY SHOULD CONTACTTHE NSWNMA FOR ADVICE.

Keep a written record of all bullyingincidents including dates, times and wit-nesses to the behaviour.

If you feel threatened, try to havesomeone with you when you meet thebully until the matter is resolved.

Check your employer’s policy andprocedures on bullying and follow themto lodge a complaint.

Most public sector organisations havespecific policies and procedures. NSWMinistry of Health directive PD2011 _018outlines how to make a complaint aboutbullying, including contacting an Anti-Bullying Contact Officer or the anti-bullying advice line.

Sectors such as aged care often haveno specific bullying policies and no clearprotocols on how to respond if bullyinghappens.

If members are having problemsmaking a complaint to someone in au-thority in their workplace, or are afraidto do so, they should contact theNSWNMA for advice.

WorkCover will not look into a bul-lying complaint unless management hasfirst been given an opportunity to fixthe problem.

If management fails to act on yourcomplaint, or is unable to stop the bul-lying, you can complain directly toWorkCover or ask the NSWNMA todo so on your behalf.

You can download the complaintsform here: http://tinyurl.com/k9q3vgf

New powers to actUnder new national anti-bullying lawscoming into force from January 1, 2014, theFair Work Commission will have the powerto order that bullying must stop. The Commission will also have the power toissue orders against individuals and employers,such as to direct an employer to developpolicy and provide training to combatbullying.While amendments to the Fair Work Actgive the Commission power to make anorder that bullying must stop, theCommission cannot impose financialpenalties or order reinstatement orcompensation.The amendments were designed tocomplement state workplace health andsafety laws rather than replace them. They aredesigned to allow workers affected bybullying to apply directly to the Fair WorkCommission for a quick and affordablehearing of their complaint. If the Commission makes an order this doesnot prevent further action being taken understate work health and safety legislation.The previous government initiated thechanges following a parliamentary inquiryinto bullying in the workplace.However the new Abbott Government hasindicated it is not happy with some of thechanges to the Act, and may seek to makethem more employer-friendly.

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ASK JUDITH When it comes to your rights andentitlements at work, NSWNMAAssistant General Secretary JUDITH KIEJDA has the answers.

Fact finding meetingI received a letter from my managerthis week directing me to attend a fact-finding meeting. The letter alleges that Ishouted at a colleague, which I do notthink is true. What are my rights andwhat can I expect at this meeting?Management has an obligation to investigateallegations made against members of staff.Facilities should have their own policiesregarding disciplinary processes and theconduct of fact-finding meetings. You should be advised that you may have asupport person of your choosing present atthe meeting and should be given anopportunity to present your response to theallegations. At this meeting managementshould also outline the process that will befollowed in conducting their investigation.The Members Only section of theNSWNMA website contains a document(listed under NSWNMA policies file)entitled Substantive and Procedural FairnessGuidelines that can further assist you. Youcan also contact the NSWNMA to speak toan Information Officer who can provideyou with further assistance.

Sick leave on contractI am employed in a nursing homeworking three shifts per week on apermanent part-time basis. I regularlywork Monday, Wednesday and Friday.Recently I agreed to work two extrashifts on Tuesday and Thursday of thesame week. I worked all my shiftsexcept for Friday as I was unwell and

called in sick. My employer has refusedto pay me sick leave for the Friday shiftsaying that, as I worked the extrashifts, I have gone over my contractedhours and am not entitled to sick leave.Is this correct?No, this is not correct. If you call in sick forany rostered shift, you are entitled to be paidsick leave. However, your employer mayrequest that you provide them withevidence such as a medical certificate or astatutory declaration confirming that youwere unwell.

Leave approved then deniedI am an RN in a public hospital andhave applied for annual leave, whichwas approved. My manager is nowtelling me that the leave has beencancelled. Can my employer do this?Firstly, retain a copy of any leave approvalyou received as you may need to use this asevidence should problems arise in relationto the period of leave requested.If your employer has approved your requestin writing they cannot later cancel yourleave. If you are taking the annual leavewithin six months of it falling due afteryour anniversary date, the Public HealthSystem Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award2011, clause 30 Annual Leave, sub clause(vii) states;

“Annual leave shall be given and shall betaken within a period of six months afterthe date when the right to annual leaveaccrued; provided that the giving and thetaking of such leave may be postponed,by mutual agreement between the parties

for a further period not exceeding six months.”

