Motions

International Nurses Day

Debate resumed.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (12:35): I rise to wholeheartedly support the motion by the member for Fisher, as I know my colleagues will as well. I also believe that it is very important to have as many people as possible from as many different working backgrounds in our parliament. It is tremendous that we have nurses among us as a broad group of decision-makers. I think that is very good.

I am fortunate enough to be married to a nurse, as are many of my colleagues. I am very lucky in that way. I have no medical training and I do not pretend to know the ins and outs of her profession, but I do know a bit about the impact that working as a nurse can have on people. My wife proudly says that she is a hospital-trained nurse, and she does not mind that that clearly gives her age away. She thinks that they are by far the best nurses, and there are people in the gallery who can make a much better, more informed decision on that than I can. However, she certainly holds that view very strongly.

Nursing is an incredibly broad profession, as the member for Fisher mentioned, and there are many opportunities to pursue when a person starts a career as a nurse. That is very important and should be encouraged. It is an honourable profession and it is a complicated profession. It is not only complicated with regard to the actual medical work but it is also complicated at a personal level. Nurses need to be simultaneously nurturing and also, at any moment, may have to give second-by-second intense medical care. I think that would be a very hard thing to do. To have that genuinely nurturing way about you knowing that you might have to spring into action at any point in time would be a difficult thing for most people. Care, of course, includes a short-term, a medium-term and a long-term component.

Nurses develop relationships with their patients; they develop relationships with doctors. I am talking about working, professional relationships. You need a wide range of working, productive, useful relationships to work well as a nurse, regardless of the workplace that you might be in. One of the difficulties is that you develop these working relationships and you know that the medical care will not always be 100 per cent successful. People do die or, if they do not die, maybe they do not recover exactly the way in which people hope they would. Most people do, and that is fantastic. However, there is another sort of complication, from my perspective at least from the outside, and that is how difficult it would be at a personal level, aside from the medical care required to be a nurse.

Unfortunately, occasionally it is a dangerous profession. I think about the risks that are sometimes faced in metropolitan emergency departments. I think about the risks faced by many nurses I represent in parliament who work on their own in remote locations, and the member for Fisher mentioned Gayle Woodford. Totally separate from the obvious fact that a tremendous person died under tragic circumstances at work, this is something that flows through to families, communities and districts. Just to digress a little, Gayle Woodford and her family were long-term Leigh Creek residents, a township I am very close to and know well. They had moved away recently. She passed away in the member for Giles' electorate, and I know that that has had an impact on him.

Many people have been affected, all the way through to local Aboriginal people who quite understandably feel great shame about the way she died. There are risks in everything we do, but nurses (and some other professions of course) put themselves in risky situations at times and they know that. There is not one outback nurse, not one metropolitan ED nurse who does not know that there could be some sort of unforeseen risk that day at work. It rarely happens; it very rarely happens, fortunately. It should really happen less, but I think it is important to acknowledge that it does happen.

The average age of nurses is of concern. I do not think anybody in this chamber, including in the gallery, would mind me saying that. The average age of nurses is too high. There is absolutely nothing wrong with older, more senior nurses who give great care, but it is important that we get more people coming through the profession so that the profession can always be here and that we have a wide range of people with a different range of skills, outlooks, social understanding and that sort of thing offering nursing care.

It is important that government—Liberal, Labor or whoever it happens to be—is very cognisant of the fact that we need to encourage more people to come into the nursing profession at earlier ages. Importantly, we need to encourage more people to stay in the nursing profession as well. That comes back to the comment I made before about being hospital trained. The reason I mention that is that my wife (and I am sure she is not alone) has a strong view that hospital-trained nurses stuck at their profession far more often and far longer than university-trained nurses.

I know that is a very broad generalisation, and I am not suggesting that all of a sudden we must change from one automatically back to the other, but I think it is very important, given that so many nurses are public servants—not all of them but so many of them are—that the government has a responsibility as an employer to make it a profession that will encourage people to enter it and encourage people to stay in it.

