​Hospitals in Victoria will get funding for 600 new nurses and midwives along with a new $50 million education fund, via a plan aimed at improving nurse to patient ratios in public hospitals. New staff will work in key shortage areas including emergency departments, ICU, oncology, birthing units and palliative care. Changes are scheduled to be introduced in August 2018.
Premier Daniel Andrews stated that it is the best way to value nurses and midwives, to fund them properly, to recruit enough of them and ensure there is a legislated ratio as a backup. He mentions there are shortages in some key areas and by investing in an innovative way are able to addressin-demand areas, fulfill staffing ratios and deliver better care to patients.
Victoria was the second place in the world after California to legislate nurses and midwives to patient ratios. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation welcomed the new laws and urged MPs to pass the bill. These nursing ratio changes would gradually remove the ’50 percent rule’ which allows hospital management to round down staff numbers if beds are not divisible by the prescribed ratio.
With the changes in ratio in mind, if you need any assistance in your recruitment of registered nurses then please contact me on martina@austcorpexecutive.com.au or call 02 8252 1108