This means that if the leave you haveapplied for and been granted is leave youare entitled to, then any changes after thegranting of the leave must be by mutualagreement. Your manager cannot unilaterallycancel your leave. You should speak to eitheryour DoN or the manager of humanresources at your hospital or LHD. If youremployer will still not allow the leave pleasecontact the Association for further advice.

Christmas public holidaysI work in the public sector and would liketo know which days have been allocatedas public holidays over the Christmasperiod. Also, as we don’t get the Augustbank holiday in August, do we get it withthe Christmas public holidays? Gazetted public holidays for December2013 and January 2014 during theChristmas period are as follows:Christmas day – Tuesday 25 December Boxing day – Wednesday 26 December August bank holiday – Thursday 27DecemberNew Years day – Tuesday 1 January 2014 You can access all gazetted public holidaysfor 2013, 2014 and 2015 on the NSWIndustrial Relations web site atwww.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au. TheAugust bank holiday is listed with thesegazetted days, but this day is usuallyallocated to the Christmas/New Yearperiod, with the date advised by theMinistry closer to the period.

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Watch the blog for our end-of-year contest – lots of goodies to be won!Do you have a story to tell? An opinion to share? Nurse Uncut is written by everyday nurses and midwives. Send us your ideas at [email protected]. Nurse Uncut is also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NurseUncutAustralia and on Twitter @nurseuncut

NURSE UNCUTA BLOG FOR AUSTRALIAN

NURSES AND MIDWIVES

www.nurseuncut.com.au

Mabel’s “spell”

www.nurseuncut.com.au/mabels-spell/Retired cardiothoracic nurse Ann knew that she should just watch and wait when her patientappeared to faint.

Are you both EN and RN?

www.nurseuncut.com.au/are-you-both-an-en-and-rn/ Concurrent registration as Registered and Enrolled Nurse ends in May 2014 – contact us if you’rein that situation.

Student movie night

www.nurseuncut.com.au/student-movie-night/Nursing and midwifery students from across the metropolis came together at Sydney Universityrecently to watch some flicks.

Seashells – the power of nurses

www.nurseuncut.com.au/seashells-the-power-of-nurses/Oliver Spence pays tribute to the nurses who supported him and his four siblings when theylost their mother to cancer last year.

Field notes on death

www.nurseuncut.com.au/field-notes-on-death/Former palliative care nurse Lea McInerny traces her relationship to the dead and dying – whathappens in those final moments?

Social media – use it more, use it well!

www.nurseuncut.com.au/social-media-why-we-should-use-it-more-and-better/Mental health nurse Rhonda Wilson is a keen advocate for nurses using social media – blogs,Facebook, Twitter, the lot!

New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association >> www.facebook.com/nswnmaRatios put patient safety first >> www.facebook.com/safepatientcareAged Care Nurses >> www.facebook.com/agedcarenurses

New on SupportNursesYouTubechannel

Alexis on Accident Journey insurance

Registered nurse Alexis was injured on theway home from work after night shift. Seewhat happened next.> youtu.be/VRiojacC7Cw

Sutherland Hospital rally for ratios

A local lunchtime rally was sweetened by anice-cream van.> youtu.be/fQurxiERr2s

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SOCIAL MEDIA

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NURSES & MIDWIVESWHAT

Beating heart

A retired cardio nurse told a story on NurseUncut of watching a patient “faint” and doingnothing – with an ECG readout to illustratethe case.

Albury work bans

Mental health nurses in Albury imposedwork bans due to workload issues.

Endemic nurse shortage

A letter to a rural paper about an elderlyrelative’s bad hospital experience sparkeddiscussion.

Petition ban

Prince of Wales Hospital warned employeesnot to circulate a petition about staffingnumbers in public areas of the hospital,even when off-duty.

