The current vacancy rate of almost 400 nurses and midwives across Tasmania is taking a significant toll on existing members across the State and action is urgently needed. This week the ANMF launched its Health Election Plan calling on all parties and candidates to commit to the plan as part of their election commitments.

The ANMF has reiterated that the Tasmanian Health Service is relying on agency staff just to safely staff existing services. The overtime and agency staff costs combined amounting to almost 20 million dollars a year.

The ANMF has drafted and costed a three-point plan to address the current staffing crisis and also plan ahead for the impending mass exodus of ageing nurses and midwives. The plan includes:

1. A Statewide Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery – This role will be part of the Department of Health Executive to lead the operational nursing and midwifery strategy implementation and will allow collaboration with the Chief Nurse and Midwife on Workforce issues and importantly, ensure consistency across the State.
2. Nursing and Midwifery Recruitment Units – These units will be comprised of a Clinical Nurse/Midwife Leader and Clinical Nurse/Midwife Educator along with administrative support to streamline the existing 6 -12-month recruitment process, reduce the lengthy and unnecessary approval chains and set a statewide consistent approach to recruitment with a unit in each region. It will also facilitate the recruitment of more Tasmanian nurse graduates so that Tasmanian graduates stay and work in Tasmania.
3. Nursing and Midwifery Development Model – This model will see an additional 25 Clinical Nurse/Midwife Educators and 50 Clinical Coaches implemented across the state to support the growing number of early career nurses who are replacing experienced and senior nurses and midwives and offer the support and guidance required to keep the early career nurse engaged in the workforce. This model importantly will assist in supporting a safe skill mix in all clinical areas.

The anticipated total cost of this proposal is just over $8 million dollars, excluding some on-costs, which is roughly the same amount that is being spent each year on agency staffing.

The ANMF anticipate that this proposal will fill all the vacancies, reduce the need for agency staff and will effectively become cost neutral and in time a cost saving with reduced vacancies no longer requiring overtime and double shifts by existing nurses and midwives.

The ANMF has now written to all political candidates to seek their commitment to this plan and will communicate their responses to members ahead of the election on 1 May 2021.

The ANMF continues to support nurses, midwives, and care workers as the only union in Tasmania employing nurses and care workers to represent members. This is why our Organisers and Member Support Team are uniquely positioned to understand your experiences, represent you in your workplace, and offer industrial advice that’s relevant to you.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact our Member Support Team via email on membersupport@anmftas.org.au. Email is the preferred and fastest way of contacting the team. Alternatively, you can phone (03) 6223 6777 or 1800 001 241 if outside Hobart.

Updates correct as at 14 April 2021.
Authorised by Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary