How less qualified workers are taking up the slack
March 26, 2010 in Uncategorized by happyredman
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Original Article)
MOUNTING workloads, high stress and low pay are forcing aged-care nurses from the sector with an increasing number of less qualified workers taking up the slack.
Nurses working in aged care can expect to earn 10 per cent less than nurses working in public hospitals.
Their workloads are also increasing, an Access Economics report showing the ratio of 6.7 residents per nurse in 2007 is expected to almost double to 12.1 in a decade.
As nurses leave the profession, they are replaced by personal care workers with certificate III or IV qualifications, which can be awarded after a six-month course.
Aged Care Crisis spokeswoman Lynda Saltarelli believes personal care workers do not have the skills to manage patients with complex medical needs.
”One of the problems is in the employment of poorly qualified, poorly trained ‘hands-on’ staff who are responsible for the day-to-day care of residents with very high support and nursing needs,” she says. ”Often the English language skills of these staff members are inadequate, either to communicate effectively with patients or their families, and raises concerns as to whether they can competently read and interpret written case notes and care plans.”
A registered nurse with 30 years’ experience in aged care told The Sun-Herald of concerns about personal care workers with little supervision having ”easy access’ to strong medication such as morphine, pethidine and fentanyl.
Personal care workers make up more than 60 per cent of the aged-care workforce.
Australian Nursing Federation federal secretary Ged Kearney described them as the ”backbone” of the system but agreed they did not have the training to deal with complex patient care.
”About 70 per cent of the people in aged care have high care needs,” Ms Kearney said. ”They have complex medical problems ranging from diabetes to dementia, which affects about half the residents cheap flight Emerald to Gold Coast in care. They need highly qualified staff.
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