On time

Go home on timewas held onNovember 20

Job cuts

More than 80 angry nurses gathered atBathurst to discuss proposed cuts to jobsand beds.

Award anyone?

Know someone in nursingwho deserves a HestaAustralian nursing award?

How can someone go into heart block then come back to normal?

There is evidence in the literature that heart blocks and ventricular standstil l canspontaneously reverse. If anyone is interested, check articles in the Journal of Pacingor simply Google.

That is amazing, one of the very clever nurses I work with said this happens quite frequently.

Aww, I love this story – we’re often caught up with the routines and tend not to observealternatives!

Care for the nurses we have; stories l ike this do not attract the young choosing professions.

Give them as much as they need or you will lose them.

Good on you and the nurses who are continually expected to do more with less.

I retired from nursing because I was unable to care adequately for the patients in my care –hate to think what will happen when the rest of us baby boomers retire.

I agree as a fellow nurse baby boomer ... a lot of us at work won’t see 40 or 50 again andthis issue is mentioned a lot – pretty scary. :(

I was in hospital in July, the staff were wonderful under very difficult conditions – they wererun off their feet!

We get more staff then we are loaded with more paperwork.

I have been a nurse for 35 years. Yes, all hospitals need more nurses, the workload ishorrendous, the population is aging and there aren’t enough staff members to cope with alltheir needs.

Given 4000 new nurses on one hand (police stil l searching for their whereabouts) andcutting much-needed nurses jobs at Bathurst hospital, government absolutely bonkers orsuffering from mental health issues - no cure for stupid!

The community in Bathurst must get behind the hospital and fight for their services! Peoplepower!

I can’t help thinking that making the public health care system look bad can only makeprivatisation look more attractive. I hope I’m wrong...

Why doesn’t Ji l l ian Skinner step in, fire these Health CEOs for refusing to adhere to herdirective that frontline services are not to be affected. Health management around NSWcontinue to cut frontline services (but refuse to cut staff in their own offices) to save onbudget. It’s the frontline staff that deals with the patient and family, not management.

Why cut GSO staff, next they’ll have rampant infections and cleaning issues, increased WorkCover issues cos the staff that are left to clean will be burnt out. And don’t get me startedon nursing cuts! Hang in there PoW, we’re behind you.

Health makes a fortune on unpaid labour.

I often have my breaks late due to workload, but will get in trouble if I don’t take a break.

I would love to be able to walk out the door right on time. Rarely happens.

All of us!


NURSING RESEARCH ONLINE

While it is too early to tell how effectively the American Affordable Health Care Act –“Obamacare” – will achieve its aims, the selection below reminds us of how vital it isto protect the Australian system of universal health insurance from well-organisedinterests seeking to privatise healthcare in the interest of private profits.

Why the U.S. Should Take Notes from Britain’s Health Care SystemHenry Blodget

The American health care system sucks. We paymore for health care than any country in the worldand we only get average results. And tens of millions of Americans have no health insurance.Our latest attempt to address this situation, Obamacare, is a mind-numbing kluge of laws andpolicies that is off to a very rough start. And evenif Obamacare ends up working, it will only fix partof the problem.The answer is a fully national health insurance system, in which all Americans are covered in thesame massive group and for-profit insurers andhealth care providers can’t pick and choose whoto cover and how much to charge them. This sys-tem would effectively extend the current Medicareand Medicaid system to the whole population,and, in so doing, make it even more efficient.As in some other countries with national healthinsurance, Americans insured under this systemwould also be free to buy additional health careservices, including additional private insurance. But a lot of Americans still hate that idea. Theyhave been told since birth that “national healthcare” is a disgrace. They have been brainwashedso thoroughly by America’s vastly profitable medical industrial complex, their resistance to re-ality and change has become a religion.http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2013/11/10/national_health_insurance_britain_s_system_is_great.html

Making sense of Obamacare: Key questions1. What is Obamacare?Passed in 2010, Obamacare is a national law withtwo goals: making health insurance better forpeople who already have it and getting health insurance for more of the 60 million Americanswho are uninsured.

