Nursing, midwifery and the QNU – where we’ve come from

The Australasian Trained Nurses Association (ATNA) was formed in Sydney by nurses and medical practitioners. The majority of the executive positions were held by male medical practitioners. The ATNA’s concerns were with professional issues relating to education and standards of practice. There were stringent membership requirements relating to length of education, moral character and competency. Final examinations for nurses in education were conducted by the ATNA. Also in this year a Midwifery Nurses Auxiliary Branch was formed for nurses who completed six months midwifery education.

[In 1899, the ATNA had a total of 224 members: of these, 174 were nurses and 50 were doctors. By 1905, the total membership in Australia had expanded considerably to 1389; 1015 of these were general nurses, 249 midwifery nurses and 125 medical practitioners. In 1902 the annual subscription fee was 10 shillings and sixpence for general nurses, 5 shillings for midwifery nurses and one guinea for doctors.]

Royal Brisbane Hospital worked to open an ATNA Branch in Queensland.

ATNA published a journal titled Australasian Nurses Journal.

The Industrial Arbitration Act of 1916 requires the Court to establish a forty-eight hour week in industries, unless where it can be shown that paramount public importance otherwise requires. It cannot be doubted that the sick ... would be very greatly inconvenienced if the Court were now ... to require all hospitals to establish a forty-eight hour week.

An editorial of the Medical Journal of Australia described the QNA as a misguided body of foolish virgins. It said that while nurses needed protection from exploitative employment practices, they should not be free to conduct their own affairs.

An amendment to the Industrial Arbitration Act introduced the standard 44 hour week.

Employers successfully appealed the 1925 Award decision.

The Federal Council of the reconstituted ANF met. ANF Branches were to make an effort to obtain members, and hospitals were to be approached asking for preference to be given to members of the ANF. The federal body affiliated with the International Council of Nurses (ICN).

Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, the ICN and member associations went into recess for the duration of the war.

The ATNA successfully applied to the Queensland Industrial Court for salary increases—the first increase, apart from basic wage increases, since 1921. (Nurses were leaving the profession in large numbers for more highly paid employment and attracting new recruits had become difficult.)

The ANF was still in existence due to its affiliation with the International Council of Nurses, with Registered Nurse members only. It did not amalgamate with AUNA which in 1953 became ANF Employees’ Section (ANFES). The NSW Nurses’ Association did not unite with AUNA.

State legislation made all awards conform with the 40-hour week.

In November of this year, the RANF Queensland Branch union of Employees had changed its name to the Queensland Nurses’ Union of Employees (QNU), and continued alone.

Federal government announced support for transfer of pre-registration nurse education to higher education institutions by 1993.

Strong Branch, union Representative and Activist structures established and supported in the early 1990s.

Improvements to wages, penalty rates and working conditions – for example the base hourly rate for QH RN Level 1 top pay point in 1982 was $7.55 and in 2007 was $29.05—an increase of 285%.

Activist recognition and union encouragement – EB4.

The first round of public sector EB.

Workplace Relations Act.

The last hospital to stop wearing nursing veils in Queensland was St Andrew’s in Toowoomba.

Howard government introduces its first round of changes to industrial relations legislation, mirrored in the Borbidge government legislation in 1997 limiting award matters to 20 and changing the no-disadvantage test for collective agreements.

Launch of the No lifting by 2000 campaign.

Howard government passes the Aged Care Act 1997. It provides a significantly different funding arrangement in aged care removing the requirement to spend specifically on care. This results in substantial reductions in nursing hours in the aged care industry.

Zero Tolerance to Violence campaign launched.

QNU commissions first study into work/life balance in Queensland Nursing.

First independent research of QNU members (Your work, your time, your life) conducted by Professor Desley Hegney, USQ Research.

Senate Inquiry into nursing results in the publication of Report on the Inquiry into Nursing - The patient profession: Time for action. Federal government responds to this report three years later. QNU put in detailed submission to Senate inquiries.

Queensland Health EB5 campaign—statewide industrial action culminating in a rally of nurses outside state parliament. Queensland Health then took the dispute into arbitration before a full bench of the QIRC.

Nurses. Worth looking after. (NWLA) campaign launched.

Public sector nurses win an entitlement to a qualification allowance, an enforceable workloads management clause, as well as other improvements.

Social Charter for Nursing in Queensland developed and agreed by QNU and QNC.

Your work, your time, your life research is again undertaken by Professor Desley Hegney, USQ.

Queensland government instigates a Commission of Inquiry (Morris and Davis Commissions) The Queensland Health Systems Review: Final Report September 2005 (Forster Review) as a result of abuses in Bundaberg Hospital. QNU takes active role in ensuring all issues are explored and real answers are found. The QNU provided detailed submissions to both inquiries.

12 weeks paid maternity leave introduced.

ACTU introduces the Your Rights at Work campaign in response to federal government plans to attack worker rights.

Let’s talk nursing sub-campaign of NWLA commenced.

Queensland Health employees move back from the federal system to the state system after the enactment of WorkChoices.

Nurses’ EB6 supported by public sector nurses with significant wage increases and, for the first time, an entitlement to Professional Development Leave and payment of costs.

Let’s talk nursing continues.

EB negotiations in private sector—90 agreements operating with employers increasingly looking to attack the nursing classification structure and right to have a union collective agreement.

Wages gap widening.

Your work, your time, your life research is again undertaken by Professor Desley Hegney—now working at UQ.

The QNU launches its Nurses. For you. For life. campaign aimed at addressing the significant nursing and midwifery shortages in Queensland.

Increasing problems are identified in the aged care sector – particularly with nurses’ wages up to $300 per week less than nurses in the public sector.

The QNU and Queensland Health commence negotiations for the EB7 agreement in October.