Search

Focuses on the competition for a suitable health care system in Australia. Comparison between the health care system of Medicare and the privatization system; Details on the Premier's health summit which was held in July 1999; Analysis on the United States insurance health scheme. INSET: How does Medicare work?.

Highlights the problems associated with the privatization of public hospitals in Australia, while look at the increasing number of United States companies entering the health care market in Australia. Why American companies are entering the health care market in Australia; Comments from Kit Costello, head of California Nurses Association; Information on the health care systems in the United States; Impact on hospital privatization on patients and nurses.

Focuses on the problems caused from shortage of skills in nursing in Australia. Reason for the shortages; Comments from Judy Uren, Australian Nursing Federation Federal Secretary; Factors attributed for skills shortages; Reference to the refusal by the Federal Government to offer more for Medicare funding; Package by the South Australian Government to help retain nurses in rural areas.

Recounts the flooding which occurred on January 26, 1998, in Australia, highlighting the impact on Katherine Hospital and the surrounding town. How the hospital coped since a skeleton crew was on duty; Experience of nurse Maria Hughes; Insight on the hospital's evacuation plan; Estimation on the amount of rain; Why the flooding surprised residents; Details on the damage. INSET: Of mad dogs and instant soup.

Presents information on Australia's national nursing workforce summit held in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, on September 20-21, 1999. Issues discussed during the summit; Insights into the summit's discussion paper `Rethinking Nursing'; Key issues raised by Australian Nursing Federation Federal Secretary Jill Iliffe; Problems besetting the nursing workforce in Australia.

Focuses on the issue of extra pay for Australian nurses working on December 31, 1999 and January 1, 2000. Results of the elections in the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) conference concerning the issue; Views of QNU Secretary Gay Hawksworth on the issue; Opinion of South Australian Branch Industrial Officer Rob Bonner on the percentage salary claims of nurses.

Presents the views of nurses on coronary care or intensive care units, while focusing on the coronary care unit (CCU) at Melbourne's Austin and Repatriation in Australia. Description of the coronary care unit; Comments from Marcia George, a nursing unit manager; Methods introduced by George at the hospital; How patients at the Austin CCU are treated; Model of care which the team at Austin uses.

Focuses on the impressions from Australian nurse Sarah Moon's experience at a prison camp in Siberia to eradicate a tuberculosis epidemic. Number of prisoners who died before the team was dispatched to the prison; Comments from Moon; Her background in tropical medicine; Duration of her stay at the camp; Details on the caste system inside the prison; Reduction in the mortality rate of prisoners with tuberculosis.

Focuses on the controversy surrounding aged care funding and its effect on nurses in Australia. Factors which can contribute to the decrease in wages for nurses; Identification of one of the major problems for nurses in aged care; Reference to a proposal by the secretary of the Health and Research Employees Association; Reaction of nurses to the proposal; Estimated amount of money the Australian government deducted from the aged care budget.

Presents information on the visit of East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao to Australia on October 11, 1999. Remarks from Australian Council of Trade Union President Jennie George; Support of Australian unions for East Timor's fight for independence from Indonesia; Information on the Nurses' APHEDA East Timor Appeal.

Reports that nurses at Frankston Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria, have closed beds because there are not enough nurses. Remarks from Australian Nursing Federation Victoria Branch Secretary Belinda Morieson; Information on an Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research and Training survey about the nursing problems in Victoria.

Reports on the budget cut protests of nurses at Flinders Medical Center in Adelaide, South Australia. Details on the protest of Flinders' nurses against bed closures of the hospital; Status of the funding system of health services in South Australia.

Focuses on the report `Australian Hospital Statistics 1997-98' released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Statistics on the length of hospital stay in Australia in 1997 to 1998; Other findings of the report.

Reports on the decision of Royal Melbourne Hospital not to appoint a non-nurse as its operations director. Professional qualified for the position; Assurance made by ANF Victorian Branch Secretary Belinda Morieson on nurses.

Reports on the approval of the State Government of Victoria to allow health agencies and Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) Victorian Branch to negotiate agreements securing nursing entitlements when workplaces change. Details on the dispute between the State Government and the ANF prior to the approval; Comments from ANF State Secretary Belinda Morieson.

Deals with the move of the State Government to develop the role of nurse practitioners in Victoria. Comments from Belinda Morieson, branch secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) in Victoria; List of selected models of practice.

Focuses on the abandonment of Northern Territory's (NT) government plans to privatize its health services. Information on the industrial action against privatization by unions; Comments from John Haynes, branch secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) in NT; Introduction of nurse practitioners in NT.

Deals with the issues of forced redundancies at Canberra Hospital in Australian Capital Territory. Reactions of hospital chiefs on the issue; Comments from Colleen Duff, branch secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) in the ACT.

Reports on the enterprise agreement at Canberra Hospital. Concerns of the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF); Comments from ANF Australian Capital Territory Branch Secretary Colleen Duff; What the ANF wants from the Industrial Relations Commission.

Focuses on the `labourforce summit' attended by South Australian (SA) nurses to map out a strategy to combat the urgent skills shortages in the field held February 1999. Comments from Australian Nursing Federation SA Branch Secretary; Features of the summit.

Focuses on the preparation of the Queensland Nurses' Union (QNU) to launch a legal action to stop the Churches of Christ from downgrading nursing care in nursing homes in north Queensland. Consequences if the reclassification of nursing staff continues; Comments from QNU Secretary Gay Hawksworth; Proposals of the management.