2. Why did America need to change things in the first place?According to research, 82% of Americans werequite pleased with their health care before Obamacare. The problem really was with the other18%. People routinely got kicked off their plansfor getting pregnant, having a pre-existing con-dition, or losing a job. Afterward, no one wouldsell them insurance. Many people also had badhealth plans that imposed all kinds of restrictions.In addition, 60 million Americans had no healthinsurance at all, and as a result, many people lost

their homes, endured bankruptcy, and sufferedother hardships trying to pay for treatment fortheir illness.

3. Why are some people so mad about Obamacare?Obamacare isn’t perfect by any means. But thereare two groups that really hate it: those whowanted a single-payer, fully socialised system, andthose who claim to be free-market zealots. http://www.smh.com.au/world/making-sense-of-obamacare-seven-key-questions-20131002-2uri4.html

The right wing plot to stop the publicoption: Behind the scenes as the KochBrothers, Sarah Palin and Fox Newsfought to defeat progressive health care reformThom Harman

Fear of “death panels” was one of several mythsspun out of the right-wing messaging campaignfunded by big for-profit health insurance corpo-rations opposed to any sort of health reform. Itwas given credence by Sarah Palin in an August2009 Facebook post in which she wrote, “TheAmerica I know and love is not one in which my

parents or my baby with Down Syndrome willhave to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ sohis bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjectivejudgment of their ‘level of productivity in society’,whether they are worthy of health care. Such asystem is downright evil.”The ironic thing about Palin’s message was thatso-called death panels are actually a very real thingin America. Every single day, death panels at for-profithealth insurance corporations determine whether ornot it’s worth paying out a certain claim or signingon to a certain lifesaving medical procedure. In those cases, a “subjective judgment” is madeon how a cancer patient’s chemotherapy will affectthe corporation’s bottom line.It was exactly this sort of abuse that PresidentObama’s Affordable Care Act was trying to curb.But in the perversion of the health reform debate,somehow that message got reversed. And eventhough there was no such thing as a “death panels” provision in the health reform bill, it wasan issue that dominated much of the health caredebate in the summer of 2009.http://www.salon.com/2013/11/10/%e2%80%9cwe_have_a_radical_philosophy_the_plot_to_stop_the_public_option/


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muscle group (13)9. Relating to the mouth (4)10. Nanocurie (1.1.1)11. A digit of the foot (3)12. Lumbodorsal junction (1.1.1) 13. The flexor anterior surface of

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16. A gum disease that destroysthe structures and the bonessupporting the teeth (13)

18. Inactive (5)19. The conscious sense of

the self (3)20. US units of weight (6)22. To have pain (3)23. A whole quantity (5)24. Conditions of being

comfortable or relieved (5)27. Lower limbs (4)31. Suited for a particular

purpose (9)32. Wetness due to any liquid (8)33. Moral obligations relating to

biological research and itsapplications (9)

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ridges of the fleshy distalportion of a finger (11)

2. Rigid (5)3. Between ribs (11)4. Ballooning of the lower end of

the ureter into the bladder (11)5. Distributions (11)6. Court orders that prevent a party

from performing a specified act(11)

7. Lacking personality (11)8. Skin stains, alterations, defects, or

flaws. (9)17. Recording again (10)

21. The study of methods forcontrolling the characteristics ofpopulations through selectivebreeding (8)

25. A minute unicellular protozoon (6)

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BOOKS

All books can be ordered through the publisher or your local bookshop. NSWNMA members can borrow the books featured here, and many more, from our Records and Information Centre (RIC).Contact Jeannette Bromfield [email protected] or Cathy Matias 8595 2121 [email protected]. All reviews by NSWNMA RIC Coordinator/Librarian Jeannette Bromfield. Some books arereviewed using information supplied and have not been independently reviewed.

Better Doctors, Better Patients, Better Decisions: Envisioning Health Care 2020Gerd Gigerenzer (Editor) J. A. Muir Gray (Editor)MIT Press (through Footprint Books)mitpress.mit.edu j www.footprint.com.auRRP $20.00 j ISBN 97802625185298According to the contributors to this book, one ofthe main problems in providing uniformly excellenthealth care is not lack of money but lack of knowl-edge on the part of doctors and patients. They callfor a new, more enlightened health care, with bettermedical education, journals that report study out-comes completely and transparently, and patientsin control of their personal medical records, notafraid of statistics but able to use them to makeinformed decisions about their treatments.

