nurses and midwives in lismore

Lismore has faced a series of challenges, including COVID, floods, and a rising cost of living, resembling a saga of biblical proportions. Throughout these adversities, nurses and midwives in private and public hospitals, along with health services, have stood as the bedrock of the community. Despite such dedication, a surprising setback occurred late last year at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Lismore, where a promising pay offer was abruptly withdrawn and replaced with an inferior one.

The initial shock has transformed into unwavering resolve, prompting the branch to mobilize within and seek community support for a fair pay deal. In this edition of Branch Beat, we explore how the branch garnered backing from staff, the community, local media, politicians, and colleagues from other hospitals in their pursuit of a livable pay rise.

Challenges Faced by St Vincent’s Private Hospital Branch in Lismore:

Last year, St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Lismore withdrew an offer that would have granted staff a 4% pay rise from October 2023 and back pay of 2.53% from October 2022. This unexpected move blindsided the staff, who had already made plans for the holiday season based on the anticipated pay increase.

The previous Enterprise Agreement expired in October 2022, but negotiations were delayed until August 2023. Nursing staff at the day surgery hospital, with over 84 beds, had not received a pay rise since October 2021. The decision to withdraw the pay rise offer came from the newly appointed CEO, offering only a 2.3% increase, backdated to July 2023.

Branch Action and Community Support:

In response, branch members actively organized, creating a WhatsApp group for communication and circulating a petition signed by 170 members and supporters. The petition, expressing discontent with the withdrawal of the pay offer, was sent to the CEO, the board, and the bishop.

A rally held on January 8 at the Lismore Transit Centre saw more than 50 members expressing their dissatisfaction with the management’s failure to reinstate the original offer. Chants such as “COVID, floods; we’ve had our share. Pay us what we know is fair” echoed the sentiments of the protesting nurses.

Media Coverage and Community Backing:

The rally garnered significant media coverage from outlets like the Daily Telegraph, ABC radio, NBN News Channel 7, Lismore City News, and the Lismore news site Echo. The ALP member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin, released a statement expressing solidarity with St Vincent’s nurses and encouraging the hospital to return to the negotiating table.

The support from the community and media coverage has emboldened the branch members to persist in their fight for a fair deal. With nearly two-and-a-half years without a pay rise and the soaring cost of living, St Vincent’s nurses face financial challenges, making the pursuit of a fair deal crucial.

Lismore Hospital’s NSWNMA branch is leading a campaign to get more nurses rostered in the hard-pressed emergency department.

Lismore Base Hospital’s emergency department is getting more nurses thanks to a strong campaign by the hospital’s NSWNMA branch.

The campaign has secured the employment of an additional RN as an ED resource nurse on every shift.

Staff are also seeking the employment of another RN on night shift. The proposal is being discussed by the hospital’s reasonable workloads committee (RWC).

Meanwhile, the hospital is recruiting to provide additional nurse practitioner staffing (equivalent to 1.4 full-time employees) as a result of changes to the model of care.

The call for more staff was unanimously supported by well-attended meetings of the NSWNMA branch and endorsed by 285 staff members, who signed an open letter to management.

NSWNMA member and ED clinical nurse educator Rebecca Austin said the campaign had raised the profile of the branch among nurses and “reinforced to everyone the power of numbers”.

She said presentations and acuity at Lismore ED have risen over the past three years, with ATS1 (resuscitation) cases up by 23 per cent and ATS2 (emergency) cases up by 41 per cent. However, staff numbers did not increase.

“The highest risk area was the drastically understaffed and over-utilised resuscitation room,” Rebecca said.

“Also, we were maintaining the same acuity and same utilisation throughout the night, when we had one less nurse on shift.”

ED nurses took their concerns to the RWC, which supported staff increases for the ED.

Management responded by asking for more data and the NSWNMA branch passed a resolution supporting the RWC recommendation.

Northern NSW Local Health District management said it would increase nurse practitioner staffing but rejected other requests for more nurses.

The branch decided to hold a lunchtime community rally outside the hospital. However, it was called off after hospital chief executive, Wayne Jones, offered to employ an additional resource nurse on each shift seven days a week.

Rebecca said the resource nurse works as the second nurse in the resuscitation room when it has  two or more patients. At other times the nurse assists other areas of the department.

“We felt we achieved something important by getting the resource nurse,” she said. “Our request for an additional RN on night duty is back with the RWC for the time being.”

Rebecca said it was encouraging to see large numbers of NSWNMA members attend branch meetings during the campaign.

“We also welcomed non-members to the meetings as observers. They couldn’t speak or vote, but they could see how the branch was working to improve the safety and conditions of both patients and staff.”

COVID, Unprecedented Floods, and the Surging Cost of Living: The Struggles of Lismore

More staff for Lismore ED