Nursing & Midwifery News – February 2024

From Shane

This month we will commence a new Steering Committee to oversee the implementation of our new Employee-Centred Rostering Guidelines. The implementation of these new guidelines will be the culmination of over 12 months work where we have undertaken co-design with our nurses and midwives to explore, identify and understand the rostering preferences of nurses, midwives, Unit Managers and roster managers. This was based on your experiences, perceptions and satisfaction with current rostering principles, which allowed us to develop acceptable and feasible employee-centred rostering principles that focus on the importance of the Four Fs: Foundations, Flexibility, Fairness, and Fatigue Management. We plan to implement the new guidelines over the coming months, and I will keep you informed as the new Steering Committee progresses this important work.

The bargaining for the next nurses and midwives enterprise agreement is nearing its completion, with the current enterprise agreement due to expire on 30 April 2024. Whilst there has been some progress and a number of items have been agreed between the parties, at the moment there are a number of items that remain outstanding. As it currently stands, there is a challenging road ahead. The Government’s Wages Policy is a 3% salaries and wages annual increment for all public services. The unions have a number of high-cost claims that go beyond that policy. At the moment work is being undertaken to analyse the cost impact of the claims across the sector, which will be provided to Government for consideration. The past few enterprise agreements were reached without need for industrial action, and I am hopeful that this can be achieved again this time.

The deadline for both Western Health and Department of Health postgraduate nursing scholarships has been extended to 9 February 2024. If you are undertaking post-graduate education this year, please ensure that you don’t miss out on this opportunity to apply for the generous scholarships on offer.

The eagle-eyed of you may have noticed that we have recently been advertising for some new roles to support an exciting new initiative. This new project is commencing soon to undertake the complex job of getting us ready to introduce our automated drug solution within the new Footscray Hospital, our new Mental Health & Wellbeing Centre at Sunshine and at Sunbury. This clever technology supports medication administration to be as close to closed-loop as we can get it, supporting safer, efficient and effective practice.

This month on 5 February the first group of 114 graduate nurses and midwives for 2024 commence at Western Health. They join our Mental Health & Wellbeing nursing graduates that recently commenced in late January. This year we have over 300 graduate nurse and midwives starting their career with us, and as Western Health gets larger it is important that we all work together to ensure that our early career nurses and midwives don’t get lost in the crowd. This time of year, I often reflect back to my own graduate program, and the immense gratitude that I felt towards my preceptors, educators and new colleagues for their patience, guiding support and friendliness. After their week of induction, they will start to hit our wards on 12 February and I’m sure that you will make them feel supported and very welcome.

Also, a huge welcome to Professor Rochelle Wynne who recently joined us as our new Professor of Nursing as part of the Western Health- Deakin University Partnership. Rochelle is filling the position recently vacated by Professor Bodil Rasmussen and comes to us with an excellent track record at Western Sydney Local Health District and Western Sydney University. We have an incredibly robust, active and enviable nurse-led research program here at Western Health, and I am confident that Rochelle will continue to take this program from strength to strength.

Finally, my congratulations to Michael Krejany (Medical Surgical Unit, Bacchus Marsh) for being awarded the National Nursing Service medal. I was delighted to present Michael this medal in front of his colleagues during January.

Shane Crowe
Executive Director, Nursing & Midwifery

Employee-Centred Rostering Implementation coming soon!

Enterprise Agreement update

Western Health has been actively contributing to the negotiations with Deputy Executive Director Nursing & Midwifery and People and Culture representation at reference group meetings.

The timelines for the negotiations have been shortened. Bargaining meetings will cease over the next week given the new deadline for negotiations – however there will likely be continuing discussions and refining of wording and clauses leading up to the renewal of the EA.

The Department of Health has brought forward their deadline for submitting details of proposed changes that incur a financial cost – for example, salaries and wages, penalties and allowances. As it currently stands, the Government Wages Policy is a 3% salaries and wages annual increment being offered across all public services. The State Government has to support any additional costs if they are included in the EA, so need to be informed and prepared in order to ascertain what obligations can be met. The costing submission is due to be submitted on 16 February to Government for consideration.