Essentials of Clinical Geriatrics (7th ed.)Robert Kane, Joseph G. Ouslander, Itamar B. Abrass and Barbara ResnickMcGraw-Hill Professionalwww.mhprofessional.comRRP $65.00 j ISBN 9780071792189This updated edition of Essentials of Clinical Geriatrics combines practical information to helpclinicians and other practitioners, from a variety ofdisciplines, to more effectively address the challenges posed by the older patient. It features coverage of all the important issues in geriatrics,along with concise, practical guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of the diseases and disorders most commonly encountered in an elderly patient.

Safeguarding Adults in Nursing PracticeRuth Northway and Robert JenkinsSAGE Publications (through FootprintBooks) www.sagepub.comwww.footprint.com.auRRP $48.95: j ISBN 9781446256381Safeguarding Adults in Nursing Practice seeks toraise nurse awareness of vulnerability, abuse andneglect, while providing them with the knowledgeand skills required to safeguard those within theircare. It encourages nurses to make links betweentheory and practice, to think critically in order toachieve the necessary balance between protectionand empowerment, and to examine how their per-sonal practice may be improved. While the bookis aimed at nursing students it could also be usefulfor qualified nurses, helping them to improve theirpractice and their role as mentors to students.

BOOK ME

Can I Tell You About Dementia? A Guide for Family, Friends and CarersJude Welton, illustrated by Jane TelfordJessica Kingsley Publishers (through Footprint Books)www.jkp.com j www.footprint.com.auRRP $15.95 I j SBN 9781849052979In this book readers learn about dementia from Jack, an olderman suffering with the condition. Jack invites readers to learnfrom his perspective, helping them to understand the challengesfaced by someone with dementia and the changes it causes tomemory, communication and behaviour. Set out in an easy-to-read style, this book can help family, friends and carers makesense of the condition.

SPECIAL INTEREST

Communicating Health Strategies forHealth Promotion (2nd ed.)Edited by Nova CorcoranSAGE Publications (through Footprint Books)www.sagepub.com j www.footprint.com.auRRP $55.95 j ISBN 9781446252338This popular textbook gives healthcare students andpractitioners the practical knowledge and skills theyneed to effectively communicate and promotehealth and wellbeing. The second edition has beenfully updated in response to recent changes in socialpolicy, reflected by health communications and cam-paigns. It is valuable reading for all students andhealth care professionals who wish to reflect uponand develop their practice.

MOVIES

moviesof the month

The Lamp has 15 in-season double passes

to give away to Philomena thanks to

Hopscotch Films. The first 15 members

to email their name, membership

number, address and telephone number

to [email protected] will win.

Powerful, gutsy and emotionally gutwrenching – this is a cracker of afilm, writes Anni Cameron.

Based on real events, this film hasthe ability to make you laugh outloud in those moments when you

do not want to weep unrestrainedly.Philomena is the gripping story of a mother’s life-long, single-minded search for her long lost son. Itis an outstanding bittersweet tale of love, loss andexile. At its centre is Philomena Lee (in a seminalperformance by Judi Dench) who we first meet asa gentle, elderly Irish woman, lighting a candle forher beloved son’s birthday; a son she has not seenfor almost 50 years. Flashing back to a young unmarried mother con-fined to a life of drudgery and privation in the con-vent’s laundry at Roscrea, given access to her sonfor only one hour a day, Philomena was powerlessto stop the nuns selling her beloved three-year-oldboy to a wealthy, childless American couple. In scenes reminiscent of The Magdalene Sisters(2002), Dench makes us aware of the massive griefand remorse her character feels for her “carnal incontinence” and “indecency”.

