The Harden-Murrumburrah Branch of the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) condemned Murrumbidgee Local Health District’s (MLHD) proposed Nurse Management restructure at a meeting held on September 3.
The proposed policy entails job losses that would impact the operations of the Murrumburrah-Harden District Hospital. According to MLHD briefing notes, “This restructure is designed to enable an organisational structure that will enhance the patient experience; provide frontline clinical nursing leadership; and allow for enhanced lines of accountability.”
As part of the restructure, the Nurse Manager (6) position for Murrumburrah Harden District Hospital and Boorowa Hospital, currently occupied by Kerry Lindeman, will be eliminated, with both Nurse Manager (3) positions in Harden and Boorowa being answerable to a Health Service Manager (4)/Nurse Manager (6) in Young. Nurse Manager positions will also be eliminated in Culcairn, Holbrook, Denilquin, Corowa, Tumut, Tumbarumba, Gundagai, Junee, Cootamundra, Hay, Narrandera and Leeton. Essentially, the move will reduce or altogether remove the number of deputy positions at each of these hospitals According to the MLHD, this will create “an agile and flat management structure” and will “de-layer management and allow for clear lines of accountability.” In addition, they state that there will be “no negative impact on the delivery of clinical services.” What could be interpreted by language such as “flat and agile” is that workloads and responsibilities would be likely to increase for current Nurse Managers in Boorowa and Harden.
“Both Nurse Managers in Kerry Menz and Kerry Lindeman provide clinical support and back up if needed by Nursing Staff,” said Harden Branch Secretary of the NSWNMA, Marilyn Wales. “We have a lot of work for accreditation for both the Nursing Home and the Acute Care Wing. If one of the Nurse Managers is removed, it means that this work will fall back on Nursing Staff and take away from patient care.”
The Harden Branch resolved on September 3rd to declare their opposition to the proposed changes, citing concerns about staffing levels, clinical support and patient care. “Nurses at Harden and members of the community rely on our managers knowledge, leadership and experience and to erode this is mismanagement at is worse. We have a wonderful team at Harden and this will only suffer if this proposal is allowed to proceed in its current uninformed format.” If the restructure goes ahead in its current format, the branch has resolved to meet again to assess its options.