In addition to the Log of Claims (proposed changes) from the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation (ANMF) there are also Logs of Claims from two other Unions to be worked through:

• from the Health Workers Union (HWU), who have joint coverage interests for Enrolled Nurses with the ANMF; and
• the Health & Community Services Union (HACSU) who have an interest in the negotiations for nurses and midwives.

These are all discussed during bargaining along with the changes to the EA put forward by the hospitals.

There are several changes under discussion. Many aim to improve definitions and assist employers to implement particular clauses, and some new initiatives, including:

• Advanced Practice roles – classifications and definitions to streamline grading and improve equity across services
• Midwifery leadership roles and Midwifery Group Practice models
• Unit Manager level descriptors to be included in the next agreement
• On Call arrangements and recall rostering
• Lead Apron allowance
• Superannuation payments
• RUSON/M casual employment
• New employment model for student Enrolled Nurses
• Night duty rostering and weekend shift penalties
• Parental leave provisions
• Contracts of employment for fixed term roles

Next steps

The Department of Health has to support any additional costs if they are to be included in the EA, so needs to be informed and prepared in order to ascertain what obligations can be met. The Victorian Hospital Industrial Association (VHIA) is working with the Department of Health and representatives from Victoria’s public health services to calculate the cost implications for the proposed changes to the EA. This work needs to be completed over the next couple of weeks. Then a decision will be made as to which clauses can be funded, and any savings that can be predicted and this will be communicated back to the hospital and Union representatives. It is anticipated that this element of bargaining will be complex, given the financial pressures across the health system.

It is anticipated a draft EA will be put to nurses and midwives to consider during March/April. At that time the unions will advise their members on voting to accept or reject the offered agreement and will advise on voting rights and obligations of members.

Postgraduate scholarship applications closing soon!

The deadline for both Western Health and Department of Health postgraduate nursing scholarships has been extended to 9 February 2024.

Western Health continues to partner with respected Victorian Universities to offer a variety of postgraduate programs for nurses interested in developing their knowledge and skills in specialty nursing practice.

Opportunities include:

• Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Clinical Nursing (Adult Acute Care) in extensive specialties including Cardiac Care, Critical Care, Emergency, Perioperative and Paediatrics.
• Post Graduate study with the Australian Catholic University (ACU) in various specialties, including Correctional Health, Gerontological Nursing, Medical Nursing, Renal Nursing and Surgical Nursing.
• Master of Nursing (any speciality)

Undertaking post-graduate education with Western Health offers a combination of employment and study, increasing your opportunities to integrate theoretical knowledge into clinical practice by being employed in the specialty area being studied.

After graduating, you are eligible to receive a higher qualification allowance.

Recognition of prior learning is possible for nurses who have completed post registration studies in some clinical specialties. These nurses may be eligible for credit of up to 50 percent of the program.

Scholarship Applications:

Western Health and the Department of Health offer generous scholarships to support post-graduate education for nurses. Applications​ dates have been extended and now close on 9 February 2024. Scholarships are only available to Western Health Staff. Completed application forms must be submitted to Debra.Broomfield@wh.org.au 

• 2024 Nursing and Midwifery Postgraduate Scholarship – Application
• Scholarship Checklist
• Guidelines – Postgraduate scholarships for nurses and midwives

Specific scholarships are also available for First Nations nurses and midwives who wish to undertake post-graduate study. Applications close 31 March 2024. If you are considering applying please contact Debra.Broomfield@wh.org.au 

• 2024 Aboriginal Nursing Midwifery Postgraduate Scholarships

APINCH changes

High risk (APINCH) medicines have a heightened risk of causing harm if used in error or misused. Their error rates are not necessarily higher compared to other medicines, but when problems occur, the consequences can be catastrophic. High risk medicines have specific storage requirements and their access is limited.

