What we're asking for...
The QNU has joined its interstate counterparts to launch a new campaign promoting nurses and midwives and their role as champions for quality health and aged care.
The nationally co-ordinated Australia’s nurses and midwives: You couldn’t be in better hands campaign celebrates the dedication and professionalism of nurses and midwives in every setting and across all levels of care.
The issues at the heart of the Better Hands campaign are safe staffing levels, national regulation of all nursing staff, better use of our health resources, and appropriate skill mix of staff in all health settings.
Safe staffing levels across the entire health and aged care sectors to ensure all Australians get the care they need deserve.
We need more nurses and midwives, more time to care, or patients and residents will suffer. We must work to ensure that we meet health care demands of all Australians now, and into the future. Governments must guarantee funding to ensure that all states and territories deliver safe staffing levels in aged care, community health care and hospitals.
National registration
Assistants in nursing (AINs) are an important member of the nursing family and should be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Registration of AINs will lead to standardised and improved training, improved patient care and recognition of their contribution to the health and aged care systems.
Better use of our health resources by giving nurses and midwives a stronger role in the co-ordination of access across the health and aged care systems.
Patient safety will suffer if the Government does not act now to educate and employ more nurses, increase wages and ensure there are enough nurses to provide safe patient care. Nurses and midwives must be given greater authority and scope of practice as navigators and advocates for consumers of our increasingly complex health system.
Appropriate skill mix of staff in all health and aged care settings
The complexity of care of our sick and vulnerable requires the right mix of nurses and direct care staff for each individual patient, and in the setting best for them (whether that be acute, community, residential aged care, or in home care). Australians must have the care they need, delivered to them by qualified health professionals, and in the most appropriate setting.
