SA nurses pushed to limit
Nurses in South Australia's public hospitals are meeting this week to consider industrial action following continued delaying tactics by the Olsen Liberal Government in enterprise bargaining negotiations. The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) says that South Australian nurses are the lowest paid in the country and have been burdened with ever increasing workloads as a result of government budget cuts. As a result nurses are being lured to NSW and Victoria where experienced nurses are paid up to $65 more per week and conditions of work are better. The ANF stresses that it is "absolutely essential" that South Australia match the salary levels of the eastern states if more skilled nurses are not to be lost from the public system. Just as importantly the ANF is seeking to introduce nurse-to-patient ratios to ensure patients receive the best of care. The ratios would also act as a brake to control nurses' workloads. Rob Bonner, ANF State Branch Senior Industrial Officer, told The Guardian that because of the nation-wide nurse shortage Victorian and NSW hospitals are actively recruiting in South Australia. "That's creating a real problem for us here. We need consistency in rates of pay and guaranteed staffing levels so that patients get the care they need when they get into hospital. "We're also seeking changes to the classification structure to provide for some additional rewards for people who move into specialist nursing practices and gain further qualifications. Currently we do that very badly in this state." Rural areas in particular have suffered losses of services because they been unable to attract and retain nurses. Overall during the past decade the public system in South Australia has lost the equivalent of 1,500-2,000 nursing positions i.e. 10 to 15 percent of the nurse workforce, mostly as a consequence of budget cuts. Now, with workloads and stress levels of nurses "going through the roof" they have been given no choice but to resort to industrial action.