There has been a recent addition to the APINCH classification following us becoming a mental health and wellbeing service, whereby at Western Health we now refer to high risk medicines as “APINCHS”:

• A: Anti-infectives (antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals)
• P: Potassium and electrolytes
• I: Insulin
• N: Narcotics, other sedatives, antipsychotics, Lithium and neuromuscular blocking agents
• C: Chemotherapeutic agents (including immunosuppressants) and Clozapine
• H: Heparin and other Anticoagulants (including antiplatelet agents)
• S: Systems (medication safety systems such as independent double checks, safe administration of liquid medications, standardised order sets and medication charts etc)

Staff should make themselves familiar with the APINCHS medications within their clinical area and any particular restrictions or precautions that are in place for their use.

Soon you’ll be seeing these new posters in all clinical areas.

Congrats to Davina, our newest NP!

Davina Taylor started her Pain Management Nurse journey in 2006, at Western Health, in the role of Clinical Nurse Consultant. She says one of the most professionally satisfying aspects to this role has been working with pregnant, birthing and postpartum women in Melbourne’s West. It was this experience that motivated her to embark on a PhD exploring the experience of childbirth pain, completed in 2020.

During her career at Western Health, I have always been encouraged by my colleagues to work on my craft. With that in mind, she has been working as a Nurse Practitioner Candidate within the pain management service while completing a Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) with the aim of providing specialized and advanced clinical nursing pain management care to patients and families. Davina has now been successfully endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner with the Nursing & Midwifery Board Australia.

Going forward, this year, Davina is excited to continue her professional journey by providing holistic advanced nursing care to individuals experiencing pain and suffering from pain related conditions/illness across the wards and departments of western health. The pain management Nurse Practitioner also delivers nurse led clinics for non-admitted patients and supports complex discharge planning and follow up.

Welcome to our new Chair of Nursing

A huge welcome to Professor Rochelle Wynne who recently commenced as our new Chair of Nursing in the Western Health-Deakin University Partnership.

Rochelle has previously been the Professor of Nursing and Director of the Western Sydney Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre at the Western Sydney Local Health District and Western Sydney University. In this position Rochelle headed the nurse-led and midwifery-led research program and innovative practice improvement across the largest and most culturally diverse health district in New South Wales. Not dissimilar to Western Health, Western Sydney Local Health District was undergoing rapid expansion to meet the needs of a growing and diverse population. Rochelle’s leadership capabilities enabled her to foster a culture of collaboration and she doubled the nurse-led and midwife-led research outputs. Her own program of research in cardiovascular conditions led to the development of key local, national and international interdisciplinary collaborations.

Rochelle is also the Editor in Chief of the Contemporary Nurse Journal and an Honorary Professor of Nursing at University of Wollongong. She has been successfully awarded multiple grants, has actively published book chapters, original research and commentary in peer reviewed journals. She is also committed to ongoing professional development, supervising PhD, Masters and Honours students. Rochelle has recently worked at the Royal Melbourne Hospital as a Clinical Nurse Consultant within Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Rochelle is excited about the opportunity to contribute to Western Health’s vision, to enhance its reputation as a leader in research and innovation, and to work with the partnership team to further enrich our research program.

Building Capability for Continuous Improvement

Have you ever noticed something that could be improved in your area but were unsure how to go about improving it?

The Best Care Excellence & Improvement program (BCEIP) intensive program aims to empower you to implement change and improve the delivery of Best Care for your unit, your patients and you.

Participants in the program will receive:

• 3 half-day study days on topics including
  • IHI Model of Improvement
  • Using data for improvement
  • Developing and testing change ideas
  • Implementing and embedding change into practice
  • Sustaining change
• one-on-one coaching from our Best Care Improvement team

Study Days:

• Day 1: 15 February 2024 (9am-1pm) Mavis Mitchell Room
• Day 2: 14 March 2024 (9am-1pm) Sunshine Hospital Lecture Theatre
• Day 3: 25 March 2024 (9am-12noon) Sunshine Hospital Lecture Theatre

Please click here for more information or to register.