Also, increasing the areas of responsibility that professional nurses can engage in—for example, being nurse practitioners and that sort of thing—is incredibly important. Opening up the doors for the right nurses with the right qualifications and the right capacity to take on more responsibility will make the profession more rewarding for those who are in it and no doubt attract more to enter it and to stay in it.

The last thing I would like to say is thank you: thank you to nurses. It is the last of the four points in the motion of the member for Fisher, and I would like to say very directly and very genuinely, thank you to nurses, who care for all of us.

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (12:42): Today, I am delighted to rise and speak in support of the motion put before this house by the member for Fisher, a fellow parliamentarian, fellow nurse and a great local advocate. Welcome to all of you. The motion is in recognition of all South Australian nurses, of which I am one, as well as a midwife, and also Adjunct Associate Professor at Flinders University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Along with the member for Fisher, I work to ensure that nurses and midwives have a voice in parliament. Annually, on 12 May, we commit to recognising, reflecting and promoting the essential work of nurses, to afford the well-deserved recognition to our nurses who work in so many diverse areas across our healthcare system and our community, providing leadership, care and influence for the wellbeing and health of South Australians.

This motion acknowledges leadership, innovation and a profession evolving into new frontiers of practice. This year's theme, Nursing: A Voice to Lead—Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, is highly appropriate and relevant. The sustainable development goals build on the Millennium Development Goals. They go much further as they encompass and invite the world in its entirety to address critical issues that affect humanity—these being prosperity, peace and partnership.

While there has been an established and agreed framework, it is not binding, but governments are expected to come up with their plans to end poverty, diminish inequality, tackle climate change and ensure that no-one is left behind. Inequality can take a toll on health, dictating unfair and unbalanced determinants. I know, from people I see in my electorate who live on or below the poverty line, that they on a daily basis make decisions to trade off missing a meal, missing medication, paying electricity bills, buying school shoes for their children. On a daily basis, they are crippled by these decisions of how to meet their basic human rights and needs.

The profession of nursing has implicit in it the responsibility to advance and evolve the practice for the benefit of promoting and progressing the health and wellbeing of our community, which is why I will highlight a few areas of importance, these being the care of the vulnerable and the provision of access to health care to all, as I identify the need to recognise the expanded professional role of experienced nurses and the changing needs of residential and aged care.

Inherent and in support of this is the need for us in the broader community and also in the management structures to care for those who care for us, and I will touch on the need to be vigilant and ensure that pay and working conditions are appropriate. Nursing professionally is continually evolving in response to community needs, expectations and innovations. The profession continues to promote and advance the role of the nurse, as we see nurse practitioners in a variety of settings.

The changing health landscape in South Australia lends itself to the stand-alone nurse practitioner-led clinic model that occurs in Canberra. These nurse-led walk-in centres provide free one-off advice and treatment for people, as long as they are over two years of age. No appointment is necessary and consultations are by expert nurses. These centres are located in two suburbs of Canberra, having originated co-located near the emergency department at Canberra Hospital. At these centres, specialist nurses provide advice, assessment and treatment for minor illnesses and injuries such as cuts and bruises, minor infections, strains, sprains, skin complaints and coughs and colds.

If necessary, patients will be redirected to the most appropriate healthcare professional. The nurses can prescribe medications and order X-rays under certain conditions. This type of clinic has a demonstrated track record in Canberra, and I believe it is timely for South Australia to now consider these nurse practitioner-led clinics, particularly in light of the health system changes and now with further proposed health cuts, courtesy of the federal government. These clinics will support access to health for all.

Secondly, I touch on the area of care of our state's most vulnerable. A few weeks ago, in honour of the International Day of the Midwife, I gathered close to 60 midwives where you all sit today and I spoke on models of care that would afford appropriate attention to babies' and children's welfare. Today, I will touch on the other end of the life cycle—our vulnerable elderly. I say nothing new to you when I acknowledge that our elderly deserve the best care in their frail and susceptible years. They must be treated with true regard and handled with care, while valuing and appreciating their past contribution to the society they have built for all of us to enjoy.

