29 July 2003
22nd Annual Queensland Nurses Union Conference
Impact of nursing shortages
The 22nd annual conference of the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) is being held over the next three days – 30, 31 July & 1 August 2003 - at the Carlton Crest Hotel, Brisbane.
Nearly 300 delegates, representing more than 30,000 nurses from hospitals, community health facilities and nursing homes throughout Queensland, will discuss a range of industrial relations, health and political issues.
On the first day – Wednesday, 30 July – there will be a number of presentations on, and discussion of, issues related to the serious nursing shortage confronting Queensland and Australia. Representatives of media outlets are welcome to attend the following presentations tomorrow morning:
9:15 am
Heart to heart: Nurses meeting the challenges of contemporary nursing - an overview of the issues, including the nurse shortage and the impact of staffing practices on patient care, confronting nursing and health care in Australia today.
Professor Jill White
Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health
University of Technology, Sydney
10.00 am
Panel discussion: Impact of nursing shortages
Gay Hawksworth, QNU secretary
Ged Cowin, Australian Nursing Federation assistant federal secretary
Professor Jill White (as above)
11.45am
Recent advances in nursing practice in Queensland
– an overview of changes in the role of, and work done by, nurses in Queensland, including in rural and remote parts of the State.
Leanne Pound, Moura Hospital, Registered Nurse - Isolated Practice Areas and Rural Hospitals Drug Therapy Protocol endorsed
Susanne Robertson, Capricornia Division of General Practice, Rockhampton, Practice Nurse Liaison Officer
Rosita Van Kuilenburg, Princess Alexandra Hospital Brisbane, Participant in Queensland Health Nurse Practitioner trial
Thursday and Friday will be devoted to formal reports on industrial and professional issues being dealt with by the QNU and consideration of motions from the union’s workplace branches.
| 
