Nursing & Midwifery News – January 2024

From Shane

Happy new year, and I hope you all have had a very happy festive season and have had a chance to catch up with family and friends. My thanks to all of our nurses and midwives that worked over Christmas and New Year.

My congratulations to the finalists and recipients of our Nursing & Midwifery Excellence Awards, which occurred in mid-December and gave us a chance to celebrate our nurses and midwives, with a focus on those that were nominated to be recognised by their peers. It was wonderful to see a packed auditorium cheering on our nominees and recipients.

You should all feel incredibly proud of the accreditation result recently achieved by Western Health. The surveyors were incredibly positive about the standard of care, commitment to being person-centred, our friendliness and culture of respect and teamwork, innovation and the involvement and empowerment of consumers in their care. The surveyors commented that they spoke to a large number of patients and consumers throughout that week, and none of them had anything negative to say about our staff or the care that they were receiving. It was an amazing result – well done everyone!

A report was recently released analysing the impact of our nurse-led and midwife-led research from the publication outputs and metrics produced by the partnership between Western Health and Deakin University between 2018 and 2022. This report shows that we have significantly increased in the number of publications owned,  the citation count, citation per publication, field-weighted citation index, international collaboration and other measures. These are remarkable results! Congratulations, to Professors Bodil Rasmussen and Linda Sweet and their fantastic teams.

Last month we said farewell to Professor Bodil Rasmussen from our Chair of Nursing position, and reflected on the enormous contribution, and remarkable and long-term positive impact she has had on nursing research at Western Health. Bodil will continue on to focus on our international research partnerships as part of her new role with Deakin University. Later this month we welcome Bodil’s successor Professor Rochelle Wynne as our new Chair of Nursing. I am sure you will join me in making Rochelle very welcome to Western Health.

It promises to be another big year at Western Health, with a number of planned pieces of work to be delivered this year. The good news is that most of you will not be directly impacted by most of these changes, and you will be able to continue to focus on what is important – the provision of Best Care to our community.

In 2024 we plan to:

• implement the employee-centric rostering recommendations following the co-design phase.
• implement a new management program and an updated leadership program for our Associate Unit Managers and Unit Managers.
• implement an organisational Improvement Framework (the PDSA cycle) and the LifeQI Platform to enhance capability and support continuous improvement.
• expand our mental health and wellbeing beds, to enhance the service provided to our community.
• go-live with expanding our electronic medical record implementation into maternity, Bacchus Marsh and Melton.
• implement the new PeopleHub to replace multiple ageing systems.
• implement a new rostering product to replace the ageing RosterOn.
• commence design development for the new Melton Hospital after the successful consortia is selected early in 2024.
• commence construction on the new Point Cook Community Hospital.
• continue the construction on the expansion to Sunbury to allow it to become a Community Hospital.

We have amazing people at Western Health, and we are attracting the best and brightest. The nursing and midwifery workforce at Western Health is looking very strong for 2024, and we will continue to strive to optimise our position as an employer of choice for nurses and midwives.

With your continued commitment, we are in an incredibly strong position to deliver all of the above and more.  I look forward to working with you all throughout 2024 to achieve great things.

Shane Crowe
Executive Director, Nursing & Midwifery

Awesome Accreditation outcome

Western Health had an incredibly successful accreditation survey against the 8 NSQHS Standards between 4-8 December 2023. There was high praise from the surveyors about the standard of care, commitment to being person-centred, our culture of respect and teamwork and involvement and empowerment of consumers in their care.

The Lead Surveyor commented that they spoke to a large number of patients and consumers throughout the week, and every single one of them had positive things to say about our staff and the care that they were receiving – which she said is unusual.

All elements of the care that we provide to our patients, women and consumers were highly praised, and it was evident that it was actively being practiced at the bedside.

The surveyors will give suggestions on things we can do to further refine and enhance, and we will take these into consideration and we continue on our journey to continually improve.

A sincere thank you to all of our nurses and midwives for all of the tireless work and commitment that you show every day. Each and every person’s efforts have played a role in the successful outcome achieved. You should feel rightfully proud.

Celebrating nursing and midwifery excellence

On 14 December 2023 a packed Sunshine Hospital Auditorium and many people on livestream joined us to bestow our Nursing & Midwifery Excellence Awards for 2023.

