Burnt-out nurses and midwives seek to ‘retain, recruit and rebuild’

Exhausted Geelong nurses are calling for back-up as the booming region’s health sector grows.

Lucy Crock

2 min read

March 21, 2024 - 3:21PM

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Geelong public sector nurses and midwives attending a statewide ANMF meeting at Geelong Trades Hall. Picture: Brad Fleet

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Nurses and midwives have gathered in Geelong as part of a statewide campaign to “retain, recruit and rebuild” their workforce.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Victorian branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the union believed health service capital works expanding across the Barwon region’s public health system meant Geelong would require significant recruitment of additional nurses and midwives.

“The last four years have taken an enormous toll on Geelong’s public sector nurses and midwives,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.

$\ANMF state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick.$

\ANMF state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick.

On Thursday, the ANMF held gatherings around the state, including at Geelong Trades Hall, to hear about a report from union officials about new 2024-28 Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) negotiations.

Negotiations between the union’s Victorian branch, the Department of Health and the Victorian Hospitals’ Industrial Association began in October, as the current 2020-24 enterprise agreement expires on April 30.

“The ANMF members’ log of claims provides a plan that will stabilise and grow the workforce to ensure we don’t just build new health service buildings but that we have enough nurses and midwives to work inside them to provide care to the community,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.

“Our members expect their employer and the Allan Government to provide wages, tailored allowances and working conditions that will retain the current early career and experienced workforce and encourage steady recruitment of nurses and midwives as new services open.”

At the meeting the ANMF raised numerous challenges, including registered nurses and midwives reducing their hours or not working due to exhaustion.

Geelong public sector nurses and midwives attending a statewide ANMF meeting at Geelong Trades Hall. Picture: Brad Fleet

The union saidthe new enterprise agreement must value and reward nurses and midwives, improve conditions and entitlements and focus on safety and gender equality in the workplace.

In its EBA log of claims summary the union said nurses and midwives had worked above and beyond for the Victorian community through the 2020 summer bushfires, the once-in-a-100-year COVID-19 pandemic and multiple flood events.

It said the sector was facing the most significant staffing pressures since the 1990s nursing and midwifery crisis.

“The result is a deep level of exhaustion worsened by the rising cost of living’s corrosive impact,” it said.

A state government spokeswoman said the negotiations would back Victoria’s nurses and midwives.

“Our nurses and midwives are the very best of us – we will always back them and the extraordinary work they do to provide Victorians with world-class care” she said.

“We expect the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association and the ANMF to negotiate in good faith and to reach a resolution as soon as possible.”

The ANMF said the 2024-28 EBA was an opportunity for the government and managers of public health services to listen and help the union repair the workforce.