2 December 2021
ANMF (SA Branch) members at the Mt Gambier and Districts Health Service have scored an “amazing” win over fatigue.
The latter has been a major issue within the Mt Gambier theatre suite for decades, with staff expected, when on call, to work 16, 18, even 20-hours straight.
The issue, we’re told, is partly a lack of nursing staff, partly an underutilisation of theatres.
If staff were on call on a Sunday night (or Monday night public holiday) the hospital previously refused to give them an 8-hour break as management considered a ‘rostered call’ not to be a ‘rostered shift’, therefore they were not entitled to the long break.
Some of the on-call staff work a morning shift from 0900 to 1730 prior to being on call. These staff are used for semi-urgent work and add-ons, meaning there are then no staff available for urgent or time-critical cases.
Usually, the 4 staff on call start at either 0830 or 0900, so it is all of the on-call staff that are working a morning shift, then continue working after the rest of the staff go home at 1630 or 1700.
It also results in on-call staff working very long hours during the week when they may be required to return for emergency procedures during the night and attend for rostered morning shifts. It is getting home in the first place that is more of a problem, due to the excessive hours.
“We quite often do not get home at all when we are on call during the week,’’ one nurse said.
“So mostly what happens is we start work at 8.30am, are supposed to finish at 5pm, but if on call we just continue on until the surgeons have finished. This can mean occasionally getting home on time, but mostly means we keep working for 2, 6 or 10 hours, on top of the 8 hours we have already worked on weekdays.
“Weekends are different because they are essentially our rostered day off, but we are on call. And it is not unusual for us to work 4, 8, 10 hours or longer on a weekend, and that includes Saturday and Sunday.
“There is also no time rostered for education and training, or for managing surgeons’ preference lists and equipment for the specialties.’’
Due to the vigilance of ANMF (SA Branch) officers and Mt Gambier members in constantly raising the issues with hospital management, welcome changes have finally been enacted.
It is now up to the NUM or the nurse managers, if staff are called in or work long hours (including on a Sunday night), to decide if the staff affected are given an 8-hour break, a 10-hour break or a day off at full pay. Thankfully, their powers of discretion are paying off for exhausted staff.
“This has made an amazing difference to the moral and fatigue levels of the nursing staff in theatre and has been the result of a long, hard fight for better working conditions,’’ the nurse said.
“A day off at full pay, that would not have happened two or three months ago.
“The theatre has also gained an equipment nurse, which has helped a bit too.’’
ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary Adj Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM said the fatigue win was a victory for common sense and safety, but more needed to be done.
“Fatigue presents a danger not only to the physical and mental wellbeing of staff but to the quality of care to patients,’’ Ms Dabars said.
“To work 19-20 hours straight is an outrageous ask of our members. Again, it only underscores the need – as we have constantly hammered home to the State Government - for more staff, more resources and better utilisation of resources.’’
“Particular recognition must be given to the hardworking and dedicated worksite representatives of Mt Gamier Hospital who, in working with ANMF Officers, were integral to achieving this result”
If you do not have a worksite representative in your area, please encourage someone you know, or why not become one yourself? For further information on how to become an ANMF Worksite representative, please click
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