Empty words from management

Lamp, The, July, 2008

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'Flexible working arrangements' are a proclaimed benefit of working within the Hunter New England Area Health Service, according to its website.

That sounded like empty words to the more than 100 New England nurses who gathered at Wests Diggers Club in Tamworth on a Thursday night to voice their concerns over the Area's pattern rostering plan.

Some nurses representing outlying health facilities travelled more than three hours to attend the meeting.

NSWNA branch secretary at Tamworth Base Hospital, Roz Norman, said members feel very strongly about losing the flexibility of the current roster system.

'A lot of nurses have said outright, "If this comes in I can't do it, I'll have to leave and find something else",' Roz said.

'We have nurses married to other shift workers--not necessarily within the hospital, they might be ambulance or fire brigade--and they organise their rosters with the managers so partners can work alternate shifts to accommodate child care. That's just not going to be possible with a set roster.'

Roz said management appeared to be arguing that pattern rostering would be fairer because everyone would get the same number of morning, afternoon and night shifts.

'But fairness doesn't necessarily mean everyone doing exactly the same thing,' Roz said.

'Fairness means looking out for each person, making sure each person is satisfied with their roster and that one person's shift pattern doesn't adversely impact on other people.

'The AHS claims the new system will be better for patients. In fact if the new system causes more nurses to leave it's going to make for more unsafe practices at work and unhappy staff, meaning things will be more difficult for patients and staff.

'The AHS claims many nurses are unhappy with the present roster system. I don't know who these nurses are, because none of the nurses I've spoken to have ever been asked for their opinion by the health service.

'Any rostering system will have problems, but the current system offers the best flexibility for keeping nurses in the workforce and attracting new nurses.'