National Nursing Forum 2024

The National Nursing Forum (NNF) is the Australian College of Nursing’s signature annual leadership and educational event bringing together nurses, students and other health professionals from around the country and across the globe. The 2024 NNF will take place from Wednesday 14 – Friday 16 August 2024 at the Cairns Convention Centre.

Attendees will enjoy a full and rich forum experience with face-to-face presentations and interactions with the nursing network, the opportunity to connect with valuable sponsors and exhibitors to learn about the latest products, and more.

The 2024 NNF theme will be ‘Regenerate, Reinvigorate, Reclaim – Sustainable solutions for our future’ and will be explored in our keynote plenary sessions and throughout the forum.

It is a hybrid event, so you can attend in person or online. To register please go to the ACN website. Western Health will have a healthy contingent attending!

Submit an Abstract

Nurses at all career stages, from undergraduates to retirees, are invited to submit an abstract to contribute their learnings, insights, and stories. Submit your abstract for consideration as an oral presentation or poster in one of the four dynamic streams:

• Community
• Quality and Safety
• Innovation
• Social Impact

Presenting an abstract at Australia’s peak annual nursing conference offers a unique opportunity to build your national profile and showcase your work. Act fast – abstract submissions close Friday 16 February 2024. For details on abstract submissions, download the abstract guidelines or visit ACN’s website.

PeopleHub coming soon

A large and complex project is currently being undertaken to move Western Health to use modern, connected and state-of-the-art HR technology systems that are designed to improve the employee experience.

The PeopleConnect project will be implementing 2 major components:

• PeopleHub is the SuccessFactors system, which is our new Human Resources Information System to replace the soon to be retired Equifax system, which will go-live on 29 April 2024.
• RosterHub is implementation of the Optima system to replace the ageing RosterOn. Date of go-live has yet to be confirmed.

The implementation of modern HR systems will support payroll and employee life-cycle activities across core master data, recruitment, on-boarding, workflows and org charts, and will be a single source of truth for HR data, streamlining processes, employment and position information, operational efficiencies, faster resolutions a complete history of information and changes available instantaneously.

The new systems will increase efficiency in on-boarding and off-boarding functions, reporting and service planning, and will increase accuracy for payroll for employees against award entitlements. This will help reduce errors and improve compliance, processes follow a clear path with business rules built in to align to awards, policies and procedures.

People and Culture has engaged with numerous stakeholders to identify requirements and capture current pain points. Working groups have been established with Unit Manager representation and the Nursing and Midwifery Workforce Unit providing Nursing & Midwifery representation.

A Change Impact Statement has recently been released to provide more information to all staff on the project. You can provide feedback by COB 11 February 2024 by emailing peopleconnect@wh.org.au. Alternatively, you can consult with your union representative who can send your feedback to the HR Business Partners. More information on the project can be found here.

Health & Wellbeing Equality Index survey

This year Western Health is participating in the Health + Wellbeing Equality Index (HWEI) Employee Survey.

This is a national survey run by Pride in Health + Wellbeing, and covers a number of areas related to diversity, inclusion, exclusion, and culture, with a particular focus on inclusion of LGBTQ clients.

This is only one area of our diversity & inclusion work, and while the survey focuses specifically on LGBTQ inclusion, it does not by any means lessen our focus in other areas of diversity practice.

The HWEI survey data enables our organisation to gain insights into the knowledge levels and experiences of all our employees. It will also provide us with essential information about many areas specific to LGBTQ-inclusive service provision, allowing us to develop inclusion plans and initiatives which prioritise the needs of our LGBTQ clients and their allies.

It provides a means by which you can have your say!

Regardless of how you personally identify, or your role within the organisation, we encourage all our employees to participate in this survey.​

COVID boosters now more broadly available

Recently the recommendations for COVID vaccine boosters were updated.

