6 October 2021
The ANMF (SA Branch) continues to push the case for the health system to employ all graduates, with CEO/Secretary Adj Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM interviewed by media outside the Women’s and Children’s Hospital on Sunday.
Ms Dabars was talking about the ill state of health in SA and the crushing workload of nurses and midwives, many of whom work exhaustive 16-hour double shifts.
Ms Dabars reiterated the ANMF’s three key asks to SA Health CEO Chris McGowan to urgently address chronic staff shortages which are expected to get much worse in the very near future:
- Offer all graduating nurses and midwives who will be completing their courses next month a Transition to Professional Practice Program (TPPP);
- Offer all nurses and midwives completing a TPPP ongoing permanent work;
- Fast-track development of speciality skills in areas including Mental Health, Critical Care, Emergency Care and Midwifery, and incentivise employment in rural and regional areas.
“There is a desperate need to employ more graduate nurses as the shortfall is Australia-wide and if we do not embrace these nurses and midwives now, we are fearful SA will lose them to other states and territories,’’ Ms Dabars said.
“Never before have we witnessed such appalling numbers of people waiting for a hospital bed. Never before have we witnessed such strain on our hospital system.
“The Marshall Government simply must invest in more health care staff and more resources or it risks plunging the entire state into an unprecedented health crisis. Lives are at stake.’’
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