We have well over 5,000 nurses and midwives, and every single one has played an important and tangible role in providing Best Care. The Nursing & Midwifery Excellence Awards are a way for us to celebrate all of our nurses and midwives, with a focus on those that have been nominated to be recognised by their peers.

The number and caliber of the nominations received this year has been nothing short of inspirational, and it was a pleasure to be part of this event to showcase some of the incredible achievements and contributions of our nurses and midwives.

Postgraduate scholarship deadlines extended

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

Background:

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

Kylee to lead our digital future

Congratulations to Kylee Ross who was recently appointed to the role of Director of Nursing and Midwifery Informatics (Chief Nursing and Midwifery Informatics Officer) after a highly competitive recruitment process.

Kylee is well known to Western Health having worked in various roles and departments since 2006 and with the Digital Health Team since 2017. In recent years Kylee has provided outstanding representation for nurses and midwives as Assistant Chief Nursing & Midwifery Informatics Officer, and as Acting Chief Nursing and Midwifery Informatics Officer since July 2023.

In her time with the Digital Health Team, Kylee has been instrumental in driving the implementation and adoption of digital enhancements to support nurses and midwives in the delivery of Best Care.  In particular Kylee’s expertise was integral in the successful Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Phase 1 and Phase 2.1 implementations and Kylee is now providing exceptional leadership throughout the EMR Phase 2.1 optimisation, as well as to the Bacchus Marsh Melton Digital Health transition project.

Kylee is a member of the Australian College of Nursing’s Chief Nursing Informatics Officer Faculty, and actively contributes in activities to lead the enhancement of nursing and midwifery care in the digital age, maximising the benefits and delivery of person centered care. We are pleased Kylee’s innovative thinking and leadership will continue to inform Digital Health improvements for nursing and midwifery staff across the organisation.

Western Health's nurse-led and midwife-led research impact

An analysis of the Publications Metrics 2018-2022 by the Western Health-Deakin University Partnership was recently published showing the continuing impact of the Chair of Nursing and Chair of Midwifery roles on nurse-led and midwife-led research at Western Health, in terms scholarly output, citation count, reach and publication metrics.

The report presents publication output and metrics produced by the partnership between Western Health and Deakin University between 2018 and 2022. Overall, 96 articles, authored by Professors Bodil Rasmussen and/or Linda Sweet, were published over the five years. Total number of publications owned by Deakin University was 11,930 during those five years. In comparison, the number of publications the Western Health group owns rose from 3 (3.1%) in 2018 to 44 (45.8%) in 2022, while there has been stagnancy in the number of publication outputs recorded nationally (19% in 2018, 20.2% in 2022), and internationally (18.6% in 2018, 20.5% in 2022).

Citation count, whether internationally, nationally or at University level, has shown a decreasing trend across the years, but it was found that the citation count for the Western Health group has seen sixteen times growth in the number of citations, from 15 in 2018 (1.8%) to 244 in 2022 (29.3%).

While other entities have shown a decline in the number of citation count per publication, the Western Health group’s citation per publication has increased from 5 to 13.4 between 2018 and 2021.

The field-weighted citation index rose from under 1 in 2018/2019 to 3.63 in 2022, meaning that authors from the Western Health group were cited 3.6 times more often than authors from elsewhere.

These are amazing results! Congratulations, to Professors Bodil Rasmussen and Linda Sweet and their fantastic teams.

Thank you Bodil

Over December 2023 we farewelled Professor Bodil Rasmussen from the Chair of Nursing position, where she has made a remarkable and long-term positive impact on nursing at Western Health. She will be truly missed and all that have worked closely with her have considered it a privilege.

Bodil commenced as the Chair of Nursing in the Western Health-Deakin University Partnership 7 years ago, and her leadership, passion and approach has meant that a significant proportion of our nurses now think differently and in a more evolved way about nursing. Bodil is leaving an enduring legacy, as she has enhanced our nurses’ critical thinking and helped them to become curious and interested in research.

Her achievements at Western Health are truly amazing, with our nurses now publishing on a monthly basis, presenting at conferences, compiling posters and undertaking projects in a robust way. Recently she has led and contributed to prestigious MRFF submissions that have been successful and attracted substantial grant funding to support nursing research at Western Health.

