Good to have the QNU on your side
Published: 9 June 2011
The past year has presented nurses and midwives with many personal and professional challenges. Natural disasters and new registration requirements have tested us in our daily lives, and political uncertainty with a minority federal government and cuts to public services and industrial legislation in Victoria and NSW are worrying signs for the imminent future.
In these difficult and uncertain times it’s reassuring to be part of a union which is entirely focused on promoting and defending our interests.
Our union continues to improve services to ensure we are represented when we need it, protected when we’re at risk, and have a voice when otherwise we might be ignored.
To maintain our ability to do this, the QNU is increasing membership fees by 5 per cent.
Fee increases are considered carefully by the elected QNU Council before being endorsed. QNU Council is responsible for ensuring the objectives of our union’s Vision, Mission and Values Statements are achieved. To do this, Council must make sure the QNU has the resources, infrastructure and support mechanisms in place to meet our industrial, professional, social, political and democratic objectives.
Data collected by the QNU shows that there has been a signifi cant increase in requests from members for individual legal, professional and industrial services. The sometimes-confusing requirements of the national registration and accreditation scheme have caused problems for many members, compelling the QNU to allocate additional resources and support mechanisms to this area.
The QNU remains responsive to members’ needs by making available to us a range of legal and professional resources and support tools. The QNU’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) booklet, Nurses and the Law, and even the legal and professional seminars hosted by the QNU, ensure members are best placed to meet our legal and professional obligations.
QNU Connect, as the first point of contact at the QNU, continues to provide members with important advice and information about a whole range of industrial, professional, legal and campaign matters and provide referrals to expert staff where appropriate. Hundreds of members are assisted by QNU Connect staff each week.
Also in high demand are the QNU’s education programs, which are free for members to attend. Members can receive training on a wide range of industrial and skills-based issues including:
- unionism in the workplace
- collective bargaining
- workplace change and industrial relations
- negotiation and meeting skills
- award interpretation.
Last financial year nearly 1000 members attended QNU training throughout the state in metropolitan, regional and rural areas.
Members of the QNU are also covered by our union’s professional indemnity insurance group policy. Members who are registered cannot practice unless appropriate professional indemnity insurance arrangements are in place. The QNU’s professional indemnity insurance policy meets this requirement and is the most cost-effective way to ensure we’re covered at work.
There are so many benefi ts of being a QNU member: a bi-monthly journal which updates us on current professional and industrial issues; access to a wide range of information and resources to support us; and even the opportunity to save money when purchasing goods through Union Shopper.
Most important to me is that our union continues to improve the working lives of nurses and midwives in all health settings, which ultimately leads to better outcomes for the clients in our care.
When the chips are down, it’s good to have a pro-active union like ours beside us.
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