A nurse who signed patients’ medication charts, falsely indicating she had administered drugs, and who took another nurse’s handbag, has been reprimanded for professional misconduct. Former agency nurse Karen Faulkner, who is employed by a Gold Coast hospital, will have to work with a mentor and under conditions for the next 12 months. Ms Faulkner prematurely signed patient medication charts in advance of medications being administered and in one case did not give a patient an antibiotic she needed, a tribunal found. A doctor had ordered a Brisbane Private Hospital patient be given the antibiotic, prior to her having a total hip replacement in 2012, to ward against infection. Ms Faulkner signed the medication chart indicating she had given the patient the antibiotic Vancomycin at 6am on July 17, 2012, when she had not.
May 18, 2017
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and Mercy Hospital for Women (Werribee Campus) are debating a (s.739 – Application to deal with a dispute) before Commissioner Cribb in Conference Room E & F – Level 6 in Melbourne at 4.30pm.
May 18, 2017
More than 70 hospital staff will finish at a Gold Coast hospital on Friday, some receiving as little as two days’ notice. Healthe Care yesterday announced it would let 75 employees go when the Gold Coast Surgical Hospital at Varsity Lakes closes it doors this week. Staff were told of the decision late on Monday. Healthe Care officially took over the hospital’s parent company, Pulse Health, yesterday afternoon.
May 18, 2017
A s.185 (Enterprise agreement) application by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation for its Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA branch) Employees Agreement 2017 has been agreed by Fair Work Commissioner Johns in Melbourne on 17 May 2017.
May 18, 2017
Ambulance Tasmania paramedic Lauren Hepher has clocked off from a 14-hour overnight shift. In eight hours, she will start again. “It’s been pretty busy,” Ms Hepher said. “We are experiencing a really busy period and we haven’t hit the peak of the winter flu season yet so that is quite concerning.” Ms Hepher is also the president of the Ambulance Employees Sub-branch of the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU). She is concerned about the workload for Tasmanian paramedics, which she said was affecting health and morale of staff. HACSU said when the next fortnightly roster for the southern region came out this week, there were 20 vacant paramedic shifts — and that was before anyone called in sick.
May 18, 2017
The findings of the 2016 Aged Care Workforce Survey have been released today and paint a picture of an industry plagued by stress, insecure hours, and inadequate pay.
May 17, 2017
Aged Care Services Australia Group Pty Ltd and Health Services Union & Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation are involved in a s.604 (Appeal of decisions) before the Fair Work full bench in hearing room 1 in Canberra at 1pm.
May 17, 2017
Uniting Care Wesley Bowden will defend a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) before Commissioner Hampton in his Adelaide chambers (Fowler).