Bodil’s expertise and leadership has been also sought out by our medical and allied health colleagues, and she has always been willing to support others despite already having a huge workload. Bodil has also connected our people up with academic colleagues from across the State, nation and the world, making for excellent opportunities to learn and collaborate. None of this would have been possible without Bodil’s leadership and her commitment to excellence. Thank you Bodil for everything, and we look forward to continuing to work with you are as focus on our international research partnerships.

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:

Congratulations to Rehabilitation Ward who were the latest winners of pizza lunch for their participation in this program and the Best Care for their patients.

Congratulations to latest the winners of the weekly quizzes – who have received 2 movie tickets each:

• Week 3 – Alana Awingan – FICU
• Week 4 – Karamjeet Kaur Sahota – Sunshine Education
• Week 5 – Caroline Duggan – Footscray Education
• Week 6 – Taryn Chandler – Bank

Unleash your talent for leadership

Western Health’s Leadership Capability Framework Unleashing Talent was recently launched by our Organisational Culture and Leadership Development team.  

Unleashing Talent is there to support every staff member to become capable and confident in their leadership skills.

At Western Health, we believe everyone is a leader. It’s not about your title, or your role, leadership is an action that we can demonstrate every day. Irrespective of your role, the Unleashing Talent Leadership Capability Framework will position you for success. It can help each of us to understand our leadership competencies in our current roles and support us to enhance our skills and take the next steps in our careers.  

The full suite of resources are available on the new Unleashing Talent site, including the first video in a six-part series to introduce you to all the elements of the program. 

On the website, you’ll find a self-assessment tool where you can explore your leadership abilities and have these emailed straight to your inbox. There is also a careers guide to help support your professional development, and tools for performance development, succession planning, and recruitment selection. 

Capable leadership enables Western Health to deliver the best quality patient experience for the community we serve. Effective leadership also promotes a sense of accomplishment, pride, and joy for staff, and this is crucial for staff who directly care for patients and those who support their care. 

If you would like additional information about Unleashing Talent, please contact Melissa Edwards in the Organisational Culture and Leadership development team. 

Celebrating Exceptional Achievements: Our 2023 Learning Health Systems Academy Fellows

The Centre for Digital Transformation of Health recently congratulated the outstanding accomplishments of the 2023 Learning Health Systems (LHS) Academy Fellows, recognising their successful completion of the rigorous Learning Health Systems Academy. The professional development program, aimed at nurturing aspiring clinicians in the fields of informatics and digital health, has seen remarkable achievements from the 2023 cohort, representing various health services.

Established by the Centre for Digital Transformation of Health at the University of Melbourne, the LHS Academy aims to enhance health services’ capacity for embracing a data-driven approach to clinical practice, quality, and safety improvement. This non-credentialled professional development program is open to qualified clinicians working in primary or tertiary healthcare settings. Its goal is to equip participants with essential competencies needed to become change agents within a LHS, capable of designing, implementing, and evaluating innovative data-driven changes and continuous improvements in healthcare systems. Throughout the year, each Fellow undertakes digital transformation projects within their respective organisations using an LHS approach.

Dr. Hannah Wallace and Gary Blackburn (Nurse Practitioner) pictured right, representing Western Health, have exhibited remarkable expertise and a profound commitment to leveraging digital solutions for enhancing patient care and health system efficiency. Gary, in establishing the data-driven picture to understand current early warning score utilisation to inform to sepsis pathway integration. Hannah, in building out on available data and utilising remote patient monitoring to capture and inform chronic kidney disease treatment in the in-home setting to reduce unplanned readmissions. Their innovative approaches and dedication to improving healthcare service and delivery have been exemplary. Congratulations, Hannah and Gary!

Vote for the Galinjera program

Baggarrook Yurrongi, the research project from which our Galinjera Aboriginal Maternity program was developed is a finalist in the Shaping Australia awards by Universities Australia.

The project is one of only 6 projects category called the ‘Problem solver award’ which recognises work that has changed or has the potential to change the lives of Australians for the better.

There is a ‘people’s  choice’ vote currently underway, and this project is the only program that is focused on First Nations health, and midwifery continuity of care.

If you would like to help support raising public awareness and publicity through the award will really help the case for expanded funding and rollout of Birthing on Country/Baggarrook models please click on:  Transforming midwifery care for First Nations women and click on the heart for the program and enter your name and email.

Pride March registrations open

Every year on the first Sunday of February Melbourne comes together to celebrate and support the LGBTIQA+ community for Pride March.