Many years later Philomena and world-weary journalist Martin Sixsmith (played with admirablerestraint by comedian Steve Coogan) are broughttogether by her daughter. He has just lost his job as a government spin-doc-tor and, although scorning human-interest stories,needs work. After meeting Philomena his interestis piqued. They make a splendid comic odd-couple: Dench’sPhilomena shows kindness and enjoys chatteringwhile Coogan’s character is cynical and disdainful.However, the bond that develops between them isprofoundly moving and very funny. They travel to her old convent in Ireland where theyencounter evasion and smokescreen from the everso charming nuns, then on to the United States toencounter more obfuscation and evasion from theadoptive family. After further probing, revelationsof the extraordinary story of what happened to herson are revealed .The film, under the deft hand of veteran directorStephen Frears, touches adroitly on such weightythemes as the abusive way in which unmarriedmothers were treated by the state and the Churchin 1950s Ireland, and the perils facing gay couplesin the Reagan-Bush era of the United States.

Despite this the film never sentimentalises or patronises and this is one of its strongest features. It is an emotionally rewarding drama with a brilliantwarm-hearted script and stellar performances.

IN CINEMAS DECEMBER 26Anni Cameron, RN, BHA MEd, is a Teacher ofNursing at St George TAFE, Sydney Institute.

PHILOMENA


MEMBERGIVEAWAY


A powerful story, convincingly acted by a strong cast, writesMurray James.

Imagine surviving being tortured asa prisoner of war and years later

meeting your torturer. This is the pivotal scene in The Railway Man, amovie based on the courageous life of Eric Lomax,an English soldier who was imprisoned by theJapanese and forced to work, on the Thai-Burmarailway.The film opens with a romantic interlude in whichEric (Colin Firth) meets Patti (Nicole Kidman) on atrain to Edinburgh. They fall in love and get married. In marriage, Patti witnesses the horrors of Eric’snightmare flashbacks to his past imprisonment andtorture. She discovers that the young Japanese of-ficer who haunts her husband is still alive and work-ing at a war museum, and she assists Eric on a pathtowards healing what we now understand to bePost Traumatic Stress Disorder.Much has been uncovered and continues to belearnt about this disorder, which now encompassesa broader range of trauma experiences.

Nearly 2700 Australians died working on the Thai-Burma “Railway of Death”. Prior to this Australian/UK co-production, directed by Sydneyborn Jonathan Teplitzky, Eric Lomax had already

participated in a film documentary of his life andreunion with Nagase, his torturer. Lomax met with actors Firth and Kidman to encourage them in their interpretation of his life,but sadly died before this film was completed.Ultimately this is a profound story about endurance, forgiveness and reconciliation. The confronting presence of violence is worth enduringfor the heroic and cathartic climax that will shakeaudiences.

IN CINEMAS DECEMBER 26Murray James is an RN in the Mood Disorders Unitat St John of God Health Services, Burwood.


to give away to The Railway Man thanks

to Paramount Pictures. The first 15

members to email their name,

membership number, address and

telephone number to

[email protected] will win.

MEMBERGIVEAWAY

A comedy with appealing characters,a brisk pace and some great chuckle-out-loud moments, writesSharon Ketelaar.

Portuguese-born Maria (RitaBlanco) and José (Joaquim de Almeida) have beenworking hard since moving to Paris 30 years ago. Although they have always intended to return toPortugal, it seems they are trapped in France bytheir own virtues and work ethic, becoming indis-pensable to their family, neighbours, friends andemployers. Maria is the overworked concierge of the poshapartment building in which they are allowed asmall apartment of their own. José is a buildingforeman relied upon, and put upon unapologeti-cally, by his jovial boss. José is overjoyed when he inherits the family vineyards back in Portugal and with Maria beginsplanning their return home. But the couple are oblivious that the news hasleaked, while they are pondering how to break itgently, and Maria’s larger-than-life sister, Lourdes,begins plotting to undermine their fresh start. News soon spreads to Jose’s boss through theirPortuguese friend, Rosa, who also happens to behis cleaner. Maria and José are yet to find out thattheir daughter is secretly engaged to the son ofJosé’s boss. The residents of the apartment block know theywill never find another concierge as dedicated, hardworking and accommodating as Maria and go to