We must ensure that our governments and leaders action the sustainability goals of equality to meet the needs of our aged-care facilities and that patients, relatives and friends can be assured of best care at all times. We know from the National Aged Care Staffing and Skills Mix Project Report released late last year that, on a regular basis, residents in aged-care facilities miss out on appropriate care due to inadequate staffing levels and inadequate staffing mix.

While the number of high-care residents entering aged-care facilities is increasing, the number of registered nurses is decreasing. This highlights a worrying trend, meaning that administrators and those who control the purse strings either do not understand the complexities of the needs of these residents or simply just want to balance the books and make a profit.

Aged-care providers are choosing to hire fewer registered nurses and, generally, aged-care nurses are paid up to 30 per cent or $300 per week average less than their colleagues working in the public health system. Nurses and careworkers in the aged-care sector continue to be undervalued and underpaid, with the pay for most aged-care workers, both skilled and semi-skilled, not adequately reflecting the nature of the work and the level of responsibility they have in these workplaces.

Nurses in this sector deserve our protection, for we know this situation is not good enough, and it must change. The member for Fisher is chairing a joint parliamentary committee examining matters of elder abuse, and I welcome the opportunity for people to present to this committee. I recently referred a number of families to her committee to be heard, and I also championed expanding the terms of reference to enable the committee to examine the horrific events of Oakden. In my view, this situation highlights a distressing whole-of-system failure that stretches over years and over many layers. Public confidence must be restored in this domain.

Nurses can support one another to ensure that transparency of best practice is paramount at all times and that robust reporting frameworks are in place where any level nurse can have a voice without fear of punishment. Together, we must ensure that the system is progressive, professional and protective of the innocent and guards against selecting scalps and making scapegoats just to make a point, a system that shines a light on areas of question, so that practices in health care are consistently improved. We must support one another to speak out, even when the truth is difficult and management reprisal may be feared.

Finally, I turn to, 'Who cares for the carers?'—you, the nurses, who every day face challenging situations, including violence and abuse, and we have heard Gayle's case referred to a couple of times now. Thankfully, we have seen our CEO, Adjunct Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars from the ANMF, taking a strong position on these issues. The recent national ruling on wages and penalty rates has seen an attack on some of our lowest paid workers. There is a current and ever-present danger to wages and, in particular, penalty rates. Elizabeth Debars has stated that the ANMF (SA Branch) will never support the possibility of a two-tiered wage system in which some workers will be entitled to penalty rates, while others are not.

Recently, we saw the successful campaign against health provider, Sonic HealthPlus, as it backed away from its disgraceful proposal of a 25 per cent cut to Sunday penalty rates. We must always be vigilant of wages and conditions. The ANMF is committed to always standing up for members. We must provide our nurses with secure foundations of pay and conditions, including protection of their safety to ensure that we care for those who care for us. Tomorrow is International Nurses Day. While you rightly celebrate and enjoy the day, I would ask that you think about what you can do to actively promote the value of nurses and nursing and, in turn, the best health care possible for South Australia.

On behalf of the Parliament of South Australia, I extend my gratitude to you all for what you do for us in South Australia every day and I also thank you. I would like to commit to you that, while I am a member of parliament, I will always stand up for you and I will always make sure that your voice is heard in this parliament. I know that, by hearing your voice in this parliament, we are hearing the voice of all South Australians. With that, I wish you happy International Nurses Day for tomorrow.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:52): I rise to support the motion:

That this house—

(a) celebrates International Nurses Day held annually, and this year on 12 May;

(b) acknowledges this year's theme, 'Nursing: A Voice to Lead—Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals';

(c) commends the leadership of the profession in the evolution of new frontiers for nursing and midwifery in advancing practice; and

(d) thanks South Australian nurses for their dedication to the advancement of all South Australian's health.