A booster dose is recommended for all adults:

• aged 65 years and over
• aged 18 to 64 who have medical comorbidities that increase their risk of severe COVID-19
• aged 18 to 64 who have a disability with significant or complex health needs

The latest COVID-booster is also now available to people that have spoken with their healthcare provider and are:

• an adult aged 18 to 64 years without risk factors for severe COVID-19
• a child aged 5 to 17 years who has medical comorbidities that increase their risk of severe COVID-19 illness
• a child aged 5 to 17 years who has a disability with significant or complex health needs

To qualify for a booster, a minimum of six months should have passed since receiving the last COVID-19 booster or since a confirmed infection, whichever is more recent.  

The date you had your last COVID-19 vaccine is on your COVID-19 digital certificate. 

How to get a booster dose at Western Health  

Pop up clinics will be held at the following locations and times:  

• Sunshine Hospital – every Wednesday and Friday (8.30am to 12pm) 
• Williamstown Hospital – fortnightly Thursday (12pm to 1pm) 
• Sunbury Day Hospital – fortnightly Thursday (12pm to 1pm) 
• Bacchus Marsh Hospital – weekly on Friday (1pm to 2pm) 
• Footscray Hospital – weekly on Monday (9am to 11am) 
• Melton Health – fortnightly Monday (1pm to 2pm) 

Scan the QR code to make your booking and don’t forget your Medicare card.  

Safety of COVID-19 booster dose

As with previous booster doses, mild side effects may be experienced following the new booster dose. Read the latest information about COVID-19 vaccine safety and side effects before receiving your booster.

Congrats to our new Educational Leaders

Congratulations to 2 new members of the Education & Learning leadership team:

Manager Education and Learning – Women’s and Children’s

Hayley Pohatu has been officially appointed to the role of Manager of Education and Learning – Women’s and Children’s, following her successful stint as the acting manager over the past few months.

Hayley has demonstrated exceptional leadership during her time as the Graduate Midwife Coordinator, overseeing a substantial increase in numbers within the graduate program. Her management of Women’s and Children’s Outpatients, along with successful project leadership in initiatives like Colour my Care and the Post Partum Haemorrhage project, further exemplifies her capabilities.

With a Masters of Midwifery and a number of leadership qualifications, Hayley brings significant expertise to her new role. Her contributions as a valuable member of the senior leadership team in education are anticipated to make a lasting impact on the future of education within our organization.

We are confident that under her guidance, our education and learning initiatives for Women’s and Children’s services will continue to thrive.

Education Coordinator – Footscray and Williamstown

Jimmy Bua has been an integral part of our organization, having served as the Graduate Nurse Coordinator for the past few years. Prior to that, he demonstrated his expertise as a Clinical Nurse Educator at Footscray Hospital.

With a solid background in nursing education, Jimmy has accumulated two Masters degrees in Nursing and holds postgraduate qualifications in Emergency Nursing.

His passion for education is evident, and his experience in leading the graduate nurse program showcases his dedication to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals. Jimmy’s role as a Clinical Nurse Educator at Footscray Hospital reflects his commitment to imparting knowledge and skills to fellow healthcare providers.

Jimmy’s extensive background, coupled with his passion for education, equips him well to lead the team at Footscray and Williamstown. His proven record and skills make him an excellent choice to guide the delivery of evidence-based education on these sites.

We are excited about the contributions he will make in further developing our team and advancing the delivery of high-quality education at Footscray and Williamstown.

AICED update

The AICED Program continues to be implemented across our adult inpatient wards, to support the delivery and documentation of Comprehensive Care.

To support the implementation:

• a poster has been developed on A-E assessment (poster attached)
• an A.I.C.E.D module has been launched on WeLearn, which has been individualised for knowledge and skill level.

Prize recipients:

The final winner of the weekly prize is Jordyn Griggs – Medical/Surgical Bacchus Marsh. There will be more prizes and quizzes in the future so keep a watch for future announcements. The graduate nurses will be doing the AICED program as foundational learning at the commencement of their program, our first intake commences on 5 February 2024.

Benchmarking Best Care

The latest benchmark reports from the Health Roundtable that go up to September 2023 show how our delivery of Best Care compares to other health services across Australasia.

Let’s look at how we perform in the area of Severe Perineal Laceration, which includes third and fourth degree tears during vaginal delivery.