The Pride March, which occurs annually as part of Melbourne’s Midsumma Festival, is an opportunity for members of the LGBTIQA+ community, allies, friends, family and supporters to come together to celebrate gender and sexuality diversity.

Western Health is proud to support our LGBTIQA+ community and once again participate in Melbourne’s Pride March.

We encourage all members of the LGBTIQA+ community, allies, friends, family and supporters to participate in the 2024 Pride March. Join the Midsumma Pride March to march with those who can, and in solidarity for those who cannot.

2024 Pride March
When: Sunday February 4, 2024
Where: Fitzroy Street and Catani Gardens, St Kilda
Cost: FREE

To register your participation in Western Health’s cohort for the 2024 Pride March and to register interest in joining Western Health’s Pride Network, please complete the registration form.

Learn more about Midsumma Festival or the annual Melbourne Pride March here.

Leading Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Western Health’s Alex Potter (Operations Manager, Diversity and Inclusion) has been announced as a member of the LGBTIQA+ Ministerial Taskforce and as a Co-Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Working Group.

The Taskforce and Working Group provide an important channel for the voices of LGBTIQA+ communities into government, building a pathway alongside the government’s LGBTIQA+ Leadership Program.

Over the next two years, the groups will focus on building leadership and capability, and enhancing LGBTQIA+ metropolitan and regional networks across Victoria.

Alex was also part of the team that recently received a $50,000 Women for Western Health Giving Circle grant for their project Creating a Safe and Affirming Western Health for our LGBTQIA+ Communities.

Alex and Jan Kilicaslan presented their project at the Western Health Foundations’ Pitch Event, sharing Alex’s story as a trans person, and together they explained how their project could support Western Health in creating more inclusive spaces for the estimated 100,000 LGBTIQA+ people in the western suburbs.

Please join us in congratulating Alex as they continue to make a huge difference in making Western Health and the community more broadly a more inclusive and safer place for all people.

Newly refurbished Hazeldean to provide temporary accommodation for people with a disability

Hazeldean is a Western Health site located in Williamstown that previously housed our Transition Care service. During the COVID surge, Western Health relocated our Transition Care service, and closed the site to allow for refurbishment works to be undertaken. The construction works are now almost complete.

In early 2024 Hazeldean will reopen as a facility specifically focused on providing care and temporary accommodation to people with a disability either through the Pathways to Home program or NDIS. The aim is to provide much more suitable and person-centered accommodation for people that have a disability whilst they wait for their permanent accommodation – currently these people are in our acute or subacute hospital beds.

The fully refurbished facility has 10 single rooms with ensuites, with 2 additional single rooms designated for carer sleepover and as a crisis/urgent response capability for medically stable consumers at risk or presenting to emergency.

Western Health is finalising the model of care and plans to partner with a Disability Service Provider to deliver the new service.

Consumers will be discharged from Hazeldean when they have the necessary NDIS or community funded supports in place to support them in their permanent accommodation.

New Melton Hospital procurement evaluation underway

The Victorian Government has committed more than $1 billion to deliver a new Melton Hospital by 2029.

The brand new hospital will support the growing and diverse communities of Caroline Springs, Rockbank, Melton and Bacchus Marsh. It will ensure the people of Melbourne’s west get the care they need, close to home.

The Melton Hospital will include a 24-hour emergency department, at least 274 beds (with capacity to expand to 554 beds by 2036), an intensive care unit, maternity and neonatal services, mental health services, radiology services and ambulatory care.

Once completed, Melton Hospital will have the capacity to treat 130,000 patients each year and see almost 60,000 patients in the emergency department.

The hospital will be Victoria’s first all-electric hospital.

Two consortia have submitted their final proposals, and these are currently being assessed against the selection criteria. The successful consortia is expected to be announced in April/May 2024, with construction is expected to start in mid-2024 and be finished in 2029.

Benchmarking Best Care

The latest benchmark reports from the Health Roundtable that go up to September 2023 have recently been released, that 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 Medication complications, which include drug related respiratory complications/depression, haemorrhagic disorder due to circulating anticoagulants, movement disorders due to psychotropic medication and serious alteration to conscious state due to psychotropic medication.

Medication Complications:

At Western Health as a whole the rates of medication complications per 10,000 episodes has been consistently green. We are amongst some of the best outcomes in Australia. This is a wonderful result.

Well done to all of our Western Health teams.