In respect of the time, I will not be long because I know other people wish to speak. Nurses are with us from the time we are born, throughout our lives when we need medical assistance and then when we leave this Earth. They are part of our lives forever and they give that care, as I said, from birth until it is time for us to leave. They face many challenging situations throughout that time and they witness things that many of us would not wish to witness. I am very thankful for their support throughout our whole lifetime.

I remember that, when my eldest son was born some 16 years ago, I happened to be giving my wife a comforting hug on her bed a couple of days after Mack was born and all of a sudden the door burst open and three or four nurses burst in. I said, 'Wow, what have I done?' What I had done was sit on the button. Evidently, if it rings three times, that is the terror alert and they just roll up. I must say that the reaction was fantastic. I thought I had done something terribly wrong.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You had.

The Hon. A. Piccolo: You have done worse since.

Mr PEDERICK: I have never had four nurses come to me so quickly before or since. What I will say is that it shows that the system works. It shows that they care and it shows their dedication to their occupation. I thank you all for it.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (12:54): I would like to say a few words in support of the motion. International Nurses Day is about acknowledging and honouring their work and also acknowledging the impact on their families. It is also about acknowledging and honouring the contribution they make to the wellbeing of our community in many roles: in hospitals, as district nurses, in aged care, in disability care, and so on. It is also about acknowledging and honouring the important role they play in providing primary health care.

The reality is that not so much in Australia but across the world many communities would not have health care were it not for nurses. In many Third World nations, nursing is an important role. On a personal level, I am a child of the sixties, born in Italy, my parents were poor and it was a midwife who brought me into this world, so I would like to thank the nursing staff. On behalf of my community, the electorate of Light, all I would simply say is thank you.

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (12:55): I, too, would like to support the motion moved by the member for Fisher that celebrates International Nurses Day; acknowledges this year's theme, 'Nursing: A Voice to Lead—Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals'; commends the leadership of the profession in the evolution of new frontiers for nursing and midwifery in advancing practice; and thanks South Australian nurses for their dedication to the advancement of all South Australians' health.

I know that we only have a minute, so I thank the nurses—and we have many of them here today in the gallery. There is a quote I have seen in relation to nurses that says, 'They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.' I want to reflect on my own experience as a young girl being admitted to the children's hospital with very serious burns. I spent many weeks in that hospital. It was a time when parents were not allowed there, or only briefly with the gowns and masks.

There was a wonderful young nurse by the name of Nurse Ford. Nurse Ford actually made it bearable for those weeks when I was unable to see my parents and family; my mum and dad could only come in for an hour or so a day. Nurse Ford went on years later also to nurse my sister, who had been involved in a car accident. I had not seen or heard from Nurse Ford, but in year 12 her husband was an English teacher at my school. He thought I was the person she had nursed and he asked me, 'Were you in the children's hospital as a 5 year old with serious burns?' I said yes. He was married to her and Nurse Ford had become Sister Gray.

I wanted to say that, yes, patients do remember, and on occasion they will also remember your name, and they will never forget the role that you played while convalescing. Thank you, Nurse Ford, and thank you to the nurses here today. I wish you all a very happy International Nurses Day.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (12:58): Before I call the member for Fisher, I would like to add my thoughts on this motion. I have lots of funny nurse stories, which I do not have time to tell. I particularly want to acknowledge the nurses of the Modbury Hospital and Lyell McEwen health service who are in my area and look after our people there.

Ms COOK (Fisher) (12:58): Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I would like to thank all those who have contributed today, including the members for Stuart, Elder, Hammond, Light and Torrens and, of course, the member for Florey. I would like to say thank you again for your enduring leadership and what you do for everybody in the community. I cannot agree more when we say we always remember our patients. I think there are some who stand out in our minds more than others, but they are the ones who have taught us the most.

Thank you to the member for Elder, who is definitely a very close colleague of mine in this place. We work together very hard to ensure that what you say to us, and what you express to us, is translated to policy and leadership through our government. While we are here, you always have a voice as nurses in this place. Happy International Nurses Day. I look forward to having a chat with you in a minute. Thank you all.

Motion carried.

Sitting suspended from 12:59 to 14:00.