great lengths to retain her. Comedy abounds whenit seems half of Paris is conspiring against themleaving. Amazed at the efforts of all those connected tothem in their Parisian life, and feeling appreciatedat last, José and Maria question whether they reallywant to return to Portugal, and whether they’d belost without the jobs they thought they wanted toescape.I would have found this film amusing from begin-ning to end were it not for one fleeting incident involving violence toward a female character when

she speaks her mind, with only a mild reaction fromthe other characters. I felt disappointed in charac-ters I’d grown fond of and it overshadowed mygeneral enjoyment of the film. Written and directed by Ruben Alves, The GildedCage is based loosely on his own life growing up inParis among the large Portuguese community,where his mother was an apartment buildingconcierge.

IN CINEMAS DECEMBER 12Sharon Ketelaar is an RN and editor of medical texts.

THE GILDED CAGE

THE RAILWAY MAN


to give away to The Gilded Cage thanks to

Palace Films. The first 15 members to

email their name, membership number,

address and telephone number to

[email protected] will win.

MEMBERGIVEAWAY


Mangrove Yoga Ashram 2014 Programs

The Neuro Science of Yoga January 10-12These two programs are based on research done at the University of South Australia by presenter Dr Maarten Immink. Theory component: 8.5 hrs, Yoga practical: 6 hrs +Yoga for people with neurological conditions and motor impairmentsJanuary 17-19 Dr Maaten ImminkWhen working with people affected by a neurological disability,yoga practices provide a means to improving the brain, bodyconnection while also enhancing the patient or clients sense ofacceptance and wellbeing.Theory – 8.5 hrs; yoga practical – 6 hrs+Yoga Relax for Medical and Allied Health Professionalwith Swami Omteertha (Ruth Burgess, R.N.) January 10 – 12 This weekend offers a space to unwind with yoga techniques. Learnskills to apply to manage stress both at home or the workplace. Theory component: 5 hrs, Yoga practical: 9 hrs +

Yoga for Pregnancy with Swami Gurupremananda March 28-30This course expands the knowledge for the yoga teacherand the pre natal student and is the first in a series ofworkshops.The Effects of Yoga on Sleep Cycles, Anxiety and DepressionJuly 18-20With (Phillip Stevens) Chronobiologist, scientist andneurophysiologist. Participants will learn simple yogapractices for their own wellbeing and the skills to teach these to others to assist in the treatment ofanxiety and depression. Theory component 5.5 hrs, Yoga Practical 9hrs +Satyananda Yoga Nidra Training August 28 -5 Sept This course is designed for people to learn and teach a deep relaxation practice that can be practiced in 20-30 min.

At Satyananda Yoga AcademyAustralasia we believe thatcollaboration between yogateachers, researchers, andmedical and allied healthpractitioners holds thegreatest potential for evolvingresearch into yoga and itstherapeutic effects.

Email for booking courses and see the website for more course information [email protected] • www.mangroveyoga.orgSATYANANDA YOGA® teachers with professional backgrounds in medicine and allied health are available to run workshops and seminars in your workplace. Professional areas include: physiotherapy, elderly, peri-natal, stroke, mental health and PTS, nutrition, naturopathy and fitness. YOGA ASHRAM MANGROVE TM SATYANANDA YOGA® is a trademark of IYFM used under license. 300 Mangrove Creek Rd Mangrove Creek NSW

STUDY VIA DISTANCE EDUCATION—WHEN YOU WANT, WHERE YOU WANT, HOW YOU WANT.

Avondale’s postgraduate studies in Nursing are designed to extend and deepen a registered nurse’s knowledge, skills and appreciation of clinical practice, leadership and management, research or clinical teaching.

Choose from four areas of study:• Clinical Nursing • Clinical Teaching• Leadership and Management • Course without a speciality

FEBRUARY and AUGUST intakes

www.avondale.edu.au/nursing1113Phone: 1800 991 392 (Australia) or 02 4980 2377Email: [email protected]

Mode: Distance education with on-campus support.

