Call the HACSU Helpline
1300 88 00 32

more info

Winter 2003

Breakthrough Agreement – Now let’s see it in practice!

12 May 2003 was an historic day for Tasmanian nurses, with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission passing an agreement, which will regulate nursing workloads in Tasmania according to an agreed formula - the Nursing Hours Per Patient Day Formula.

It's the first time in Tasmania's history a workloads benchmark has been established for nurses, and according to HACSU's Nursing Officer, Leanne McDougall, it was a very good day for Tasmanian nurse unionists.

"This agreement has been fought for and won by Tasmanian nurse unionists," Leanne said.

"For years nurse workloads have been growing and growing, and this is in large part what has been driving many nurses away and causing nurse shortages. The job was getting endless and too stressful."

"We shouldn't pretend however that this agreement is the be all and end all. This is a start. This is the bottom line benchmark and it is up to nurses in coming years to improve it."

"First we have to see it in practice as nothing much has changed at the moment. The changes have yet to be implemented."

Leanne said there would inevitably be a lot of kinks that would have to be ironed out in the implementation process, and urged members to get involved with the implementation.

"There is still heaps to do. We have to make sure hospitals properly implement their benchmarks and the agreed variations. There's a Monitoring Committee and a whole lot of associated activities, such as re-entry to practise programs, and other areas to be benchmarked, which are all issues that arose from the NHPPD process."

"We are urging nurses to get involved in the process to make sure it works as per the original aims."

"The whole process could fall over if it is not properly implemented and the only way it can be properly implemented is if nurses themselves play an active part."

Leanne said there were still vacancies on the NHPPD Monitoring and Industrial Committees, and a need for more nurses to get involved to drive other areas of the project.

The NHPPD Industrial Consultative Committee has met twice since the Commission's decision. On each occasion a status report has been presented by the Agency, outlining the progress of the implementation of the NHPPD model.

This includes:

• information has been provided to the hospitals to make sure they provide establishment variation requirements against benchmarking formation to meet their needs,
• workload monitoring committees are to be set up in each of the hospitals as soon as possible,
• a re-entry to practice programme has been established,
• the work life balance survey has been drafted,
• the proposal put forward by the Agency regarding the benchmarking of other areas not yet included in the NHPPD model.

The Workload Monitoring Committees have a very important role in reviewing, assessing and making recommendations to the CEOs of each hospital regarding the NHPPD model.

Members interested in participating in the Workload Monitoring Committees, or who would like a full copy of the Status Report, please contact Leanne McDougall on 6231 2253 or email leanne@hacsutas.net.au