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Publications: Submissions
Senate Inquiry into Nursing
Summary of Points
- Shortage of Nurses is impacting considerably on existing nurses' capacity to fulfil their role to the level they believe is necessary for quality care.
- Nurses are under greater stress and pressure as a result of the shortage of nurses.
- In Tasmania for the year 2000 the average age for Nurses is 43.3 years, only 2.2% are under 25.
- Tasmania has seen a decline in the number of Nurse registrations of 22.5% in the period 1993 to 1999.
(These figures are sourced from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1999, Nursing Labour Force 1998 AIHW cat.no. HWL 14, Canberra: AIHW (National Health Labour Force Series)
- In 1999 HACSU conducted a Survey of Nurse members in Aged Care and the results indicated
- 60% of respondents reported that the level of documentation has had a negative impact on patient care since the changes to Aged Care funding in the middle of the 1990s,
- 90% reported spending a minimum of 2 hours per shift on documentation/paper work thus decreasing the time spent on patient care,
- 100% reported an increase in workload,
- 84% worked unpaid overtime.
- In Aged Care again between 1993 and 1999 the number of nurses employed decreased by 8.2% overall, in the non Government not for profit sector this decline was 26.4%.
- There is an increasing trend to employ Personal Carers to provide patient care instead of Nurses, this is particularly the case in the non acute settings such as Aged Care and Disability Services. This trend does not alleviate the problem as Nurses are required to be accountable for the actions of these Personal Carers.
- It is not unusual in Tasmania for an Aged Care facility with up to 60 residents to employ just one Registered Nurse. Changes to Aged Care funding in 1997 has resulted in a sharp decline in the number of Nurses in the Aged care sector.
- Nurses are paid considerably less than their counterparts in other Health Professions e.g. an RN level 1 with 8 years of service receives $$43,737 while a Health Professional level 1 with 8 years service receives $47,375 which is 8% more. A level 2 Nurse with 4 years of service receives $48,480 while a level 2 Health Professional receives $53,939 a difference of 11%.
- In the Aged Care sector the situation is even worse - a RN level 1 with 8 years of service receives $40,126 and a RN level 2 with 4 years of service receives $44,476.
- This is nearly 9% less than an RN in acute care and up to 18% less than a comparable Health professional.
- It is worth noting that these rates are after we have negotiated the last round of Enterprise Bargaining for Nurses. Aged Care have entered into the first Enterprise Bargaining Agreement for many years, no doubt spurred by the sector's inability to attract and retain Nurses.
- Why would a person seeking a career in Health choose Nursing above Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Occupational Therapy etc? The majority of Health Professionals are not required to work shift work nor is there the same level of stress involved.
- HACSU believes the Federal Government has a role to play in alleviating the critical shortage of Nurses.
- The Federal Government is responsible for funding public health services and Aged Care services and an increase in the funding to these services will enable health service providers to offer more attractive rates of pay and improved conditions for Nurses.
- In addition the Federal Government is responsible for funding Universities and can do more to assist Universities offer additional places for Nurse undergraduate training.
- The Federal Government could also examine the HECS arrangements for Nurses and investigate the option of providing a temporary moratorium on HECS fees for Nursing undergraduate courses.
Download: Click here to download the full Submission by HACSU - (pdf file)
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