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DIARY DATES

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conferences,

seminars, meetings

NSW

Women’s Health 45+9-10 December Sydneywww.ausmed.com.au45 03 9326 8101

Wound management12-13 December Burwoodacn.edu.au/cpd

School Nurses Association of NSW 2014 annual conference20-21 January 2014 Sydneysnamembersonly.weebly.com/conferences.html

National Disability Services NSW state conference10-11 February SydneyMiriam Sosin [email protected]/events 02 9256 3133

Trauma and the mental health workforce –2014 Summer Forum20-21 February 2014 Sydneywww.themhs.org/

Neuroscience Conference — Navigating Neuro 1 March 2014 WollongongJo McLoughlin 0422 418 [email protected]

Palliative Care Nurses Australia Conference20146-7 April 2014 Sydney www.pcna.org.au/conference

Paediatric Perioperative SeminarWestmead Children’s Hospital 13 September 2014 [email protected]@health.nsw.gov.au

ACT

Perioperative anaesthetic nursingAustralian College of Nursing13 December Canberraacn.edu.au/cpd

INTERSTATE

18th National Otorhinolaryngology Headand Neck Nurses Conference29 March-1 April 2014 Brisbanewww.ohnng.com.au/national_conference.html

No 2 Bullying 2014 Conference7-8 April 2014 Noosawww.no2bullying.org.au

National Eating Disorders and ObesityConference 26-27 May 2014 Gold Coasteatingdisordersaustralia.org.au

OVERSEAS

Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry Meeting2014 21-24 May 2014 Germany www.epa2014ulm.eu

4th International Conference on Violence inthe Health Sector22-24 October 2014 USAwww.oudconsultancy.nl/MiamiSite2014/index.html

International Conference on Infectious andTropical Diseases16 -18 January 2015 Cambodiaictid.webs.com/

REUNIONS

Gladesville Hospital/Riverglades reunionBBQ 16 February 2014 Gladesville Hospital$15 per person includes foodColin Campbell or Warren Martin(02) 9489 5907; 0428 727 [email protected]

NEC Prince Henry/POW Hospitals Oct 1972-75 Group25-26 October 2014Margret Brignall (née Samuel) 0418 646 959Sonia Keeling (née Graf ) 0407 221 407Marcia Jarvis (née Fitch) 0438 415 647Dianne Walkden (née Edwards) 0400 621 470Gill Gillon (née Horton) 0401 048 205

*Only for new customers on hospital and extras cover issued by Bupa Australia Pty Ltd ABN 81 000 057 590 on direct debit or payroll deduction (if available) who join their corporate health plan before 31/12/2013. Not with other offers. Excludes some overseas visitors covers. New Balance and Trek/Bontrager vouchers valued at $100 for singles or $200 for couples or families. Bupa Optical vouchers valued at $150 for singles or $300 for couples or families. Vouchers can be redeemed online only. Other conditions and supplier terms apply. ^Discount is reviewed annually by Bupa and your company. Must pay by direct debit or payroll deduction (if available). #Available on Ultimate Corporate Health Cover, Corporate Advantage and Classic covers when taken with hospital cover on a family membership, on most services. Child dependants only. Includes Major Dental in VIC and SA only. Excludes orthodontics and hospital treatments. Fund rules, waiting periods and annual maximums apply. 11476-10-13P

JOIN NOW AND BE REWARDEDTake out hospital and extras cover under your NSW Health corporate health plan and choose from a New Balance, Bupa Optical or Trek/Bontrager voucher.*

When you join you’ll also receive a 3% discount off your monthly premium^ and look forward to gap free for kids on most general dental and physio at Members First providers.#

Call 134 135 and quote 2076307

Drop by your local Bupa Centre

Email [email protected]

Vouchers from $100 for singles$200 for families*

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02 8884 4477 | 37 Blacktown Road | Blacktownwww.landernissan.com.au www.landerkia.com.au

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Consider our product disclosure statement before making a decision about First State Super. Call us or visit our website for a copy. FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 11 118 202 672 ASFL 293340 is the trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme ABN 53 226 460 365.

At First State Super we believe Australians who choose careers looking after others

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the lamp december 2013

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