Severe Perineal Laceration:

The rates of severe perineal tears during vaginal delivery at Western Health maternity services was previously exceptionally high – in fact we were performing worse than our peers. However there has been concerted efforts through the Maternity Improvement Plan, and the great news is that this has consistently been dropping over the past 12 months.

However, over the last quarter this has spiked upwards to the highest result in 18 months – and so we will be keeping a close eye on this indicator.

Overall, we are amber when compared to our peers!

Educational Opportunities

Upcoming courses being offered to Western Health nurses and midwives:

February 2024

• Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive Care
• 8 – CVAD Workshop
• 29 – VAC Study Day

March 2024

• 5 – Deteriorating Patient Study Day
• 7 – Pressure Injury Study Day
• 12 – Wound Care Study Day
• 13 – Renal Study Day 
• 14 – Advanced Life Support Level 2 (ALS2), refer to WeLearn for registration and further dates
• 19 – CVAD Workshop 
• 19 – Community Study Day
• 27 – Preceptorship Study Day

April 2024 

• 18 – Diabetes Study Day
• 23 – Deteriorating Patient Study Day
• 30 – CVAD Workshop 
• 30 – Surgical Advanced Study Day 

Please visit the Education and Learning link for more courses.

Emerging Evidence

The Western Health Library Service is a great source for locating the latest nursing and midwifery related evidence-based practice and research.

Latest articles of interest

• Maternity clinician use of shared decision-making in antenatal care: A scoping review. Birth. 2023: December. Full Text Western Health Author
• Co-design of a question prompt list about pregnancy and childbearing for women with polycystic kidney disease: an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth.2023: December. Full Text Western Health Author
• Pregnant women with diabetes and their clinician’s experience of participating in a pilot randomised controlled trial of corticosteroid administration in late pregnancy: A qualitative study. Health Expectations. 2023: December. Full Text Western Health Author
• Danish men’s experiences of cardiovascular screening and their views on preventive cardiovascular medication: A qualitative explorative nurse study. Journal of Vascular Nursing. 2023: December. Request Article Western Health Author
• Satisfaction with maternity triage following implementation of the Birmingham Symptom-Specific Obstetric Triage System (BSOTS): Perspectives of women and staff. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2024: February. Full Text Western Health Author
• Worsening psychological wellbeing of Australian hospital clinical staff during three waves of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Australian Health Review. 2023: Issue 6. Full Text Western Health Author

New Nursing/Midwifery eBooks

• The role of the clinical nurse specialist in cancer care. Wiley-Blackwell. 2023. Wiley Online Library eBook Guide.
  Trace the historical development of the CNS role while gaining invaluable patient and carer perspectives that provide essential guidance for professionals in this field. Examine key aspects such as symptom management and non-medical prescribing, gaining a deeper understanding of the multifaceted responsibilities of Clinical Nurse Specialists. Find vital subjects like leadership and multidisciplinary teamwork supplemented with practical tools to excel in your role. Explore comprehensive coverage of specialised areas within clinical nursing, including the unique challenges of caring for young adults with cancer, navigating the complexities of COVID-19, and utilising digital tools for enhanced patient care.
• Pocket Guide to Townsend’s Psychiatric Nursing. 12^th ed. F. A. David Company, 2024. ProQuest eBook Guide
  Here’s the most complete and easy-to-use resource on how to develop practical, individualized plans of care for psychiatric and mental health patients. It’s the perfect quick reference now for clinical rotations…and later for practicing nurses. This Pocket Guide is really two books in one! The first half provides the diagnostic information needed to create a care plan; the second half covers the safe prescription and administration of psychotropic medications.

View all recently added eBook and print catalogue titles

Accessing the Library at Work
Eligible staff can access electronic Intranet library resources from any networked PC or device connected to Wi-Fi   network without the need to login.

Accessing the Library Remotely (off-site access)
When accessing electronic resources through the library website from offsite you will automatically be asked to enter your library membership number and surname. Library Membership is free and can be completed online. Please email the library if you experience issues.

For more information please contact the Western Health library team