Workplace News
Stand together for safer staffing
Ramsay nurses and midwives call for safer staffing so they can deliver quality patient care.
Ramsay nurses and midwives have embarked on an enterprise agreement campaign that seeks to improve staffing and skill mix in order to deliver safer patient care.
Members’ claims include ratios for the following specialties:
- Medical and Surgical Wards
- Rehabilitation
- End-of-life/Palliative Care
- Critical Care (Adult and Paediatric)
- Maternity Services
- Perioperative Services – ACORN
- Emergency Department
- Mental Health
- Paediatric Beds Staffing
- Short Stay Wards
- Nursing Models for Oncology, Dialysis and Infusions.
Members also call for:
- sufficient staff on shift for breaks to be taken
- nurses and midwives allocated to patients clinically assessed as needing specialised 1:1 care in addition to the rostered nursing hours and
- a revision of the midnight census to accurately reflect the needs of patients.
New safe staffing framework
In their claim, Ramsay nurses and midwives seek a “Safe Staffing Framework” that would include:
- skill mix for each ward/unit should include a minimum 85 per cent RNs for each shift
- nurses and midwives designated in charge should not carry a patient load and should be additional to the ratios
- ‘like-for-like’ replacement for all absences including sick leave (see box for full claim).
NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes says the company has always been proud of the “Ramsay Way” – a corporate culture underpinned by the values of “people caring for people” and with a commitment “to ongoing improvement of patient care”.
Nurses and midwives are seeking changes that are consistent with these goals and will ultimately be beneficial to the company, staff and patients, he says.
“Ramsay is a $14.5 billion company that is highly profitable. It is making record profits, with strong growth in the Australian business expected to continue. The company can afford better staffing and skill mix, which will give safer patient care,” he said.
Brett says the Association consulted extensively with Ramsay nurses and midwives when compiling the claims for the new Agreement and there is an overwhelming message that staffing must be improved. Ramsay are well placed as a leader in NSW to make this happen.
“Nurses and midwives are telling us that the company regularly expects them to do more with less which means tremendous pressure, missed breaks and gaming of the rosters depending on fluctuations in patient numbers.
“There are unrealistic expectations of staff. Overtime is expected. It is expected that you finish your list before a meal breakis allowed.
“But staff have expectations of the company as well. They expect MyTime to be accurate and live up to what it was promised to be: accessible, transparent and reliable.
“They expect to get meal breaks and if they don’t it should be easy to claim a meal allowance.
“And most important of all, they expect to work with enough nurses or midwives and have the right skill mix on their shift.”
Proposed NSWNMA Ramsay safe staffing framework
Proposed NSWNMA Ramsay safe staffing framework
- Skill mix for each ward/unit should include a minimum of 85 per cent RNs for each shift with the overall shift comprising staff with the appropriate qualifications, education and competency to provide safe patient care.
- Only nurses providing direct clinical care should be included in the ratios. Positions such as After Hours Managers (AHMs), Nursing/Midwifery Unit Managers (NUM/MUMs), Clinical Nurse/Midwife Educators (CNE/CMEs), Clinical Nurse/Midwife Consultants (CNC/CMCs), dedicated administrative support staff and wards persons should be additional.
- Nurses/midwives designated in charge will not be allocated a patient load and should be additional to the ratios.
- ‘Like-for-like’ replacement – all leave absences including sick leave to be replaced by the same skilled staff or higher classification.
- Nurses and midwives will be allocated to patients clinically assessed as needing specialised 1:1 care in addition to the rostered nursing hours.
- Where the NUM/MUM/in charge on a shift considers that patient needs cannot be sufficiently met from the nurses/midwives immediately available, the NUM/MUM/in charge will inform the senior nurse/midwife manager who together with the NUM/MUM/in charge will implement a solution including:
– additional hours for part time staff
– engagement of casual/agency staff
– overtime, and/or prioritisation of nursing activities on the ward/unit.
- There must be sufficient staff on shift for breaks to be taken.
- Stores and pharmacy always to be available.
- Additional nurses/midwives will be provided for escort duty.
- Additional Clinical Nurse/Midwifery Educators will be employed in all specialties and rostered across all shifts.
- Revise the ‘midnight census’ because it does not accurately reflect the needs of patients.
- Riskman to be the appropriate tool for reporting unsafe staffing.
- All facilities to have adequate available nurses with competency in Advanced Life Support.