Reports on the request of outgoing Australian Nursing Federation Federal Secretary Judy Uren to the Federal Minister for Aged Care Bronwyn Bishop to explain his comments on the provision of tender loving care. Details of Uren's request.

Reports on the increase in the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) membership in 1998. Details on the increase; Implication to the ANF; Comments from Nick Blake, ANF Federal Industrial Officer.

Reports that threats of industrial action at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital succeeded in securing extra registered nurses (RN) to cope with chronic staff shortages. Reason hospital management agreed to address the issue of workload levels; Factors that had the potential to put patients' lives at risk.

Reports that nurses will be advised to avoid some remote Northern Territory (NT) communities after a spate of outback attacks. Threats on rural nurses; Actions being taken by the Australian Nursing Federation NT branch to protect nurses from violent acts.

Reports that Queensland public sector nurses are set to decide whether to accept an enterprise agreement that will cover wages and conditions until March 2000. Terms under the draft agreement; Actions taken by the Queensland Nurses' Union to consider whether to accept the agreement; Dispute between the Queensland Nurses' Union (QNU) and the Fair Haven Nursing Home.

Reveals that many Northern Territory (NT) nurses would leave NT hospitals if they were privatized, according to an Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) survey. Percentage of respondents who would not work for a private operator; Respondents who believe there would be an overall `negative effect' on the health system because of privatization.

Reports that the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) SA branch is lobbying to soften the worst aspects of the Nurses' Bill 1998. Main concerns of ANF about the bill; Lobbying efforts of the ANF.

Features Louise Vuillermin, a flight nurse for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Description of her job; Comments from Vuillermin; Career background.

Reports that the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and Frankston Hospital are being attacked for releasing the names of nurses under Freedom of Information to a convicted triple murderer. Reaction of the nurses; Background of Ashley Mervyn Coulston, the convicted murderer; Comments from Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) Victorian secretary Belinda Morieson.

Reports that staff at Canberra Hospital have voted to reject a certified agreement that would have frozen out the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) from future wage talks. Information on letters sent out by Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government to each of the staff; Comments from ACT ANF secretary Colleen Duff.

Reports that the New South Wales Nurses' Association (NSWNA) has expressed anger at plans to slash staff numbers at Wollongong Hospital and has mobilized nurses to fight any cuts to nursing members. Demands of the NSWNA.

Reports that credibility problems have been raised about a consultant's report recommending the full-scale privatization of the Northern Territory's health services. Views on the report compiled by the Hospital Developments International; Problems faced by public hospital privatization in Australia; Unions fighting the proposed privatization.

Reports on the criticism made by Belinda Morieson, secretary of the Victoria branch of the Australia Nursing Federation, to the level of salaries of hospitals executives. Salary of hospital executives in Victoria; Danger it poses to public health services of the hospitals.

Reports on the decision of eighteen nurses at the Hetti Perkins Hostel in Alice Spring, Northern Territory to strike. Reason for their decision to conduct labor strike; Details on the labor problem of the nurses.

Focuses on the injuries suffered by nurses in Australia due to lifting of patients. Details on the study conducted by Australia Nursing Federation; Discussion on the result of the study.

States that nurses at Modbury Hospital in Adelaide, South Australia has threatened to take industrial action. Reason for the plan to stage a protest against the administration of the hospital; Information industrial problem at the hospital.

States that there is a looming crisis in the supply of nurses in Australia. Declining number of employed nurses; Decline in the total number of enrolled nurses; Details on the study conducted by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Reports on the government policy of Victoria and South Australia on nurse practitioners. Success of New South Wales Nurses' Association that might encourage other nurses to follow similar move; Taskforce created by the government of Victoria to look onto the issue.

Looks at the report of the Queensland Nurses' Union regarding the state of nursing home services in Queensland. Causes of the deterioration of services; Issues facing the industry; Number of patients being handled by a registered nurse.

Focuses on the reaction of nurses about the restructuring plans of the Modbury Hospital in South Australia. Background of Modury Hospital; Warning issued by the Australian Nursing Federation about the issue; Creation of a consultative committee.

Reports that the Pine Haven nursing home in Tully, Queensland has dropped plans to install video cameras. Protest of the Queensland Nurses' Union against the plan; Cost of implementing the plan; Purpose of implementing the plan.

Presents the views of New South Wales (NSW) Nurses' Association secretary, Sandra Moait, on the decision by the NSW government in August 1998, to allow nurse practitioners to be providing clinical services, including prescribing some medicines in rural NSW. Number of nurse practitioners who will being providing clinical services; Benefits of allowing specialist nurses in combating the shortage of doctors in rural areas.

Reports on the wages dispute by nurses in Western Australia, with reference to the Industrial Relations Commission hearings held in July, 1998. Intervention of the Western Australia Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the hearings; Indication that the intervention impacted on Commission Senior Deputy President John MacBean's decision relating to the case; Reason for the wages dispute.

Reports on the Australian Nursing Federation South Australian branch annual delegates' conference which focused on Aboriginal persons. Adoption of a resolution which apologized for the removal of indigenous children; In-depth look at the resolution; Details on the Stolen Generation Inquiry 1997.

Presents information on the Australian Nursing Federation South Australian branch delegates conference which was held in June, 1998, which discussed binding state policy decision. Details on Aboriginal children and nurse prescribing rights; Information on a graduation program for qualified enrolled nurses; Comments from SA branch secretary Gail Gago.